Windows 11, the operating system many of us thought we'd never see, is coming soon and
Microsoft just revealed... well, definitely not all of the details, but some key details
including many things that could not be gleamed from the leaked build.
In case you missed it, a leaked build of "Windows 11" surfaced not long after Microsoft announced
their event to showcase "what's next for Windows" - featuring some minor UI changes, but overall
nothing significantly different from Windows 10.
This, however, was a very early and incomplete internal build, not a tech preview or anything
like that.
I'm EposVox, the stream professor, and what should YOU the end-user know about Windows
11?
Let's take a look.
The presentation itself was weirdly overly-emotional, full of dramatic pauses and tons of emphasis
on things that weren't technology.
So much, specifically-chosen rhetoric was used to put the spotlight on how you should
"always know our way around", how Windows "should feel familiar [and] secure", and so
on - which is kind of amusing given that they're changing the UI again.
Windows 11, visually, appears to be the ultimate unified Windows dream that Microsoft wanted
for Windows 10.
This combines ideas that they've had for Windows 8 and the original Surface tablets, the never-released
Windows 10X tablet interface, the multiple attempts at a "tablet mode" for Windows 10
itself, and Windows Vista... oddly enough.
So much Aero Glass, everywhere.
The goal is to have the user interface be super useful and adaptive for keyboard and
mouse use, touch, and handwriting.
They're really proud of their return to the Aero Glass look, the rounded corners, transparent
blurs, and smooth animations and transitions.
In terms of using this new "beautiful masterpiece" of an OS (as they would have you believe),
some UI tweaks have been made to help make you more efficient.
There's a huge focus on productivity and "picking up where you left off" for hybrid setups involving
laptops docked at secondary monitors, convertible tablet laptops, and even file syncing from
your phone.
The new Start Menu is centered by default - though you can left-align it if you'd like
- and is supposed to more quickly deliver what they think you want to access first.
It's a "cloud-powered" Start Menu... which if the absolutely unusable search capabilities
of the Windows 10 Start Menu compared to every other version of Windows or other OS on the
planet is anything to go by... could be bad.
Window snapping gets an upgrade here, as well.
A UI element has been added to the Window Decorations in the top-right-hand corner of
windows to allow you to more easily arrange and align windows how you'd like - much how
Powertoys or DisplayFusion would let you - and create specific groups of windows.
They didn't show this, but this will be immensely valuable for ultrawide users, specifically.
You're also able to focus on a particular app - maximizing it or whatnot - and then
return to the original window arrangement, or Snap Group, through extra taskbar hover
options, as well, which is insanely powerful.
This will be super useful for me, for sure.
Plus, your window arrangements when using a secondary display with a laptop, for instance,
will be remembered when you disconnect that display to take the laptop with you, and come
back up when you plug it back in.
Who knows how reliable this will be, but sounds pretty handy for that specific user.
This combines with an update to the virtual desktop functionality, allowing you to create
"as many as you need" and allowing you to set custom wallpapers for each virtual desktop
so you can truly separate and identify different workspaces.
I think most people prefer to keep their RAM available rather than have literally everything
open - especially on slower machines - but power users who keep a bajillion windows and
Chrome tabs open like myself might actually get some use out of this.
Microsoft Edge gets the ability to display your list of tabs in a vertical list, too.
There's also a new Widget Feed, similar to what they've been experimenting with in Insider
builds of Windows 10.
This allows you to swipe from the edge to bring up a pane with an AI (and manual input)
curated feed of "helpful information" such as weather, news, stocks, etc.
And probably ads.
They're probably gathering a ton of data here to fill it with ads later.
Hopefully there is a fair bit of customizability for it, though, as the experimental Windows
10 feature just kinda resets everything after you change it.
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All of these UI changes also aim to be more adaptive to different control methods.
Switching a convertible laptop to tablet mode, for instance, spaces out the taskbar icons
and makes the touch targets grow and be more lenient and touch-friendly.
There's also more work being done on handwriting recognition, voice typing, and voice commands.
I just realized I made this entire video without asking the important question about: WHERE
ARE OUR TABS?
Where's the tabbed File Explorer they were testing in Insider builds?
Where's the tabbed Notepad and Office apps they promised?
WHERE ARE THE TABS?
WE NEED MOAR TABS!
What about the tech?
What about performance?
Well, Microsoft finally remembered Windows Hello exists and says it should be faster.
Hopefully more webcams ship with Hello support in the future.
We're also told that not only is browsing with Microsoft Edge faster, but "Browsing
on any browser is faster."
The speaker seemed to stumble over Windows Updates... but said they're 40% smaller
and more efficient as they download in the background - which they've always done, but
okay.
Supposedly CPU resource usage is more efficient, allowing laptops to use less battery.
It was also claimed that Windows 11 is the "most secure Windows yet" - which is one of
those claims that you hope to hell is true, because why would you release a new operating
system that's less secure than your last?
It was also said that "Gamers, Windows 11 is made for you" but MOST of the things discussed
already exist.
Like GamePass.
BUT it does appear that AutoHDR is becoming the norm for Windows 11 with >1000 games getting
auto-enhanced, which is impressive.
This happens via DirectX and shouldn't require additional patches directly from developers.
It's worth noting that while it's hilarious to use a 10-year old game as your example,
the comparisons aren't going to look right in a SDR stream, so comparisons are kind of
moot.
