Windows 11 main station evaluation: Microsoft’s most enjoyable generation of operating system

Before commenting on Windows 11, the first question we have to ask is, what kind of problems does Microsoft want to solve with it? When Windows 10 was first launched, a large part of the purpose was to bring the “off-track” Windows 8 back to the right track in order to cater to the use of touch screens, but Windows 10 does not have such a problem. Windows 10 not only received great acclaim when it was launched, but also brought many useful features after many updates. So what can Windows 11 bring?

After several months of testing the beta version and trying the official version in the past week, the main editor concluded that there are really not many changes in Windows 11. It basically pulls Windows 10 off the skin. While Windows 10 focuses on improving productivity, Windows 11 adds a bit of fun and freshness to it, making work less boring.

What’s new?

At first glance, Windows seems to have undergone considerable changes in appearance, and it can even be said that it has changed the formula that has been in use since Windows 95 for 25 years. This includes moving all app icons (including the start function key) to the center of the toolbar, and the start menu has become more like a mobile device, with pinned apps, system-recommended apps, and opening Buttons for all installed apps.

Visually, Windows 11 brings a series of new design languages, and it can be expected that they will be used in all Windows software in the future. This includes the rounded corners of the window edges and the foggy frosted glass effect. Windows Explorer and Settings app have been redesigned, and even the sound effects have been upgraded. This can be said to be the most visually harmonious version of Windows so far, but there must be many people who complain that it looks too much like macOS. Fortunately, you can still set the taskbar to align to the left, so its usage habits should be the same as in the past.

Windows 11 has also redesigned the taskbar at the bottom right (also known as the system tray). Now most of the items in it will open the corresponding app after clicking. For example, clicking on the date and time will open the notification and calendar; and clicking on the volume and network will open a new action center. This is similar to the current Windows 10 when you click on the icon of the network setting, the link to the network setting will appear, as well as the switches including WiFi and airplane mode. You will also be able to access some accessibility features here, such as turning on magnifiers and color filters, but there are also some original features that are missing, such as the switch settings of Night Lite.

Windows 11 has also brought back the “Widget” gadgets on Windows 7. They will be displayed on their own independent screens after they are opened by the exclusive buttons on the toolbar. To some extent, this can also be regarded as a continuation of Live Tile, and like Live Tile, there are actually many alternative ways to obtain the information displayed on these Widgets. Aside from other things, in many cases, you just have to look down at your phone. So the practicality of Widget is really a question mark.

In the separate app section, the first is the new Windows Store. Since this revision will also come to Windows 10 in the future, strictly speaking, this is not a new feature unique to Windows 11. It adds a navigation bar on the left and puts the app in its own small card, but there is not much change in essence. In the future, we will also be able to find Android apps here, but we have to wait until Windows 11 supports the Android emulator. I don’t know how long we will have to wait.

Similarly, Windows 11 will be the first to carry the latest version of the Xbox App, and Windows 10 users will also be able to get updates in the future. But only Windows 11 can use DirectStorage technology on PCs to speed up game loading, just like on Xbox Series S / X.

Simple installation

The Windows 11 installation process on a new PC is as simple as looking at an advertisement catalog. As long as you connect to WiFi or plug in a wired network, and then enter the account password, there is basically nothing to do with you. The part that will require you to do the settings is probably whether to turn off ad tracking and whether to send error diagnosis information to Microsoft. The rest are automated all the way to the appearance of the desktop.

It is worth noting that Microsoft has additional restrictions on the settings for users of the Windows 11 Home version-in addition to a network connection, a Microsoft account is also required. Until these two conditions are met at the same time, you will not be able to set up a local account, and Windows 11 Pro version does not have this restriction.

However, most users should upgrade from Windows 10 instead of setting up a brand new computer. Unfortunately, although the main website editor has got the final version of Windows 11, it can only be used to install on a new computer, not to upgrade. As far as information is currently available, as long as your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements of Windows 11 (compatible Intel, AMD or Qualcomm processor, at least 4GB of RAM, at least 64GB of storage space, and Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled), The installation process should be no different from the update of Windows 10 through Windows Update. After downloading, it can be run by the system.

