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Apple's iTunes software comes to the Windows Store
Nearly a year after it was originally announced and several months later than planned, iTunes is finally available via the Windows Store. While functionally it's the same as installing from a regular download the way Windows users always have used the Apple software, its inclusion in the store means it will also work on PCs running Windows 10 S (soon to be S mode). It won't use any less RAM or become any more suited for modern state of media management, but at least it's there. Now, how about Google Chrome?
Microsoft explains how it will sell Windows 10 'S mode' now
Following up on an earlier tweet, Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore followed up with more details about the demise of Windows 10 S as a standalone product. Going forward, he explained, you'll see PCs with either Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro PC or Windows 10 Enterprise with S mode enabled. Additionally, he said if users want to switch out of S mode, they will be able to do so for free, regardless of edition. It should make for a simpler experience than selling the limited version with time-locked upgrade possibilities, and it will start with the next upgrade for Windows 10.
Microsoft confirms ‘S Mode’ will replace Windows 10 S
This week, Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore confirmed the rumor that Windows 10 S would no longer be standalone software. Instead, users will be able to access the platform as a "mode" within existing full Windows 10 installations.
Microsoft tests a password-less Windows 10 S
Microsoft's latest Insider Preview update is a huge one, and for Windows 10 S users, it means being able to ditch system passwords. The tech giant is testing the ability to unlock the security-focused Windows flavor through an Authenticator App you can install on your phone. You simply have to set up Windows Hello with the app, and you won't see Password as a sign-in option anymore anywhere in the platform's interface. Even if you don't use Windows 10 S right now, you might be able to access this feature someday. According to reports, Microsoft plans to drop 10 S as a standalone product in order to offer it as a mode to both Home and Pro users.
Microsoft to drop Windows 10 S as a stand-alone product
Windows 10 S was supposed to be Microsoft's firm answer to Chrome OS, offering comparable security (by limiting you to Microsoft Store apps) while running more powerful software. However, its implementation for home users has been ham-fisted: you have to unlock Windows 10 Pro if you want more freedom, which should (eventually) cost money and is clearly overkill for many people. That's about to change. Both Thurrott and Neowin have discovered that Microsoft is dropping Windows 10 S as a stand-alone product for everyday users in favor of an S Mode, which is already available for the enterprise crowd.
Microsoft offers cheaper Surface laptops with lower specs
Microsoft wants to make it easier to buy into the Surface family. The company has begun offering a lower specced Laptop running Windows 10 S -- Microsoft's take on Chrome OS -- and an Intel Core m3 processor in the US. It'll set you back $799 versus the standard model's $999 asking price, and is only available in the platinum colorway, as spotted by Windows Central. As for storage and memory, you'll get 128GB and 4GB, respectively. If you're thinking that sounds an awful lot like the $799 Surface Pro tablet, you aren't wrong. But, that won't get you a keyboard cover, which The Verge points out is a $130 add-on.
HP and ASUS unveil Snapdragon-powered laptops
Since teasing us with a preview of what Windows on Snapdragon will look like at Computex this year, Qualcomm and its partners are ready to reveal actual devices. Today, at Qualcomm's second annual tech summit, we saw the HP Envy x2 and the ASUS NovaGo -- two of the "Always Connected PCs" that Microsoft has talked about since last year. In fact, the ASUS is calling the NovaGo the first Gigabit LTE laptop, since it uses the Snapdragon chipset that enables those speeds.
Microsoft's all-in-one 365 subscription is available for schools
Microsoft just launched its latest bid to bring its services into every aspect of schools and the workforce. To begin with, it's offering its all-encompassing Microsoft 365 subscription to education. Schools can pay a single per-person rate to get Windows 10, Office 365, the Enterprise Mobility and Security Suite and even Minecraft: Education Edition. Office 365 for Education is already free, but Microsoft is betting that all the other perks will be worth it for faculty that wants a one-stop shop for the software they need. It'll be available on October 1st -- too late for the return to school, so don't be surprised if you don't see this used in earnest until the winter semester or next fall.
Now the free Windows 10 S upgrade period runs through March
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.
Microsoft's 'Insiders' can test Windows 10 S on any PC
Microsoft's Windows Insiders program lets interested users test future versions of the operating system before they're released to the public. While owners of Windows 10 S, Microsoft's app-based light operating system, were able to try out experimental builds as Insiders, but it wasn't the easiest thing to sign up for. Now, not only has Microsoft added shortcuts for signing up within the lightweight OS, they've built a slick installer that makes it easy for regular Windows 10 users to try it out.
At last, you can get Microsoft Office from the Windows Store
The excellent Surface Laptop is now available in stores, and Microsoft Office is now in the Windows Store for the first time. This is a necessary step in Microsoft's plan for laptop domination, as the Surface Laptop is the first computer that runs Windows 10S -- a custom version of Windows that can only run and install apps from Microsoft's official software storefront. Of course, Microsoft's web versions of the Office apps are pretty robust at this point (and they'll work with the Surface Laptop), but some users won't be happy without a desktop app for offline access, among other features.
