Say hi to the $249 Surface Laptop SE

Surface Laptop SE

Education just got affordable! Microsoft was destined to deliver something for the education sector today, and the company has done just that with the Surface Laptop SE.

This newest addition to the Surface family is a $249 machine for the K-8 classroom.

Powered by Windows 11 SE, a version of the OS custom designed for the education market, this is the most affordable device that carries the Surface logo. It is built specifically for the education sector for deployment in classrooms.

In that aspect, the Surface Laptop SE is a big departure from the Surface line, in that it is first device that is not designed primarily as a premium product.

First, let’s take a look at the new launch:

Not bad.

These types of devices are designed to be handed out to students to allow them to get work done in class or at home, design and hardware specifications don’t need to be flashy. But Microsoft has still packed in some quality components here.

We have confirmation of a display that comes in at 11.6-inch and a 16:9 aspect ratio, carrying a resolution of 1366 x 768, good for a 135 ppi pixel density. It is a TFT screen.

On the processors side of things, we have two in the form of Intel Celeron N4020 and N4120. These are backed by Intel UHD Graphics 600. In terms of memory, we have 4GB and 8GB DDR4 options, while storage choices come down to 64GB or 128GB, both eMMC.

Available in Glacier color, the plastic Surface Laptop SE is good for up to 16 hours of battery time.

But perhaps the most notable feature of this new machine is its repairability. The laptop uses regular screws that are exposed on the bottom for easy access to RAM, storage, battery, and more. No special tools or work is needed, making repairs simple and straightforward.

That’s all fine and good, but what about availability, you ask?

Surface Laptop SE may be the most affordable Surface yet, but Microsoft plans to only make it available to buy through education channels, in bulk. What this means is that normal consumers will not be able to get their hands on it.

Then again, general audiences have the Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go to contend with.