Microsoft Is Reportedly Working on a “Windows 11 SE”, Here’s Why

Microsoft has Chromebooks in its sights, as the company is reportedly working on Windows 11 SE. The new version of Windows would come installed on affordable Surface devices targeted at the K-12 education market and designed to take on Chromebooks.

Update, 11/9/21: As rumored, Microsoft has officially announced Windows 11 SE.

RELATED: What Is Windows 11 SE?

Windows 11 SE is expected to be like the Windows 10 S versions in that it won’t be an entirely different version of the operating system. Instead, it’ll be a scaled-back variant designed to work on more affordable hardware.

The Windows Central report says that the Surface device that would feature Windows SE comes with an 11.6-inch screen with a 1366 x 768 resolution. In addition, it is rumored to feature Intel’s N4120 Celeron processor and up to 8GB of RAM. These are relatively modest specs, but since the laptop is targeted at the education market, it makes sense for Microsoft to get the price down.

RELATEDWhat Is Windows 10 S, and How Is It Different?

Unfortunately, the report from Windows Central doesn’t offer any details regarding when Windows 11 SE would launch or when the new Surface laptop featuring it would launch. For the time being, we’ll have to wait for Microsoft to announce something official, but this sounds like a smart move on the company’s part if it wants to take on Chromebooks in the affordable laptop space.

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