Apple is bringing iTunes to the Windows Store
Now, here's something you probably weren't expecting: Apple is bringing iTunes to the Windows Store. You'll no longer have to download a conventional desktop app just to play Apple Music or sync your iPhone. It's not certain how the Store version will differ from the regular Windows app (if at all), but it's more the presence itself that matters: You won't have to forego Apple's ecosystem if you're using Windows 10 S. If nothing else, this puts iTunes in front of users who otherwise wouldn't see it. There's no mention of a release date, so it may be a while before you can check this out firsthand. Click here to catch up on the latest news from Microsoft Build 2017.
What to expect at Microsoft's Build 2017 conference
Microsoft's Build conference is not only about giving developers the tools they need to write apps or create Windows-friendly hardware but also Microsoft's chance to outline its vision of the future. What software and devices will matter in the months (or even years) ahead? And this time around, there's no shortage of new developments to discuss: Windows updates, the Cortana AI assistant, HoloLens, partner hardware and even a chance at new Surface gear. It's not necessarily clear what's likely to show up, but don't worry: That's what we're here to sort out. We've rounded up some of the most promising leaks, rumors and logical predictions to give you a sense of what to expect when Build 2017 kicks off May 10th.
Windows 10 S is a gamble on the future of desktop apps
So what is Windows 10 S? Is it the perfect OS for school kids and teachers, or is it the OS that will make Microsoft's new Surface Laptop shine? Can it be both? If you don't have 105 minutes to watch the presentation, Windows 10 S is a skew of Microsoft's OS that only runs Windows Store apps. Because of this, it's purportedly faster and, thanks to app sandboxes, more secure than Windows 10 Home or Pro. Before its unveil, it was widely assumed that 10 S was all about competing with Chrome OS at the low end. But despite introducing the OS at an education-focused event, Microsoft and its hardware partners will sell Windows 10 S machines to the masses, with prices ranging from $189 to more than $2,000 for the most expensive Surface Laptop.
The TravelMate Spin B1 is Acer's first Windows 10 S laptop
Microsoft's newest Surface laptop and shiny new Windows 10 S operating system weren't the only highlights of the company's Education event in New York on Tuesday. Acer was also on hand to show off its latest student-centric laptop offering, the TravelMate Spin B1.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop arrives on June 15th for $999
If you like the Surface Laptop and its combination of portability with upscale design, you can do something about it very quickly. Microsoft is taking pre-orders for the Surface Laptop today ahead of its release on June 15th. Prices start at a relatively reasonable $999 for a platinum-colored model, although you definitely won't get a monster machine for the money: that base machine includes a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM (really, in 2017?) and a 128GB solid-state drive. You're clearly paying for the 13.5-inch touchscreen more than you are the underlying performance.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop is built to beat Apple's MacBooks
When it comes to PC hardware, Microsoft has always tried to do something different. The Surface and Surface Pro helped popularize the idea of hybrid laptops that could also be used as tablets. The Surface Book took that idea a step further with a bigger screen, a unique hinge and more powerful hardware. But with the Surface Laptop, which was leaked last night and officially announced this morning, it's almost as if Microsoft is going back to basics. It's basically a straightforward notebook, albeit one with the Microsoft's slick Surface aesthetic.
Microsoft takes on Chrome OS with Windows 10 S
Microsoft has already taken some potshots at Google's Chromebooks in the past -- Windows 8.1 with Bing, anyone? Now, though, it's going for the jugular. The newly introduced Windows 10 S (not Cloud like the rumors suggested) is a stripped-back, education-oriented version of the operating system that gives up some app support in the name of simplicity and performance. You can only run Windows Store apps (including Office 365 apps, which are coming soon), but that's the point -- schools don't have to worry about the vulnerabilities that come with running any old Windows app. Store apps run in a relatively safe container where malware and other threats aren't likely to be an issue.
Watch Microsoft's education event right here
Want to know what Microsoft's much-ballyhooed education event has in store? You'll have an easy way to find out: Microsoft is offering a livestream of the event when it kicks off at 9:30AM Eastern Time. And you might have a good reason to tune in, whether or not you're in the education field. Last-minute leaks have suggested that Microsoft might unveil the Surface Laptop, its first (relatively) conventional portable PC. There's also talk of Windows 10 S (aka Windows 10 Cloud), a stripped-back version that only runs Windows Store apps. We'll be there to cover happenings on the ground, but you can tune in below -- the video is muted by default, so click the volume button to start listening.
Is this Microsoft's new Surface Laptop?
Tomorrow Microsoft is holding its #MicrosoftEDU event where we expect to find out how it will take on Google's Chrome OS, but some of the news may have already leaked. Notorious Microsoft watcher @h0x0d tweeted out a few images of a slim 13.5-inch laptop that apparently runs Windows 10 S -- a cloud-optimized version of Windows that only accesses apps from the Store -- has a PixelSense display, comes in four colors and features an Alcantara-covered keyboard. We've seen that material on a Surface Pro 4 keyboard before, and the other specs line up for a laptop that could take on computers from Chromebooks to MacBooks. Interestingly, the 360-degree view only reveals a few ports, which could be USB, DisplayPort and a headphone jack, plus a Surface Dock connector on the other side. The pictures certainly appear legit and this tweeter has come up with the goods before, but the mix of parts, materials and "Windows Cloud" OS that follows up on the failed Windows RT is a little confusing. We're expecting to find out more tomorrow morning starting at about 9:30AM ET.
