It all started with Windows 3.1. That guy was a game changer and made what used to be machines for schools, institutions, offices and were of great complexity, for everyone else!

You probably won’t remember this, and hit the Google machine immediately. But for those of us who were there– The 3D-looking buttons, the “window” that held what we wanted done. The fact that we could do 2 things at once! And a magical arrow that goes where we tell it to using a rodent… No need to memorize some Dennis Miller ratio–

C:/DOS

C:/DOS/RUN

RUN/DOS/RUN

Oh, the games! This made the personal computer a truly rounded device. Hearts, Solitaire, and the one no one knew how to play, but played it anyway– Minesweeper.

After that, Windows gave us the ups and downs

👍 Windows 95

👎 Windows 98

👍 Windows 98 SE

👎 Windows ME

👍 Windows XP

👎 Windows Vista

👍 Windows 7

👎 Windows 8

👍 Windows 10

Now– Windows 11? Will it be a complete overhaul like some of the good Windows? Will it just be a facelift like the fabled Windows ME? Would it be near perfection like Windows 7 that can still stand on its own today? Will it be a big tease like Windows 8 and just ruin a lot of good days? Are we getting an early thanksgiving on the October 5 release?

Right now, there’s a Windows 11 beta version out for testers, bloggers, and tech enthusiasts. The reviews have not been overwhelming but tend to skew to the positive.

Here are XX reasons to get ready for Windows 11.

1. New Look. Of course, every new OS comes with a facelift! It’s what turns heads and Windows 11 is no different. Yes, they moved the menu to the middle, hid some right click options, changed the view of system stuff to a little more eye pleasing, hiding the very techy options under menus.

2. Better user experience. As the lines blur between computers and phones and devices, Windows 11 boasts of changes like custom lay-outs. Now you can arrange everything in the way that you like it. You can create profiles, desktops, and bend them to your will.

3. Better at games. We sure hope so. Windows 11 promises to use the power of the GPU to decompress games, using DirectStorage. Microsoft also says they will be opening the store to third party apps and games, giving us more choices. Some even say that it can run Android apps. Not to mention the automatic HDR that really matches your HDR displays. Windows has a split-screen option (although it’s a registry trick) that allows you to see a game like my favourite coffee– half and half. I can say it is amazing, the difference is night and day on some games.

4. Hardware Security that’s getting a lot of thumbs up. TPM and Secure Boot– checks your system before boot-up VBS and HVCI– isolates a memory page to ensure what your running won’t touch the system yet, MDAG– isolates your browser in separate memory instance. Although these are a little over simplified explanations, the heart of the matter is, if your hardware can support it, these are features you would greatly benefit from.

Here are some other things to consider too:

☞ Internet Explorer is now officially dead; no longer pre-installed. It’s going to be retired by Microsoft on June 15, 2022, give it up people…

☞ The “Start” has changed a lot, no more folders in the menu, moved to the middle. And for the weird techs out there, you can’t put it on the left side of the monitor.

☞ OneNote. If you ever tried to use it, it’s gone.

☞ Paint 3D which never really took off is saying goodbye

☞ Skype won’t be pre-installed

☞ Since Windows 11 will support a lot of hardware security features, it puts a heavy price tag on the actual devices that can use it. No word from Microsoft if they will allow older computers to use it. How it looks like is processors and motherboards made in the last 3-4 years can support it.

Get the official word here, as well as the official hardware checker too:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications

Should you or your company jump the gun on this new Windows so close to Thanksgiving?

My verdict, unless your hardware is amazingly new, and you want to game really well, then I would wait it out.

If experience has told us anything (remember Windows 8, which was a real pain? Or for those who waited, Windows 98SE). Microsoft tends to work out the kinks and even sometimes put in some leeway on the requirements if we wait a bit for the first major update. Granted the security features are tempting, both for personal or enterprise use and the gaming features show a lot of promise, it would be a major change both on the users end, and on our budgets.

If you’re still unsure, we can help. Give Boom Logic a quick email and we can walk you through what you gain from being an early adaptor, or how your office can save from taking it slow. We have the resources, we have the knowledge, let’s talk, hey, it’s free.