Microsoft Surface Laptop SE 128GB SSD

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE 128GB SSD

“Surface Laptop SE ships with an Intel Celeron N4020 and N4120 CPU” :thinking:

Which CPU does this device possess? This omission is repeated each time this device is listed.

Buyer notice:

Surface Laptop SE operating system: Windows 11 SE

Windows 11 SE was a stripped-down, cloud-focused version of Windows 11 designed for K-8 education to compete with Chromebooks, featuring simplified interfaces, restricted app installations (only approved ones), and pre-installed Office apps for low-cost PCs, but Microsoft is ending its support in October 2026 as it shifts focus back to the full Windows 11 experience for schools.

Windows SE cannot be upgraded to full Windows 11 without a fresh OS installation

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The ouch was that SE wasn’t really optimized for the hardware. From Windows Central on its EOL:

Under the hood, it was the same operating system as Windows 11 Home and Pro, which meant it still struggled to run well on low-end hardware. The company has failed to deliver a true lightweight version of Windows to the market, and Windows 11 SE was a last-ditch attempt at addressing the low-end education market without actually delivering a lightweight version of Windows.

(I can’t help but to feel that a full fledged Windows would actually be an advantage because at least the user can tweak things to make it run slightly better. Not about to try myself, however.)

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Windows CE called from the 90s, wants its reason for being back.

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This is a very slow computer when running Windows 11 (full version). I installed ChromeOS Flex on it and it’s fine now, but overall a big disappointment.