The market share for Chromebooks skyrocketed over the past couple of years, thanks to the adoption of remote learning fueled by the Coronavirus pandemic. While Chromebooks have created a niche for themselves with Google’s lightweight Chrome OS, Microsoft has now announced Windows 11 SE to compete against Chrome OS in the education sector. In this article, we have detailed everything you should know about Windows 11 SE and how it’s different from Windows 11. Apart from discussing Windows 11 SE vs Windows 11 in terms of the feature set, we will also take a look at compatible laptops, pricing, and whether Microsoft can rival Google’s Chrome OS with Windows 11 SE?
What is Windows 11 SE?
Windows 11 SE is Microsoft’s new cloud-first operating system aimed at students in K-8 classrooms (8th grade or up to age 14). It is essentially a stripped-down version of Windows 11 built with students and educators in mind. Strategically positioned as a Chrome OS alternative, Microsoft hopes to win over the education sector crowd with the launch of this OS variant.
What is Windows 11 SE?How is Windows 11 SE Different from Windows 11?Windows 10 vs Windows 11 vs Windows 11 SE: Feature Comparison ChartWindows 11 SE System RequirementsWhat Apps Can I Install on Windows 11 SE?Can I Install Windows 11 SE on my PC?Can I Switch from Windows 11 SE to Windows 11 Home or Pro on My Laptop?Windows 11 SE Compatible LaptopsIs Windows 11 SE a Chrome OS Killer?
Windows 11 SE vs Windows 11: App Availability and Installation
A key difference when we compare Windows 11 SE against the Windows 11 is app availability. Unlike the standard Windows 11 desktop OS, Windows 11 SE doesn’t ship with Microsoft Store. In addition, you can’t manually install most third-party native Win32 apps either. As a result, you will not have the option to install native apps like iTunes or Spotify on your school laptop. While you can’t install manually apps, Windows 11 SE supports select authorized Win32 and UWP apps.
- Windows 11 SE vs Windows 11: Snap Layouts
Microsoft improved the multitasking experience on Windows 11 with its new Snap Layouts feature. While you get six handy Snap Layout options in Windows 11, Windows 11 SE simplifies this by offering only two Snap Layouts. They let you use two apps side-by-side on your laptop at the same time. Speaking of app snapping, it’s also worth mentioning that all apps launch in fullscreen mode by default in Windows 11 SE. That seems right because most Windows 11 SE-backed budget laptops will ship with smaller screens.
- Windows 11 SE vs Windows 11: Widgets
With Windows 11, Microsoft added a widgets panel that shows you the latest news, weather, photos, sports scores, and more. This Windows 11 feature is not present in Windows 11 SE, and that’s a good thing. Microsoft wants to keep things light with this education-focused version of Windows 11. Meanwhile, if you are not a fan of Windows 11 widgets, you can follow our guide to disable widgets on Windows 11.
Windows 10 vs Windows 11 vs Windows 11 SE: Feature Comparison Chart
Microsoft has published a handy comparison chart to give you a quick idea of what to expect from Windows 11 SE. As you can see below, notable omissions include the option to run all Windows apps, limited availability, and the option to upgrade from your existing Windows 10 PC or laptop. And as should be clear, you can only upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and not Windows 11 SE. Why? Well, we have explained that down below.
Windows 11 SE System Requirements
Despite being a cloud-first OS, Windows 11 SE has the same system requirements as Windows 11. Microsoft says that’s because Windows 11 SE is built on the same core. You can check Windows 11 SE system requirements below:
What Apps Can I Install on Windows 11 SE?
As mentioned earlier, Windows 11 SE lacks Microsoft Store and installation of third-party Win32 apps. Since it is a desktop OS catering to the education sector, the apps you can install on Windows 11 SE are limited by design. As a user, you will have to mostly rely on web apps in Edge or other supported browsers like Google Chrome.
App installation on Windows 11 SE is managed through Intune for Education. Intune for Education is Microsoft’s cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) service for schools to let admins manage student devices. Hence, your IT admin can choose to deploy approved apps like Zoom using Intune for Education. Moreover, Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Microsoft Account (MSA) are the only identity authentication tools supported on Windows 11 SE devices.
Can I Install Windows 11 SE on my PC?
Another doubt that many of you might have is – How can you download the Windows 11 SE ISO? Well, sadly, you can’t. Since Microsoft is not publishing Windows 11 SE images, you can’t install Windows 11 SE on your PC at this moment. Microsoft states Windows 11 SE is unlikely to be available for retail users.
The answer is no. You can’t switch from Windows 11 SE to Windows 11 Home or any other version of Windows 11 on a laptop provided to you by an educational institute.
Windows 11 SE Compatible Laptops
Microsoft has listed the initial set of compatible laptops that will ship with Windows 11 SE out of the box. Check out the list below:
Is Windows 11 SE a Chrome OS Killer?
Although Microsoft already has education-centric offerings like Windows 10 /11 Education and Windows 10/ 11 Pro Education, they’re not as popular as Google’s Chrome OS. With Windows 11 SE, Microsoft is taking a restrictive approach to provide IT admins more control over student devices. While it is a welcome move for IT admins, Microsoft will face serious competition from Chrome OS.
