Windows 11 brings a sleek new look, useful new tools, updated default apps, additional features, and performance improvements. This may be enough to attract some Chrome OS or Mac users. You don’t have many choices when it comes to your computer’s operating system, but the choice you make can have many meanings. The operating systems included here are the most viable options. It’s not a huge number, but these operating systems differ markedly in their strengths and weaknesses.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 software will be remembered for bringing Windows into the modern era with its updated design and better ways to discover and download apps. But there are deeper improvements to be made in future releases, such as clarifications on system requirements and the ability to make Fluent Design more than just a reskin. Windows 11 is now generally available as an update for Windows 10 PC web browsers.
However, Microsoft is taking a measured and phased approach to rollout, which means the update won’t roll out to everyone immediately. When your PC is ready, a large Windows 11 update pop-up will appear that will allow you to start the download and installation process, and Windows will do the rest. If you purchase a new copy, the update will be available in Home and Pro versions from Microsoft’s website and select third-party retailers, just like Windows 10. Windows 11 Home requires a Microsoft account and an Internet connection to run. activate, not Windows 11 Pro.
What’s new
Windows 11 focuses on three key areas: a new modern user interface designed to make Windows easier to use, new features and changes designed to make the user more productive, and a renewed emphasis on the Microsoft Store. Most high-level user interfaces have been updated with a new look, new animations, iconography, and sounds. Everything from the Start menu and taskbar to context menus and built-in apps has been updated to be more consistent with the rest of the software design for Windows 11/10.
One of Microsoft’s goals with Windows 11 was to reduce and simplify user experience (UX) wherever possible. Microsoft is trying to make Windows UX more usable for ordinary PC users who may be more familiar with the experiences of modern operating systems like iOS and Android, but this comes at the cost of simplifying some features or common behaviors that are dead for some. older Windows users; more difficult users may find it difficult to adapt.
Visual cues
If there’s one thing that jumps out at you about Windows 11, it’s this: the Start menu and taskbar are now centered at the bottom of the screen, instead of aligned left by default. This is the biggest visual and interface change you’ll see on day one.
Sure, there’s a lot more going on underneath, but it seems like this UI change is mostly meant to make it clear that something new and different is happening below the surface. And there are a lot of new things in Windows 11. For casual or mainstream users, this is unlikely to be noticed, although there are a few notable updates.
New look, new features
Windows 11 looks more streamlined compared to the previous iteration. The icons have been revamped and while the company hasn’t made any drastic changes to the taskbar, it has been aligned more by placing new buttons in the center to keep the user “focused”. menu or widgets that display information – Weather, Calendar, etc.
But even though it gives a nice view one might ask for, those inclined to use Tool for Windows 10 might find it a bit difficult to adjust to the settings as the previous version was all about pushing everything in the corner. at the bottom left. Then there are some nifty features that might initially seem complicated and most likely overlooked, but might come in handy if your day ends up staying on a PC or laptop.
Notifications and Action Center
The Operations Center and Notifications features remain in the lower right corner of the screen, but in Windows 11 they work differently. Instead of being grouped together, the Operations Center is self-contained and accessible by clicking a group of icons (Wi-Fi, Battery, Volume) in the taskbar. This presents a clean interface with only the most important settings: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, airplane mode, accessibility, battery saver, and volume/brightness sliders.
You can add features, but Microsoft has smartly chosen which ones to include by default. To the right of the action center is the notifications panel, which shows your personal calendar as well as new emails, upcoming meetings, and other events. Oddly, you can’t do much with the calendar: right-clicking or double-clicking on a date doesn’t add an event or reminder, as it does in Windows 10.
Required configuration
These requirements are stringent enough to make installing Windows 11 on even semi-new PCs a chore. Microsoft’s Windows 11 compatible processor list is remarkably complex and at the same time too short, being mostly limited to processors released since 2018. And the requirement to have an active TPM 2.0 proved even more frustrating, as the most of us have no idea what a Trusted Platform Module is or how to know if we have one in our PC. Here’s more information on what a TPM is and why it’s important for Windows 11, as well as how to check if your PC has a TPM.
Windows 10, by comparison, has a much wider range of acceptable processors and does not require TPM 2.0 to be enabled. Microsoft says Windows 11’s stricter system requirements are meant to make the ecosystem more secure by ensuring Windows 11 PCs are more resilient to cyberattacks, but it’s hard to take that claim seriously when it seems easy enough to circumvent. . System requirements for Windows 11, During the Windows 11 beta period, it was possible to install Windows 11 on PCs that did not meet the minimum system requirements by installing from an ISO file, rather than ‘by upgrading directly.
These widgets show quick updates from apps and services, somewhat replacing Live Tiles. The News widget shows current events in the world of politics, finance, sports, technology and more. It has also been made available in new versions of Windows 10. However, here it looks different and looks like a kind of “Live Tiles”. However, here it looks different and also appears on the left side of the screen instead of the lower right corner.
Various widgets can be added and at launch Microsoft offers 11 options to choose from. These include Outlook calendar apps, tips, news and sports scores, photos, entertainment, traffic updates, family safety and, interestingly enough, sports as well. Unfortunately, we cannot yet integrate third-party widgets into this panel, which makes it less useful. If you click or tap on one of these widgets, the linked content will open in Microsoft Edge, regardless of your default browser.
Become Fluent in Fluent
Microsoft developed its Fluent design language in 2017, creating the vision for the future aesthetics of its operating system. With it, Windows is transformed from its rigid origins into a more fluid operating system with rounded corners, transparencies and splashes of color. We’ve seen glimpses of it in recent Windows 10 updates, but they were tweaks on a washed-out canvas. Windows 11 looks like a complete makeover. It starts with beautiful new wallpapers, but the most interesting change is the Start menu in the center of the taskbar.
Moving the icons didn’t have a measurable impact on our workflow, but I prefer the more symmetrical look. If you don’t, it doesn’t matter. Microsoft makes it easy to move the Start menu to the left side of the taskbar. Tap the Start menu and your favorite apps appear, except this time they’re not tiled. Yes, Live Tiles – those rotating squares of information introduced in Windows 8 – are dead, replaced by a simple grid of app icons with a uniform gray background. Below these apps is a “Recommended” section showing recently opened files and apps.
Price and availability
Windows 11 is free for anyone who meets the system requirements set by Microsoft. The upgrade is available in two versions: Home or Pro. The Pro version has features aimed primarily at business users, but home users will appreciate being able to encrypt the hard drive with a stricter level of encryption for added security.
However, most regular users won’t miss out if they opt for the Home version, every Windows 11 Pro exclusive feature is suitable for business, not home, so if you’re using a PC for creative work or gaming, or just occasional use, it is not necessary for the Pro version.
Last words
Windows 11 is worth it for most people. It comes with a wide range of new features, performance improvements, and design changes. As the latest Windows operating system, it usually attracts more attention than Windows 10. Upgrading to Windows 11 is also not too risky. With a little planning, you can easily uninstall Windows 11 and revert to Windows 10.
