Back in June 2021, Microsoft announces their most advanced Windows operating system, Windows 11. The moment, it was announced, Windows 11 design has been the talk of the town. Many people were impressed with the design, even though it looks similar to Apple’s macOS. Today, Microsoft has officially announced the date of the Windows 11 launch.
According to a blog by Microsoft, it confirms that Windows 11 will be available as a free update to eligible Windows users starting 5th October onwards. Besides that, people who are looking into purchasing a Windows 11 based PC’s can start to purchase on 5th October 2021 as well.
In a similar blog, Microsoft has also shared the 11 key features you can expect in the upcoming Windows 11. Below are the main key features on Windows 11:
- The new design and sounds are modern, fresh, clean and beautiful, bringing you a sense of calm and ease.
- With Start, we’ve put you and your content at the center. Start utilizes the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you your recent files no matter what device you were viewing them on.
- Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops provide an even more powerful way to multitask and optimize your screen real estate.
- Chat from Microsoft Teams integrated into the taskbar provides a faster way to connect to the people you care about.
- Widgets, a new personalized feed powered by AI, provides a faster way to access the information you care about, and with Microsoft Edge’s world class performance, speed and productivity features you can get more done on the web.
- Windows 11 delivers the best Windows ever for gaming and unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware with technology like DirectX12 Ultimate, DirectStorage and Auto HDR. With Xbox Game Pass for PC or Ultimate you get access to over 100 high-quality PC games to play on Windows 11 for one low monthly price. (Xbox Game Pass sold separately.)
- Windows 11 comes with a new Microsoft Store rebuilt with an all-new design making it easier to search and discover your favorite apps, games, shows, and movies in one trusted location. We look forward to continuing our journey to bring Android apps to Windows 11 and the Microsoft Store through our collaboration with Amazon and Intel; this will start with a preview for Windows Insiders over the coming months.
- Windows 11 is the most inclusively designed version of Windows with new accessibility improvements that were built for and by people with disabilities.
- Windows 11 unlocks new opportunities for developers and creators. We are opening the Store to allow more developers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to bring their apps to the Store, improving native and web app development with new developer tools, and making it easier for you to refresh the look and feel across all our app designs and experiences.
- Windows 11 is optimized for speed, efficiency and improved experiences with touch, digital pen and voice input.
- Windows 11 is the operating system for hybrid work, delivering new experiences that work how you work, are secure by design, and easy and familiar for IT to deploy and manage. Businesses can also test Windows 11 in preview today in Azure Virtual Desktop, or at general availability by experiencing Windows 11 in the new Windows 365.
During the Windows 11 announcement in June, Microsoft says that it will bring Android apps to the Windows platform. This is a collaboration between Microsoft, Amazon and Intel. However, it seems, Microsoft is delaying this feature for now. But, according to Microsoft, this feature will be rolled out in the coming months after the official Windows 11 rollout on October. But, Microsoft will roll out to the Windows Insider Community first before pushing it to the public. As for now, Microsoft is encouraging more app developers to continue to bring their apps to the Windows platform.
How to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10?
Even though you have a Windows 10 PC, still there are a few requirements that you need to meet before installing Windows 11. One of the most important requirements is the TPM version. You will need TPM version 2.0 in order to be eligible to install Windows 11.
Once you have met all the requirements, then you need to wait until October 5th and then check your Windows update by going to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. At this moment, Microsoft will be rolling out the Windows 11 update gradually to all eligible Windows users. Microsoft expects all eligible devices will receive Windows 11 software updates by mid of next year, 2022.
After removing the PC Health Check tool back in June, Microsoft says that it will relaunch this app soon. This means you can even use this tool to check whether your PC supports Windows 11.
In conclusion, Windows 11 will be available for free to upgrade starting October 5th onwards. If your PC does not support Windows 11, then please do not upgrade to Windows 11. This could make your PC malfunction. Instead, you can check out the list here for all the new upcoming PCs with Windows 11 pre-installed. For more information, check out Microsoft Windows 11 announcement blog.