Table of Content
The only thing that has changed is how Windows 10 S is distributed to OEMs. There is a chance that this requires Admin access. Microsoft still allows anyone to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 for freeusing this same reasoning—you just need to click a button saying they use assistive technology. Microsoft is using the honor system, once again.
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?
Should I Use the PC in S Mode?
If it’s a laptop for a school student, then there are some obvious benefits to having them not be able to download whatever distractions they desire. For many, however, being forced into Microsoft’s ecosystem is not going to fly but there are ways to escape it. That's because ARM processors aren't compatible with programs written for Intel or AMD processors. They will run universal apps from the Windows Store though. That's a big disadvantage for many users but Windows in S Mode is meant for education or environments where you don't want users installing their own apps.
Any existing PCs with Windows 10 S will be converted to Windows 10 Professional in S Mode when they install the April 2018 Update. Of course, if you need software that isn’t available in the Store, you have to leave S Mode. But you can try using the PC in S Mode for a while and see how well it works for you.
What Are the Restrictions for Windows 10 in S Mode?
Might be an interesting move as PWAs become available in the Store, if S Mode still has faster startup and is overall more secure. But that is the problem there are very few UWP apps that are any good. For the small amount of time the MS store have been going, it have got an awful lot of rubbish in there. I am tired of cleaning every family members machine because they don't read and just click crap to get it to go away. My wife loved her Surface RT, but it was just too underpowered, though safe.
I cant remember the last time I ever got a virus as well, and I only use windows defender. With 99 percent of my apps being Win32 apps (LOTS of games, chrome, audio/video editors etc). Only 1 or 2 UWP apps because they are games published by Microsoft that are exclusive to the store. I will be extremely surprised if the situation for games on the Windows store improves in any meaningful way in the next few years .
How to Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro
He's written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than one billion times---and that's just here at How-To Geek. While in S Mode, the Microsoft Edge web browser uses Bing as its default search engine. You can’t change Edge’s default search engine to Google or anything else without leaving S Mode first. You can still use other search engines in Edge, for example by navigating to Google.com. One of the very first things I do when I’m faced with a fresh operating system is to fire up its default browse - the meh Edge or Safari - and head straight to Ninite or macapps.link .
You’ll probably see Windows 10 S PCs in stores alongside normal Windows 10 PCs. And hey, if you try it and don’t like it, you can always turn a Windows 10 S PC into a Windows 10 Pro PC for $50. That’s actually cheaper than the upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro, which costs $100. However, Microsoft is being a little sneaky here. Microsoft won’t let Google package Chrome for the Windows Store, even if Google wanted to. The Windows Store only allows browser apps based on the Edge browser engine, just as Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Store only allows browsers built on the Safari browser engine.
How to Activate S Mode in Windows 11
Although Home and Pro have the same root features, the added items provided in Pro aren’t necessary for the average at-home user. For example, there’s the powerful and configurable BitLocker Encryption and Windows Information Protection, which helps with advanced access control. Microsoft is positioning Windows 10 S as a streamlined version of Windows 10 for schools.
Both sites allow you to pick and choose apps you’d like to install on your new system. Once you’ve finalised your list, you either get a custom installer or a Terminal command (macapps.link) you can run to quickly dump a bunch of apps on your new system. As seen on this Microsoft Dev Blog, users of Windows S can only run Modern Universal Windows Platform store apps. These are apps that Microsoft developers directly created or verified.
Windows 10 S is fine for some people, and not for others. If you don't like it, or the apps, don't use it. I use the WIndows 10 mail app to manage both my personal hotmail and a work gmail account. Prefer it over the web gmail interface, honestly. I must admit, I thought Ms would have gone back that way with Windows 10 since they want people inside their eco system, but they have not, but that could change.
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.
If you can’t decide still, the good news is you can buy a regular PC and try out S mode. The snag is you can’t go back once you decide to take charge. You can’t exactly activate S mode; it comes pre-installed or shipped with the OS. So, when you get a new laptop, you’ll have the option to use it in S mode when you’re setting it up for the first time. Some computers, like the Surface, come shipped with S mode only, and you don’t get that option to try S mode first. Except there's a limit to cost-cutting when it starts impacting sales.
No comments:
Post a Comment