Windows 10 Home vs Pro vs. S Mode

Table of Content

• Key features of Windows 10 in S mode
• Save $5 on any product or service!
• Windows 10 in S mode: Pros and cons | TechRepublic – Why Turn Off Windows 10 S Mode?
• Where to Find Recently Purchased Apps on Windows 10 in S Mode
• Windows 10 S users will remain on Windows 10 S
• Should You Mount Your TV? The Pros and Cons

Once activated, S Mode lets you enjoy the highest level of security Microsoft can offer. Putting PC 's and smartphones in 1 basket to prove your point about Chrome is crazy from a methodological perspective. 2 differnt things that have nothing to do with each other.

You can upgrade any Windows 10 S device to Windows 10 Pro to enable running desktop applications on it. The upgrade process happens through the Windows Store and works just like upgrading from Windows 10 Home to Pro. In this way, Windows 10 S’s default behavior works just like Windows 10 with the “Allow apps from the Store only” option enabled.

Key features of Windows 10 in S mode

Most editions of Windows 10 can be placed into S Mode. You can buy PCs with either Windows 10 Home in S Mode or Windows 10 Professional in S Mode, and organizations can use Windows 10 Enterprise in S Mode. However, only a PC’s manufacturer can place it into S Mode. To leave S Mode, open the Store app on your PC and search for “Switch out of S Mode.” The Store will guide you through taking your PC out of S Mode. Email newsletters will contain a brief summary of our top stories, plus details of competitions and reader events. You can choose to get rid of S Mode but Microsoft explains you’ll have to do it permanently.

This ensures that applications can’t mess with your registry, leave files behind, or cause problems with the rest of your PC. You can get the same benefits by running those new Universal apps from the Windows Store on a Windows 10 PC. But unlike normal Windows 10, you won’t have the option of downloading other apps that aren’t available in the store. Windows 10 in S mode can only run Windows apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store, which prevents numerous background programs from running and slowing down your device. You'll notice faster start-up times, smoother operation on devices with low processing power, and potentially longer battery life. In theory, this should make Windows 10 S even more accessible to hardware makers, and make it easier for users to switch between S mode and the "unlocked" version of Windows 10 Home or Pro.

Save $5 on any product or service!

The regular consumer who only browses websites or downloads the odd title from the Store, will never need to 'upgrade'/remove the S. For anyone playing games or doing anything more creative, they'll remove S and install their Win32 apps as soon as they get told they can't, and this'll be for free. MS is banking on fewer people doing this then run Home wide open today, and thus, it'll be more secure for some % of the ecosystem. The problem comes for small businesses that buy Pro. Will those machine ship by default with Pro S Mode, and then they'll be hit with a very probably unexpected $50 charge?

Macs nearly run all the software I need and, as an added bonus, your OS isn't spying on you or constantly trying to advertise. The biggest difference in Windows 10 S is that can only run apps downloaded from the Windows Store. These apps are checked for security and run in a secure container.

Windows 10 in S mode: Pros and cons | TechRepublic – Why Turn Off Windows 10 S Mode?

MS always has the gun aimed at their foot when they pull the trigger. What Microsoft could do with competent marketng and competent execution is astoundng. That they haven't self destructed absent competent marketing and executiin is also astoundng. I'm jsut spitballing here but so is Microsoft. As sad as it is, that is true, almost everyone I know that uses a windows based PC uses Chrome, there are a couple who uses firefox, but as far as i know no one uses Edge. Oh I did use Edge on my brothers computer when I built it and that was to download chrome.

On Windows 10 in S Mode, you can only install apps. In Windows 11 Home, Microsoft mandates you to use a Microsoft account for login. This can be removed once you set up the PC and add a secondary account, but it will be required the first time you boot up the system. Using a Microsoft account gets you a lot of extra experiences like cross-device sync, the ability to download apps from the store, and more. Check out our Windows 11 hands-on if you’re interested in trying out the new operating system.

I think OEMs know their customers, so they'll probably know that someone interested in a professional premium device is most likely going to want S mode disabled. I wouldn't worry about that, I would assume most Windows 10 S devices to be cheaper and run Windows 10 Home. What about going from Windows Pro to S mode - is that a thing?

Packages like the E5, E3, and F1 plans include Windows 10 Enterprise at no additional cost. For gamers, the Xbox app, game streaming, Xbox controller support, game DVR, and more are all supported with Windows 10 Home. Schools can upgrade their PCs for free, while everyone else can pay $50 to unlock Windows 10 Pro and the full Windows desktop experience. Microsoft noted that “Windows 10 S can run any web browser in the Windows Store” at its May 2 event.

Windows 10 S users will remain on Windows 10 S

Windows 10 S is turning into a mode that runs on Windows 10 Home and Pro instead of being its own version. When it comes to Windows 11 editions, the differences are very minimal. Everything we mentioned above also applies to the new Windows 11 operating system. It can be challenging to work through all 12 Windows OS options to decide which one is right for your needs. All three mainstream versions are on this list and should give you the best choices for general computing or school.

Believe it or not, Microsoft serves up 12 versions of its Windows 10 operating system. For the mainstream market, you’ll find desktops and laptops packing Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, and Windows 10 in S mode. Microsoft expects Windows 10 S will be available on normal consumer PCs.

It does not allow unverified applications to be downloaded or used, which minimizes any risk of malware or virus that comes with unverified applications. This also helps reduce the memory usage of the computer. And, for another measure of security, users don’t have access to use command-line shells such as command prompt. S mode takes the responsibility of maintaining your cybersecurity off you. You also get a snappy performance from your hardware. This nature makes S mode better suited for people who don’t want to tinker with technology.