Page 88 - IBT August 2021 Issue

Tech Windows 11

With the official unveiling of the new successor of Improved multitasking
the operating system, it’s time to delve into the full with Snap Desktop In Windows
scope of the update. Years ago, Microsoft had 11, all those
promised that Windows 10 would be the last It remains a mystery who liked the whole scruffy
version of Windows, to be only augmented further process of dragging and dropping apps on the apps are
by incremental updates. This begs the question, desktop to view multiple windows simultaneously, quietly
what makes Windows 11 worth the big bang but that has been improved by a lot. Windows 11
release? It’s time for the full scoop. has introduced a tiling template option that gives minimized
To start right off the bat with the most obvious, users the option to now view and arrange three to instead,
Windows 11 is built on the same core architecture four windows in preset positions. This sweet little
as its predecessor, but with a whole new look and feature allows seamless snapping and also instantly
change in user experience. restoration of app windows with just one click. returning to
The first thing you are going to notice as the new Multi-monitor support has also improved their previous
OS boots up is the change in the Start Menu and significantly. Remember how haphazardly all the
taskbar. The Start Menu takes the center stage, apps and software get scattered on one screen when states when
literally, now being in the middle of the taskbar external/additional monitors are disconnected? In reconnected
along with the other icons, following the design Windows 11, all those apps are quietly minimized
language of macOS and ChromeOS. This comes instead, instantly returning to their previous states to the external
across as a welcome change, having a clean when reconnected to the external monitor. While monitor.
aesthetic appeal. However, a big concern for many this may seem trivial, it is indeed a subtly brilliant
users will be the inconvenience of muscle memory tweak to the user experience.
from decades of moving to the lower-left corner to
reach the Start menu, (I can already foresee the
messages on the forums and Reddit) but to
alleviate their concerns, Microsoft has thrown in makes it easier to find apps and movies, which plethora of other little-used apps that are being removed, but
the ability to revert back to the side layout. The bad are not available on the Windows 10 store. The they are still available on the store.
news though, is that the taskbar can no longer be Microsoft Store is now home to many more Gamers can rejoice at the knowledge that there are some
pinned to any of the sides of the screen and need to native apps like Zoom, Adobe Creative Cloud game-specific features that come with Windows 11, such as
stay at the bottom only. etc., along with mobile apps, which still utilize Auto HDR and Direct Storage for much faster loading of games
File explorer retains most of its arrangement, with the vertical layout, as they have not been from the graphics cards.
the three panes still remaining intact, but the optimized for computers yet. All this being rainbows and butterflies, Microsoft has sadly
ribbons and shortcut menus do get a design refresh, also left some archaic bits and pieces among the layers of the
making them much easier to look at. Clicking on Task View and Widgets new OS, some of which date back to nearly a decade. These
the Start Menu previously displayed the list of Teams Chat integration Another great addition to Windows 11 is Task little tidbits can be found in the Control Panel and network
programs installed on the computer, along with the View. For users who want to separate their wizards, to mention a few, but thankfully most users would
live tiles, weather, and some Microsoft apps. Now it With remote work becoming more and more virtual desktops for different purposes, things not encounter them in everyday use.
primarily shows the apps that have been pinned by prevalent worldwide, Microsoft Teams has seen a have never been more convenient. There can be With all this said, what about the actual update process?
the user, with the search bar to help locate the apps surge in users, replacing the likes of Zoom, Skype, a work desktop, a gaming one, and so on for Just like the upgrades that came before this, Windows 11 is
used less frequently. Another nifty but amazing and Slack. Windows 11 has decided to bring its any purpose needed by the user. The new also free for Windows 10. But before getting too excited,
addition is the recommendations option, which native communication app to the forefront, with widgets come off more as gimmicks than there’s a catch. The update requires the computer to pass
displays the recent documents or projects, which options to chat and call being integrated into the anything else, they are still limited to weather Microsoft’s PC Health Check App and also requires a hardware
makes the overall experience a lot more personal main taskbar. This makes quick messaging a breeze, conditions, money markets and news updates. feature called TPM 2.0, which is missing in older hardware. At
and, of course, convenient. This may come across even allowing calls to be made directly to video or Microsoft might be trying to oversell this a the time being, the update is in its beta phase and anyone
as nitpicking, but this seems more of a feature that audio to iOS and Android devices, regardless of little. opting into it (through the Windows Insider Program) will
should be in the Search Menu rather than the Start whether the other party has the app installed or not. definitely be faced with a lot of bugs, and it is strongly
Menu. Speaking of search, the button is no longer a Installation recommended for enthusiasts to wait till the stable version
giant horizontal box sticking out like a sore thumb, Android apps...on Windows? Most of the highlights so far have been the big comes on. This along with the fact that Windows 10 will
rather a small icon that just blends in rather One of the biggest changes that came to Windows differences between the two builds, but there continue receiving support for four more years is definitely
beautifully. These little changes show a very 11 is the Windows Subsystem for Android, which are also some minor changes lurking around good news.
user-friendly and appealing design thinking from brings native support for Android apps to Windows. for those who want to be completely in the
Microsoft, which is highly likely to resonate Android apps can be installed from the Amazon App know about making the jump to Windows 11. The final verdict
positively with the users. Store, or sideloaded from installer packages. The Some features from Windows 10 have actually Windows 11 is probably the best looking Windows to hit the
It’s time to bid Cortana goodbye from the built-in addition of native Android app support makes the been removed in Windows 11, such as market, with sweet upgrades to the overall UI/UX more than
app section of Windows 11, although it is unclear list of available apps for Windows an even bigger inter-device wallpaper sync, Internet Explorer welcome, along with window management features taking a
how much grief her passing will generate, for those one. The Microsoft Store itself also gets a design (well, alright, about time), and apps like leap towards the better. A solid update, yes, but the changes
who will be hit the hardest, they can always rehaul that makes its interface much cleaner and OneNote for Windows 10, Skype, 3D Viewer, are (still) not significant enough to induce any fear of missing
download it back from the store. vastly more coherent. The newly designed store also and even essentials like Paint! There are a out just yet for existing users of Windows 10.

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