- Microsoft introduces Windows 11, and here s everything you need to know.
- It ll release during the holiday season of 2021, and rollout will continue in 2022.
- Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 devices.
- The OS will introduce a significant UI design overhaul and many new features.
Windows 11, Microsoft’s upcoming desktop operating system, has been formally announced. At its June 24 virtual press event, which the firm streamed live, the company announced a number of new features, including support for Android apps, as well as a significant UI change that hasn’t been seen in over ten years. More significantly, the software behemoth announced that it will be a free update for current Windows 10 devices, with a deployment scheduled to start this holiday season and last until 2022.
Even if a leaked version of Windows 11 has given users a preview of some of the features and design improvements, Microsoft has demonstrated during the event that Windows 11 is more than just a redesigned version of Windows 10. This new version includes a completely rebuilt Microsoft Store, a new Start menu and taskbar, a general UI update throughout the experience, performance and gameplay improvements, multitasking upgrades, and much more.
All things considered, we are receiving an improved version that will help people who depend on Windows on a regular basis.
What s new on Windows 11
The following are the most significant updates for the upcoming Windows version:
A new Settings app
The new Start menu, which now sits above the redesigned taskbar and was obviously influenced by the design of Chrome OS and macOS, is possibly the first thing that will catch your eye as soon as you log into Windows 11.
The Live Tiles technology has been abandoned in favor of more straightforward design and conventional icons in the new menu. Additionally, there is a Recommended area that functions similarly to Timeline and displays the most frequently used items, such as folder locations and documents.
The company’s prior design for Windows 10X served as the basis for the menu. It adheres to the new style design with rounded corners and hovers above the taskbar. (In actuality, Microsoft canceled the Windows 10X project before it was published, and many of the modifications made to Windows 11 were originally intended for that version.)
A new Start button and new icons for Search, Widgets, and Task View are also included in the updated taskbar, which has a similar layout to the previous version but now centers all of the buttons.
Even if the taskbar and Start menu are centered, you can still adjust the settings to move the menu and buttons to the left, much like in Windows 10.
User interface changes
A modern, clean, fresh, and elegant user interface design is introduced in Windows 11 along with other UI updates. This is evident in the use of semi-transparent effects and rounded corners for the majority of graphic elements, such as menus, buttons, and windows.
Microsoft claims that everything was done on purpose to give you power and to make you feel at peace and serene.
Additionally, Windows 11 will come with improved dark and light modes that look far better than those found in earlier versions.
A new system font, sounds, and improved animations are also included for a variety of tasks, such as resizing windows, opening apps, pinning and unpinning buttons from the taskbar, and more.
Multitasking improvements
Although you have long been able to snap windows at the various screen quadrants, Windows 11 adds a new feature called Snap Layouts that allows you to rapidly snap programs with various layouts on the screen by displaying a menu that hovers above the maximize button.
If you need to switch to another app, you can just hover over one of the apps from the group in the taskbar to view and select the group to go back to the collection of multiple apps together. This is made possible by Windows 11’s Snap Groups feature.
Additionally, a new capability designed specifically for multi-monitor setups is included with Windows 11. Although it lacks a name, the Settings app has an option that enables the system to remember the locations of the windows depending on the monitor connection. As a result, the windows on a second monitor will now reduce when you disconnect it, and they will reopen in the same spot when you rejoin the display.
Furthermore, Microsoft is bringing Virtual Desktops back as Desktops.By assisting you in creating virtual places to divide your various forms of work, the functionality is essentially the same as it was before. But now you may choose a different background image for each virtual desktop, and the controls are at the bottom of the screen.
You can better arrange your windows and make the most of the screen real estate with these new features.
Microsoft Teams integration
Additionally, Microsoft is incorporating Teams into Windows 11. It seems, nevertheless, that this is not the whole communication service version. Rather, it is a component of Microsoft Teams called Chat, which enables you to instantaneously interact with anyone on any platform—Windows, iOS, or Android—by text, chat, voice, or video.
In accordance with the company, you can still connect with someone via two-way SMS even if they haven’t downloaded the Teams app.
Additionally, you will be able to start presenting straight from the taskbar or rapidly mute and unmute.
Widgets instead of Live Tiles
Although Live Tiles are no longer available, the concept will endure thanks to a new feature called Widgets. In essence, this is an updated version of Windows 10’s News and Interests interface. The new experience, on the other hand, offers the time and box to search the web and slides from the left side of the screen.
The experience occupied only half of the screen in the operating system leak. Nevertheless, the business showed during the event that it is possible to enlarge it to fill the screen.
With the help of artificial intelligence, Widgets provides a customized feed that includes news, sports, maps, and weather data. Additionally, Microsoft announced that it is developing a button that anybody can use to provide advice to help local content producers.
Additionally, according to the business, your customized feed doesn’t interfere with your work because it moves across your screen like a pane of glass when you open it.
Windows 11 on gaming
Windows 11 is an operating system for gaming in addition to productivity. Microsoft has made significant investments to enhance the gaming experience in this latest iteration. For instance, DirectX 12 Ultimate will now be supported by Windows 11. The technical standard for developing and controlling multimedia (including visual and aural effects), games, and images on Windows-based devices is DirectX 12.
