One of the main criticisms surrounding Microsoft’s new education focused Windows 10 S operating system is that its simplified, streamlined nature may be limiting for some users because it’s only capable of running apps that are available from the Windows Store.
There is a quick fix to this problem though; paying a one-time fee of $50 (approximately $63 CAD) to access Windows 10 Pro. Once upgraded, the computer — even Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop — will be capable of downloading and running programs from the internet, similar to the standard version of Windows 10.
Additionally, anyone who buys the Surface Laptop — which runs Windows 10 S by default — can switch to Windows 10 Pro for free as long as they upgrade before the end of 2017.
Microsoft, however, says that it can no longer guarantee that the Surface Laptop will feature the company’s estimated 14.5 hour long battery life or perform as well as it does when running Windows S.
In an interview with MobileSyrup’s Rose Behar, Windows vice-president Matt Barlow said that the the simplified operating system sips a lot less battery because there’s “nothing running in the background constantly and no unwanted apps on your system actually draining battery life over time.”
Microsoft says that while Canada is not included in the Surface Laptop’s initial launch regions, the upcoming device will make its way north of the U.S. boarder “later this year.”
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