Windows 11 at a glance: Rounded corners, snap upgrades, benefits for developers

Microsoft Windows 11, launched this week, offers a revamped user interface, some shiny new features, and a few things that will make both consumers and corporate IT hairs tear out.

Keep in mind, as with any early announcement, with the possible exception of the name, a lot can change (and even that may not be sacrosanct - I still wear a Windows NT 5.0 branded shirt. I cherish the product I found at a media event that was called Windows 2000 when it shipped).

But one thing is certain: don't count on your Windows 10 machine being able to run Windows 11. Windows 11 is fussy about its hardware - it's 64-bit only, runs on 8th generation Intel CPUs or newer (check the supported CPUs list for specifications), and has UEFI/Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 demands.

Some AMD processors are also supported, and ARM64 support is baked into the OS. To see if your system is supported, run the PC Health Checkup app.

Do you really need to buy TPM for Windows 11?

Windows 11 will be a free upgrade to Windows 10 system if it will run on your machine. Microsoft says it will roll out "this holiday."

What's new

The first thing you'll notice is that the UI elements are no longer square like in Windows 10. Now all corners are rounded, though not to the cartoony extent like in Windows XP.

Instead of being left-justified, the taskbar icons are centered and the Start menu pops up in the middle of the screen. As with the usual pinned apps, the bottom of the Start menu has a section with a list of recommended apps on the left, and what looks like the most recently opened documents on the right. windows 11 start menu

Not only will it show you documents opened in Windows, but Microsoft also says that it will display those opened on any platform, including Android and iOS. This happens by the magic of the cloud; Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 11 Home at least demands that you sign on with a Microsoft account, which means you must be online at least during the initial setup.

There's no word yet on how this will work for enterprise customers, although Microsoft did say that Windows 11 is managed in the same way as Windows 10.

Windows 11 Snap Desktop Microsoft has expanded on Windows 10's Snap feature that automatically puts two apps together with Snap Layout and Snap Group. These new features allow you to place multiple documents in the size and format that works best and save that layout. If it works like the demo, it will be a huge time saver for those of us who spend time opening and laying down the same old app every morning.

Microsoft Teams will be integrated into the operating system, with Team Chat easily visible on the taskbar by default.

The Widgets feature, which premiered in previous Windows 10 updates, is a full-blown part of Windows 11, offering a personalized, AI-powered feed of items of interest like news and weather. When opened, it slides across the screen like a sheet of glass.

However, a statement in Microsoft's blog on the subject was a bit worrying.

“For creators and publishers, the widget also opens up new real estate within Windows for delivering personalized content. Our aspiration is to create a vibrant pipeline for global brands and local creators alike, benefiting both consumers and creators alike. May be."

Personalized Content? Hmm.

Microsoft Store

The Microsoft Store has been redesigned to be faster, easier to use, and include more types of content. And you'll be able to directly install flagged apps on web pages with a store download badge with a single click; A pop-up version of the store will manage the process for you. Windows 10 users will also receive the new Store release.

A Windows 11-specific type of app will be able to download and run Android apps in Windows 11. Through a non-exclusive partnership with Amazon, its Android app catalog will be available in the Windows 11 Store.

However, this means that apps that rely on Google Play Services will not be there and will not run. Microsoft won't say whether Google Play or other app stores will connect to Amazon before launch.

Developers

Developers get a lot of goodies for playing. With a better revenue sharing model, the store is being opened to all developers. Using the Microsoft Commerce Platform, the split will be 85/15 for apps and 88/12 for games, and if developers use their own or third-party commerce platforms, they won't have to pay fees from July 28. Will have to do Microsoft.

An early preview of Windows 11 will be available to Windows Insiders sometime during the week of June 28 on the Dev Channel. It won't be feature-complete, and certainly won't be ready for prime time, so install on a non-critical machine, not one used in production.