Perhaps one of the biggest changes Windows 11 will bring is a Start menu and new Start button that’s centered on the taskbar. The new software features visual improvements, Microsoft Teams integration and a new Microsoft store, among other changes that were announced in June. Microsoft had previously said it expected to release Windows 11 next year.Īll eligible users will receive the free upgrade by mid-2022. Starting October 5, the company will begin a “phased and measured” approach to the free upgrades, in which newer devices will be given priority over older equipment. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 through 2025, and the company suggests people stick with it if their PCs can't run Windows 11 and they don't want to buy a new PC.Microsoft is rolling out its newest operating system, Windows 11, earlier than expected for some PC users. It has become the world's most popular PC operating system, boasting 1.3 billion monthly active devices. Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015, making this the longest time period a version of Windows has been in market before a replacement. There's also no guarantee everyone will want to upgrade to the new OS given its predecessor's massive popularity. The refresh comes as Microsoft faces rising competition from Chromebooks running Google's Chrome OS, and Chromebooks are capable of running Android apps. And Android apps will be available, by way of Amazon's Appstore. Microsoft redesigned the Start menu, the app store and the Settings app, and it's easier to arrange multiple app windows on screen. New sounds are designed to be less jarring. Windows 11 brings a modern look, with rounded corners and app icons displayed in the center of the taskbar. Woodman pointed to a variety of Windows 10 PCs that people can buy now and upgrade to Windows 11 later, including Dell's XPS 13, the HP Spectre x360 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Pro, as well as Microsoft's own Surface Pro 7.

People can also go to 'Settings > System > Windows Update' in their computers to manually check if the upgrade is ready.

On PCs running Windows 10 that have the necessary components to run Windows 11, the Windows Update feature will notify people when the upgrade is available. As it has for past updates, Microsoft will use on-device data and other factors to determine which devices will get the offer to upgrade first, Windows marketing general manager Aaron Woodman wrote in a blog post.

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