What to Expect with Windows 11: A Day One Hands-On
by Brett Howse on October 4, 2021 4:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Software
- Operating Systems
- Windows
- Microsoft
- Windows 11
Initial Thoughts
Windows 11 has some mighty big shoes to fill. Windows 10 is installed on over a billion active devices around the world and has done an admirable job cleaning up the mess that was Windows 8. Windows 11 comes along at a very different moment in time. It is also a fundamentally different upgrade than Windows 10 was. Microsoft’s goal with Windows 10 was to get as many people onto the new OS as possible, but Windows 11 clearly does not have that goal in mind.
While ultimately a facelift of Windows 10, Windows 11 both gives and takes away. The new interface is genuinely intuitive, well-designed, and colorful. But the new interface hides just how much customization and personalization Windows used to allow. In a very un-Microsoft stance, they are basically telling people that if they don’t like how something works, too bad. The company is known for bending over backwards to not remove functionality, but Windows 11 cuts out features with a hacksaw. Did you like the Timeline feature added in Windows 10? Sorry it is gone. Do you like your taskbar on the top? Unfortunately, you are not allowed to move it. Do you want to use a browser other than Microsoft Edge? Well, you can, but it is far more work to change the default than it used to be.
Perhaps these changes are a result of Windows losing mindshare. In the past, Windows was too big of a thing to change. With the rise of smartphones, maybe now is the first time the company has felt that they can make a clean(ish) break with the past. The new hardware requirements are also going to force a clean break, as a good number of Windows 10 devices will never be allowed to update to Windows 11.
That is of course an oversimplification. This is still Windows after all. If you really want to change something, there will be ways to do it. Buried beneath all the new UI goodies is the familiar Control Panel, as an example. Registry changes will be found. Programs have already been created to get around some of the silly customization limitations in Windows 11.
I’ve only a had a short time with Windows 11, and that is partially due to how short of a public beta that it got compared to Windows 10. Already there are some features that I really enjoy. The new interfaces are well thought out and easy to use. But for me, the true test is using a new version of the OS and then stepping back to an older version. How painful is it? How many of the new features do I miss? There is no single item right now that is a must-have, so swapping between Windows 10 and Windows 11 is not a huge deal. And that’s good because Windows 10 is going to be around for years to come still. Some of the biggest new features announced for Windows 11 won’t even be shipping until next year. Perhaps if and when they arrive that will make the difference.
Thankfully, there is no rush to upgrade. If you are interested in checking out Windows 11 and your computer meets the stringent hardware requirements, it will be available late this year as an update. For those that do not want to change, there is no need. At least not yet.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
95 Comments
View All Comments
dullard - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
Those people that value vertical real estate always turn around and by short-screen monitors. They are called wide-screen, but really just have the top vertical pixels chopped off and they charge more for that service.dullard - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
*buy* not *by*emgarf - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
No Start menu icon groups or folders. For those of us with a multi-use PC (in my case it's schematic design and printed circuit board layout, video and audio production, photography, gaming), removing those Start menu organizational features would have a real impact.Windows 10 doesn't force people to use those organizing methods - it's idiocy to remove them as a choice.
TheinsanegamerN - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
Any choice consumers had in 10 is being sandblasted off. You'll use 11 the way redmond wants you to.Meteor2 - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
Seems a year too early to me. Given where we are in the x86 product cycle and the chip shortages, combined with the maximum cpu age restrictions, releasing something that has a main purpose of driving new device sales right now seems premature.Plus, moving the start button out of the bottom left corner. That's going to hurt.
GeoffreyA - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
I wonder which genius at Redmond thought of that.TheinsanegamerN - Tuesday, October 5, 2021 - link
"Tablet Mode is now gone as well, so if you liked to use Windows 10 in its more touch-friendly mode, you will likely be disappointed."So is MS just giving up on tablets, giving surface users the middle finger? Why even bother with the metro/modern/whateverTF they call it interface change if they just go and abandon tablet mode?
GraXXoR - Monday, October 11, 2021 - link
I cloned my SSD and installed Windows 11 update... Apartfrom CFOSpeed network data shaping tool (which has been of limited utility beyond monitoring internet connections and download speeds) I have found no issues.5900x and 3080RTX on gigabyte X570 Aorus Master...
No issues to report. Installed the latest MB bios with TPM2 support. Enabled it. Set the update to run. went to bed. checked my computer the next morning and it was installed.
Plays nicely with grub and my Mint 20.2 installation which I was concerned with what with TPM 2 and all. Interface is more consistent and seemingly refined than W10 and when you remove the "increase spacing" touch bollocks setting, everything is fine.
One noted improvement is with my 42:9 UW monitor. My Samsung Odyssey G9 now plays well with G-Sync (something was borked under W10) and the new full screen tiling feature is a godsend on this ridiculous aspect ratio'd beast. And it seems to play nicely with my secondary monitor
Downside?
The menu is stuck at the bottom which is silly at this aspect ratio and I miss the clock on my secondary monitor's start bar.
I also miss the more functional start menu which has become little more than a glorified right click menu... But TBH, I usually use windows plus search to launch my software anyway.
All in all a drama free update. Will keep my old W10 clone just in case something pops up.
The only reazson I still have this is for games that use anti cheat and have no linux support.
alpha754293 - Monday, October 11, 2021 - link
I would love to be able to try it out, but if TPM 1.2 is a minimum, HARDWARE requirement, then it'll be a while before I will be able to give Win11 a shot.AnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, October 13, 2021 - link
Sounds like Win11 is DOA.Wake me up when Microsoft lets users customize the UI and prioritizes responsiveness with minimal input lag. They have 182,000 employees and can't grasp the most common sense of basic concepts!