If not, you may have to download the ISO file of Windows 11 by yourself, and then install it manually. In this way, you should be able to avoid CPU and other restrictions, but you have to understand the more complicated manual actions such as hard disk partitioning and setting the boot disk. In addition, if the hardware configuration is not “approved” by Microsoft, it is possible that Windows Update will not be available in the future, but Microsoft seems to have not yet decided how strict this rule is.

Reviews

The feeling of using Windows 11 is simply “easy and happy”. Windows 10 is not ugly, but Windows 11 can provide more comfortable visual enjoyment. Although the new setting app has to get used to each setting position again, it seems to be more intuitive than before. If you hover the mouse on the “Maximize” button, an option will appear, allowing you to squeeze the window to the specified position on the screen. You can even set several apps and their window positions as “groups”, which is convenient Open together from the toolbar.

For now, the new features or modified appearance of Windows 11 has no effect on the fluency of the computer, but of course this is because of Microsoft’s minimum hardware restrictions. If you really need to find a computer that is lower than Microsoft’s requirements, or an older computer (more than five years), you probably can really compare the difference.

However, although the main editor likes the simplicity of the new design, it is still limited in some ways. The main point is for simplicity, all apps are left with icons instead of title text. In fact, Windows has been moving in this direction for many generations, but before, it was possible to reopen the title text through settings, and Windows 11 completely removed this option. For applications like Chrome or File Explorer that may have many windows under one icon, the most intuitive way is missing. You need to move the mouse over the icon to see individual content. Graphicalization of the toolbar can indeed reduce the level of confusion of the screen, but when the computer is a productivity tool, the focus should be on productivity, not beauty. This can be said to be a big advantage of Windows over macOS, but now it has become the same on both sides. If you want to select windows more intuitively, use Alt+Tab and Win+Tab more.

The start of the menu changes will probably also arouse a lot of people’s disgust. After all, it has changed from the place where all apps were displayed in the past to more of having to set up pins by yourself, or let Microsoft decide which ones to recommend to you. “Recent work” documents. Whether this change is good or bad is a matter of opinion. The editors of the main website are used to pressing the Windows key and typing to search for software, and this function is also reserved on Windows 11, so it is unusual to see the start menu.

The touch screen experience of Windows 11 will be another important point, and overall, the editors of the main website feel that it is easier to touch the target than Windows 10. Microsoft makes the app more sensitive to touch, especially when changing the window size, it can be smoother. Windows 11 hasn’t turned into a touch-sensitive interface, but it’s not the case (do you remember Windows 8…), but for a two-in-one notebook with touch function or a tablet like Surface, Windows 11 is undoubtedly It’s a better experience than Windows 10.

However, the editor of the main site is just one person’s opinion. In the end, whether these changes in Windows 11 are reasonable or not depends on the public’s response. Most of Engadget’s editors ended up using it after a while, but at least one of them changed the taskbar back to left-aligned. The dilemma that Microsoft faces is that any changes to Windows will inevitably cause a backlash. Presumably, Windows 11 will not be too popular in the first place. It is probably in Microsoft’s expectation. The next thing is that after a while, everyone will get used to it. Yes, it’s still like Windows 8.

So, should you upgrade?

In fact, it is not so much that it should be upgraded, as it is inevitable. Starting from a new factory computer, to the gradual upgrade of existing computers, the share of Windows 11 will only continue to increase. In essence, apart from re-adapting to some usage habits of the taskbar and start menu, Windows 11 is not very different on the surface, and it will also bring higher security and faster game loading. Entry speed, and (in the future) direct Android app simulation, these are all reasons to upgrade.

So Windows 11 is a relatively conservative step forward, giving people a feeling of “if something is not broken, don’t fix it”. Perhaps what Microsoft needs is just to make people “feel” that Windows has been upgraded. It can catch the eyes of old computer users and make them want to change to a new computer. That has already achieved the purpose of launching Windows 11.