Microsoft is taking the fight to Chromebooks with a
selection of new sub-US$ 200 laptops and sub-US$ 300 convertible PCs. They come with
Windows 10 and are loaded with free software to aid in your studies.
The Lenovo 100e will cost just US$ 190 and is powered
by an Intel Celeron (Apollo Lake). The company also has the 300e, a US$ 280
convertible with pen support. The Trigono V401 convertible (US$ 300) supports both
touch and pen input while the Classmate Leap T303 laptop (US$ 200) features the
added security of Windows Hello.
You’re probably wondering about screen resolution,
RAM, storage and so on (we are too). The HP Stream 11 Pro G4 EE (which is also
a part of the lineup) has an HD screen, 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, which
we think is a good guideline of the type of hardware on offer.
That said, the software alone could be worth more
than US$ 200. There’s Windows 10 for one (though some of these will run 10 S), but
also Office 365 with OneNote and Teams. This will make writing and collaborating
with your classmates easy.
Microsoft has partnered with multiple companies to
offer digital tools to help students learn. From US$ 300 Mixed Reality Headsets to
the pricier HoloLens, there will be a VR curriculum by Pearson, the world’s
largest education company. BBC will supply Oceans: Our Blue Panet to classrooms
and Lego Education will offer a free Hacking STEM lesson plan.
