As expected, Microsoft announced today a new operating system version called “Windows 10 S” that is aimed specifically at schools and is limited to the apps that exist in the Windows Store.
We had heard of the new version of Windows as Windows 10 Cloud when it was still in development.
Windows 10 S can only run applications that are uploaded to the Windows Store and Microsoft states (positively framing) that it is a basic security feature, because everything will be fully secure as they will be verified by the company itself.
Windows 10 S is easy to install and manage, as Terry Myerson of Microsoft noted, explaining that teachers or IT staff will be able to use special tools to quickly configure devices and prepare them for their classes.
The devices that will run Windows 10 S will be available from $189 and will come with a free subscription to Minecraft Education Edition. Additionally, the Windows 10 S operating system will be provided free to all schools that use Windows 10 Pro on their computers.
However, each time users attempt to launch a Win32 platform software on a device with Windows 10 S, a notification will appear stating that only applications from the Windows Store are allowed.
According to Microsoft, there are alternative solutions for every app in the Store, and there is no available one; Windows 10 S can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro directly from the Windows Store, obviously by paying a license.
The Windows 10 S operating system will be released this summer,”in time for the new school year”, explained Myerson, and noted that Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Samsung and Toshiba will be among the companies that will install the OS on their upcoming devices.
It remains to be seen how successful this new version of the operating system developed by Microsoft will be in taking on Chromebooks.