Although the Ultimate edition introduces some new features, it is not a major improvement over the original DirectX 12. Ray Tracing 1.1, for example, will be available to you and won’t require the main processor’s GPU overload, making it simpler to optimize games for Xbox Series X, Nvidia, and AMD graphics cards.
With the help of a new technique called DirectStorage, game assets may load to the graphics card more quickly without slowing down the CPU. This translates to more complex game worlds and quicker load times. (The most recent NVMe SSDs and game developers’ optimization are needed for this capability.)
In addition, Microsoft is bringingAuto HDRthat will convert games in standard dynamic range (SDR) to high dynamic range (HDR) automatically on supported hardware for a large number of DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games.
Lastly, Xbox Game Pass will be integrated into Windows 11 through a new Xbox app. Moreover, xCloud connectivity for Xbox Network game streaming is included.
Redesigned Microsoft Store
The new app store is arguably one of Windows 11’s biggest updates. In this new version, you will find a new Microsoft Store that includes a new interface design that makes it easier to find and download apps, games, shows, and movies.
For developers, this is also a big deal because now the Microsoft Store will accept virtually any app, including unpacked traditional (win32) apps, Univeral Windows Platform (UWP) apps, or Progressive Web Apps (PWA). Developers will also have the choice to host their apps using the Microsoft commerce engine or use their own commerce engine, which means that developers won t have to give Microsoft a cut of their revenue for in-app purchases.
Finally, Windows 11 will now support Android apps natively, bringing even more apps to the desktop. This is possible thanks to the new Microsoft partnership with Amazon and Intel to bring the Amazon Android app store to Windows. Using Intel s Bridge technology, you can now use the Microsoft Store to discover, download, and install Android app directly from the Amazon Appstore.
However, the integration isn t that simple since the first time to download an Android app, you will need to download and sign in to the Amazon Appstore app before using the Microsoft Store to download Android apps on Windows 11.
Also, to make this experience work, Microsoft is implementing a new Windows Subsystem for Android solution similar to theWindows Subsystem for Linuxto build an Android virtualization environment without the need for the Google Play Service support.
The Android apps are expected to run on Intel, AMD, and ARM processors.
Windows 11 touch features
On Windows 11, the touch experience is also changing. In this new version, Microsoft is improving the gestures you use on tablets and will no longer include a tablet mode. Instead, Windows 11 will simply adapt to the environment as needed.
Some of the changes around touch include a new touch keyboard with theme support, much like keyboards on mobile devices. There is a new voice typing app to write with voice. And Windows 11 will support haptic feedback for supported pens.
In theofficial announcement, Microsoft says that it has improved the experience for touch, creating more space between the icons in the taskbar, adding bigger touch targets and subtle visual cues to make resizing and moving windows easier, as well as adding gestures.
Windows 11 performance and updates
In addition to the new features and UI design changes, Windows 11 will also include various performance improvements. According to the company, without immediately sharing specifics, devices will wake up faster, Windows Hello will be faster,Microsoft Edgeand any other browser will run faster, devices running Windows 11 will consume less power prolonging battery life.
In addition, Windows 11 will update faster with fewer interruptions since Microsoft will make updates 40 percent smaller, and they will be more efficient as they happen in the background.
Also, Windows 11 will move away from two semi-annual feature updates to one annual upgrade per year. This means no more upgrades and headaches twice a year. Furthermore, it appears that Windows 11 will move to a 24-month support schedule for consumers, instead of 18 months.
New File Explorer and Settings
Although the company hasn t officially revealed them yet,during the eventandfollow-up videos, some glimpses show a new version of File Explorer and Settings app that includes a completely overhauled design that aligns with the new design style we now see throughout the desktop.
In this new version of File Explorer, it appears that the ribbon menu is going away, and instead, it includes new controls optimized for touch. In the video, it s hard to see everything, but the new app still preserves the same familiar structure but with a new look and feel that makes it modern.
During the event, Microsoft also briefly showed off the new Settings app, which includes a new design with a new organization for settings but keeping navigation on the left side, colorful icons, new visual cues, and semi-transparent elements similar to the Start menu and other parts of the OS.
Windows 11 release date
Windows 11 does not have a specific release date. However, Microsoft is expected to start offering the new version to compatible devices running Windows 10 as a free upgrade by the holiday season, and the rollout will continue in 2022. Some new devices from manufacturers are also expected to start shipping with Windows 11 during the holiday season of 2021. (Although it s not official, therelease date could be on October 20, 2021.)
As part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft is expected to release the first public preview to testers on June 28, 2021.
If you plan to upgrade a device running Windows 10 to Windows 11, it s important to note that thesystem requirements have changed. To install the new version of Windows, you will need a device with a 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage as a minimum. Also, it s now a requirement to have aTPM 2.0configured and enabled and Secure Boot. Otherwise, you won t be able to perform an in-place upgrade or clean installation of the OS. (Use this guide toconfirm if your device will be compatible with Windows 11.)