Items tagged with windows 10 s
Samsung appears to be cooking up a new ultra-portable laptop. Infamous leaker Evan "evleaks" Blass just tweeted out some apparent renders of a Samsung Galaxy Book S. The Galaxy Book S will run Windows 10 S and is anticipated to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, similar to the Galaxy Book 2's Snapdragon 850 SoC. We can reasonably expect the Galaxy Book S to also be outfitted with 8GB of RAM. The Galaxy Book 2 was styled after the Microsoft Surface wherein its keyboard is detachable and the tablet portion can be supported by a kickstand. The Galaxy Book S, by contrast, uses a traditional laptop hinged design and draws a comparisons to Microsoft's Surface Laptop. The images provide us...
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There are a few devices on the market that currently ship out of the box in Windows 10 S Mode instead of a standard version of Windows 10. S Mode locks down the operating system so that you are only able to install apps available from Microsoft Store; instead of installing any app that you wish (as Windows users have done for decades). However, some owners of devices that came preinstalled with Windows 10 S Mode -- i.e., Microsoft Surface Go and Samsung Galaxy Book 2 -- are finding that they are unable to escape this walled prison. As WindowsLatest explains, customers under normal circumstances are able to transition from Windows 10 S Mode to a "regular" version...
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Microsoft seemed set to make a big deal out of Windows 10 S Mode after the spectacular failure of Windows 10 S as a standalone operating system. Microsoft confirmed in March of this year that Windows 10 S was confusing for users and instead decides to focus on S Mode. The same month Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore confirmed that Windows 10 S Mode would land in 2019. When Windows 10 build 17686 turned up there was a setting called “Switch to S mode”, but at the time when clicked nothing happened other than to take the user to a Windows Activation page. That setting suggested the ability to move back and forth between normal Windows 10 and S Mode without a reformat of a disk. The latest...
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Google's Project Zero team has discovered a 'medium' security vulnerability that primarily affects Windows 10 S, a stripped down version of Windows 10 that is "streamlined for security and superior performance." While it does not appear to present a major threat to users—remote code execution is not possible in this instance, for example—part of what's interesting here is the ongoing tug-of-war between Project Zero and companies whose products have flaws. Project Zero, you might recall, is the same division of Google that made public Meltdown and Spectre. Under normal conditions, Project Zero gives firms 90 days to fix security flaws it discovers before disclosing them publicly. The...
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Say goodbye to Windows 10 S as a standalone SKU and hello to S Mode in Windows 10. Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore confirmed on Twitter that Windows 10 S will be integrated into Windows 10 as a special 'mode' sometime next year. Just as things currently work with the standalone version, S Mode in Windows 10 will limited devices to running Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps that Microsoft has curated through its Windows Store. It's not clear why exactly Microsoft is going this route. One possible explanation is that baking S Mode into Windows 10 would perhaps make it easier for students and teachers to upgrade the OS to the full version of Windows 10, if and when they wanted to. As it stands, it...
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In May of last year, Microsoft introduced Windows 10 S as a dedicated fork of Windows 10 to combat low-cost Chromebooks running Chrome OS. Unlike other versions of Windows 10, the "S" variant is only capable of executing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps available from the Windows Store. However, Microsoft is adjusting its strategy and dropping the Windows 10 S SKU. In its place, Microsoft will make a new "S Mode" available to OEMs across Windows 10 Home, Pro and Education SKUs. While running in S Mode, Windows 10 will "act" just like Windows 10 S, limiting users to running UWP apps. Windows 10 Home S and Education S users would be able to upgrade to Windows 10 Home for free. Those running...
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Microsoft really wants PC users to embrace the Surface Laptop, however, the rub for some people is that it runs Windows 10 S and some want the real deal when it comes to Windows 10. To make these folks happy, Microsoft has been allowing users who like the Surface Laptop, but don't want Windows 10 S to upgrade to full Windows 10 Pro at no cost. That upgrade normally costs $50 on other notebooks. Originally Microsoft planned to allow the free migration to Windows 10 Pro until the end of 2017, but that has changed (for the better). Microsoft is now saying that Surface Laptop owners will be able to upgrade at no cost through March 31, 2018. That means that all the folks out there hoping Santa will...
