Since July 2015, when Microsoft released the latest version of its operating system to the public, such Windows 10 (pro note: one of the most successful), we have seen a myriad of updates that have helped to constantly improve the user experience, as well as the operating system itself. But it is well known that the public is never satisfied: after 6 years, Microsoft may have reached the turning point with Windows 10 (which was initially declared as the latest operating system developed by the company), blowing a wind of good. news that gets more and more intense: below we can find everything we know so far about Windows 11.
Price and release date
Microsoft claims that Windows 11 will be released by the holidays at the end of this year, but you will be able to access several build beta across the canal Insider Preview as early as next week. You can join the Insider Channel via PC Settings by going to Updates and Security> Windows Insider Program. As for the cost, it has been confirmed that the upgrade to Windows 11 will be free, even for users coming from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1For the occasion, many copies of Windows 10 were sold for € 7 in order to facilitate the update even for users who do not find themselves with the latest version of Windows installed.
The goal that Microsoft sets itself with the release of its new operating system is certainly to unify its platform, so a free update for its users seems to be the best way. The only difference compared to previous updates will concern the installation method: Windows 11 will not be downloadable from Windows Update, but it will be necessary to use Media Creation Tool to create external installation media or update directly on your PC. In case you have installed Windows 8, you will need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 before you can upgrade to the latest version for free. Once the process is finished, the license key will automatically be converted to a valid version for Windows 11.
Microsoft will remain on the same wavelength as ever, releasing various versions of the operating system. The confirmation had already arrived from some screenshots leaked online, in which you can see the writing "Windows 11 Pro”Next to the entry“ Edition ”, and which also return information on the new build, which should be 21996.1. In this regard, it was confirmed that the owners of the "Home”Will no longer be able to use a local account on their PC, but a Microsoft account will need to be registered.
In the event that your PC is not compatible with the installation of Windows 11 due to the lack of integration with TPM 2.0, which takes care of securely storing cryptographic keys, passwords and certificates, as well as ensuring the overall integrity of the PC, you can solve the problem in a fairly simple way that we have already readily covered.
New features
One of the main innovations of the new Windows will be the design renewal with the new Fluent Design, which will modify the graphic interface, icons and animations. In the past months there has been a lot of talk about this aspect and the news that we would see in Windows Sun Valley: in addition to a new UI, the new Windows should integrate a new clipboard accessible with the key combination Win+V, which in addition to having a history will also allow the insertion of Emoji and GIFs, will also offer the possibility of pinning the most used elements at the top and pasting the text without formatting.
There are also important updates for both the Photos app and the Clock app: as for the former, the new Photos app seems to have been designed on the same basis as its predecessor, while adding refinements and (hopefully) new features: it seems that the complete view of the photos gives users the possibility to view multiple photos at a time, showing a timeline of recent shots at the bottom. As for the Clock app, the Focus sessions, perfect for moments of study or work where maximum concentration and maximum distance from distractions are required.
Among the novelties there is also a new disk management system, characterized by a Modern interface and which will allow you to manage partitions and volumes directly from the settings screen, an improved system for battery monitoring and news for the task manager. In addition to this, the new Windows will also offer a better GPU management: On computers with more than one GPU, Microsoft will allow you to select which one to use for running various apps and programs. Users will then be able to manage whether to use the energy-saving or the high-performance GPU directly from the Settings app.
The new operating system will also introduce features for i Microsoft Surface: the "Wake On Touch“, Which will allow devices to exit standby mode by simply touching the display. Probably this feature is still being tested, since in the latest build leaked online it is not immediately accessible from the settings, but you have to search for it specifically in the Windows search bar. It is also very plausible that it will go hand in hand with new hardware, given that a similar functionality, already present on smartphones (double tap to activate the screen), is based on capacitive displays. It is therefore unlikely that it will be made available on existing touch devices, while it could be one of the innovations introduced in the new one Surface Pro 8.
We will also find a Start Menu and a Jump List “Floating” on specific user customization, therefore no longer anchored to any vertex of the screen. The customizations would also include the ability to display more rounded and rounded corners, instead of the classic squared corners. The Microsoft Store, through which the company aims to favor developers by increasing the flow of money into their hands.
Specifically, as regards the Start Menu, Microsoft would have introduced the possibility of being able to reset the Windows 10 classic view with Live Tiles. The procedure to follow, very simple and intuitive, we have explained to you in this article. In case it still seems too cumbersome to you, it is very likely that Microsoft will insert an explicit option in the settings, considering the fact that many users will miss the old interface and not everyone is ready to switch to the new cleaner and more minimal design of Windows 11.
Speaking of graphical interface renovations, one of the most popular new features will most likely be the function Windows Snap, which optimally simplifies the organization of the windows open on the screen, allowing the user to choose between four predefined layouts. In reality this function was already present on Windows 10, but with the new update the procedure has been further simplified: to reorder the active windows it will be sufficient to place the cursor on the maximize button of one of the open windows and choose between the four models layouts available.
It will also be possible to set the use of the operating system in "Dark Mode" (here we explain how to enable it), which also offers the possibility of having more relaxing system sounds than in "Light" mode (already set by default): Microsoft confirmed that she had focused on "making technology relaxing" by changing the overall sound effect of Windows 11 to dark mode with a more subdued profile and with sounds characterized by a much rounder wavelength.
The most nostalgic and the last romantics will find themselves saying goodbye to a faithful companion, who has always answered present even when he was not called, and who has always represented one of the key elements of the Windows operating system: we are talking about Internet Explorer, which was officially removed by Microsoft to make room for the mode IE inside Microsoft Edge.
Another great news, which is sure to make gamers jump for joy, is the exclusivity of the technology Direct Storage for Microsoft: if you install a high-performance NVMe SSD and the appropriate drivers, games will be able to quickly load assets directly into the graphics card's video memory without occupying the CPU, resulting in an incredible improvement in graphics detail, without having to pay the price of lengthening load times.
Just to meet the most skeptical and fearful, Microsoft has published the update again KB4023057, used to prepare machines for the arrival of the biggest and most important updates, such as, for example, the next generation of Windows, before release. As stated by the same company, this update "includes improvements to the reliability of the components of the Windows Update service in Windows 10, version 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703, 1709, 1803, 1909, 2004, 20H2 and 21H1" to "make sure that the updates are installed without problems "and" help improve the reliability and security "of Windows 10 devices, as well as checking if the available storage space is sufficient to install the new operating system, and starting the" cleaning "operations in otherwise.
The increase in available space aims to be as least invasive as possible: Microsoft will simply make Windows 10 display a warning when the system is running out of space and help users free up memory on the storage device using the "Disk Cleanup" utility or through the "Free up space now" option in Settings / Storage.
Minimum requirements
In order for your PC to be able to guarantee you a good user experience, Microsoft has published the list of minimum requirements required for the correct functioning of Windows 11:
- CPU: con two or more 64-bit 1GHz cores or greater and that are part of the list of compatible processors;
- RAM: 4GB or greater;
- Storage: a space of at least is required 64GB;
- GPU: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with WDDM 2.0 driver;
- Firmware: UEFI;
- TPM 2.0
- Display: at least 720p and at least 9 ”.
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