The new Windows 11 - Its coming this year!

It doesn't seem that long ago, that businesses here in New Zealand were told that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows ever. Well, Windows 11 has just been announced and is due out "late in 2021".

8 Key Points that your business needs to know to be ready...

Windows 11 will be an optional free upgrade to Windows 10.

You won’t need to move to Windows 11 before the end of Microsoft's support for Windows 10 in 2025.

New PCs will likely ship with Windows 11 as standard from early in 2022, but you will still be able to have Windows 10 on new PCs if you prefer.

Most PCs will run Windows 11, especially if bought in the last few years, however older or lower spec PCs may not.

The look and feel of the main screen will change – Microsoft say they designed the new interface with simplicity and ease of use in mind. Most reviews we have read so far seem to think they have done a pretty good job. So, it doesn’t look at this stage like it will be too big a job for your team to get used to another interface.

There will be many improvements and new features compared to Windows 10 – included some that could be of use to business, such as better use of MS Teams, and chat.

Unless you have a good reason to move to Win 11 and don't mind being a guinea pig, we recommend you wait and see what happens.

Ask your IT provider to suppress the ‘nag’ screens asking you and your team to upgrade – to avoid work interruptions.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:

Microsoft have made a big effort to simplify Windows in as many areas as possible, making Windows 11 easier to use.

They are trying to make it “fluid” so that creativity and productivity are improved.

They have made a special focus on improving the experience for touch screen users.

A big part of the upgrade is a new app store.

Microsoft Store will look better and match Windows 11, but the big news is they are changing how they deal with and allow developers to do things – so expect to see an even bigger range of apps becoming available over time.

Microsoft Teams is being more deeply integrated into Windows – which will likely fuel further the growth in the use of Teams we are already seeing amongst our clients.

Lastly, we have read several professional reviewers’ comments along the lines that Windows 11 is a refreshing approach to a familiar home.

Here are some of the new minimum hardware specs for hardware to run Windows 11. Most recent PCs will be fine with this, but older PCs or consumer grade PCs may not be.

Modern 64-bit dual core processor (some PCs/laptops being sold to consumers at the lower end of the price range are only single core even today)

4 GB RAM

64 GB drive

9-inch display

1366 x 768 DPI monitor resolution (most have been 1920 x 1080 for several years now)

In Summary

As the wise old saying goes, the proof is always in the pudding. However, we are optimistic, but also waiting to see how it actually works. Not all Windows versions have been welcomed by users once they have launched.

For more information check out the Microsoft blog

Need some help? 

If you want to check that you are all good to go for the new changes ahead, feel free to reach out to your local IT Support provider. You can give us a call on 07-8505742, 09-5273302 or contact us at sales@cts.net.nz

This article was kindly written by our IT Alliance associate Mark Ternent from GTB Kapiti/Wellington
IT Alliance Members:
CT Business Solutions - Hamilton
@Computer - Northland
Technology Partners - Tauranga
Vision Lab - Te Puke
AdvancedIT - Rotorua
BlackSANZ - New Plymouth
GTB - Kapiti, Wellington
Decision1 IT Solutions - Dunedin
IT Centre - Wanaka
Voicecom - Invercargill
IT Alliance Website

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