Back in June, Microsoft revealed the latest version of its globally adopted operating system series, Windows 11. This came as a bit of a surprise, as Microsoft had previously touted Windows 10 as the final version of the software to be supported endlessly via regular updates.
Supposedly, the new version was born out of a scrapped lite version of Windows destined for touch and multi-screen portable devices. Instead of going ahead with this mini or lite version, Microsoft has decided to roll the features designed for it into a major release.
A few features were revealed in June, with several more being revealed in the following weeks. Microsoft is promising updates will be 40% smaller, hopefully a relief for those of us that put them off until the last possible minute!
The user interface is one of the most obvious places getting a shake-up. The start menu has been moved to the centre of the screen, light and dark themes are available as default modes, and a rounded corner design has been adopted system wide. The taskbar is optimised for touch and other peripherals, as well as being centralised and renamed the ‘Dock’ in an ‘Apple-esque’ fashion.
Microsoft is also promoting ‘Artificial Intelligence powered dynamic features’, enabling widgets to display different information according to the time of day, and which apps are currently being used.
A much-needed improvement to multitasking features is coming too. Snap groups and layouts allow you to arrange multiple windows across the display, not limited to the side-by-side layout currently enforced by Windows 10, but in rows and columns too.
Windows will also remember the arrangement of these snap layouts the next time you come back. This useful timesaver will hopefully yield a convenient boon for productivity. Multi-monitor support will also be improved and integrated to remember what apps were opened on a monitor when it is reconnected.
Some more exciting changes are coming to the Microsoft store. Windows’ in-built media and app store is seeing a full redesign with some tighter content curation, to eliminate the high amount of low-quality, third-party applications that currently dominate the platform. Microsoft made a point of showing that popular apps like the Adobe Suite and Disney+ will be ready to go in the store on day one.
One slightly more interesting development is the support of android apps like Tik Tok or Instagram, which will also be downloadable from the store. In line with the support of android apps are the improvements to the touch features, likely carried through from the earlier version of a touchscreen specific OS mentioned previously.
Gaming fans will be pleased to note a welcome revision of the previously cumbersome Windows 10 Xbox app. The app will be replaced by a new Game Pass app, to integrate Windows more directly with Microsoft’s gaming subscription service. Players will be able to directly buy, manage and access games available on the service or through its affiliates like Bethesda and EA. Auto HDR and better full and widescreen support will also be welcome quality-of-life changes for gamers everywhere.
It can’t all be good news though, and Microsoft has been under a little fire for making the required specifications too high for even some fairly recent machines. The earliest compatible CPUs listed on Microsoft’s website are only from a couple of years ago, but this doesn’t mean older processors won’t work at all, Microsoft has only officially validated more recent hardware.
There are also, for the technically minded, requirements for UEFI, Secure boot and TPM. UEFI and Secure boot might eliminate some older machines from being able to run the new operating system, but the TPM issue is more complicated. In short however, most prebuilt systems from around 2016 should have a Trusted Platform Module already installed, whereas motherboards used for DIY systems are less consistent but have been increasingly included as standard since around the same time.
Users of older machines without some of these features might be able to exploit some workarounds to access Windows 11, but many will stick to the familiar territory of Windows 10. The more adventurous users might be finally tempted to switch to a lightweight Linux distribution, well known for keeping elderly PCs on life support for a few more years.
Should your current machine fall short of Windows 11 however, Microsoft has already stated that it will continue to support and provide security updates for Windows 10 through until 2025. Most of the advertised changes at the moment appear to be welcome benefits to productivity and quality of life. Windows 11 is expected to arrive on your screens this October.
If you want a hand checking that all your gear will be ready to go when it rolls around, or you want to find out what the best option for your organisation is, get in contact with Pearce IT today!