The device ships with Windows 10 S pre-installed

May 2, 2017 17:34 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft’s brand-new Surface Laptop comes with Windows 10 S pre-installed, and this could be a setback for many buyers, especially because this operating system is limited to Windows Store apps.

The software giant, however, is announcing an offer that’s specifically aimed at Surface Laptop customers: they can upgrade to the full version of Windows 10 Pro completely free if the switch is performed by December 31.

This means that Surface Laptop buyers have until the end of the year to move to Windows 10 Pro, and there’s really no reason not to take advantage of the offer, unless the devices are purchased by organizations in the education sector.

As far as home users and businesses are concerned, moving to Windows 10 Pro is the better option, as Win32 software is thus unlocked, together with the full capability of the Surface Laptop.

$50 upgrade for everyone else

While Surface Laptop buyers can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro completely free by the end of the year, those who go for a different Windows 10 S device can also upgrade to the full version of the operating system for only $50.

The more important thing is that once users pay for the upgrade, the full Windows 10 Pro version is available for the entire lifetime of the device, so even if they reset their devices, the operating system remains available.

On the other hand, users who upgrade to Windows 10 Pro can no longer go back to Windows 10 S, so customers in the education market should think twice before purchasing this option.

Microsoft is not offering the possibility of upgrading to Windows 10 Home, so all users are automatically upgraded to the Pro SKU free of charge if they have a Surface Laptop or for $50 if another Windows 10 S is purchased.

The company hasn’t yet revealed how much the upgrade to Windows 10 Pro is going to cost for Surface Laptop buyers after December 31.