News

Microsoft Partners Start Rolling Out Windows 11 SE Devices

• By Kurt Mackie
• January 18, 2022

More Windows 11 SE PCs for the education market are now starting to become available worldwide, the company announced on Tuesday.   

Microsoft had announced Windows 11 SE, a new operating system product for the education market, back in November. At that time, just Microsoft's new Surface Laptop SE product (expected in 2022 and priced at $249) was showcased for running the new OS, although hardware partner efforts were mentioned.

Microsoft is now listing specific hardware partner products that will run Windows 11 SE. These products will reach global markets at some unspecified time.

Most of these emerging Windows 11 SE partner products are described as being resistant to getting dropped in some way and using Intel Celeron processors for longer battery lifespans, with options to use Pentium processors instead. Sometimes they have "world-facing cameras" or 4G LTE support options, although Windows 11 SE supports both online and offline use. The products are typically priced at around $250 for a base model.

Here's a basic rundown of the new partner hardware products running Windows 11 SE, as described by Microsoft:

• Acer TravelMate Spin B3 laptop: 11.6-inch display, "military-grade durability," 10-hour battery life, Wi-Fi 6.
• ASUS BR1100F: "tough," spill-resistant keyboard, 360-degree hinge, world-facing camera, optional 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6.
• Dell Latitude 3120 and 3120 2-in-1: 11-inch display, Intel Celeron Quad-Core or Pentium Quad-Core options, "fast" charging, dual cameras, optional pen, optional Wi-Fi 6.
• Dynabook E10-S (formerly Toshiba PC Co.): 11.6-inch display, bumpers on chassis, 180-degree hinge, spill-resistant keyboard, USB-C port.
• HP ProBook Fortis 14-inch G9 Notebook: 14-inch display, rubber trims, spill-resistant keyboard, 3.7 pounds, USB-C ports.
• JP.IK Leap T304 for K-12 students and the Turn T303: antiglare display, "rugged design," all-day battery life, rotating 2-megapixel camera, "Kensington Lock and fTPM2.0 (with secure boot enabled by default)," Wi-Fi.
• Lenovo "100w and 300w, 500w and 14w" products are all said by Microsoft to run Windows 11 SE.

Other Windows 11 SE hardware products from "Fujitsu and Positivo" are expected to be "coming this year," Microsoft indicated.

Windows SE systems are said by Microsoft to work online or offline, with support for Microsoft 365 applications and "third-party apps." They also include built-in learning tools, such as "Reading Progress, Education Insights, Immersive Reader and Microsoft Translator."

Microsoft's own device for education, the Surface Laptop SE, was described by Microsoft as being "highly serviceable" by IT pros, as shown in this device take-apart video.

"Commercial customers can order spare SSD doors, kickstands and covers for certain [Surface Laptop SE] devices, enabling IT technicians to service devices onsite," Microsoft indicated.