First Look at Windows 11 - A New Page?

One of the highlights of the past year in tech for me has definitely been the announcement of Windows 11. It may seem a strange thing to write for a formerly committed Apple head like me, but in a year where the latest MacOS release doesn’t really seem to qualify for a major version number given the insignificant nature of the changes, having an industry behemoth announce such a number of sweeping changes to their flagship product is really something else. Even if there was originally a bit of confusion regarding which of Microsoft’s in-house devices would get the new OS, it soon became clear that my own Surface Go 2 would be eligible for Windows 11 once it was released. A month or so after the announcement, I finally caved in and decided to register as a Windows Insider to get access to one of the beta release channels. As you can probably tell from the fact that you’re reading this blog post, the installation worked like a charm.

Whether it's in light...

... or in dark mode, Windows 11 represents a significant redesign.

And let me tell you, this isn’t your regular Windows anymore. Microsoft has really given the operating system its biggest overhaul since the release of Windows 95 all the way back in the 1990s. And no, I won’t talk about Window 8. All snark aside, this new release and the changes it brings with it are going to be a marmite issue that you’ll either love or hate. The big one of course is the redesign of the task bar and the start menu, the button for which has been moved to the centre of the display. While this might screw up twenty plus years of muscle memory for some, I personally don’t mind this change at all, probably a side effect of having used Apple for ages. I’m not so sure about hiding a list of all installed apps away behind an innocuous short cut while reserving most of the start menu for pinned apps. The general graphic refresh that the OS has gotten as part of the upgrade is pretty impressive though, even the task manager seems to have finally left the Windows XP days behind. If there are still any legacy elements of older operating systems in place, I haven’t found them yet.

Rounded corners are a staple of the new Windows version. A minor touch, but definitely noticeable.

The system tray has been completely redesigned.

Unfortunately, this graphical update doesn’t affect all apps yet. Microsoft Office is obviously still unchanged, being a completely different product, but some integrated apps, such as the mail or calendar have, in the releases that I have tested so far, not been updated. This will likely only a matter of time, since we’re likely still at least a month or two away from a general release for Windows 11. One new feature that has already been implemented is the new Widgets view that is accessed from a dedicated button on the task bar. It bundles apps that you might only take a quick glance at, such as weather, news, traffic or sports if you’re so inclined, into one central location. It is certainly an interesting idea, but I fear that this feature will wither and die unless Microsoft opens this up to third-party apps like Todoist. 

The success of the new Widgets screen will depend on whether this is opened up to third-party developers.

Speaking of apps, let’s talk about the Windows Store on Windows 11. One of the big announcements during the original presentation was that Android Apps would now not only run on Windows after being side-loaded, which is already the case with Windows 10, but also from the Amazon Store, using the Windows Store as a front end. This does not seem to have been implemented yet, at least in the version that I’m using. A search for Amazon’s own Kindle App certainly didn’t produce any results. It did however once again show the ongoing issues that Microsoft has with scam & rip-off apps on their store and that they seem to only address by sticking their collective fingers in their ears and screaming “I can’t hear you” at the top of their voice. Just as a side note, this same wilful ignorance is also seemingly guiding Microsoft’s approach to the Flight Simulator Marketplace. Microsoft really needs to get their act together in that regard and quickly!

While the redesign is certainly welcome, the content of the Windows Store is still iffy. A major clean-out of scam ware is urgently needed!

Something that Microsoft has seemingly gotten right in Windows 11 is Windows Hello. This has always been a bit hit and miss on my Surface in the past, with the system not recognising me even in ideal conditions at times. This has changed drastically in Windows 11. Windows Hello is far more accurate since the update, with only excessively bright daylight or large contrasts between light and dark causing issues, as I found out the hard way last weekend. However, given the fact that even FaceID on my iPhone struggled on that day, I’d say that’s still a pretty big performance boost for Windows Hello. Other system-side issues have apparently not been fully addressed. Windows 11 offers both ad light and a dark mode but unlike other operating systems, namely MacOS/iOS, there is no automatic switch between light and dark mode based on the time of day. Given how much Windows tracks my location, it should easily be possible to implement such a change and the fact that they haven’t is more than a little surprising. This topic has been heavily discussed in the Feedback Hub, but so far, there has been no definitive answer from Microsoft as to whether this is coming.

With the changes in Windows Hello, you likely won't see much of this login screen anymore. Seriously, the difference between Windows 10 and 11 has been massive on my Surface Go 2.

Speaking of Feedback Hub, this is one of the stand-out features of this pre-release version. Seriously, not only does it provide a clear and precise way of submitting bugs or suggestions, there is a whole community aspect, with users being able to search, upvote, and comment on other users' suggestions or bugs. What’s more, Feedback Hub also provides quick and easy information about new builds that are available for testing, the release channel that any new build is on, and what exactly is contained in a new build. This is something sorely lacking from the Feedback Assistant in Apple’s public beta applications, where you’re often left alone in the wilderness and find out about new features more from the likes of MacRumours rather than Apple itself. With Microsoft, you have a feeling that the company is actually seeking your input, rather than grudgingly tolerating you.

All in all, Windows 11 is a much-needed breath of fresh air for what is still the leader in market share in the desktop & laptop OS space. In fact, I consider it to be quite a leap, especially when compared to the tepid ambitions that Apple has shown with this year’s MacOS Monterey or the Linux sphere, where progress mainly seems to consist of more and more forks and splits that muddy the already brackish waters of that environment even further. It’s not going to be an OS that pleases traditionalists and I’m already hoarding pallets worth of popcorn for the eventual roll-out of Windows 11 in corporate environments, where the new layout will definitely upset scores of people. Plus, the relatively restrictive hardware requirements will definitely lead to some ruffled feathers but as far as I’m concerned, Microsoft is right to finally cut off some older hardware generations. Taking this risk may just pay off for Microsoft.