Windows 11:
What does it offer?
Do you need it?
Will your computer support it?
A copy of this presentation is available
on the Computer Club page of
www.Riderwoodlife.com
Windows 11
Microsoft has been selling
Windows since the 1980s.
Everyone has lost count of the
version numbers!
Windows 11 was announced in
June, 2021, and made available
for general users to download
starting on October 5.
Should you bite?
Cutting to the Chase
• Windows 11 seems to be much more oriented to business users than to
individuals
• The primary focus of new features in Windows 11 is security
• This is due to recent cyberthreats to organizations and new virus attacks
• To implement these new features, Microsoft requires far more specific
hardware elements than were needed in previous versions
• Individual users, such as Riderwood residents, might want to wait until
they purchase a new device before upgrading to Windows 11
• If you want to decide, start by running the tool that can look at your PC
and report on whether it will support Windows 11:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck
Windows Nomenclature:
“Versions?” “Releases?” “Editions?”
• No consistency in terms
• It seems that “editions” apply to the various options to purchase the
current version (?) release (?) of Windows: e.g. Windows 10 Pro vs.
Windows 10 Mobile – this has to do with pricing and support
• It would be nice if the “version” identified the base system (e.g.
Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10)
• But maybe the “release” applies to the update number of the current
Windows software: (e.g. 21H1 of Windows 10) … or is it the other
way around?
• The terms “version” and “release” are used interchangeably, even by
Microsoft itself
One Example (from the Settings screen)
A Brief History of Microsoft Windows
• 1985-1991: “Windows” screens looked like MS-DOS, but Microsoft was
competing with both Apple and IBM for more of a graphic interface
• 1992: Windows 3.0 had a multimedia interface and introduced virtual memory
• 1993: With Windows 3.1, Microsoft introduced its first Windows Server version
• 1995: Windows 95; sold more than a million copies in four days
• 1998: Windows 98; integrated Internet Explorer into the base OS
• February, 2000: Windows NT or Windows 2000
• July, 2000: Windows ME (“Millennium Edition”)
• 2001: Windows XP
• 2006: Windows Vista
• 2009: Windows 7
As hardware specs continue to improve, Windows adds features to
exploit them
Windows 95
The first widely distributed version of Windows, it competed directly with IBM’s OS/2
Windows 98
The integration of Internet Explorer into the base Windows caused an outcry among fans of Netscape Navigator
Windows ME
“Millennium Edition” was an intermediate release between Windows 98 and Windows 2000. It was so unstable that it was
sometimes called “Mistake Edition.”
Windows XP / Windows 2000
This was the first release to ship as two different versions: Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional
The Professional version also had separate versions for servers: Windows Server and Windows Advanced Server
Windows Vista
Windows XP was so widely accepted that few organizations upgraded to Vista
This version introduced file backup, restore, and encryption, and added parental controls
Windows “Blue Screen of Death” prior
to Windows 7
• Crashes occurred much
more frequently
• The error messages
resembled old-time DOS
screens
• Restarting Windows did not
necessarily take you back
to where you had left off
Windows 7 Desktop
This was the first release to have separate versions supporting 32-bit and 64-bit architecture
Windows 7 had improved performance over earlier releases and also supported virtual hard disks
Windows “Blue Screen of Death” after
Windows 7
• Crashes occurred much
less often
• The error messages were
more user-friendly
• Restarting Windows usually
took you back to where you
had left off
Windows Marches On
• October, 2012: Windows 8 is released with a totally new user
interface. This causes such an uproar that…
• In October, 2013, Microsoft ships Windows 8.1 with an interface
that more closely resembles earlier versions
• July, 2015: Microsoft announces Windows 10 and says that this
will be the final numbered release of Windows, with subsequent
versions just being upgrades to Windows 10, but…
• In June, 2021, Microsoft announces that it will ship Windows 11
later this year
Windows 8
What??? Is this the Windows desktop?
(Windows 8 had a focus on touch screens, so the icons were larger than in previous versions)
Windows 8.1
In this upgrade, Microsoft attempted to restore the previous desktop look and feel
Windows 10 (2015)
With this release, Microsoft introduced the concept of automatic upgrading when new features were added.
The company even said that this would be the last numbered release of Windows – only enhancements from here on!
Windows 11 (2021)
Windows 11 was announced on June 24, 2021, and was made generally available on October 5
A Closer Look at Windows 11
• The taskbar and the START button have moved to the middle of
the screen!
• Microsoft Teams and Xbox have been integrated
• Provides the ability to download and run Android apps
• 32-bit processors are no longer supported
• Security features have gotten a lot of attention
Why such a focus on security?
• With employees doing more “hybrid” work, organizations no
longer have total control over their network connections
• “Bad actors” are getting more sophisticated in their tactics
(cyberattacks and viruses)
• This combination of un-managed networks and new software
attacks creates unprecedented vulnerabilities
• Microsoft’s response: Modern threats require modern security
• Trusted Platform Model (TPM) is one example of security
protection implemented jointly in hardware and software
Hardware Requirements for Windows 11
• Microsoft offers a tool that you can run to see if your computer has
the following:
• At least 4GB of RAM
• At least 64GB hard drive
• Two or more cores
• Processor clock speed of 1Ghz or faster
• Secure Boot is supported
• TPM version 2.0 is installed and running (Version 2 was released in 2014)
• The processor uses one of the supported chips
See https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck
The Usual Disclaimer
Settings → Updates on desktop computer Settings → Updates on older laptop computer
Both computers are running the same level of Windows 10 Pro: Version 21H1, Build 19043.1288
Microsoft’s Support of Windows 10
• Microsoft’s support schedule is quite complicated (Windows 10
has seven different editions – most Riderwood users are
probably on Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro)
• These editions are supported for 18 months following the
release date of a feature update (current version is 21H1,
released in May, 2021 and supported until December, 2022)
• Windows 10 Home and Pro will no longer be supported after
October 14, 2025
Applications Supported in Windows 11
• Don’t forget to check if your
applications are supported!
• Microsoft Office 2016 and later
versions are officially supported
• Third-party apps need to be
evaluated individually
• Just because something is not
“supported” doesn’t mean it
won’t run, but you’re on your
own
Windows 10 Home and Pro
Windows 11 Home and Pro
Deciding What to Do
• Run the tool that checks your PC for ability to run Windows 11:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck
• For more details on prerequisites, see also:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications#table1
• If you will need to buy a new device to install Windows 11, think
about when you might get one anyway. Windows 11 will probably be
pre-installed on computers purchased from here on.
• If your current computer will support Windows 11, consider whether
the upgrade is worth installing, if it’s better to wait, or just to stay with
Windows 10 for another three years
Microsoft Gets the Last Word
See Microsoft’s “Windows 11 FAQ” at
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-windows-11#question-11
Q: Can I continue to use Windows 10?
A: Yes. You do not have to upgrade to Windows 11. We will continue to
support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025.
