Microsoft takes aim at Google with laptop, slim Windows

For the price, users will get an Intel i5 processor with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB flash storage.

So, student, road warrior, professional or just computer aficionado with an eye for design, is this the laptop for you?

Microsoft has held its education-focused event in NY, where it hopes to influence the future of education with technology. The company announced this new OS, as well as the Surface Laptop today.

As for the specifications, the new Surface Laptop a 13.5-inch PixelSense display and a 3:2 aspect ratio. It also has 128 GB of SSD storage. Then again the Windows Store has gotten better since, and Microsoft is specifically aiming this at managed environments like the education market, where Chrome OS is thriving with similar limitations.

The Surface laptop comes in four colors – gold, platinum, blue and burgundy – and ditches a metal area around the keyboard for a softer microfiber lining.

Windows 10 S is a specific, pared-down version of the Windows 10 Pro operating system.

Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop is capable of 14.5 hours of continuous use on a single charge.

Windows 10 S will only allow users to run applications from the Windows Store, compared to from any source as with past versions of the operating system.

Windows 10 S is a lightweight, secure operating system which is more integrated with the Windows Store than the “standard” Windows 10.

While schools will definitely not ditch low-priced Chromebooks for the $999 Surface Laptop, future computers with Windows 10 S will come with the same advantages and provide the same solutions for school settings that are offered by the Chrome OS.

“Everything that runs on Windows 10 S is downloaded from the Windows Store”, says Microsoft’s Windows chief Terry Myerson.

Windows 10 S, compatible on mobiles and desktops, has a simple login app that allows schools to create logs on any devices in a few moments, Microsoft said at an education conference in NY.

In addition to a code builder for “Minecraft: Education Edition“, Microsoft wrote that Office 365 for Education added Microsoft Teams, a “digital hub that encourages active learning and redefines how teachers and students learn and collaborate together”, according to Microsoft.