Microsoft has just rolled out the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system, the May 2021 Windows 10 Update (also known as version 21H1).
No official release date for Windows yet 11. However, rumors point to a launch later this year, around October 2021. The upgrade will be free on all machines running Windows 10. However, Microsoft has yet to specify the terms and conditions and the list of compatible terminals. While PCs running the classic version of Windows 10 are all affected, it’s unclear at this point whether the giant is also planning to offer an update to owners of machines running Windows 10S.
Fluidity above all
The editor seems to have made it a point to make the interface of Windows 11 as fluid as possible, improving the feeling of speed of the operating system, and therefore the user experience. Even better: the first tests that appeared on the web would show that theOS itself would be faster when it comes to running benchmarks. However, we’re waiting for the final version of Windows 11 to arrive to make our own judgement, as many of the operating system’s internals may still change between now and then. But right now, even though Windows 11 looks more like a graphical evolution of Windows 11 than a real revolution, the feeling of lightness is there.
The new features are rather discreet but we expect other big changes that the technology giant is planning for a future version. A few days before the event during which Microsoft unveiled the new Windows, a version leaked on the web and many people were able to test and install this version. In the parameters indicating the version number we already discovered that its name was indeed Windows 11 contrary to what Microsoft said at the release of Windows 10 that the publisher had qualified as “last version of Windows”.
At the What’s Next conference on June 24, Microsoft said that Windows 11 would be available for the holiday season. Until then, the developers will not work in the shadows and test versions will be offered. Microsoft will continue to offer the Windows Insider program, inaugurated a few months before the arrival of Windows 10 to involve all volunteers in the development of Windows. If we discard the unofficial version that had leaked on the web a few days before the presentation, the first test build will be offered in early July.
The interface
On the interface side, there are also changes with a new Windows menu centered, which is reminiscent of the menu of macOS. Much more sober, this one allows easier access to the computer’s settings and the latest software used. The dynamic tiles – introduced with Windows 8 – disappear from the main menu and are replaced by a new menu that includes many widgets such as weather, stock prices or the latest news, which will appear with a simple slide from the left side of the screen.
Microsoft is redesigning the Windows Clipboard panel with a new panel for inserting GIFs and emoji into applications. Instead of searching for GIFs and emoji online, you can press Windows + V to launch the Clipboard Manager and select or search for content via a search bar in the menu, as shown in the screen below. The Windows Clipboard also gets a new feature called paste as plain text. As you probably know, Windows 10 currently preserves the formatting of textual content when copied from a web page or email. If you paste the content into another application like Word, you will find that the formatting is misaligned.
Microsoft Teams has a very important place in Microsoft’s strategy. Already the leading video communications software for companies and schools, Teams is now available to individuals. If you want to know more, you can find all the news on this site. Thus, in order to further popularize Teams, Microsoft wanted to integrate it directly into Windows 11. A shortcut has been added in the application dock. You can start a meeting in an instant, without opening Microsoft Teams. With this integration, Microsoft follows in the footsteps of Apple, which usually pre-install on all its computers iMessage and Facetime.
On mobile
There are many mobile applications that you would like to use on your computer, but you can’t install them directly. These are two different operating systems. To install these Android apps on PC, you had to go through an emulator, the best known of which is Bluestacks. But the experience is not always good. Fortunately, Windows 11 changes all that. You can download them through the Amazon App Store, which is less complete than the green robot store, but still not bad. Once installed, these applications can be launched directly from the taskbar.
In addition, Windows 11 will improve the overall experience for those who use a touch screen. There are new gestures for switching between applications, improvements for resizing with a stylus or finger, and more. These new gestures are combined with the enhanced touch keyboard to enrich the experience of using Windows on a tablet or touch device. Finally, the last change in Windows 11 is a brand new Microsoft Store. There is a visual change and above all a change in the policy. Microsoft indicates that it now accepts all types of applications/software. This includes the software that is downloaded from the Internet today. Microsoft’s goal is to have a single place to download any item. Also, developers can use their own payment system instead of Microsoft’s. In this case, they receive 100% of the amount. Microsoft does not take a commission.
The Windows Store has been a bit of a mess in recent years, with Microsoft controlling the types of apps allowed in the native storefront. No more: Windows 11 will open the door to all kinds of applications, even if they are not universal Windows applications. This means that applications like Adobe’s Creative Cloud will finally be available through the native Microsoft Store. Application creators can use their own built-in monetisation systems and keep 100% of the revenue. It’s a nice message to Apple and Google, who both take a cut of in-app store purchases and are battling with Epic Games over its attempts to break that system with Fortnite. Apps that use Microsoft’s payment system will still pay a discount, but at least there’s a choice with Windows 11.
