I used to replace to the most recent model of Home windows the second it turned accessible, however when Home windows 11 launched, I did not actually prefer it and shortly reverted to Home windows 10. Now that Home windows 10 help is ending quickly, I’ve given Home windows 11 one other attempt, and it is not as unhealthy as I assumed.
Why I Upgraded to Home windows 11
Once I constructed my new PC final month, I used to be confronted with two choices: stick with Home windows 10 till October after which contemplate updating, or chew the bullet and make the change now.
Because it at the moment stands, Home windows 10 help is scheduled to end in October 2025. Whereas I might technically proceed utilizing it, it is not a good suggestion. First, it might expose my PC to security threats, and second, it might restrict total software program help. As builders shift their focus to Home windows 11, apps for Home windows 10 will doubtless obtain fewer updates or face extra bugs. Even the first-party Microsoft Workplace will no longer be supported.
What tipped the scales was the most recent Home windows 11 24H2 replace introduced a ~10% performance improvement for AMD CPUs. Since I purchased a Ryzen 7 7700, this was a no brainer. When you’re not accustomed to efficiency figures, that is a considerable enchancment (roughly equal to a more moderen era CPU). Plus, as a tech journalist, I ought to keep on the bleeding edge in order that I am within the know.
I Made 11 Behave Extra Like Home windows 10
After going by means of Home windows’s pesky setup course of (referred to as the “Home windows Out of Field Expertise”), I used to be greeted by a house display screen that felt considerably unfamiliar, although not totally international. Whereas all the pieces was technically there, it wasn’t in the identical place I used to be used to from older variations of Home windows.
Like many different individuals, I am delicate to any main adjustments in my major working system. So, to ease my preliminary OS anxiousness, I made Windows 11 look like Windows 10. Probably the most evident downside I had was the Begin menu being within the heart. It felt misplaced, as if it did not belong there. Happily, I mounted this by merely shifting it to the underside left nook the place it belongs.
My second grievance needed to do with the brand new right-click context menu in File Explorer. In principle, it is designed to assist customers discover commonly-used choices for a particular file. For instance, choices like “Minimize” and “Copy” had been changed with easy-to-understand icons on the high so the context menu might take up much less house.
Whereas I can respect this reinvention (and I am positive some individuals like it), it is not for me. I have been utilizing Home windows for 20 years and know the outdated context menu just like the again of my hand. Happily, I used to be in a position to get the legacy context menu again, and I used to be off to the races.
The Interface Enhancements Are Refined however Significant
As soon as I configured Home windows 11 to my liking, I used to be shocked by how related it felt to 10. The Begin menu is extra intuitive and has extra room for my apps, the taskbar is barely taller and simpler to make use of, the Task Manager feels extra trendy, the brand new Settings app is healthier organized, and the ugly Action Center (right-side menu) from Home windows 10 has been revamped right into a smaller, sleeker system tray. I additionally respect the expanded help for system-wide darkish mode.
All these small adjustments add as much as create a greater consumer expertise with out altering how I work together with the system. One other nice instance of a small however significant change is the calmer error sound, which does not induce panic just like the older Home windows error sounds.
I Love the New Notepad
I am singling out Notepad as a result of it is my most-used Windows app. I exploit it for all the pieces—note-taking, brainstorming, fast calculations, and extra. The brand new Windows 11 Notepad retains all of the core parts that make it nice however in a greater package deal. It is sleeker, automatically saves your notes, has extra text editor features, and supports tabs. Oh, and it lastly helps darkish mode.
Once I first heard about these Notepad adjustments, I used to be anxious that it’d turn out to be too bloated. Nevertheless, Microsoft has achieved a superb job of enhancing my beloved app with out dropping its simplicity.
When you’re nonetheless on the fence about Home windows 11, that is comprehensible. You’ll be able to proceed utilizing Home windows 10 till October, however by then, I would strongly suggest making the change (or possibly even trying Linux). The excellent news is that Home windows 11 is fairly strong—definitely higher than it was at launch.