Microsoft is about to launch Windows 11

Microsoft has been introducing the “next generation” of Windows for the past several months, but the new hints not only indicate that Microsoft is preparing to update Windows 10 but also launch a newer version, namely Windows 11.

Windows 11 launch event

Software giant Microsoft announced a new Windows event on June 24, promising to show “what’s next for Windows”. The event invitation includes an image that looks like the new Windows logo, with light shining through the window, creating a border that looks a lot like the number 11. I think Microsoft intentionally omitted the horizontal bar on the window to create out number 11.

Microsoft’s Windows event also starts at 11 a.m. ET, which isn’t the usual start time for Windows and Surface events. After the event invitation, Yusuf Mehdi, the Microsoft executive said he wasn’t “excited about the new version of Windows since Windows 95!” This is the first time we’ve heard Microsoft specifically mention a “new version” of Windows being rolled out.

The invite to the event also comes just a week after Nadella made the announcement about the “next generation of Windows”. Nadella promises that Microsoft will soon announce “one of the most important updates to Windows in the past decade”. Microsoft’s product manager, Panos Panay, also introduced a “next generation” of Windows earlier this year.

If Microsoft is really ready to skip Windows 10 and move towards Windows 11, users we hope to see big changes in terms of visuals, graphics, as well as performance. Microsoft has been working on a version codenamed Sun Valleywhich the company calls “a complete change in the image of Windows”.

A lot of the visual changes will be taken from Windows 10X, a lightweight version of Windows meant to compete with Chrome OS. Includes a new Start Menu, new system icons, File Explorer enhancements, and Windows 95-era dialog box icons that take Windows users back to the past. Rounded edges and updates to pre-installed Windows apps are also planned.

Significant changes beyond the user interface are also being applied to Windows. Microsoft seems poised to address many of the lingering issues, with ready fixes for issues like app reordering across multiple screens, the upcoming Xbox Auto HDR feature, and improvements to with Bluetooth audio support.

Perhaps the biggest problem waiting to be fixed is the Windows Store. Microsoft has been developing a new app store for Windows in recent months, and rumors suggest it will be a significant change from the current Windows Store. Nadella has promised to “open up greater economic opportunities for developers and creators” with Windows, and the Windows Store seems to be the correct answer to that.

So far, Microsoft has only announced a 12% cut in commissions for PC games in the Windows Store, but Microsoft’s commission cut would be a significant change for developers.

Windows 11 will also support Microsoft’s reinvestment in Windows. Microsoft took an interest in Windows again last year, during a pandemic that demonstrated the importance of the operating system. Windows usage skyrocketed as workers and students worldwide switched to laptops and PCs to work from home. PC shipments have also increased sharply over the past year.

However, the move to Windows 11 would still be a surprise move for Microsoft. In the past, the company has referred to Windows 10 as the “final version of Windows” in a major effort to assert that the operating system as a service is constantly updated. While there are monthly updates to Windows, the more important changes are usually released twice a year.

Microsoft has struggled with naming these updates. We’ve seen the Anniversary Update, Fall Creators Update, or simply the November 2019 Update. Recently, Microsoft also adopted a different naming mechanism, like 20H1 or 21H1 to show both the release year and the time of year the update was rolled out.

The move to Windows 11 won’t necessarily solve Microsoft’s update naming problem, but if the company adopts the same naming scheme as Windows 11.1, it will certainly help both consumers and IT admins quickly. quickly understand which version is the latest.

OEMs will also be happy to see the release of Windows 11. New versions of Windows are always driving new hardware sales and renewed interest in the operating system. If Microsoft can do that with the new user interface in Windows 11, it will be a turning point in the return of Microsoft’s golden age.

It won’t be long until we know that Microsoft is ready to release a new version of Windows 11. The Windows 11 event will kick off at 11 a.m. ET on June 24, stay tuned.