Surface Laptop SE: Microsoft brings perfect school notebook

Microsoft has launched a new notebook, the Surface Laptop SE. It does not want to come up with groundbreaking technical innovations. Rather, the US company wants to offer devices for educational institutions. The inexpensive and compact notebook is supposed to be particularly suitable for students.

Surface Laptop SE is perfect for school

The corona pandemic has not only caused companies to rethink. Schools and universities have also been forced to move away from traditional face-to-face teaching. Distance learning, however, is only possible if you also have the technical prerequisites. So that everyone can afford them, Microsoft now offers an inexpensive notebook with its Surface Laptop SE, which is supposed to be ideally suited for hybrid learning. Thus, the 720p webcam, microphone and stereo speakers not only ensure that you can participate in video lessons. On top of that, the notebook is pleasingly compact with a size of 11.6 inches and should thus fit in every backpack. The installed eMMC memory is either 64 or 128 GB, the working memory 4 or 8 GB.

There is also freedom of choice for the processor. You can choose between an Intel Celeron N4020 or N4120. Of course, this is not a performance machine. However, the notebook should be perfectly suitable for simple office applications. The rather weak hardware also has its advantages. According to Microsoft, the battery should last up to 16 hours. You should easily be able to get through every school day with this. The US company also wants to keep the keyboard in mind for everyday school life. So that the students don’t disturb each other, the almost 1 kg light notebook comes with a quiet keyboard. In terms of ports, the most important things are on board with USB-A, USB-C and a 3.5 mm jack.

Current highlights from CES 2023:

Windows 11 SE has been optimized for school use

It’s not just the Surface Laptop SE itself that’s said to be ideally suited for the classroom. On top of that, Microsoft promises that its in-house Windows 11 SE operating system will fit better than ever in the classroom. To achieve this, the US company says it wants to have created a “simple, distraction-free environment”. The company also wants to optimize the well-known Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.). Microsoft also wants to have done its homework in terms of sustainability for the Surface Laptop SE. It should be possible to replace components like the display, battery and keyboard without any problems. It should even be possible to repair the motherboard. That is not common in this price segment. The Windows Autopilot makes it clear that Microsoft is not targeting individual students here.

Instead, they are obviously speculating that schools will buy entire class sets. For example, the Autopilot offers the option of zero-touch device provisioning. This means the notebook can be used immediately. Using Intune for Education, IT admins at the school can manage all devices. This brings great benefits, especially in the area of security. For example, all devices can be kept up to date with the latest security updates. Speaking of security. On top of that, the Surface Laptop SE promises a Kensington Nano Security Slot and locking of the notebook lid. In turn, the cloud features of OneDrive ensure that students can enter their assignments directly into the school network.

Price and Availability

The Surface Laptop SE is available now. Depending on the features, prices start at 299 euros. The laptop can be purchased from authorized Surface retail partners.