They have been giving us clues and finally it seems that it is real, Windows 11 will come to replace Windows 10. The new generation operating system has been leaked in a short video in which we can see the build for developers. Likewise, screenshots of the Start menu or the control panel, among others, circulate on social networks.
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, announced that next week Microsoft will announce “one of the most important developments in Windows in the last decade.” If you were referring to this new operating system, you were not on the wrong track. In this new version there is a complete redesign that updates the interface and adds new functionalities.
What features will Windows 11 have according to the leaks
In previous post we have compiled a series of characteristics that can be seen in the filtered Windows 11 as a result of the screenshots and videos that have been published on the Internet both on social networks and on media that have accessed the operating system.
First of all we can see how the new interface and the Start menu in particular look a lot like what was originally expected from Windows 10X, now already canceled. We see how the taskbar collects all the icons in the center and a new button is added to access the Start menu.
In the Start menu the classic Live Tiles have disappeared and in their place we have a grid of icons next to recent files and the option to turn off the device. It is an initial and final version, so everything is not finished and included yet, but it also seems that the Start menu is going to be much simpler than Windows 10. For the rest, it is remarkable how the windows have corners rounded and leave behind the pointy style of Windows 10 and Windows 8. Speaking of windows, the new version seems to include an option to automatically adjust split-screen windows in two apps, three apps or four apps.
Other aspects that do not seem very developed yet are the Microsoft Store, a store that is expected to be completely updated. In very early versions there is also the new widget system, which aims to replace Live Tiles. In it when loaded it shows information about the weather, news and more.
Finally, there is new wallpapers that you can now download, a dark mode and a new startup sound.
We will probably have more news and details of all this next June 24 , when Microsoft holds its event dedicated to Windows. The question is when will this Windows 11 reach all users, now that we know that Windows 10 will cease to have support in 2025.
This menu, which for years has been located by default in the lower left corner of the desktop, changes position and format .
Both the start button with the Windows logo and the accesses to the main applications that we “anchor” to the taskbar are located in the central part of the screen, something reminiscent of the position of the macOS Dock and that of course It represents a radical change in the Microsoft operating system.
If we don’t like that option, nothing happens: we can change that position by right-clicking on the taskbar, which will allow us to access its configuration. In this configuration we have an option to place the start menu and the icons of the applications anchored in the lower left part of our desktop, as always.
Not only that: when you click on that start button, the displayed start menu is also different. First, it is not “glued” to the taskbar, “it floats” on the desktop . Second, the corners of that pop-up window are not 90 ° angles, but rather rounded corners. Third, we say goodbye to the animated tiles that had been with us since Windows 8, released in October 2012.
Instead of those tiles, Microsoft has decided to occupy that menu with two different areas. At the top we find icons that are launchers of the most recent applications. At the bottom we find shortcuts to documents and files that we have accessed and that the system thinks we can use to have there.
The iconography changes significantly as well , and as seen in the operating system leak, there are new icons both for the Windows logo itself (now without perspective, but with rounded outer corners) and for application icons or folder icons. important as Documents, Downloads or Images.
The operation of the start menu, yes, inherits the behavior of the Windows 10 integrated search engine: although the search bar does not appear in the first term in that menu, as soon as we start writing something with that menu open, suggestions will be offered that allow launch applications or search immediately.
The new multitasking experience also changes in a sensible way: we can continue dragging the windows to the edges and thus placing two windows facing each other, but things go further with the so-called Snap Layouts, which allow several windows to be repositioned in different positions in a simple way, distributing thus the desk in halves, thirds, quarters and also other combinations of sizes.
These organization options are enhanced with the so-called “Snap Groups”, which allow us to remember window group configurations on the desktop to reuse them whenever we want.
This experience takes advantage of multiple monitors, which we can connect or disconnect without losing a workflow that adapts to those scenarios.
Another element that allows you to get more out of the operating system are virtual desktops that allow you to redistribute different types of tasks to organize ourselves better. That, together with the Snap Groups and Snap Layouts makes.
Teams integration is now complete in Windows 11 : in this way Microsoft allows us to use its messaging and video conferencing platform natively from the basic installation of the operating system.
