Within the last six years, Windows users have watched around the sidelines as the tech landscape changed at a breakneck pace. All the while, Windows 10 remained largely unchanged. When Microsoft's sporadic "feature updates" did arrive, these were often plagued with bugs, some so damaging the updates were suspended. But, despite its rocky path, Windows 10 will go down as a success, a stopgap to the mess its predecessors left behind. It brought back the traditional desktop interface, gave PC owners reliable performance, and popularized touchscreen displays and hybrid 2-in-1 laptops.

But Windows 10 has struggled to stay fresh. Tired interfaces and ancient software plague the operating-system utilized by more than a billion people. This is where Windows 11 comes in. I have been using some version of the OS for the last month or so and spent the past few days with the final product.

Overall, Windows 11 is a part of the right direction. Although it won't revolutionize the way you engage with the digital world, this latest release builds upon the principles of Windows 10 while bringing modern aesthetics and some useful productivity features. However the grass is not always greener on the other hand from the pane. Some changes are sure to frustrate users, and in relation to additional features, there is not much hiding behind this new coat of paint.

Remember that this OS is very much a piece in progress. As such, same with this Windows 11 review. We'll update this writeup regularly to keep you up to date around the changes being made to Windows 11.

Windows 11 review: Download and setup

Windows 11 launches on October 5, 2021 like a free upgrade to Windows 10 for anybody with a compatible PC (see below) who want to result in the switch. Microsoft says it will not be until mid-2022 prior to the OS is created available to all eligible computers, but you can skip the line and download Windows 11 manually when you purchase. It will likewise come pre-installed on all new PCs.

It's not necessary to make the change to Windows 11, even when your system checks all the compatibility boxes. If you decline the choice to upgrade, that's OK because Windows 10 currently has an end-of-life date of October 14, 2025. That gives it four more many years of important feature updates and security patches before Microsoft takes it out to pasture. By that time, Windows 11 should be a well-oiled machine (and you will need to update your hardware anyway).

If you've downloaded Windows 11 but wish to revert back to Windows 10, Microsoft gives you Ten days to do so.

Windows 11 review: System requirements may make you purchase a new PC

To even run Windows 11, your computer must adhere to the recommended system requirements. You must have at least an 8th Gen Intel Core processor (which launched at the end of 2017), or AMD's Ryzen 2000 or later. Qualcomm processors designed for PCs from the Snapdragon 850 onwards will also work.

Other requirements include a minimum of a dual-core 1-GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB hard drive. Your display should be a minimum of 9-inches having a 720p or higher resolution, as well as your graphics card will need to be compatible with DirectX 12 or later using the WDDM 2.0 driver.

What has caused much confusion is the need for a TPM, or Trusted Platform Module, a burglar chip on the CPU. The good thing is that this is a requirement in Windows systems since 2016, so if your Windows laptop was launched after that year, you'll have TPM 2.0. You don't have to comb through your specs or attempt to remember whenever you purchased your laptop to figure this all out. Microsoft has released an opportune PC Health Check app that will quickly operate a check to verify whether your system meets all of the necessary requirements.

Windows 11 review: Becoming fluent in Fluent

Microsoft developed its Fluent design language in 2017, creating a vision for the future aesthetic of their operating-system. Under this system, Windows transforms from the rigid origins to some softer OS with rounded corners, transparency, and pops of color. We saw glimpses from it in recent Windows 10 updates, but which was touch-up paint on the fading canvas. Windows 11 feels like a full makeover.

It comes down to some gorgeous new wallpapers, though the more attention-grabbing change is the Start Menu located in the center of the Taskbar. Shifting the icons over hasn't impacted my workflow in any measurable way, however i prefer the more symmetrical look. If you do not, that's OK. Microsoft makes it simple to shift the Start Menu back to the left side of the Taskbar.

Press around the Start Menu and up pops your preferred apps except that this time around, they aren't in tiles. Yes, Live Tiles ?a those rotating squares of info introduced in Windows 8 ?a are dead, replaced by an easy grid of app icons having a uniform gray background. Below those apps is a "Recommended" section showing recently opened files and apps.

As somebody who not used at all the Live Tiles for their intended purpose, I favor the brand new setup for its simpler interface, and also the recommended section is wonderful for getting back to personal files you might have closed without remembering what folder putting it in.

At the top of the beginning Menu is really a search blank or use the standalone Search tool next to the Start Menu in the Taskbar. Like a universal search, it'll look both locally in your system as well as on the net for everything from solutions to random questions to the place of files. The feature worked well, showing us a preview from the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game before you take me to the web.

