Windows 11 test: Everything you need to know about the new operating system

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The announcement of the next generation of Microsoft's Windows operating system has become one of the most talked about events in the IT world and has provoked many conflicting reactions. We have decided not to be led by emotions and have compiled everything that is currently known about the updated platform in one article.

Microsoft first presented the Build 2021 developer conference spoke about the upcoming major update to its flagship operating system. In his opening keynote, CEO Satya Nadella revealed that he will be testing the biggest Windows update in a decade. The CEO's statement immediately sparked numerous rumors that they are planning something more than just another Windows 10 update and are preparing a software platform with the number eleven. Contrary to previous promises to update Windows 10 regularly, Microsoft has taken a step forward and only a month after the announcement officially presented a new version of Windows - Windows 11, which has already managed to receive a lot of both positive and negative feedback.

Windows 11 is faster than its predecessor. The boot speed has been reduced by three seconds - the operating system now boots in 13 seconds. Microsoft has also improved its Video conference- and collaboration platform Microsoft Teams "Chat" into Windows 11 to provide users with a seamless experience, which is obviously an advantage. 

 However, the main criticism of Windows 11 was the updated system requirements, which put many PC users off. After the presentation, it suddenly emerged that in order to install the new operating system, the computer must have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 encryption module and the motherboard must offer UEFI support and Secure Boot, among other things. The list of supported processors published by Microsoft, which includes owners of computers with chips older than the second generation of AMD Ryzen or the eighth generation of Intel Core, has exacerbated the problem. The company justified the phasing out of outdated hardware with the desire to offer the best possible platform security and compatibility with modern encryption and authentication tools.

This justification was not understood by users, so Microsoft had to make concessions and announce that it would revise the minimum system requirements. In addition, the company promised to release special builds of Windows 11 for systems without TPM in selected markets. It is noteworthy that in light of these statements, Microsoft has temporarily removed the PC Health Check utility, which can be used to check the computer for compatibility with the new Windows 11.

With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft reintroduced widgets - small applications that display some kind of user-friendly information - as part of the software platform. This feature used to exist in Windows Vista/7, but it was later disabled for security reasons. Now everything is back to normal and the widgets can be used again. However, the list of these services is not too long: calendar, weather forecast, task planner, photo slider and a number of information services on various topics. Not much, but in the future Microsoft plans to significantly expand the available widgets and perhaps even open up a corresponding API for third-party developers.

Another advantage of Windows 11 is the newly designed app and media store. The company has redesigned the user interface of the Microsoft Store and promised a significant expansion of the marketplace for branded products. To achieve this goal, the Redmond-based company took a desperate step and announced the removal of commission for software developers in the Microsoft Store. However, the changes did not affect game software producers, but even with this restriction, the new business model is quite attractive for many software producers. It remains to be seen how other market leaders such as Google and Apple will react to Microsoft's challenge and whether they will make similar concessions to programmers.