Don’t look now, but it appears that Microsoft is working on yet another Surface machine. This one targeting the education sector, and running what is being called Windows 11 SE.
The technology firm is nearing a decade of hardware innovation since the debut of the original Microsoft Surface back in 2012. Since then, the lineup has expanded to cover multiple form factors and original devices that other vendors have taken inspiration from.
In other words, the premium of the premium in PC space.
However, this this time around the company seems to have affordability in mind.
Word is that Microsoft is developing a low-cost Surface laptop that will compete against Chromebooks in the education sector. And by low-cost, we really mean something that has the signature Surface fit and finish but houses midrange circuitry.
Think an 11.6-inch frame with a 1366 x 768 display, and Intel Celeron N4120 processor, and up to 8GB of RAM that ought to be enough for the target market. Also, ought to be enough is a plastic exterior to keep the cost of this device as low as possible.
This machine will reportedly feature a full-size keyboard and trackpad, and will have the usual splattering of ports like USB-C, USB-A, an AC port and a good old headphone jack.
The report claims that this upcoming Surface laptop is codenamed Tenjin, and will be powered by the variant of the OS known as Windows 11 SE.
And while this is our first introduction to this new SKU of the operating system, it will apparently be optimized for schools and educational institutes that want to deploy lower-end Windows hardware in bulk.
It remains unclear what the SE stands for though. Student Edition? School Edition?
What we do have intelligence on is that this new device will be announced by the end of the year, and will feature competitive pricing somewhere in the range of $400 or below.
