Hardware

Review: Microsoft’s Portable Surface Laptop SE is Scaled Down Yet Powerful

The new Microsoft Surface Laptop Special Edition was specifically created for younger students and the IT administrators who serve them.

John Breeden II

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John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer and public speaker with 20 years of experience covering technology.

As schools and parents rushed to purchase laptops during the pandemic, it’s entirely possible that some bought devices that were not designed for K–12 students.

That is why Microsoft conducted research with elementary schools to find out what younger students really needed in a computing device. The new Microsoft Surface Laptop SE is the direct result of those efforts.

The Portable Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Boasts a Simplified Interface

Built from the ground up for the education market, the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE was designed to weigh less than 3 pounds so that it could easily slip into a child’s backpack. And because the SE might possibly be a young student’s first experience with a “real” computing device, the interface was simplified as much as possible and optimized to work with the laptop’s smaller screen.

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For example, all applications on the device launch in full-screen mode to take advantage of every bit of available screen real estate. Plus, the Windows 11 SE keeps all those little icons that sit at the bottom of the screen out of the way.

The device is fully optimized for displaying two applications at the same time. For example, it’s easy to create a lesson plan that pairs the Edge browser with a videoconferencing window using the 720p-resolution webcam. Both windows size perfectly across the entire screen.

K–12 IT Admins Get Full Control with the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE

Keeping students and their equipment safe from unauthorized applications is another advantage of the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE. School administrators can initially configure what applications are allowed on the laptops and how the devices should be used.

SECURITY CHECKLIST: Download the checklist with 5 steps to securing student data.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop SE has a Celeron 1.1-gigahertz processor and 8 gigabytes of DDR4 SDRAM, which means the laptop can easily handle almost any educational or productivity applications. The 128GB solid-state hard drive makes things even more speedy. Plus, the SE is rugged enough to survive bouncing inside a backpack.

Microsoft also designed the Surface Laptop SE so that the most commonly broken or damaged components — the screen, keyboard and battery — can be easily replaced onsite.

Finally, despite being somewhat scaled down in size, the SE is still every bit a Surface laptop. It’s simply a smaller Surface, performing a tightly defined and important mission.

SPECIFICATIONS

PROCESSOR: Celeron N4120 1.1GHz
SCREEN SIZE: 11.6 inches
MAX RESOLUTION: 1366x768 (HD)
MEMORY: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
HARD DRIVE: 128GB solid-state drive
DIMENSIONS: 11.2x7.6x0.7 inches
WEIGHT: 2.45 pounds

LEARN MORE: Make the right decision when making purchasing decisions.

Cracking Open the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE for Repairs

Unlike most other computing devices, the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE is designed to be fully accessible for onsite repairs of common components, so students likely won’t have to wait to get back to work if their SE breaks.

With no moving parts and a strong chassis, the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE is about as tough as a laptop can be without adding specifically ruggedized components. And while elementary education is hardly a war zone, younger students likely don’t treat their devices with as much care as adults.

Microsoft talked with school administrators, teachers and IT professionals working with students ranging in age from kindergarten to eighth grade. It quickly became apparent that three key items — the screen, keyboard and battery — were the most commonly damaged or broken components on classroom laptops, especially in devices that also went home with students.

Those three components made up 85 percent of all repair orders, and the repair process itself was also a detriment to education. Normally, broken units must be shipped to a factory or repair center that might take a week or longer to ship the device back — meaning broken laptops were not available to students for extended periods. The shipping costs also were often the responsibility of the school.

Microsoft has revolutionized that process with the Microsoft Surface Laptop SE. Onsite IT teams can now fully replace those three often-broken parts, thanks to easily accessible screws that can be turned using standard tools. While this might make the SE a little less pretty in terms of form factor, it makes internal components much more accessible.

Microsoft sells repair kits that contain all three of the commonly broken components, so schools can have everything they need on hand to make local repairs. Swapping out a dead battery is extremely easy. Microsoft has also made videos demonstrating how to perform more complex repairs, like replacing a busted screen. Almost any skilled IT professional can easily make those repairs.

With a new local repair process and a fleet of easily accessible Microsoft Surface SE laptops, no student will be without their device for very long if they experience any of the most common breakdowns. That’s a nice advantage for schools — and one less excuse for students who don’t do their homework.