Windows 11 – What to expect.
Earlier this month Microsoft have announced their Next Gen Operating system, known as Windows 11. With the new OS releasing later this year, this post will highlight all the information you need to be prepared for the upgrade.
Release.
As said above, Windows 11 will start to rollout later this year in the last quarter of 2021, but won’t be available as an update from Windows 10 until the start of 2022; this is to make sure that the update rolls out smoothly whithout any hickups or compatibility issues.
The Upgrade.
The good news about Windows 11 is that it will be a free upgrade if you have a any prior windows licenses (OEM inlcuded) and the proper hardware to support it, you’ll just need to wait until the update releases in early 2022.
Hardware.
As with any new operating system release from Microsoft, there will be a minimum hardware requirement in order to run Windows 11 smoothly. Here’s what you’ll need to have:
- CPU: 1-GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a 64-bit processor.
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of storage
- UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot
- TPM 2.0
- 9-inch or larger screen with 720p resolution
- Internet connectivity and an MS account. No offline installs.
- GPU compatible with DirectX 12 (This is only applicable if you have a GPU in your system)
CAUTION: Certain CPUs may not be compatible with Windows 11, if you want to check if yours is please check to official list by Microsoft by clicking here.
New Start Menu.
The New Start menu that Windows 11 introduces appears in the middle of the screen by default, even thought you can change it to make it appear to the left if you want to. The Live tiles are now a thing of the past, replaced now by a more modern and simple approach of just clear and colorful icons.
According to Microsoft, this new start menu uses “the cloud” to help you as it shows recommended apps and documents , no matter what device you were working on previously as long as you’re logging in with the same Microsoft account.
Docking / Undocking.
As most of you know, sometimes undocking your laptop from it’s dock station messes up the whole layout of your workspace or even when you laptop goes into energy saving mode and turns the monitor off. In this new update Microsoft finally found a way to stop your windows going all over the place, it will now remember how you had your workspace layed out and once you plug your laptop back in will put everything back into place like you had it.
Teams intergrated with with Windows.
As of Windows 11, Teams will be installed by default. The teams icon is going to be on the taskbar at all times (unless you delete it). You’ll be able to use it to make calls to anyone else who uses Teams on any device, including Android and iOS devices. You’ll also be able to send and receive SMS Messages from the taskbar.
Windows Widgets.
The widgets you have now in your start menu will be exported to their own window that you can slide-out on the left of the screen. These “Windows Widgets” will show you anything relevant to you, such as news, weather in your area and stock information. You’ll be able to customise this window with anything you need also.
Conclusion.
Here’s a video introducing all the new features of Windows 11.
There’s going to be quite a bit of changes come the end of the year and the start of 2022, but we’re confident that everybody will get used to this change, as always if you have any questions regarding Windows 11 or any concerns when it comes to the update let us know by contacting us below.