Asus’s first Windows 10 S laptop is a ruggedized VivoBook for schools
The first round of Windows 10 S laptops is starting slowly this summer, with but a few vendors out there with options. The latest in the lineup available now, and the very first from Asus, is the VivoBook W202NA.
Asus’ first laptop running Windows 10 S – Microsoft’s new education-bent operating system – is an equally school-minded 11.6-inch notebook equipped with a 768p WXGA resolution display.
Inside its rubberized frame that meets the MIL-STD810G specification are an Intel “Apollo Lake” Celeron dual-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash storage. Rounding out the package is both Bluetooth 4.1 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi as well as two USB 3 ports, HDMI out, an SD card slot as well as a 3.5mm audio jack.
All of this comes in an 11.6-inch package that weighs less than 2.7 pounds.
From its specs and build, it sounds rightly positioned against the Chromebooks in classrooms with the low price point of $279 (about £216, AU$356) no less. Well, that is until Asus launches a consumer model with Windows 10 Home this September for $299 (about £232, AU$382) in a lighter blue shade.
While we’re excited to see how Microsoft and its Windows 10 S manage to compete with the established leader – Google and its Chromebooks – in the classroom, we’re intrigued by Asus’s decision not to sell this particular unit to regular old folks.
Microsoft made it clear that Windows 10 S is intended for the education scene, but machines running the pared-down software would be available for all. With that in mind, why would Asus not just sell the very same Windows 10 S device in both scenarios?
It will be interesting to see how laptop makers treat Windows 10 S in relation to the general consumer market in the coming months, with Asus’s first one being, well, not for them.
MTCHT
ICT
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
POST
ABOUT US
NEWS
INTERESTING
INTERVIEW
ANALYSIS
ONLAIN LESSONS
