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Now the free Windows 10 S upgrade period runs through March

Microsoft is giving switchers three extra months to choose full Windows 10.

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Today Microsoft announced the availability of different colors of its Surface Laptop in 20 more countries, but that's not the biggest news. Tucked in at the end is a note that buyers will be able to upgrade its Chrome OS-fighting Windows 10 S operating system to standard Windows 10 through March 2018. Originally the upgrade period only ran through the end of 2017, but Raphael Aquino Jose says this should provide extra flexibility for back to school and holiday gift buyers.

That's probably a good call considering that in our review we found that Windows 10 S is too limited for most, and this way people can give it a fair trial without being pressed for time. The Surface Laptop came off as a great notebook, but the possibility of needing a $50 upgrade to install some critical software that's not in the Windows Store is a tough restriction. As ZDNet notes, promised apps like iTunes are still missing from the store, which is probably playing into the extension.