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Gearing up for education shouldn't have to be expensive, and that's something ASUS has proven to be the case with its brand-new VivoBook W202NA. This 11.6-inch laptop is designed to take a bit of a punch, and help students and teachers alike get their work done in an efficient manner. At $279, we wouldn't blame you if you figured that the W202NA's durability was standard fare, more of a tacked-on feature just to increase its allure. But in actuality, ASUS says this notebook is one of the most durable out there, using MIL-STD810G testing methods, having passed twist tests, 3.9' drop tests, and high-pressure tests that "exceed" industry standards. Weighing in at just 2.7 lbs, this laptop is small...
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Getting on-board with an operating system like Windows 10 S may be difficult for some users. Only a certain type of user would purposefully opt to use a whittled-down, locked-down OS by choice, but for the security conscious, it makes a lot of sense. After all, 10 S is still Windows -- it's just supposed to be safer. That's been Microsoft's message since the OS' launch, and its logic is sound: the more locked-down an OS, the lower the chances are that a piece of malware -- including ransomware -- will make it onto the system. To put it simply, using Windows 10 S is akin to locking your doors and windows. That level of security might not be bullet-proof, but its a lot better than leaving...
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Microsoft’s Surface Laptop is its first full-fledged, no compromises take on the traditional notebook form-factor. The Surface Book and Surface Pro can operate as quasi-notebooks with their keyboards attached, but they are tablets first and foremost. While the Surface Laptop is a desirable piece of hardware in its own right, it ships from the factory with Windows 10 S installed. For those unfamiliar with this Windows 10 SKU, you cannot install or run Win32 apps with Windows 10 S; instead, you’re relegated to installing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps from the Windows Store. Given the rather limited selection of apps on the Window Store, Windows 10 S a compromised solution from the start....
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The WannaCry ransomware outbreak that rocked the globe last month opened the eyes of many people to the dangers of ransomware. However, Microsoft is making it clear that at least one version of Windows 10 will be able to completely fight off ransomware and other malware that typically targets its operating systems. Microsoft boats that Windows 10 S is immune to such attacks because it cannot run traditional Win32 apps. Windows 10 S is only capable of running Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps that are available from the Windows Store. This gives users a curated app experience that should [hopefully] weed out any nefarious apps that could potentially put users at risk. “Any app that doesn’t...
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When Microsoft announced a new SKU of Windows for education markets called Windows 10 S, it was very clear that it only support app installations from the Windows Store. Microsoft also recently announced that some Linux distros are headed to the Windows Store, and what wasn't so clear is whether users would be able to install them alongside Windows 10 S. Microsoft's answer is an emphatic "No!" in bold letters and an exclamation point. Microsoft's Rich Turner cleared up the confusion in a blog post. He notes that just because an app is available in the Windows Store does not automatically mean that it is safe and suitable for running in Windows 10 S. Microsoft previously stated that Windows 10...
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With all the attention surrounding Windows 10 S right now, it’s easy to forget that Microsoft has another variant of Windows 10 arriving later this year. In late 2016, Microsoft announced that it is working on a Windows 10 SKU that will run natively on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. In a move that makes Windows 10 on ARM more capable than Windows 10 S, Microsoft announced this week at Build 2017 that the former will support all of your legacy Win32 apps. “You also have all of the apps that you’re used to,” said Microsoft Group Product Manager Hari Pulapaka during the Windows 10 on ARM Build 2017 session. Windows 10 on ARM running on a Snapdragon 835 (all 8 cores functional) “For example, all...
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Microsoft announced its Windows 10 S operating system last week at an education-focused event in New York City. There’s no question that Windows 10 S is a direct assault on Chrome OS, which has taken the education market by storm. However, one Google exec sees Windows 10 S as proof that his company made the right design decisions with Chrome OS. Google VP Prabhakar Raghava said in a recent interview that the very existence of Windows 10 S is “a validation of the approach we've taken.” Raghava went on to add, “What educational institutions have demanded is simplicity. It's a real test tube for all of us, whether it's Microsoft or any of us.” Previously known as Windows 10 Cloud prior to its official...
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