14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s new Windows 10 S operating system is supposed to bring more affordable devices to the market, with the software giant announcing at its May 2 press conference that some laptops could be as cheap as $189.
HP is one of the first OEMs to join the Windows 10 S revolution, and today the company is announcing a special version of its ProBook x360 Education Edition that will run the new OS SKU.
It appears that the company will sell the new configuration for $299, after HP originally launched it with a $329 price tag and is now offering a discount to $299. This means that the Windows 10 S version could cost as much as the existing version, though you’d naturally expect it to be a bit cheaper.
The ProBook x360 Education Edition isn’t really the most powerful HP laptop available right now, but it does come with an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. It features a small 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels.
Chrome OS version also available
What’s interesting is that the very same HP model is also offered with Chrome OS, the direct rival to Windows 10 S that’s developed by Google.
In fact, Windows 10 S and the Surface Laptop were both launched as part of Microsoft’s offensive against Google and Chrome OS, which have managed to grow a lot lately in the education sector. Microsoft is hoping that together with partners like HP it could win back the education market, offering not only a powerful operating system but also devices that are very affordable.
The new HP device running Windows 10 S is projected to go on sale this summer, with Microsoft itself also planning to join the party with the Surface Laptop powered by the same operating system in June. The Surface Laptop is already available for pre-order from the Microsoft Store in the United States.