You can even install and use Android apps, via the Amazon Appstore, but that isn't available at launch.īut while there are lots of visual changes, Windows 11 should be an easy transition from Windows 10 for most people.
Windows 11 on tablets is much improved thanks to the introduction of gestures and a new on-screen keyboard that much more similar to the one on your phone. There's a new widgets panel which can show the weather, stocks, news and other things - seemingly replacing the old Start Menu's live tiles - and improved grouping and snapping of open Windows so you can focus more easily on what you're trying to do. You'll also find rounded corners everywhere you look and a new centrally positioned Start Menu, although you can return the latter to the side if you'd prefer. What's Windows 11 like?Ĭlearly wanting to avoid upsetting millions by making radical changes (as it ultimately did with Windows 8), Microsoft has kept the same basic layout, albeit with a significant redesign. Microsoft's Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Go 3 and Surface Pro X (2021) are the first devices to run Windows 11 out of the box, although you'll have to wait a bit longer outside the US. The release of Windows 11 coincides with new Surface hardware becoming available. However, there's an easier way to get Windows 11 right now on any compatible hardware, and Microsoft is encouraging people to do so. An early build leaked ahead of the official reveal, but Microsoft still had a few surprises up its sleeve.Įarly builds became available to members of the Windows Insider Program soon after, before Microsoft finally confirmed an official release date - 5 October 2021.Īs the company explains in an official blog post, the update won't be delivered to all eligible devices straight away. Speculation surrounding a potential 'Windows 11' soon went into overdrive, especially once Microsoft announced an event for 24 June. That remained the case until late May, when CEO Satya Nadella began openly discussing "the next generation of Windows". Will my current PC / laptop run Windows 11?Īt the beginning of 2021, the likelihood of Microsoft releasing a successor to Windows 10 anytime soon seemed extremely low. Wasn't Windows 10 the 'last ever' version of Windows?