Microsoft announced Windows 10 S last year, the new version of Windows 10 was meant to compete with Chrome OS. While it was originally announced as a dedicated version of its desktop software for education customers, it was reported last month that Microsoft might add a new “S Mode” to Windows 10 Home, Enterprise, and Pro. That would have involved doing away with Windows 10 S as a separate iteration of Windows and Microsoft has now confirmed that it’s going to do just that.
Microsoft has confirmed today that it’s going to discontinue Windows 10 S as a separate iteration of its platform and instead offer it as a new “S Mode” in existing Windows 10 versions starting next year. The confirmation came from Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore on Twitter.
Belfiore tweeted that Windows 10 S is going to be a mode of existing Windows versions next year and “not a distinct version.” That’s as official a confirmation as you can get about Windows 10 S being discontinued as a standalone version of Windows.
Previous reports have suggested that the S Mode will simply lock down a copy of Windows 10 so that it’s only capable of running apps from the Microsoft Store which is what Windows 10 S did in the first place. However, reports also suggested that while Microsoft would allow Windows 10 Home users to disable the S Mode for free, it would charge Windows 10 Pro customers $49 if they wanted to disable the mode for access to the full version.
That’s not something that Microsoft has confirmed as yet. It has only said that Windows 10 S will be offered as a mode in the existing versions starting next year.
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