Deploy Windows RT 8.1: A Guide for Education
Applies To: Windows 8.1
This guide outlines how to effectively deploy Windows RT devices in an academic environment. It is designed to help you choose the right type of user account and automate much of the configuration process. It also provides sample Windows PowerShell scripts for both shared and one-to-one scenarios that you can customize and extend to automate device configuration.
Surface and similar Windows RT 8.1 devices are great for students and educators. They are ultraportable, sturdy, and inexpensive. Students can use Windows RT devices to watch videos, write reports, and collaborate on group projects. Surface even has a built-in kickstand and integrated keyboard, allowing users to learn and teach the way they want.
Deploying Windows RT devices in schools is different from deploying PCs, though. Windows RT devices are not PCs; they are tablets. You do not deploy Windows RT devices like PCs, and you do not manage them like PCs. A mobile technology similar to Apple iPad and other such tablets, Windows RT devices have limitations about which schools should be aware. You can learn more about these limitations by reading Windows RT 8.1 in the Enterprise.
Note
You can download the sample scripts that this guide describes from the TechNet Script Center. Download edu_config.zip and extract its contents to a USB flash drive or another location. The contents include the template folder structure and scripts.
In this guide: