If you’re in the market for an affordable budget tablet, then a rare standout deal has just emerged for all bargain hunters out there: the open-box Microsoft Surface SE currently on sale for $189.99, marked down from its original price of $329 — a savings of around 42%.
It’s the sort of sub-$200 deal you almost never find, particularly on a Microsoft-made laptop, and it would be ideal for students, home offices or anyone who just needs a reliable web-and-docs machine.
What You Get for Less Than $200 on Surface SE
The model here is a sensible and middle-of-the-road configuration in its own right: an Intel Celeron N4120 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage for everyday needs.
Combined with an 11.6-inch HD display and a featherlight (2.4-pound) frame, it’s a pint-sized backpack-friendly machine that leans more toward portability and battery life than raw horsepower. Microsoft rates the Surface SE for up to 16 hours on a charge; independent reviews of similar low-wattage systems usually register less, yet it’s still enough for a full day of classes or light work with reasonable screen brightness.
Connectivity is core: Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless, and USB-A, USB-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack when you need wires.
It’s Zoom– or Teams-ready thanks to a 1MP webcam, built-in mic and stereo speakers. No one will mistake your audio for studio quality; you’re not getting a 1080p camera at this price, but for video calls and classes it will be more than enough.
How Windows 11 SE Impacts Daily Usage and Apps
Yet one important detail: the Surface SE runs Windows 11 SE, a pared-down version originally designed for schools. According to Microsoft’s education materials, “SE is built around the idea of simplicity, but in managed environments it limits app installs to those apps from stores that contain curated applications,” in order to deliver better performance and security management. In practice, this means solid reliability for web browsing, Office and mainstream classroom apps, but it’s not made for power users who are constantly installing new software.
Some sellers reimage SE devices to Windows 11 Home or Pro; some ship them as found. The only unknown, before you buy, is what exactly the OS image will consist of and any app-installation restrictions. If you do intend to move to a regular Windows edition when it’s generally available, consider the cost of a license and time taken up with making installation media. For many families and students, however, SE’s guardrails are a plus: there are fewer distractions, faster boot and fewer background processes to bog the system down.
Performance Expectations and Trade-Offs to Consider
The Celeron N4120 is a 4-core, low-power CPU that does the basics well — emailing, note-taking, web apps and streaming. It’s not designed for heavy multitasking or media editing. In practice, you can expect a reasonably smooth experience with a few browser tabs open, plus a video call and an Office document — but be prepared for some slowdowns if you push into dozens of tabs or big spreadsheets.
The unsung hero here is the 8GB RAM; many entry-level laptops arrive with a mere 4GB that can lead to some aggressive tab reloading. Storage is eMMC instead of SSD, and speed matters to this user. Normal eMMC transfers tend to fall within the 100–300MB/s range, while SATA SSDs have no trouble cruising over 500MB/s and NVMe drives can soar into multiple-thousands. The difference is palpable when you’re opening apps or copying files. Even so, in cloud-first workflows — Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 online, Canvas — your local storage speed matters less.
Open-Box vs. Refurbished: What to Expect
Open-box units are virtually new and in nearly brand-new condition, and have been inspected by LetsBrik’s technicians to ensure 100% functionality. They usually have not had serious repairs or parts replaced, unlike refurbished gear. Under the description of these units, they are listed as “Inspected and Verified,” with the bonus of a 1-year parts and labor warranty for peace of mind. It’s always advisable to look for cosmetic marks and check with the store about return policies, but open-box purchases frequently provide near-new condition at a price lower than that of a new product.
How It Compares in the Budget Laptop Market
Sub-$200 Windows laptops with 8GB RAM are few and far between; at this price level, you’re often in Chromebookland or staring down the barrel of an older refurb featuring just 4GB. Analyst firms IDC and Canalys have specifically called out procurement for education as a driver of massive volume in recent years, helping push the price down for tough, low-power machines like this. Still, a Microsoft-made model for under $200, with a warranty and modern wireless, is remarkable.
Nestled against other Chromebooks priced the same, the Surface SE’s appeal is familiarity to Windows users and a quick on-ramp to Microsoft 365. So long as you don’t need real native Windows apps, Chromebooks still win for the simplest, most secure web appliance. If you care about being compatible with Windows for reading school portals or a particular program, the SE is persuasive.
Who Should Buy and Who Should Skip This Deal
Get it if you want a value-packed, dependable laptop for web research and papers, video calls and streaming — and don’t mind Windows 11 SE’s pared-down sensibilities. With 8GB of RAM and a small, light chassis, it can sit nicely as a savvy campus partner or a reliable secondary PC at home.
Skip this if you run specialized Windows apps, need plenty of local storage or want to edit a lot of big photos and videos. In those situations, it’s better in the long term to go with a mainstream laptop that has a current Core or Ryzen chip and an SSD, even if you have to spend more now.
Bottom line: As a one-time purchase, this Surface SE hits an especially sweet price point for a Microsoft device that has usable memory, comes with a warranty, and promises all-day battery life. For those with interest in fundamentals-first computing, it’s a timely steal.