The news is everywhere on the web’s technology sites.
Microsoft Windows, the operating system running on 1.4 billion computers around
the world — by far the greatest percentage of all machines in operation — is
going to move from its current version 10 to a newer version 11.
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Those who have been through the previous Windows XP and
Windows 7 experiences and are now happy and settled with Windows 10, must be
experiencing a sudden acceleration in their heart rate, and perhaps a surge in
their blood pressure upon reading the news. This is neither a bad, nor a good
thing in itself. This is simply how normal people feel when they learn that
Microsoft wants them to make such a big move and to learn new tricks and new
clicks, and to shout angrily: “Where did they move this bloo## shortcut to?”, and
perhaps be forced to buy a new computer that can take the upgrade.
Although we know perfectly well that nothing stays the same
forever, which is a big understatement in the age of digital technology, we still
get anxious at the mere idea of having to make such a major change in our operating
system, roughly every five to six years.
In the past, and except for the unpopular Windows Vista back
in 2007, all Windows upgrades have been successful and become largely accepted
by users — once they got used to the change. Indeed, after the pains of installation,
and once we become familiar with the new operating system, we generally feel
that it was worth the change after all and that the new version is overall better.
Windows 11 should be available the last quarter of this year,
some say as early as October. Others believe that it will be available around
December or even by January of next year. It should come free of charge for
those who have a valid Windows 10 license.
The key differences are a newer and more attractive look,
better multi-monitor functionality, the possibility to run Android apps, and more
powerful gaming. Some beta version reviewers are talking of a “more Mac-like”
interface! On the downside, if your computer’s main processor was manufactured
before 2017 you would have to buy a new computer altogether.
As usual, there will be bigger differences and smaller ones.
We will have to adapt to both. PC Magazine analyst Michael Muchmore writes: “One
of the more irksome things about Windows 10 has been its inconsistent settings
windows and dialogs: Sometimes you uninstall a program in the new settings app,
sometimes in the antiquated Control Panel. That inconsistency goes away in
Windows 11 — almost entirely.” His detailed review of the upgrade sounds
carefully optimistic.
What if you are not ready for the big move by the end of the
year? Of course, you still have the option to keep using Windows 10 if you
would rather have it this way. To date, Microsoft has not indicated for how
long Windows 10 will remain supported and will keep receiving routine updates
and fixes, but chances are that it will still be here for a few more years,
given its stability, popularity, and extremely large user base the world over.
It usually takes a couple of years between the time a new
Windows is announced the time it’s actually installed and running on a significant
number of computers, which is required to get useful feedback and make fixes. That
would take us till 2023. In the meantime, we should perhaps get ourselves mentally
prepared.
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