At first, the upgrade is coming to recent and new PCs, and then it will be offered free to Windows 10 systems on a rolling basis, based on validated hardware configurations. What Are the Requirements and How Do You Get Windows 11? The next major update, 22H2 (sometimes referred to by Windows analysts as Sun Valley 2) is expected to add more Start menu options, some redesigned stock apps, and machine-learning intelligence. This lets you experience new features before they're available for general release. Anyone can sign up for preview builds of the OS through the Windows Insider Program. As with Windows 10, you can let the company know what you'd like to see added to the software in a dedicated Feedback Hub app, and you may be surprised at how often it listens. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. ( Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test everything we review (Opens in a new window).) The new interface is attractive, but if you prefer the more familiar Windows 10-style look, you might just want to stick with Windows 10. Sure, Windows 11 looks nicer with rounded corners for all windows, the Taskbar icons in the middle, simpler icons, and more elegant Settings dialogs, but it doesn't feel totally alien or require a whole new process the way Windows 8 did.

It still runs all the same apps, and much of what's new amounts to reupholstering and rearranging the furniture. Coming after six years of ho-hum upgrades, this major overhaul to the look and feel of the world’s most popular desktop operating system is welcome news: Windows fans have something to get excited about.ĭespite the OS's smooth new look, we were surprised that using it doesn't feel that different from Windows 10. Despite its drastically updated look intended to respond to the competition, Windows 11 functions much as Windows 10 does-with more polish and a few new features and conveniences. Windows 11 is a response to competition from Apple and Google, both of which have been nibbling at the edges of the market-leading desktop operating system with slick new designs. With Windows 11, Microsoft has taken a risk by changing up its operating system, though many of the changes amount to not much more than window dressing.

Useful tools gone, like Timeline, tablet gestures, and Action Center.

Some interface changes like the new Start menu and Taskbar take getting used to.

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