Hands-on with some of the cheap education systems. Video shot and edited by Jennifer Hahn. (video link)

Microsoft’s New York City event to launch Windows 10 S and the Surface Laptop appears to have confused many people. The larger theme of the event was “education,” but this is a broad topic, and judging by many of the reactions, Microsoft didn’t do a very good job of distinguishing between its offerings and ambitions for K-12 education, and the Surface Laptop. When introduced, the Laptop was still given an education spin, but in a very different context; college-students, rather the middle and high schoolers.

Both of these are important, but they’re important in different ways, and the challenges Microsoft faces are very different. While Surface Laptop is the most eye-catching of the company’s announcements, Surface Laptop is, like the other Surface hardware, intended as more of a high-end halo product rather than a mass market device. It was arguably the least important part of what Microsoft presented. Windows 10 S, and the range of education-oriented systems starting at $189, are a far bigger deal.