Microsoft announced today The Windows 11 availability on October 5, 2021.
On this date, the company will begin the gradual rollout through a free upgrade, which will reach Windows 10 computers that meet the necessary requirements.
In addition, Windows 11 will also come pre-installed on a wide variety of new PCs.
Microsoft wanted to highlight the main news that this version brings:
- Both the new design and the sounds of Windows 11 aim to convey simplicity and tranquility through a modern, fresh and clean look.
- With Home, the user and their content move to a central position. The new Start button uses the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to display recent user files, no matter what device they’ve been viewed on before.
- Snap layouts, snap groups and virtual desktops provide an even more flexible way to multitask and optimize screen space.
- Integration of Microsoft Teams chat in the taskbar provides a faster way to connect with the people we care about.
- Widgets, a new custom feed optimized by Artificial Intelligence, allows users to access information that is relevant to them more quickly. Plus, Microsoft Edge’s excellent performance, speed, and productivity features help you optimize your browsing to get the most out of it.
- Windows 11 offers the best gaming experience and harnesses the full potential of hardware with technologies such as DirectX12 Ultimate, DirectStorage and Auto HDR. Plus, with Xbox Game Pass subscription services for PC or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, users can access an attractive catalog of over 100 great titles on their PC.
- The new Microsoft Store has been redesigned from start to finish to make it easier to find and discover your favorite apps, games, shows and movies in one trusted place. On the other hand, Microsoft will continue to move forward to bring Android apps to Windows 11 and the Microsoft Store through its collaboration with Amazon and Intel. This goal will materialize through a Preview that will come to Windows Insiders in the coming months.
- Windows 11 is the most inclusive version of Windows, with new accessibility enhancements created by and for people with disabilities.
- New opportunities for developers and creators. Microsoft is making it easier for more developers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to bring their apps to the Store, improving native and web app development with new tools, and simplifying the adoption of a unified design and experience.
- Windows 11 boosts speed, efficiency and user experience with touch interaction, digital pen usability and voice commands.
- Windows 11 is the ideal operating system for hybrid work, offering a user experience tailored to today’s reality, secure by design, and familiar to IT departments so they can easily deploy and manage it. Starting today, companies can also try the Preview version of Windows 11 on Azure Virtual Desktop or, as of launch, also on the new Windows 365.
The free update for Windows 11 starts on October 5th and It will be done in phases to ensure the quality of its implementation. New devices will have the opportunity to upgrade sooner, extending the process to all devices through intelligent prioritization that assesses device hardware as well as other factors that affect the upgrade experience.
Hopefully, In mid-2022, the free upgrade opportunity for Windows 11 reached all devices that meet the minimum requirements.
Users with an upgradeable Windows 10 computer, will receive a notice from Windows Update when installation is available on your device. In addition, it is also possible to check whether Windows 11 is ready for a particular device equipped with Windows 10. This can be done in Settings > Windows Update by selecting “Check for updates”.
O PC Health Check application, which allows you to verify that a device meets the requirements needed to upgrade to Windows 11.
For customers who have a PC that won’t be upgraded and aren’t ready to make the leap to a new device, Windows 10 will remain a fully valid option. Microsoft will provide support for Windows 10 through October 14, 2025 and recently announced that the next Windows 10 feature update will arrive later this year.