A decision that is curious —and that leaves Skype in a singular background— but that undoubtedly raises suspicions once again about Microsoft’s habitual practice of favouring its solutions over alternatives.
Another differential element of this edition is the so-called Windows Widgets, a news feed “powered by artificial intelligence” with content that is suggested according to our preferences and our user experience.
The tactile experience is now nourished by haptic technology that responds to certain touches or strokes with a stylus, but we will also enjoy a new virtual keyboard that also supports voice dictation.
One big update per year
In Microsoft they indicated that the new operating system will allow to gain integers in performance in all scenarios – we will see if that is true when it is available – but they have also made important announcements in their update strategy.
Thus, the roadmap for Windows 11 makes it clear that from now on Microsoft will offer a single major update per year and not two as has happened until now. This will avoid the stability and performance issues that had plagued the previous biannual pace of large Windows 10 updates.
In addition to that there will also be improvements in the rest of the “normal” updates, which according to Microsoft officials will be up to 40% smaller in size , which will reduce download and installation time.
That big Windows 11 update is expected to arrive in the second half of the year , and the approach follows, for example, the strategy that Apple maintains with macOS, which changes version once a year.
Games win integers with features inherited from the new Xbox Series X / S
There are also innovations in the world of video games, such as the support of Auto HDR, an option that has already made its appearance on consoles and now also reaches Windows 12. With this option we gain integers in the dynamic range of games, will enhance the viewing experience.
The DirectStorage API, which was already new in the Xbox Series X, allows large amounts of resources to be loaded especially quickly in games, making possible open virtual worlds more spectacular than ever.
The integration of the Xbox application is another of the elements that will strengthen the ecosystem as it was already doing in Windows 10, and here the leading role of Game Pass and, of course, of xCloud was mentioned again.
The application store is redesigned, but above all it opens the doors to other payment gateways… and Android apps!
Developers earn many integers in the new Microsoft Store, and the company wants to make it easier for this community to benefit from this new software distribution system, and for this they take a very important step: they offer the possibility of integrating their own gateways. payment.
In fact, developers will be able to take 100% of the income from their applications : they will be able to distribute them in the Microsoft store both using the Microsoft payment platform and other different ones.
In those cases they will be able to take the total income (depending on those other payment platforms), and Microsoft will not take anything. This improvement is joined by a redesign that proposes improving the classification and access to the different applications.
Another surprising news that reached this presentation was the announcement of the native support of Android applications, which can be used on our PCs as if they were their own applications.
It will be necessary to see how well these applications run, but the proposal is undoubtedly interesting and is a coup when it comes to competing with Chrome OS , which has offered that option for a long time.
Requirements: no 32-bit version of Windows 11 (and watch out for TPM 2.0)
Although they did not talk about the necessary requirements to install Windows 11 on a PC during the presentation of the new operating system, it is possible to consult that information on the official Windows 11 website and in the Microsoft documentation.
There it is specified that we will need a computer with a 64-bit CPU with at least two cores at 1 GHz, and here comes the first important element: there will be no support for old 32-bit processors. Although for years most processors have supported x86-64 / AMD64 that option is certainly interesting.
We will also have to have at least 4 GB of RAM and a storage capacity of at least 64 GB, but also for the installation of Windows 10 Home (we will see other versions) we will need a Microsoft account and internet connectivity : it seems that it will not be possible create local accounts in that edition.
Another key requirement is the need for TPM 2.0. This standard is designed to ensure hardware security through cryptographic keys, and although it has become a common component among PC and laptop manufacturers in recent years, this could pose limitations for some users.
It is true that there have been ways to “bypass” this requirement in the case of the leaked version of Windows 11, but it is not certain that these methods will work with the official versions that appear from now on. However, it is possible to check if our PC is compatible with Windows 11 by downloading and installing the official Microsoft PC Health Check application.
Windows 11 Date and Availability
Microsoft has indicated that Windows 11 will be available as a free update on new PCs and some existing PCs starting next Christmas.
They also reveal that next week they will offer a preview version of Windows 11 for members of the Windows Insider Program, which will allow those users to download and install that version on their computers to help with their comments to improve the system before its final launch..
