During a special livestream, Microsoft revealed Windows 11. An early version of this successor to Windows 10 had ‘coincidentally’ been ‘leaked’ a week earlier to get the hype going. But wait, wouldn’t Windows 10 be the last Windows version ever?
Then Windows 10 announced in 2014, Microsoft firmly claimed that Windows 10 was going to be the last Windows version ever and would receive continuous updates. But despite the fact that Windows 10 put the operating system back on track after the mishap called Windows 8 (.1), Microsoft had to adjust the plans considerably.
First, the two promised major annual updates were scaled back to one. And now Microsoft appears to find the Windows 10 update that will be released this year so radical that they unexpectedly revert to the earlier decision, and rename the update to an entirely new version: Windows 11.
The operating system will (just like its predecessor) be a free update and will change things for you, especially visually. However, you should not expect huge changes such as Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. Windows 12 is probably in the offing, because when the announcement of Windows 11 this time nothing was said about a ‘latest Windows version’.
A brief look back at Windows 10
Now that Windows 11 has been announced, we can take a quick look back at its predecessor. Windows 10 had to put Microsoft back on track after the Windows 8 debacle. Windows 8 especially alienated users with its new user interface. The operating system had to be suitable for touch control, but users did not appreciate the fact that, among other things, the start menu was replaced by a full-screen tile screen.
Windows 10 found a better balance in its interface. Every Windows 7 and 8 user was also offered the operating system as a free update, which certainly contributed to a positive reception.
Not everything was equally successful, however. There was a lot of update problems and as a user there was little you could do about it: Microsoft took over this management. Windows 10 had to be suitable for all kinds of devices, including smartphones. But those Microsoft smartphones were never loved, after which the plug was pulled from Windows 10 Mobile (formerly Windows Phone). Voice assistant Cortana suffered the same fate.
The biggest criticism, however, concerned privacy. Windows 10 collects a lot, a lot of user data. Unfortunately, with the arrival of Windows 11, Microsoft does not seem to want to get rid of its compulsion to collect data, on the contrary.
Touch Control
Despite the fact that Windows 11 has been made suitable for touch control and more and more Windows devices with touchscreen have appeared, the primary control remains via mouse and keyboard. Windows 11’s renewed interface and functions should make the operating system more suitable for tablet use, without a mouse and keyboard. Buttons above windows are a bit wider and further apart – after all, a finger is thicker than a mouse cursor. You can also more easily organize your image with windows by fixing them on the sides. This way you can organize your image clearly with the applications you use. In addition to additional desktops, you can also save groups of these applications. This not only works well with touch control, but it is also a welcome innovation for large widescreen screens.
As you can see in the images, the interface has been modernized. The start menu has been overhauled again and has become a lot clearer because the tiles have been removed. Those tiles seem to have been replaced by widgets, which you call up in a kind of overview page. Not on your desktop, as was the case with Windows Vista at the time. These widgets can, similar to androidwidgets, show weather information, your calendar, news headlines, and so on. Would you like a taste of those widgets? A recent Windows 10 update has placed a weather icon in your taskbar; just click here.
Beta version Windows 11
A week before Microsoft announced Windows 11, an unofficial build of the operating system suddenly appeared online. This is not very difficult to find, but it is still advisable to wait a little longer before you get started with Windows 11. There are many variants of this Windows 11 build that are full of malware.
If you are a Windows insider, you can already get started with a test version of Windows 11. However, the operating system is not yet ready for everyday use as it is still full of bugs.
android apps
To make Windows more interesting for tablet use without a mouse and keyboard, Microsoft makes it possible to run Android apps. Until now, you needed virtual machines for this. Now Microsoft has integrated the Amazon App Store (the app store of Amazon Fire tablets) into its own app store. Windows 11, for example, has all kinds of mobile apps available in one fell swoop. Incidentally, Microsoft also makes it possible to install Android apps yourself. However, not all Android apps will work just like that, because they use Google components that Microsoft (logically) does not build into Windows 11. For example, consider Google Maps.
It may sound crazy that an Amazon application store finds its way into the Microsoft Windows application store, but this too is part of a new, open, policy from Microsoft. It offers developers the opportunity to offer their own app stores (think of Steam), but also to build in their own payment systems for apps. Something Apple could learn from.
The Windows application store has been around since Windows 8, but was barely used. Developers were only allowed to offer Windows apps in the Store, which are technically far less functional than the traditional Windows applications (Win32 programs) that have been used by developers since the early days of Windows. A missed opportunity to present the Store as a safe source for all your Windows programs, be they modern apps or classic ones. Hopefully Microsoft can breathe new life into the Store in this way.
Windows 11 is able to run Android apps
Own services first
Just like Apple and Google do, Microsoft uses its operating system to give its services a prominent place. For example, Microsoft Teams nestles firmly in Windows 11, and indirectly the curtain seems to have fallen for Skype (Microsoft and Skype have never really been a happy marriage after the takeover). At the introductory presentation of Windows 11, a lot of attention was also paid to the Edge browser; Microsoft is eager to regain some browser market share. But will it still work after the bitter aftertaste of Internet Explorer and the false start of Edge? It will certainly be a challenge.
The livestream announcement of Windows 11 was fairly brief, so it seems as if the new Windows version is not as drastic an innovation as previous new editions. There were also some tricky issues left unsaid. Windows 10 has been under scrutiny for its data collection since its introduction, but the topic of privacy was never discussed. In fact, it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Windows 11 Home can only be used with a Microsoft account. Local accounts, such as those that could be created on Windows 10 by not using an internet connection during configuration, have been banned. Also not a word about Windows Updates, which the user has little control over at the moment.
Roll out this year
Windows 11 should be released this year; the goal is to be able to offer the new operating system on new laptops, PCs and tablets before the holidays. Microsoft makes no secret of its intention to relaunch the computer market with Windows 11. An entirely new Windows version makes that possible more easily than a major Windows 10 update. Current Windows users can expect the update from Windows 10 to Windows 11 sometime in 2022.
Is my PC running Windows 11?
The system requirements of Windows 11 are heavier than those of Windows 10. So check in advance whether your PC can handle the update. On the Windows 11 page from Microsoft you can download a tool to check whether your PC is running Windows 11. However, if your PC can’t run Windows 11, the program won’t tell you why. There is a chance that secure boot is disabled in your bios settings. It must be turned on for green light. You can also use the WhyNotWin11 tool to find out why your PC can’t handle Windows 11.
Windows 11 system requirements
Processor: 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores (64 bit)
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB or higher
Bios: Compatible with UEFI Secure Boot and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
GPU: Compatible with DirectX 12 or newer
Display: HD (720p)
Internet connection: required for account in Windows 11 Home version
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