Windows 11 SE: Why it's both more and less locked down than Windows 10 S

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Managing computers for acquisition is complicated, but Microsoft thinks it has a solution.

Microsoft has agelong thought astir however to tailor PCs for education, wanting to premix the flexibility of the PC ecosystem with the power that schools require. It's a analyzable problem. Do we simply judge the free-for-all that's Windows wide intent computing model, oregon bash we determination to ChromeOS's browser-based satellite wherever keeping everything successful the browser makes everything easier to fastener down?

Windows RT was 1 approach, limiting what could beryllium tally to a managed presumption of the Windows Store. That aforesaid attack carried implicit into the Windows 10 world, with S mode, locking devices down to Store entree only. But Microsoft is closing the Education and Business versions of its Store, making that exemplary nary longer tenable. It besides had pushback from acquisition departments that were utilized to making their ain licensing deals for bundle and tools and truthful preferred not to bargain from a vendor's ain store.

Here comes a caller Windows for education

And truthful the instrumentality turns, and Microsoft is present launching a new, education-focused mentation of its latest Windows, Windows 11 SE, launching with a somewhat simplified idiosyncratic interface. Coming with the caller low-cost Surface Laptop SE, it's a tightly managed mentation of the acquainted Windows disposable lone to acquisition customers. That's due to the fact that it's lone disposable with Windows 11 SE hardware, from Microsoft and hardware partners similar Lenovo, which are intended to beryllium sold lone done acquisition channels.

The SE doesn't basal for anything; it's intended purely to beryllium a marque identifier, similar Home oregon Pro. But the policies associated with it volition surely marque purchasers deliberation it's a "Student Edition." While determination are nary existent restrictions connected however Windows 11 SE hardware is sold, it's branding that should fto imaginable purchasers cognize that this isn't a Windows for location oregon the office: This is lone for the classroom.

SEE: Schools could beryllium ripe for cyberattacks amid ransomware unfastened season (TechRepublic)

Run anything…

Unlike Windows 10 S, there's nary bounds to what types of exertion packages are supported. Where Windows 10 S wouldn't beryllium capable to run, say, the Win32 Zoom client, it's supported connected Windows 11 SE. It's a displacement that puts the Windows acquisition merchandise successful enactment with Microsoft's caller Windows Store policies . You tin present tally each types of packaged software, adjacent Java apps. In fact, the FAQs for the level spell retired of their mode to enactment it installs Zoom.

That's wherever the caller flexibility comes in, loosening the restrictions connected the benignant of codification that tin beryllium run. If it's supported successful Windows 11, it'll tally connected Windows 11 SE. Or it would if it had permission. And that's wherever the caller level of lockdown comes in, giving strategy managers acold much power implicit devices than they utilized to have. Where Windows 10 S could entree the wide Windows Store, downloading Appx and MSIX packages, Windows 11 SE is constricted to utilizing the browser oregon applications delivered by Windows Intune for Education.

…that we accidental you tin run

Approved applications are constricted to a curated database successful 1 of six categories: contented filters, test-taking apps, accessibility tools, schoolroom communications, absorption and enactment tools, and browser. In addition, some Office and Minecraft's acquisition variation are included with Windows 11 SE. School IT departments tin enactment with their income transmission to get caller applications added to the list, with Microsoft taking requests for acquisition bundle to evaluate. If a schoolhouse needs much extracurricular the curated app list, it'll request to power to Windows 11 Pro Education, which removes astir of the guardrails of Windows 11 SE. That enactment whitethorn good beryllium preferred for higher grades, arsenic Windows 11 SE is recommended for K-8.

SEE: Windows 11: Tips connected installation, information and much (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

That means there's nary entree to the Windows Store and nary enactment for standalone installers. If you privation the capabilities of a modular Windows install, you'll request to bring your ain Home oregon Pro licence arsenic good arsenic installation media. Once you upgrade determination is nary mode backmost to Windows 11 SE.

Offering a tightly curated database of supported applications makes sense; schools volition privation to support devices nether power and debar usage of non-educational software. If users privation to spell extracurricular the bundle installed by a school, they tin usage a browser, taking vantage of the capabilities built into Edge, Firefox oregon Chrome.

Curation and management

Users tin inactive entree services similar YouTube and Spotify; they conscionable person to usage them done their browser versions. With galore communal apps and services offering browser-based options, this should springiness astir users a Chromebook-like experience. That whitethorn good beryllium what Microsoft is doing here, utilizing Office and a acceptable of curated apps to marque Windows 11 SE devices a Chromebook+ enactment for schools, wherever accepted bundle supplements newer web options. Microsoft describes it arsenic a cloud-first operating system.

Microsoft is having to equilibrium connected a tightrope here. There's intelligibly request for low-cost devices extracurricular of education, but astatine the aforesaid time, schools request devices they tin power and manage. That's wherefore it's making it precise wide that Windows 11 SE is not for location users. Without an Intune for Education backend, and different modern absorption tools similar Windows Autopilot, it's going to beryllium beauteous overmuch useless.

Using Intune for Education

At the bosom of Microsoft's Windows 11 SE strategy is Intune for Education. Here, teachers and schoolhouse IT unit tin configure and negociate devices. Unlike the Microsoft 365 Intune there's nary subscription required to usage the Education release: Licenses travel bundled with Windows 11 SE. You tin usage Azure Active Directory to negociate users, with enactment for multi-factor authentication. There's the enactment to usage Microsoft Accounts, though this isn't recommended arsenic it limits usage to lone the built-in software.

Taking a per-device attack to absorption makes consciousness here, arsenic schools person constricted budgets. Instead of separating hardware and management, everything comes bundled with a $250 laptop. Schools tin bargain hardware and cognize that it's automatically licensed for usage with the absorption platform. All they request to bash is crook connected the laptop and registry it with their tenant, earlier provisioning users and software.

Finding the balance

There's a good equilibrium to beryllium navigated betwixt unfastened and locked down successful Windows 11 SE. Microsoft is aiming to person the champion of some worlds, limiting the applications that tin beryllium installed to a curated list, portion allowing some Win32 and UWP applications to work. Still, the absorption is intelligibly connected web apps successful the cloud, offering an alternate to Chromebooks, portion augmenting the web acquisition with a constricted fig of indispensable Windows applications. It'll beryllium absorbing to spot however schools respond to this approach, and whether utilizing Intune for Education gives them the other power they request supra and beyond accepted Windows installs.