Captura Catalyst
Windows 11 became available worldwide on Tuesday, October 5, as a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 computers and new computers that have Windows 11 pre-installed.
The free upgrade to Windows 11 therefore starts on 5 October, and the process will be a phased and controlled one. Based on previous experience since the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft says it wants to make sure it gives users the best possible experience, and that means new eligible devices get the update first. Later, the update will also be rolled out to devices on the market, based on artificial intelligence models that take into account hardware eligibility, reliability metrics, the age of those devices, and other factors that influence the OS update process.
The company expects that by mid-2022 all eligible devices will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 for free, and users who own a Windows 10 computer eligible for the upgrade will be notified via Windows Update when they can upgrade their operating system.
Recomandări Video
Articolul continuă mai jos
They can also check whether Windows 11 is available for the devices they use by going to Settings>Windows Update and selecting the Check for updates option.
The most important new features of Windows 11
Windows 11 has a new Start button and a new Start menu, aligned in the center of the taskbar. Also centered will be the icons placed on the taskbar.
The Start menu includes recent apps and documents, along with a search bar – also centrally aligned. Gone from the Start menu are the so-called Live Tiles, which displayed real-time information from apps.
The new design bears a striking resemblance to what was supposed to be Windows 10X, the version of Windows that was intended to compete with Chrome OS, but which Microsoft ultimately abandoned. Incidentally, Microsoft previously announced that some features of Windows 10X would be moved to Windows 11.
There will also be improvements on the performance side. One of these is a 40% reduction in the size of updates, which will be installed more efficiently, in the background.
Microsoft’s pandemic-launched video communication solution, Teams, will be integrated into Windows 11 and, what’s more, placed on the taskbar by default.
Widgets return to the spotlight with Windows 11, but they will be different from the old iteration. According to Microsoft, these will be custom streams of information (news, weather, maps, etc.) created with the help of AI.
The new OS will also take over gaming and video features from Xbox, such as auto HDR, which will enable dynamic contrast for compatible monitors.
Also from Xbox will be DirectStorage, which will decrease game load times for SSD storage media using NVMe or newer interfaces.
Xbox Game Pass, which includes xCloud, will also be part of the operating system. That means users will be able to use the Xbox app for gaming streaming.
Another new feature is Snap Groups – the ability to group and open multiple apps placed on the taskbar together.
As previously rumored, the Microsoft Store will also host Win32 apps in addition to UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps. This means that programs such as Chrome or Firefox will be able to be published by developers in the official app store.