Unfortunately, this is when looking falters: forcing you to employ Edge and Bing. Changing my default internet search engine in Edge to Google was easy enough however it didn't swap out Bing when using the universal search tool. Sorry Windows users, you're still stuck using Bing.

You will find additional changes towards the Taskbar. For one, Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant, is no longer pre-installed and it is only available as a separate app. There's also a Task View icon (for virtual desktops) and Widgets (more about this below) along with Teams Chat. Yes, Teams now lives in the Taskbar automatically because Microsoft thinks Windows 11 users ought to be bombarded by its products.

The countless Windows users that do not use Teams can remove the icon, but they'll need to do so from Settings ?a there isn't any simple right-click, unpin choice for pre-installed apps. Those who do use the recording conferencing software can launch video calls, host chats, or mention the full Teams app. I'm sure many will find this convenient, but many Windows 11 users will wonder why something they'll never touch is featured so prominently around the desktop.

Fortunately, the File Explorer, where your documents, photos, videos, and downloads are stored, got such a look. The very best bar was simplified having a "new folder" option around the left side. Also, icons in the top bar aren't stacked along with each other, producing a much cleaner interface. I simply wish Microsoft took this chance to enhance the functionality of the app; moving things around and accessing your files works exactly as it did before.

With regards to making Windows 11 fluent in Fluent, there are some literacy gaps. Take the Device Manager, in which you need to navigate using tiny, low-res icons to see system components. Microsoft didn't want to update the User interface, either. Her same outdated icons and awkward spacing as before. It gives me the sensation that these aesthetic updates are skin deep ?a dig too far underneath the surface and you're certain to locate an outdated interface.

In addition, Windows 11 feels less customizable than Windows 10. One inexcusable missing feature may be the ability to drag and drop files or apps to the Taskbar. Instead, you need to right-click, select "Show more options" then "Pin to Taskbar." You also can't adjust the height of the taskbar or move it to the top or sides.

Windows 11 review: Notifications and Action Center

The Action Center and Notifications features stay in the bottom-right corner from the screen but work differently in Windows 11. Instead of being grouped together, the Action Center stands alone, and is accessible by hitting a group of icons (Wi-Fi, Battery, Volume) in the Taskbar. Doing this presents a pared-down interface with only your most important settings: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, Accessibility, Battery Saver and Volume/Brightness sliders. You can include functions but Microsoft was smart about which of them to include automatically.

To the right from the Action Center may be the Notification pane which shows your individual calendar together with new emails, upcoming meetings along with other events. Oddly, you cannot do much towards the calendar ?a right-clicking or double-clicking on the date doesn't let you add an event or reminder as it does in Windows 10.

Windows 11 review: New Microsoft Store

How often do you use the Microsoft Store? Probably nowhere close to frequently as the iOS and Android app stores. There is a reason for that. For just one, Microsoft's version lacks popular apps, and those it will contain just aren't very good. Microsoft is taking the best making its digital keep kind of place you'd genuinely wish to shop in. The new Microsoft Store for Windows 11 looks fantastic and is more organized than almost any other app store I've used.

Apps are organized into categories: Gaming, Entertainment, Productivity and Deals. You might not will need to go that far because a handy listing of "Essential" apps can be found on the home screen (no, they are not just Microsoft apps). There is also a featured games list and, my favorite, a summary of the top free apps.

But as it stands, iTunes, a 2-star app, may be the top pick. This really underlines the problem Microsoft faces: devs weren't porting apps over to Windows. It's bad enough to provide Microsoft fans flashbacks of the Windows Phone days.

Microsoft wants to rectify this problem by looking into making its store more compelling for devs. Most significantly, the Windows Store can host any kind of app. Before, if developers desired to bring their apps to the Windows Store, they had to train on a specific Microsoft framework. Now, they are able to select from a number of technologies including the traditional desktop Win32 format, Microsoft's UWP mode, and even progressive web apps.

Microsoft is also letting developers keep all of the revenue their apps earn as long as they use their own commerce avenue. On Windows 11, even if devs opt for Microsoft's payment tech, they can keep 85% (88% for games) of their earnings when compared with Apple's 30% tax.

Windows 11 review: Performance and gaming

When Microsoft killed Windows 10X and folded it into Windows 11, it appeared to set its new OS as much as adopt the idea of its fallen friend in being a flexible, lightweight operating system that maintained stability on lesser hardware. That's, a true Chrome OS competitor. But Microsoft continues to be coy about what performance gains you may expect in Windows 11. We did get a 13-minute technical video posted to YouTube explaining why Win11 systems should be faster and last longer on a charge, but there is no marketing describing how much faster or how much longer.

