Microsoft officially released the latest PC operating system update called Windows 11 on Thursday. These include visual improvements, Microsoft Teams integration for people who work from home, the new Microsoft Store, and more.
“The team was particular about every pixel,” said Panos Panay, chief product officer at MSFT (MSFT), at the event. “All the details, transitions, user interfaces, and the way everything flows together provide incredible comfort.”
Below are some important points from the Windows 11 event.
User interface
One of the biggest changes Windows 11 brings is the new Start button in the center of the Start menu and taskbar. The menu opens a window with pinned applications, recently opened ‘Recommended’ documents and a search bar. Pour one live tile.
Another improvement to facilitate switching between tasks: Saved Wallpaper with personalized wallpapers for home, school, work, and games.
The system also offers “smooth visuals” such as returning to Vista-era translucent layers for certain windows that provide a layered look with rounded corners for applications and icons to improve the look of Windows.
Windows widgets also provide a feed of personalized AI-based information such as weather forecasts, calendars, traffic information and news on the user’s screen. It’s improved, but it’s not much different from Cortana on Windows 10 and the new Interests taskbar app.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams integrates directly into Windows 11 and has its own icon on the taskbar.
“You can chat, make calls, and make video calls with anyone anywhere in the world,” Panay said. From all platforms and devices including Windows, iOS, Android, etc.
“This innovation is suitable for the COVID world, which has (re) established the centrality of the PC for the future of the digital life of work,” said JP Gownder, Forrester VP and Senior Analyst.
Windows 11 without a keyboard
If you’re using a Windows device, such as a tablet, Windows 11 will keep you pretty much the same when you disconnect your device’s keyboard.
Users can still use snapping to move between multiple open applications. By rotating the screen, the snapped applications are stacked vertically for easy viewing.
Windows 11 also features a new floating keyboard and voice input feature that can automatically punctuate voice commands such as “delete that word”.
Gaming
Windows 11 brings an “Auto HDR” feature for gamers. This is a technology first introduced on Microsoft’s Xbox console that automatically improves the color and lighting of the game screen.
Xbox GamePass Included in Windows 11 Subscribers can access a library of hundreds of games from their PC.
Android apps on Windows Microsoft Store
According to Panay, the company rebuilds the Microsoft Store “from scratch” with speed in mind.
Consumers will be able to choose more applications from the new Microsoft Store. This will include Android apps from the Amazon AppStore. This means users can access thousands of Android applications from their PC.
Microsoft will bring all Android applications (currently over half a million) on Amazon’s Appstore to the store. This includes Disney Plus, TikTok, Netflix, Pinterest, Uber, and more, but not all Android applications on the Google Play Store (about 3.5 million).
The Microsoft store hasn’t been overwhelmingly successful. Most apps continue to be downloaded to .exe files on the Internet, out of Microsoft’s control, in an old-fashioned way. Microsoft wants to change this while opening stores to developers to give them a better customer experience: one-stop shopping for everything on their PC.
When will be Windows 11 available?
Windows 11 is coming. Once it is available in the market, Windows 10 users You can download Windows 11 for free. If you already have Windows 10, you can upgrade to Microsoft’s redesigned operating system for free.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will be available for download until this year’s holidays, and beta builds have begun to be placed on Windows Insider in the week that began on June 28, 2021.
