Happy birthday! Windows 11, the latest and greatest version of Microsoft’s operating system, just crossed an important milestone this week as it became one year old.
The OS reached general availability on October 5, 2021.
How time flies!
This version had its roots in the ill-fated Windows 10X operating system. But while it may have been unceremoniously discontinued, it did inspire Windows 11 in a number of key areas, most notably the user interface.
Microsoft baked many changes into Windows 11 compared to the traditional modern Windows experience that most people were used to, including a new Start Menu and centered taskbar icons.
Over the course of the year, the operating system has substantially evolved since its initial release.
Many of these additions arrived as part of the first major operating system update, the newly released Windows 11 2022 Update, and many more are incoming as Redmond finalizes the testing with Insiders.
Prime among them is the enhancement to the File Explorer, which amplifies its capabilities by adding tabs to help you organize your sessions like you would on a web browser.
The operating system’s built-in inbox apps also undergo numerous changes and improvements that continue to improve with each passing month. Many of these were completely refreshed and redesigned for the new OS, with a look and feel in line with the Windows 11 UI.
Now, while Microsoft has not specified the adoption figures for its newest operating system — not even on the eve of its first birthday — the company has said that it is serving more than a billion people.
A fact, that when we combine with third-party statistics, shows that hundreds of millions have already made the jump to Windows 11. And countless more continue to do so every day.
Not bad for an OS that is a year old!
