It’s official. After numerous reports, and a number of leaks, Microsoft today announced Windows 11, the next major version of its operating system that has been in the works for a while.
This new OS brings with it a major overhaul of the UI, gets rid of components like Live Tiles, and offers a range of improvements across the board. And while bits of this new operating system leaked via a prerelease ISO that escaped, the company showed off a lot today.
At its virtual event.
We’ll get to all that in a bit, but first here’s a video that introduces Windows 11:
Slick!
Windows 11 debuts a new Start Menu design with app icons instead of tiles, while the Taskbar icons are now centered by default. The flyouts for the Start Menu and the Action Center now float above the Taskbar, and there are new animations that make for a smoother user experience.
These UI improvements — codenamed Sun Valley — had been in development for a while now. They were originally thought to be part of an update to Windows 10. But apparently, Microsoft figured that the magnitude of changes warranted a major OS rebranding.
And here we are with a new horizon beckoning!
We’ll be running down these changes and improvements in detail in separate articles, as there is an awful lot to cover. But on the whole, there is much to be excited about for Windows enthusiasts, and a whole bunch of stuff to look forward to.
And as you might expect, Microsoft will begin testing Windows 11 soon. The first ones to receive the official build of the new OS will be Windows Insiders. Updates will gradually be released for the operating system ahead of its release to all users later this holiday.
