Microsoft’s head manager Joe Belfiore has confirmed that the anticipated Windows S won’t be launched as a separate Windows version, but it would be shipped by the manufacturers along with Windows 10 after 2019.
The head manager for Microsoft in the region, Joe Belfiore has confirmed that the S version anticipated for next year will be an ‘add-on’ to existing versions and not a new and distinct version on its own.
Belfiore spilled the beans on this information regarding the upcoming ‘S’ version while answering a question about Microsoft’s falling market share in the hyped education sector. Google’s ChromeOS-Chromebooks have been doing a good job at this sector and have significantly reduced the lead that Microsoft enjoyed a while ago.
Microsoft Targeting Chrome OS
Belfiore also confirmed that the Windows 10 S was basically created to counter the growing foothold of Chrome OS in the education sector. Microsoft wants to regain its dominance in the region and the new version is a step towards doing so.
The OS for Windows 10 S is similar to that of the Chrome OS. Windows 10 S limits users to install only those apps that are available on Microsoft’s prized Window’s store. The lightweight Chrome OS also works in an extremely similar manner, as it also limits users to install apps from only Play Store and Chrome’s Web Store.
Both these operating systems – Chrome OS and Windows 10 S – have been marketed with the aim to restrict the usage of people using these operating systems. Both the systems place restrictions on users and give control to administrators over the content being watched and streamed by students, employees and professors. These restrictions limit all users from using the OS for non-work related purposes.
Microsoft has partnered with its OEM partners to start selling low-priced notebooks running on Windows 10 S. These notebooks have been conveniently priced and are available for as little as $189. This low pricing has been analyzed by experts as a means to combat the low-price strategy of Chromebooks currently on sale.