DirectStorage was teased again, which won't make an appearance immediately but could be
huge down the road.
This allows your graphics card to more efficiently and quickly load data from really fast NVMe
SSDs to allow for game-changing results - like the dimension shifting in Ratchet and Clank:
Rift Apart.
Microsoft also announced the GDK, an open Game Development Kit that allows EASY cross-platform
development across Windows and Xbox.
Plus, they've integrated AMD's FSR or FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling tech right into
it.
This runs on any GPU (even non-AMD ones) and doesn't perform quite as well as DLSS just
yet, but allows games to get a performance boost without sacrificing quite as much quality
- and now there's virtually no excuse for games to not ship with it.
Plus it may appear on Xbox as well now - though the usual TAA or Dynamic Resolution Scaling
methods used for consoles generally will do better here.
For video chatting, Microsoft Teams is getting more deeply integrated into Windows allowing
for anyone to freely and easily connect with friends and family across any device.
For the people who keep asking "What about Skype?"
Microsoft acquired Skype basically to integrate its tech into Teams.
Teams relies a TON on Skype tech and will probably replace Skype long-term.
Microsoft just has to get over the branding hurdle of Teams being viewed as a workplace
tool, also competing with "Skype for Business"... heh.
But, that's their own problem.
The Windows Store is getting a facelift, as we were told about, allowing users to easily
find streaming media across any streaming service, which is neat.
The whole Store experience is supposed to be way easier to use.
On the back end, MAJOR things are coming.
They're making it so software and content developers can list their programs in the
Windows Store, whether it's a PWA app, UWP app, or normal Win32 code.
Even better, a big focus on allowing developers to monetize is here, in a way that from what
I can tell is a HUGE deal, especially in the context of the Epic v Apple lawsuit.
Microsoft wants to make it easy for developers to earn money through the Windows Store with
revenue sharing - with the drop to taking a lower cut that we knew about already OR
if the developer brings their own revenue engine, they can keep 100% of the revenue.
No extra cut off the top.
This is big.
They've also partnered with Adobe to demonstrate this and bring the Creative Cloud suite to
Windows Store.
Finally.
Even better for users, Android apps are coming!
At long last.
Using "Intel Bridge Technology" - which will work on any x86 CPU, AMD or Intel or otherwise
- Android apps can behave similarly to Windows apps directly on the desktop, even getting
support for the new Window Snapping.
This is pretty neat.
It's still going to be emulated in some degree, but should make tools like BlueStacks or Nox
- neither of which are an enjoyable experience anyway - unnecessary.
We'll see how gaming performance holds up, though.
The only caveat being a really strange and off-putting partnership with Amazon.
The Amazon App Store - which I didn't even know still existed post-Fire Phone - is being
added to the Windows Store.
So you first have to sign into your Microsoft account, access the Windows Store, then have
and sign in with an Amazon account to download Android apps.
While the workflow, and even searching for apps, will all be seamless once you're set
up - privacy concerns are everywhere with this.
Plus there may be apps that simply aren't available via the Amazon App Store.
Hopefully smart people will rig up ways to side-load APKs before too long.
The event ends with some strange quotes like "There is no personal computing without Personal
agency" and "Personal computing requires choice" and wanting users to be "empowered to choose
the applications we run, the content we consume, the way we allocate our attention" - which
are some really bizarre claims in the face of a HUGE push for AI-curated feeds and much
removal of personal agency.
So uhh, yikes.
For final details, Windows 11 will be available as a free upgrade from Windows 10 this holiday,
and start shipping on PCs this holiday, as well.
This means in all likelihood your Windows 7 and 8 keys will also continue to work for
activating Windows 11.
Experimental Insider builds will start becoming available next week, and there is a tool available
to check to see if your PC is compatible.
BUT there's a weird thing with this.
Windows 11 requires TPM, which is a relatively new security module.
Most, if not all PCs ship with this disabled.
Older PCs may not have this at all, but may or may not have a place for you to connect
a physical TPM module to it.
Either way, you'll probably be told your PC isn't ready for Windows 11 without enabling
this.
In BIOS, it's usually called fTPM or PTT on Intel.
Often in the Secure Boot section of BIOS.
Enabling this should get you the all-clear to upgrade, if your motherboard supports it.
I expect a lot of issues to crop up over this decision, however.
It may also be possible that they don't require this for upgrades (since it isn't currently
enabled for... just about anyone) but will require it for new machines shipping with
it.
We'll see.
Also this could completely rule out ANY Apple computer, Intel or otherwise, from running
Windows 11, which is, uhh, something.
Also as a final compatibility note, Windows 11 will only run on 64-bit CPUs.
They're not phasing out 32-bit apps like MacOS did, yet, but older 32-bit only CPUs will
not be able to run it.
Honestly those likely barely work anymore for modern tasks or applications anyway.
Just keep in mind in case your grandma wants Windows 11 or something.
That's unlikely, but you never know.
Overall, I'm quite happy with what's going on here with Windows 11.
I understand the desire for there to have been "more" to show, but realistically this
was the 21H2 update for Windows 10 they had been planning, packaged up as an opportunity
to start anew with major changes and a new outlook.
We'll see in time if it plays out like every other alternate Windows release does.
Hopefully it's not another Vista or 8.
I honestly think it would have made way more since to launch at least the beta builds alongside
this event, rather than having it so detached, but alas.
What are your thoughts on Windows 11?
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