Surface Laptop Can Be Switched To Windows 10 Pro For Free Until 2018 (cnet.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: Don't let the new Windows 10 S operating system stop you from buying a Surface Laptop this year. The streamlined OS limits you to using applications that are in Microsoft's Windows Store. But, as noted in the tech specs for Microsoft's new ultraportable, if you'd rather run non-Store apps, you can switch to Windows 10 Pro for free until December 31, 2017. Once 2018 hits, the switch to Pro will cost $49. But be warned: Once you upgrade your license key, you can't go back.

Comments

It doesn't

[Anonymous Coward]

>Don't let the new Windows 10 S operating system stop you from buying a Surface Laptop this year.

It doesn'...t I have a shitload of other reasons not to buy it.

Re: Only LUDDITES want Windows 10 Pro.

[TWX]

Where is all the crying about it not being user upgradable? Gamer dweebs won't be able to rice it out!

Also educational institutions that normally keep such devices for a long time won't find such a machine suitable for student use, as they won't be as readily able to repair or upgrade as needs change.

Modularity is fairly important in devices assigned to kids. Devices are expected to suffer drops, harsh transportation, kids failing to remove USB components, etc. Ideally the external ports are on their own circuit boards connected via cables to the mainboard so that when the unit gets dropped with the AC adapter plugged in or with the USB flash memory plugged it, the inexpensive circuit board for that subcomponent can be replaced instead of having to replace the whole mainboard.

With this mindset already in play, K12 also likes it when storage is modular. It means K12 can buy the storage that they see themselves need for the next few years, and if it turns out they need more storage it's a lot cheaper to spend $50/device to ugprade than it is to spend $500/device to replace them outright. With things like folder redirection and local caching that becomes an issue, as most users, be they students or staff, want the same access to their stuff whether on the organization's LAN or not.

I get that as devices miniaturize it's increasingly harder to continue to be modular, but sometimes the need for modularity outweighs the desire for small form factor.