One of the changes made underneath the hood is what Microsoft calls foreground prioritization where memory now favors the app windows you've running in the foreground, providing them with CPU and system resource priority. The aim is to prevent the apps and programs you're actually using from ever reducing. We'll need to do more testing to see how well this really works.

Things i can tell is the fact that Windows 11 feels very stable. I did not come across a single bug, glitch or performance hiccup throughout my time testing the OS on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. Every icon taken care of immediately my click or tap, animations were fast and fluid, and opening a dozen Windows at the same time didn't cause problems. Those who are waiting to upgrade until Microsoft irons out performance hiccups do not have anything to fear ?a Windows 11 is very much a finished product, not a beta test.

Bear in mind, however, that i am testing this on the most powerful system in Microsoft's Surface fleet. I will be running performance benchmarks on other laptops running Windows 11 and comparing those numbers to the Windows 10 scores. We'll be also testing cheaper systems with lesser hardware to ascertain if Windows 11 is much more nimble than its predecessor, or if people who want a budget laptop should continue to choose a Chromebook.

For gamers, Windows 11 means Xbox integration so you can jump straight into Xbox Game Spread PC. Around the performance front, DirectStorage API allows quicker load times for systems with NVMe SSDs. DirectStorage is available on Windows 11 at launch however it needs to be supported by developers to operate.

Dynamic refresh rates are another welcome addition. Available on most contemporary smartphones, it works with panels above 60Hz, increasing their refresh rates to 90Hz or 120Hz when fast-action appears on the screen, then dialing things down to reduce power and extend life of the battery. Talking about displays, AutoHDR adds high dynamic range capabilities to games that did not include it. For doing things, you need a GPU and display that support HDR.

Windows 11 review: The (few) additional features

You'll find small changes throughout Windows 11, but major feature additions are rare. That said, the few I've tested work nicely. Perhaps the best addition is Snap Layouts, which lets you arrange your windows in different layouts on the screen. Windows has always been good about split-screen and Snap Layouts takes things to another level with more customization options.

It's also easy to use. Just hover within the square icon in the top-right corner of the tab along with a preview can look revealing several layout options. Pick one, then tap a shape there to maneuver your keep the windows open into that space. Once each tab is arranged in a layout, the grouping is saved to the Taskbar so that you can quickly re-open the Snap Layout.

I used this while writing my Surface Laptop Studio review; I placed the benchmarks in the top-left corner, a web browser tab within the bottom-left, and my Google Doc on the right half of the screen. This way, I could type my review while researching and referring to our benchmarks. Yes, I possibly could did such like in Windows 10, but Snap Layouts managed to get much easier to jump back and forth between "Surface Laptop Studio review layout" along with other a few things i was using without anyone's knowledge (Slack, Trello, etc.).

There are Widgets. Pressing the icon raises a transparent left pain filled with information pertinent to your interests. I used to be tracking NFL games to see how my Fantasy players were performing therefore it made sense that my Widgets window revealed a few of the latest scores. And also the weather section offered me a friendly reminder that residing in Austin means wearing sunscreen in October. I really like that I can quickly glimpse only at that info or browse deeper if something catches my attention. I say that now, but I don't really see myself using Widgets frequently. I've already curated my personal favorite websites onto my browser bookmarks and my phone can just as readily show me the same info however with more context.

I was excited to use Android apps on Windows 11, however, which include is missing. We know Android apps will ultimately be built-into the OS using Intel's Bridge Technology, however this isn't ready at launch. We'll update this review when the functionality arrives.

Windows 11 review: Should you upgrade from Windows 10?

Am i going to be downloading Windows 11 on my small PC? No, since it doesn't adhere to Microsoft's frustratingly strict OS requirements. If I could, I would, if without better reason than being bored by Windows 10. Perhaps it isn't so much boredom than the discontentment of utilizing a visually outdated operating system. Windows 11 has its issues however the visual updates are sufficient for me to make the switch, it doesn't matter how I feel about the new Start Menu and Taskbar.

If you take a far more conservative approach together with your tech by staying with what works, you might as well keep Windows 10 around. There are several genuinely useful additional features within this new version, but those are undone by questionable changes, specially those designed to the Taskbar. But because I've said, Windows 11 is built on the same foundation since it's predecessor using the biggest update as being a new coat of paint. Ultimately, you are able to take or leave Windows 11, also it probably won't change how you use your system.