Windows 11 is here folks! Should you be upgrading to it yet? When a new operating system is released, it is simply part of the cycle of fixing problems with the design, features, layout etc and wrapping it all up into a nice new package for us all to purchase from the 5th of October (2021) or upgrade to, for free, if available.
Nothing is wrong with Windows 10 Windows 10 has been with us since July 2015 and I have to say, I absolutely love it.
It has to be the best operating system I have ever used, really feeling like part of the computer itself rather than just some piece of software added on afterwards.
What I mean by this is; older versions of Windows were much slower and clunky, they certainly didn't feel refined and well put-together like Windows 10 is or the way Apple's OS feels on their machines (yes this is one of my only positive feelings towards Apple).
With Windows 10 it really felt like you were able to exploit every ounce of performance from the hardware you have.
We did of course see a wave of new SSD storage devices and M.2 NVMe SSD's, which do totally transform the way a PC feels, but going from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on a system with a SATA SSD, there is a marked improvement that you can really feel in day to day tasks and while gaming or content creating.
While I headed this section, 'Nothing is wrong with Windows 10', of course there is plenty 'wrong' with it, in fact I am a firm believer that no design is perfect, no product is perfect, no software is perfect, all we can do is continually improve and build on successes and failures along the way.
In fact, this was something Microsoft had originally planned to do with Windows 10, it was stated by Jerry Nixon that Windows 10 would be the "last version of Windows", with the operating system considered to be a service, with new builds and updates released over time.
In June 2021 the Windows 11 name was officially revealed for an upcoming new operating system, perhaps this will be the "last version of Windows"...? Windows 10 will continue to receive security updates and patches until 2025, so there isn't a big rush to move just yet.
Windows 11 new features With Windows 11 comes some new features which include A new centralised layout and rounded corners A redesigned Start menu - with a widgets panel on the taskbar Tiled sets of windows can be minimised and restored from the taskbar as a group The ability to snap windows to new defined grids (perfect for ultra-wide displays) Auto HDR and DirectStorage - designed for gamers and coming from the Xbox Series X A new Microsoft Store and support for some Android and Amazon Apps Microsoft Teams is integrated into the user interface Smaller update sizes, faster web browsing in "any browser" and a faster wake up time from sleep mode Is my PC compatible with Windows 11? Download and run Microsoft's PC Health Check app before you make any attempt to move to Windows 11.
Good luck! Now that's out of the way, lets talk about some of the hardware requirements of Windows 11.
Did your PC pass the Health Check above? 64-bit processors with at least 1 GHz lock rate and at least 2 cores At least 4GB of RAM At least 64GB of storage Secure Boot, enabled by default Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 Internet connection and Microsoft account required Should I upgrade or install Windows 11? The answer to this question really starts with another question, do you need to upgrade? The answer to that is no.
Not until the last update of Windows 10 is rolled out do you need to upgrade or change operating systems.
We don't recommend upgrading to Windows 11 until at least the first major update is rolled out, do you really want to be a guinea pig? This first major update should surface sometime in the next 3 months.
Upgrading to Windows 11 is a pain, and upgrading operating systems has always been a pain.
Even if you don't get any issues, it will take time, about an hour or so.
You will get issues, whether they are software issues or driver issues, something will not go 100% and that is just the complexity of everything involved.
The best way to move to Windows 11 right now is to install a completely clean and fresh instance of it, which means you are starting again with installing software and drivers, but it will be a lot smoother.
Should I buy a new PC with Windows 11? Yes, this eliminates all of the upgrade issues, ensuring the PC works from day one with Windows 11.
So perhaps the answer is to take a look at your existing PC, is there anything you need to upgrade, or could upgrade, to essentially give yourself a new PC? Or of course you could buy a brand new PC.
