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Asus’ first laptop with Windows 10 S is now available

Asus’ first laptop with Windows 10 S is now available

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Asus VivoBook W202
Image: Asus

Three months after the launch of Windows 10 S, Asus is launching its first laptop running the limited new version of Microsoft’s OS. The computer is called the VivoBook W202, and it’s a relatively cheap laptop meant to be used in schools. It sells for $279 and will be available today.

The specs are pretty basic here, but it’s really just designed to have what it needs to get by for students or teachers. The laptop has a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 0.3-megapixel webcam. There’s an 11.6-inch display with a 1366 x 768 resolution — which would be low on an even slightly more expensive computer — and the screen can fold back 180 degrees.

A $20 more expensive version will come with full Windows 10

There’s a ton of ports, though: an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, two USB 3.0 ports, and support for a lock. Asus estimates 11 hours of battery life.

The laptop is also made with a rugged design and is supposed to be able to survive twists, crushing, and drops — at least, the kind that might be encountered accidentally in a school. It also has a water-resistant keyboard.

Of course, the big highlight here is that this laptop runs Windows 10 S, rather than full Windows 10, which ostensibly makes the machine a little bit cheaper than it otherwise would be. Unlike full Windows 10, this version is limited to installing apps that come from the Windows Store, which lets Microsoft secure, vet, and make money off of everything that goes through it.

Asus announced back in May that it would be making a cheap educational laptop running the new OS. Dell, HP, Samsung, and others promised Windows 10 S machines, too, though Microsoft’s website shows only six of those machines being available at this point (the W202 makes for seven).

Next month, Asus plans to launch a slightly more expensive version of the W202, running Windows 10 Home, for $299.