Microsoft to Sunset Windows 11 SE, Its ChromeOS Competitor

Microsoft will end support for Windows 11 SE in October 2026, at which point the operating system’s updates, technical support, and security fixes will cease. According to a new blurb at the top of Microsoft’s Windows 11 SE Overview page, devices running the OS will not get the upcoming 25H2 update and will stay on version 24H2 until support ends. Microsoft recommends that users switch to a device using another edition of Windows 11 for ongoing support and security.
Windows 11 SE was launched in 2021 and was designed for low-cost laptops used in schools. Its goal was to give a Windows option to education customers considering Chromebooks. Major makers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft, with its Surface Laptop SE, released products using the system.
Similar to the more affordable iPhone SE series, which has weaker specs, the Windows 11 SE operating system focuses on easy management and web apps, with a strict list of allowed software. IT administrators had to create exceptions for certain applications, and traditional Win32 apps were kept to a minimum.
Microsoft has made quite a few attempts in the past to compete with Chrome OS, such as Windows 10 in S Mode and the canceled Windows 10X, as reported by The Verge. These options offered a locked-down Windows experience convenient for some education and work settings, but ultimately, their limited app availability was a disadvantage, not a feature.
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