Lenovo Releases First Budget Windows 10 S Notebooks

With the worldwide release of Lenovo’s N23 and N24 on Wednesday, Microsoft now has its first two low-cost Windows 10 S devices. Both of these devices sell for under $300, with the N23 selling at ~$200 and the N24 around $300.

Windows 10 S, the latest version of Windows 10, was released earlier this year on May. Microsoft claims that this version has been designed for the educational sector. Lenovo’s N23 and N24 are the first third-party notebooks powered by this version of Windows. And at that price, they can be seen to be a direct contender to the Chromebooks, Google’s own ChromeOS-powered low-cost notebooks, aimed at students.

The N23 and N24 are said to be the first in a series of several low-cost devices that will come with Microsoft’s Windows 10 S. So far, the only device that shipped with Windows 10 S was Microsoft’s own Surface Laptop. Though more powerful, at $999 it was hardly a match for the much cheaper Chromebooks. But the company is now planning on releasing several of these low-cost devices, with the range starting as low as $189.

Microsoft has listed all the available and upcoming third-party devices with Windows 10S on their devices page. At $189, the HP Stream 11 Pro is currently the least expensive device on the line, though it doesn’t currently ship with Windows 10 S. Dell’s Latitude 3180 and 3189 will, however, be shipping with 10 S when they’re available for sale. These devices will be available in the US and Canada for $229 and $299 respectively. Asus’s Vivobook W202 is another device that will soon be shipping with Windows 10 S. It is priced at $279 in the US. HP’s ProBook x360, which is priced at $299, will also be shipping with 10 S.

These devices will be available in the US and Canada for $229 and $299 respectively. Asus’s Vivobook W202 is another device that will soon be shipping with Windows 10 S. It is priced at $279 in the US. HP’s ProBook x360, which is priced at $299, will also be shipping with Windows 10 S, and will be available in the US, the UK, and Australia. Acer’s TravelMate Spin B1 will be available for $299 as well. Several other devices from third-party vendors including those from Samsung and Toshiba have been listed on the page without a price.

Sadly, the low cost of these devices means a compromise on the specs. Almost all of these notebooks will have a limited 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, with an 11.6-inch display screen, some of these specs almost on par with the current line of smartphones and tablets. It is worth noting however that at under $300 these devices are actually cheaper than most current smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft made Windows 10 available for testing earlier this week. The company announced that this decision was aimed at helping IT administrators in educational institutes test Windows 10 S on devices that support Windows 10. Recommendation from one’s IT administrator will of course prove instrumental in helping many students decide on buying a Windows 10 S device.

Windows 10 S is basically a locked-down version of Windows 10 Pro, which restricts the user from downloading apps from anywhere other than the Windows Store, and only allows them to browse the internet from Microsoft’s own Edge browser. The company claims that these restrictions will deliver faster boot-ups, longer battery-life, and better security.