Microsoft’s effort to combat this led them to introduce Windows 10 running in “S” mode, and they have now followed that up with Windows 11 S. This streamlined computing experience in a relatively cheap laptop resulted in an explosion of ChromeBook sales, which of course resulted in a corresponding drop in market share for “budget” Windows laptops. Truth be told, “S” mode is simply Microsoft’s answer to the huge popularity of Chromebooks.Īs you might already know, Chromebooks are built from the ground up to be primarily Internet-based machines.Īnd as such they are typically fast, efficient and secure while requiring less processing power and storage capacity when compared to machines running a full-blown operating system like Windows or macOS. Rick’s answer: Those are great questions Amber, and I’ve had lots of people asking me about Windows’ S mode of late. And now I’m really confused.Ģ – Is there any reason why I shouldn’t buy a laptop that’s running Windows in S mode (I love the low prices but only if the laptops are good)? I’d never heard of Windows 11 S before I started shopping for a new laptop. Question from Amber: I’ve been shopping online for a new laptop and I’ve noticed that a lot of the lowest-priced Windows laptops have Windows 11 S installed on them.

Windows 11 home in s mode