FULL VIDEOS: Windows 10 S and Surface laptop, super pricey or Surface saviour?

In the world of education in the US, Google's inexpensive, virus- and ransomware-proof and easy to manage Chromebooks have taken a large slice of the market – nearly 60%.

This has been at the expense of Apple, with its more capable, but more expensive tables and notebooks, and at the expense of often cheap notebooks running the full version of Windows.

Given that the full version of Windows can be expensive and complicated to manage, and needs both anti-virus and anti-malware software to truly be safe, the time was ripe for Microsoft to make a stand in the education space.

{loadposition alex08}Windows 10 S

Thus we see the arrival of Windows 10 S, a version of Windows that only runs apps from the Microsoft/Windows app Store. These include tablet-style apps that started off using the "Metro" interface that debuted with Windows 8, as well as traditional Win32 desktop apps that Microsoft has allowed into the store.

Doing this will ensure that programs and apps, as well as nasties such as viruses, malware, adware and anything else that isn't in the Windows app Store just won't run on any computer that is running Windows 10 S.

The big question will be whether enough quality education apps are in the store to satisfy students, but with Microsoft placing a major focus on this, you'd have to imagine it is working to make sure as many appropriate apps as possible are ready and waiting for students and schools to use, whether free or paid.

The Verge reports that Windows 10 S users won't be able to change the default browser from Microsoft Edge, nor the search engine default from Microsoft Bing. Gizmodo has some more Windows 10 S details.

Of course, Microsoft has made Office 365 available in its store, including OneNote with all of its shared notetaking capabilities, and its new "Teams" app that lets students and teachers communicate with each other, all designed to increase collaboration.

Fighting off the Chromebook threat, several years later

The thing is, it comes several years after Google's Chromebooks came to market, so Microsoft has a lot of catching up to do.

The Chrome OS has recently been updated to allow the running of Android apps, and while there are dozens of models that will eventually get this ability, most still can't do this.

The list of supported Chromebooks capable of running Chrome OS 53 or later which will get Android app compatibility is here.

The functionality also has to be supported by a school or workplace running Chromebooks.

To compete with Chromebooks, Microsoft has released a new Surface computer. It's not the long-awaited Surface Pro 5 tablet that replaces your laptop, it's not a true Surface Book 2 that replaces your laptop, it's an actual laptop called the Surface Laptop. I guess it would replace your laptop, too – or perhaps even an older tablet. 

Surface Laptop pricing

Want to pre-order a Surface Laptop in Australia? It's not yet at the Australian online Microsoft Store, but it is in the US Microsoft online store, starting at US$999.

At time of publication, this equates to A$1324.77, for a Core i5 7th-gen processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

If you want to choose from one of the four colours, this is only possible with the US$1299 model (A$1722.60), which has an i5, 8GB and 256GB storage.

You can get this model with an i7 processor, which bumps the price up to US$1599 or A$2120.43.

If you want 512GB storage, you must also spring for the 16GB storage option. This must also be a Core i7 model, you can't pair the i5 with 16GB or 512GB.

So, the i7 version with 16GB and 512GB storage is US $2199, which is an eye watering A$2916.09.

All of these prices will likely be more expensive in Australia, due to GST and the other reasons companies put on an "Australia tax" on their prices, something with which most readers would be familiar.

You also get a one-year subscription to Office 365 thrown in.

These Surface Laptops come with one USB 3.0 port, a mini Display Port (which will need an adaptor to plug into VGA or HDMI screens), a headset jack, Surface Connect port and it is compatible with off-screen Surface Dial usage.

The 13.5-inch screen is touch and Surface Pen compatible, although no prizes for guessing that the Surface Pen is sold separately, as is the Surface Dial.

If you want to transform your Surface Laptop or any of the other devices capable of running Windows 10 S into Windows 10 Pro, allowing you to run any current Windows-compatible software, this will cost an extra US$50, or at least A$66.

CNET reports via its interview with Joe Belfiore that once you to upgrade to Pro, you can't go back to S.

Surface Laptop alternatives running Windows 10 S

There will also be a range of Windows 10 S notebooks from Microsoft's OEM partners. An example of this is the Acer Aspire 1 series, starting at US$219, or A$290.

Again, this price would likely be higher in Australia.

Acer's Windows 10 S notebook comes with either a Celeron or Pentium processor, 4GB RAM, 32 or 64GB storage, one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port and more.

This means a digital divide will happen as it always does; kids with wealthy parents can afford expensive Surface Laptops featuring i5 or i7 processors, kids without will have to make do with lowly Celerons or Pentiums, but this is no different to the way things were before Surface Laptops or WIndows 10 S devices existed.

There was also no word on Windows 10 devices running on Qualcomm 835 processors, also supposedly able to run Win32 software. Perhaps we'll hear more about these devices towards the end of the year.

iTWire reporter Ray Shaw has written his thoughts on Windows 10 S and the Surface Laptop, complete with specs and more.

Additional thoughts and two Microsoft videos 

On the surface, Microsoft's new Surface Laptops look pricey compared to all their OEMs with vastly cheaper low-end and mid-range machines.

Microsoft appears to be trying to match Apple Macbook Air pricing, although MacBook Air models start with 8GB RAM.

That said, the MacBook Air has a lower screen resolution, and isn't touch or stylus compatible, so Microsoft is taking the fight right to Apple's entry-level devices.

Whether this is enough to get cash-strapped schools in the US and elsewhere around the world to ditch the cheap touch-screen enabled Chromebooks they already own is the big question.

It may be too little, too late and too expensive for Microsoft in this regard, but at least they are trying to push the envelope and reclaim not just the educational space, but those who want a thin and light Surface Laptop from Microsoft.

Here's Microsoft's "Introducing Microsoft Surface Laptop" video, followed by two others.

Here's the ad-free link to Microsoft's entire Education event video, with the details on the new Surface Laptop starting at approximately 1 hour, 9 minutes and 50 seconds.

For some unknown reason, Microsoft didn't have the foresight to offer an embeddable video.

So, some clever cookie out there (not Kim Jong-Un) has recorded Microsoft's entire presentation, uploaded it to YouTube and embedded ads into it because they know they'll make money.

I suggest you click the link above to watch the definitely watchable and worthy presentation above, but I'll also embed the YouTube version of the video below. Again, the Surface Laptop stuff starts at 1.09.50.