Microsoft’s latest version of Windows has been out for a while now, and many of my customers have asked whether they should upgrade. Some have heard that Windows 10 is done and have questions about that that means. So lets talk about the new operating system a bit. I’ll start with the changes you might notice in the new OS, and then advise whether you need/should upgrade.
What’s new?
At first glance, Windows 11 has a bit of a different look to it. Fortunately, it’s not as much of a departure from traditional Windows design as Windows 8, but nevertheless there are some things that stick out. The most noticeable change is that icons on the taskbar - including the start button - are centered instead of flush to the left. The whole system also has a very bright white aesthetic to it. You might also notice a button for widgets on the bottom left, as well as icons in the middle for chat, tasks, and search.
Fortunately for people who have a hard time with change (myself included), everything mentioned so far can be switched back to how they were in Windows 10. Icons can move to the left, all those new things in the taskbar can be disabled, and you can set the operating system to have whatever color theme you like.
Once you’ve either adjusted to these changes (or reverted them), the biggest change you’ll see is the start menu, which Microsoft has decided to change pretty significantly. By default, the start menu is basically a recommendation engine, attempting to present what it thinks you need. Fortunately, you can pin applications so that they always stay in the menu, and it’s still possible to click through to see all your apps, but it’s not quite as good as it was before. This is, in my opinion, a step back for Windows. Fortunately, most people pin applications to their taskbar or put a shortcut on their desktop, so the start menu isn’t quite as essential as it was before, but it’s still a little annoying.
For most people, this is where the new aspects of the operating system are likely to end. There are smaller changes here and there, such as a revamped right-click context menu. But for the most part, Windows 11 looks and feels a lot like Windows 10, plus some minor tweaks, many of which can be changed to look like Windows 10 again.
Should I upgrade?
For the most part, not really. I mentioned earlier that some of you might have heard that Windows 10 is going away. Every so often, Microsoft ends support for older operating systems so they can focus on their newer ones. The old operating systems don’t stop functioning, but the main reason to upgrade is that security flaws don’t get patched because there’s no updates being released for them. **This is the current status of Windows 7 and 8, so if you’re using either of those, you should upgrade**
Windows 10 will lose support from Microsoft in October of 2025, which means it has 2 and a half years before it’s obsolete. For now, there’s no urgency to upgrade and there’s also no reason not to. Almost all new computers will come with Windows 11 so we’ll all be upgraded eventually. If you want to stay on Windows 10, you have time. If you want to upgrade your current computer, you can see if Windows 11 will run on it by going to Windows Update (Start button > Settings > Windows Update). Or, as always, you can contact me for advice.