I tried living within the 'S mode' restrictions for a week and then I had to install a driver to get a particular USB accessory working and this was immediately blocked.

you can't go back, and this makes little sense. However, Microsoft is missing a trick or two for the 'rest of us'.īecause while it's free to 'switch' out of 'S mode' and back to full third party compatibility (Settings/Update & Security/Activation, then tap 'Go to Store' and then 'Get' the 'Switch out of S mode' hidden app), it's a one way street, i.e. And I absolutely applaud that 'S mode' is available. The S mode message that greets any attempt to install or run anything that wasn't sourced from the Store.Ī typical use for such an 'S mode' then is in education or in a company - in both cases you want to keep kids/users more focussed on what they're supposed to be doing and also safe. This has obvious huge knock on implications for improved 'Security', of course, since users aren't going to go downloading (either on purpose or after being tricked) random.

applications which have been (hopefully) thoroughly checked by Microsoft. By default, out of the box, the Surface Go boots up in 'S mode', meaning that the on-device Store is the only way to install third party applications, i.e. Whether the 'S' stands for Security or Store is also irrelevant, though the two functions are themselves very relevant. I should start by saying that no one should get hung up on 'Windows 10 in S mode' at the start. Following on from my Gallery of the Surface Go review hardware kit, the first part of my main review of this relevant ultra-mobile computing device, and part 2, concentrating on the Type Cover and the laptop experience, here's part 3, covering the particular 'S mode' default configuration of the Surface Go and comments on performance in daily use.

Surface 3 windows 10