Windows 11 Release Date is Announced
October the 5th 2021
Microsoft has finally announced that Windows 11 will launch on 5th October this year and that all eligible PCs currently running on Windows 10 will be able to upgrade to this new version free of charge. The roll out will be staggered, meaning that the upgrade will only be available to select devices initially, with all eligible devices being able to upgrade by mid-2022.
So, what are the new features that Microsoft has been teasing us about over the past few months? Well, many of them are designed to help improve our new work-from-home focused work lives.
The Start menu has moved to the bottom-centre of the screen by default but can be moved back to the bottom-left with a settings tweak. What the menu does has also changed. For decades, it’s essentially been a list of programs, utilities, and folders. In Windows 11 it will be a lot smarter, showing recently and frequently used programs and files, regardless of which device you last used, hopefully meaning you can find what you’re looking for more quickly. For example, if your job will see you working from both home and the office, this could be a big timesaver as you won’t have to scramble around looking for a document you were just working on.
It’s not all about work though, as Windows 11 also boasts the best Windows gaming experience yet, including much faster load times and other tweaks. There will be improved integration between Windows 11 and Xbox Game Pass as Microsoft continues to push its excellent game subscription service.
Last, but certainly not least, is the addition of Android apps (coming mid 2022) on Windows 11 and due to a complete overhaul of the Microsoft App Store, the number of programs available should increase dramatically.
Do you have to upgrade to Windows 11? Absolutely not if your current computer is running Windows 10. Windows 11 is currently an optional update as Windows 10 will continue to receive security updates until October 2025.
It is important to note that, due to the nature of its new features, computers will need to be slightly more powerful to run Windows 11. The safest assumption to make is that if your computer was made in late 2017 or after, it will probably be compatible with Windows 11. But this is not a hard and fast rule as there are some technical variants meaning it is impossible to give a definite yes or no answer. A list of the minimum system requirements is available on the Microsoft website, but should you have any doubts, contact us at Diamond Byte.
