All You Need To Know About Windows 11

On October 5, Microsoft made Windows 11 generally accessible for free to all current Windows 10 customers. The free Windows 10 update is required if you're using Windows 8, and then you'll be able to obtain Windows 11.

Before you decide whether or not to install the new operating system, let's discuss what we like and dislike about it. The more transparent and operating system is to the user, whether it's MacOS on your MacBook or Wear OS on your wristwatch, the better it is.

You, the one typing on a laptop or swiping at a smartphone, are that user. No "goes to 11" Spinal Tap jokes here. For the most part, that's because Windows 11 seems more like Windows 10.5 than a generational leap—which is OK.

Who Gets Windows 11?

I was surprised by how small the pool of compatible PCs is. The minimum system requirements are TPM 2.0 (trusted platform module) 2.0 and a 64-bit CPU with 4GB of RAM. The last step is the most difficult for some folks, especially those using budget computers.

A CPU older than the seventh-generation Intel Core series (we're already up to 11th generation) might be in peril. This program can help you determine if your computer needs repair or maintenance. Some methods allow you to install Windows 11 if you're willing to take the risk.

Availability and Cost

October 5 saw the official launch of Windows 11. Just as with Windows 10, the upgrade will be available in both Home and Pro editions when you buy a new copy from Microsoft or a designated third-party store.

Although Microsoft accounts and an Internet connection are required to activate Windows 11 Home, this does not apply to Windows 11 Pro. While Windows 11 has been accessible to the public since September, October 5 is when it goes on sale, and free upgrades begin to trickle out to eligible Windows PCs via Windows Update.

Upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11 are free if your computer meets the requirements. When Windows 11 is released, if you've already been beta-testing it and your PC fulfills the minimum system requirements, you'll likely be able to upgrade.

Desktops

Additionally, you may now create and manage several desktops with the new Desktops functionality. It may sound not very easy, but it's relatively straightforward. Task View has been added to the Start menu, and it seems like two different windows overlay one other.

A brief preview of all the open desktops will appear, as well as the opportunity to create a new one when you hover your mouse pointer over it. For the most part, the new desktop is nothing more than an aesthetic change. Your PC's data and your Microsoft account are accessible to each of your desktops, even if they have different names.

When I was experimenting, I also discovered that it's gone on all of your other computers when you delete a shortcut to Microsoft Edge on one desktop.

Layouts, Snap Assist, and Groups

With Windows 11, Snap Assist makes arranging open programs into Layouts and Groups easy. Window snapping, which you can already accomplish in Windows 10 by "snapping" open windows into pre-configured positions, is carried over to the next edition of Windows 11 in a more refined form.

With the new Windows 11 operating system, you no longer have to drag and drop app windows into place (or know the keyboard commands) to reduce or maximize them. One or more pictograms representing various screen splits, such as 50/50 or 25/25 between two applications, or even giving one program 2/3 of the screen and placing a second app closely beside it in the remaining 1/3, would display immediately as a pop-up window.

A layout is selected by sliding your cursor over it and indicating where you want the current program to go. Then Windows will help you fill it up by bringing you a menu of all the apps you presently have running and letting you designate where they should be located on the screen.

The Brand-New Start Screen

To begin, let's examine one of Windows 11's most divisive additions — the Start button, which has been relocated from the taskbar's bottom left corner to the middle. The row of pinned applications that used to be snuggled next to the Start button has been moved to the middle of the taskbar, as has the Start button itself.

An app drawer-like small rectangular menu appears when you press the Start button. Microsoft's Fluent Design language is evident in this redesigned Start Menu, which has rounded edges, centered text, and large, colorful icons.

The Start button now has a visible search bar at the top. This makes finding programs, files, and menus much easier when you type the name of what you're looking for.

You have to read about it or happen to go across it by mistake if you want to accomplish this with previous Windows Start menus.

Widgets

Widgets are a significant new feature in Windows 11, according to Microsoft. Auto-updating tiles, such as those that show the weather, news headlines, and events on your calendar, are nothing new to anybody who spends a lot of time on their smartphone.

When you press the Widgets button in Windows 11, you'll see a hidden tray that pulls out from the left side of the screen to reveal a collection of Windows 11 Widgets. That button is now part of the taskbar, next to the Start button.

It's a good concept, and I may use Windows 11 Widgets regularly in the future. Windows 11's Widgets, on the other hand, are pretty restricted and easy to overlook.