Richard Humphreys |
Earlier this week, Windows 10 S became available to customers around the world through the launch of Surface Laptop. Here are six things you need to know about Windows 10 S, according to Mollie Ruiz-Hopper, editor-in-chief of the Windows Blog:
Windows 10 S is designed for superior performance
Start-ups are quick, and designed to stay that way.
Browsing the web is faster and more secure
With Windows 10 S, Microsoft Edge is the default browser. Microsoft Edge is built for Windows 10 and offers a secure browsing experience. In fact, Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 S blocks more phishing sites than Google Chrome on Chromebooks. Microsoft Edge is useful for students and home users alike, ensuring compatibility with the sites college students and universities use, like Google Docs. New features in Microsoft Edge–like the new Tab Preview Bar–make it easy for students to research and manage school projects. And, with Windows Ink in Microsoft Edge, students can easily make notes directly on a web page and share them with a classmate. If you’re new to Windows 10 S and Microsoft Edge, visit this post to learn how to import your data from other browsers into Microsoft Edge. With Microsoft Edge, Bing is the default search engine, and you can easily research and save any tabs – including any search engine as your preferred search destination.
Security comes as standard
With Windows 10 S, customers who want to use apps can get them from the Windows Store where they are first verified for security, and then locally each run in a safe “container,” ensuring consistent performance and security for the system. Windows 10 S customers will be protected from malware by default with Windows Defender and can use additional anti-virus software available in the Windows Store if they choose.
You can download the apps you want, right from the Windows Store
There are many choices of apps in the Windows Store that are ready for you to download and use with Windows 10 S. Some examples include: Office 365 Personal in preview – available today for Windows 10 S– Hulu, Pandora, Autodesk SketchBook, Netflix, Sling TV, Complete Anatomy, Duolingo, NPR One, Facebook, Instagram, Drawboard PDF, OhBot, Fluid Math, Sensavis Visual Learning, and Twitter. We continue to work with our partners to bring even more apps to the Windows Store over time – Spotify and iTunes are apps we recently announced that will be available in the Windows Store in the coming months. Visit the Windows Store to get started exploring all the content available to download.
Office 365 and Windows 10 S are better together
Windows 10 S runs the rich desktop Office apps including popular productivity apps like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. The full suite of Office apps in preview are currently available to download today with Office 365 in the Windows Store for Windows 10 S. On Surface Laptop, you can simply open the Start menu and click on any of the Office app icons like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to launch the download from the Store. For more information on Office 365 Personal in the Windows Store for Windows 10 S, visit this FAQ.
Built-in Windows experiences keep you productive and inspire creativity
Windows 10 S offers familiar Windows 10 experiences like Cortana, password-free sign in with Windows Hello, Windows Ink, the Xbox app, Paint 3D, and more.
“Our mission with Windows is to build a platform that inspires creativity in each of us,” said Ruiz-Hopper. “This is the North Star that guides our team in all we do. With Windows, not only do we want to build a platform that inspires creativity in each of us – we also want customers to have choice around the best Windows for their needs. Back in May, we introduced a new set of educational products and services, including the introduction of Windows 10 S. Windows 10 S is the next step of our Windows journey by offering customers a familiar Windows 10 experience, streamlined for security and performance. By exclusively using apps from the Windows Store, Windows 10 S is ideal for students, educators, creators, and businesses alike who prefer longer battery life, faster boot up time, and the peace of mind that comes with using apps that are Microsoft-verified.”