On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a new software designed to lure back teachers and school officials, which includes a restricted version of Windows 10 for a low-cost laptop. The new Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S would compete with Google’s Chromebook and Chrome OS. With this new educational products, Microsoft really wants to take on Google in the classroom learning.
Education Products For Schools
Microsoft announced at an event in New York that their new products are designed to be more attractive to school administrators, teachers, and students. This strategic push includes a new version of Windows operating system for classrooms, which is named as the Windows 10 S. It also introduces some tweaks from its Office applications and a various colored Surface Laptop for students that runs the latest operating system.
According to The New York Times, Microsoft remains a force in any classroom settings around the globe. However, the relevance of its product with schools in the United States is in danger after years of progress by Google. Almost all software and sales of new devices in schools are from Google, especially the Chromebook and machines that run the Chrome OS. “The second-order effects of education, of being relevant in education, are going to be very, very key for us,” CEO Satya Nadella said in an interview
Nadella also said that the devices the students take to their school or even to their college are going to be influenced by what they were familiar with. In reality, Google has gained ground to all public schools by offering a system of free classroom apps and Chromebooks, which is a lower-cost laptop. The search engine firm also offers a web-based console that enables schools to remotely manage millions of student devices.
Some of Microsoft’s moves to push educational products to the school market is intended to be more appealing to teachers and administrators by simplifying them and, in positive ways, restricting them. Unlike Chromebooks, the new Surface Laptop will still run Windows 10 S, which means that users can support optional touchscreens, pens and the most popular Minecraft game. As reported by CNET, there are more people, especially in schools, who could use Windows devices than the other operating system.
