14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft launched Windows 10 S with much fanfare last year, targeting the education sector with features that were supposed to make this particular SKU more secure and faster than the full version of the OS.
On the other hand, Microsoft did allow Windows 10 S customers to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro free of charge on its own devices, and in exchange for a small fee on third-party models.
Windows 10 S, however, will no longer be offered as a separate version of Windows 10, according to a recent report, but instead be integrated in every Windows 10 SKU and activated by default on devices that were supposed to run it.
This means that pretty much every version of Windows 10 will support the S Mode, and not just Windows 10 Pro as it was the case until now since the release of the OS.
Users love Windows 10 S
Thurrott writes that users running Windows 10 Home and Education will be allowed to upgrade from the S Mode to the full version of the operating systems free of charge. On the other hand, customers with Windows 10 Pro and S Mode enabled will have to pay $49 for the switch to the full OS.
Microsoft will also sell the S Mode to its partners, and the same report adds that Windows 10 Pro S will be offered as part of Core, Value, Entry, and Small Tablet SKUs. This means Core+ and Workstations won’t be able to have the S Mode enabled on devices.
Windows 10 S is installed by default on Microsoft’s very own Surface Laptop, which can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro without any extra cost.
According to stats cited by the aforementioned source, Microsoft claims no less than 60 percent of users that purchase third-party devices powered by Windows 10 S stick with this version, despite being limited to apps in the Microsoft Store.