Microsoft has announced its take on the “affordable laptop for schools”: the Surface Laptop SE. The company is positioning the laptop as a low-cost computer for K–8 classrooms with the same thoughtful hardware design as the mainstream Surface lineup.

Let’s jump into the nitty-gritty and talk about everything we know so far about the Surface Laptop SE.

Affordable Hardware Meets Clean Design

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Image Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft has designed the Surface Laptop SE as a competitor to Chromebooks, which have flooded the market in recent years. So, it’s no surprise that it’s a less powerful machine that gets the job done.

The Laptop SE rocks either a dual-core Intel Celeron N4020 or a quad-core N4120, depending upon the model you choose. You can also choose either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, with either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage.

The screen on the Laptop SE is a little underwhelming, coming in at 11.6 inches with a 1366 x 768 resolution. This resolution is low for a device in 2021, even one with a sub-$300 price tag. Microsoft is also going with a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio instead of the 3:2 that recent Surface devices have sported. There’s also a 1MP webcam that sits on top of the display and records 720p video.

Screen woes aside, the trackpad and keyboard on the Laptop SE are the same ones that Microsoft uses on the more expensive Surface Laptop Go. They are good but the keyboard lacks backlighting.

Rounding off the hardware is a clean plastic build with a good, albeit slightly limiting, port selection. There is one USB-A, a single USB-C, a headphone/mic combo jack, and a DC barrel-type connector. Sadly, there is no Surface Connect port but this is understandable given the target market of the laptop SE.

Surface Laptop Is Repair-Friendly

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Image Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft has spent a considerable amount of time discussing major laptop issues with schools. And repairability was the biggest concern schools had. So Microsoft has taken a lot of steps to make sure that the Laptop SE is repair-friendly.

First, the Laptop SE will have standard screws holding down the base. On the inside, you can replace the battery, screen, keyboard, and motherboard.

Microsoft will also sell all of these components to schools, through their authorized providers. This should make repairability hassle-free.

Microsoft has embraced Right to Repair in recent months, vowing to release repair-friendly devices. Surface Laptop SE is an example of Microsoft following through on its claims.

Windows 11 SE Runs the Show

Illustration of a wallpaper on Windows 11 SE
Image Credit: Microsoft Education Blog

Surface Laptop SE comes with Windows 11 SE, Microsoft’s new OS meant to be a competitor to Chrome OS. Windows 11 SE builds on the foundations of the standard Windows 11. It restricts third-party app downloads from the Microsoft Store. Rather than giving younger students the option to download any third-party apps they want, Microsoft wants IT admins to manage the devices through the cloud.

Microsoft hasn’t revealed whether schools can upgrade the Laptop SE to Windows 11, so we’ll have to wait and see if that’s possible.

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft will sell the Surface Laptop SE directly to schools and educators. This means that you won’t be able to buy one in stores. It will only be available in the US, Canada, UK, and Japan in early 2022.

The base model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage will cost $249. The one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will cost $329.

Surface Laptop SE Is a Good Start but There Is a Long Road Ahead

Although Chrome OS has lost some market share in recent years, it is still the platform of choice for most schools. If Microsoft wants to claw some market share away from Chrome OS, it needs to make sure that Windows 11 SE is a mature software experience as well as a healthy ecosystem of affordable Windows 11 SE devices. Surface Laptop SE is a step in exactly that direction.