Microsoft Is Killing Windows 11 SE, Its Chrome OS Rival (windowscentral.com)
- Reference: 0178534368
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/01/1441216/microsoft-is-killing-windows-11-se-its-chrome-os-rival
- Source link: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-se-is-dead-microsoft-pulls-plug-on-special-school-edition-of-windows-for-low-cost-pcs
Launched in 2021 [2]as a Chrome OS competitor , Windows 11 SE featured artificial limitations like reduced multitasking capabilities and restricted app installation to create a simplified experience for students. The discontinuation leaves Microsoft without a dedicated lightweight Windows edition for the education market, where Chromebooks have gained significant popularity over the past decade.
[1] https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-se-is-dead-microsoft-pulls-plug-on-special-school-edition-of-windows-for-low-cost-pcs
[2] https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/21/11/11/229209/windows-11-se-wont-be-sold-separately-cant-be-reinstalled-once-removed
Not surprising... (Score:4, Insightful)
ChromeOS is a distinct brand, people expect a particular experience.
Windows is a distinct brand, people expect a particular experience. Giving users a restricted experience while using the same branding leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Thats why all the windows-ce laptops failed miserably too, as did windows mobile. People bought it expecting the normal windows desktop experience, got something inferior and incompatible, and word soon spread.
I think i see a pattern here... (Score:2)
anybody remember Win ME?
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, but it's not the same thing. Windows ME was an attempt to add more "friendly" features to Windows 98. It got its fair share of ridicule. In this case, however, Windows CE is more similar... a restricted version of the OS for low-powered devices that couldn't do what you expected it to do.
A Windows that doesn't run Windows software (Score:2)
While ChromeOS has its own issues, I really don't know why anyone would want a version of Windows that can't run the majority of Windows software. Basically there are about 80 pieces of software it runs and that's yer lot. I'm not surprised it failed hard.
Never made sense (Score:2)
SE did not really simplify much. It was just Windows but they intentionally crippled / broke some stuff.
Much of the bloat, none of the value; does not a product make. Meanwhile by '21 Microsoft was all on o365 as the future anyway. If that is vision what is needed is well ChromeOS essentially a web browser with a bundled HAL.
This is the same problem with that version of Win2k8 server where you could chose not to install the desktop experience...Reality is that did not mean much more than setting the shel
Failed bc they don't understand ChromeOS (Score:2)
The important thing is the ChromeOS itself is much lighter weight in terms of internal components causing it to be much more expensive to run.
In order to compete with them Microsoft would have to actually eliminate the bloat from Windows; not just artificially add restrictions to Windows to make the environment less functional. Basically throw away all the DLLs and EXEs outside the kernel itself and start from scratch with a lighter weight design.
Re: (Score:2)
And among the things they'd have to remove would be the spyware and adware, which would defeat the entire purpose of Windows.