Windows 11, the revolutionary new… skin (?) for Windows 10
The disappointing announcement of Windows 11
In 2015, it was announced at the Microsoft Ignite event that Windows 10 would be the final version of Windows.
However, a few days ago, Microsoft officially announced Windows 11, surprising us all.
As an avid Windows 10 user, this hit me as a pleasant surprise.
I didn’t know what to expect, but this sudden announcement of Windows 11 may have brought my expectations too high.
Changes in Windows 11
I was fairly disappointed because Windows 11 didn’t offer too many new features other than a new look. Here is a list of new features (not changes in appearance) that Windows 11 added:
- Android Apps
- Widgets
- Window Layouts
As you can see, there are not too many significant changes other than the added ability to run Android Apps on your PC.
Unfortunately, these features either already exist or will not be of much use.
Android Apps
This was the feature that I was most impressed by. With Windows 11, Android apps will run natively and can be downloaded through the Microsoft Store.
This gives access to your favourite mobile apps such as Minecraft, TikTok, Kindle, etc.
However, there are still some downsides and limitations.
First of all, this is an obvious response to Apple’s reveal of its M1 chips, allowing users to run iOS apps on macOS.
This raises similar concerns as to when Apple first announced this capability. How well would various methods of input work with mobile apps? These apps will need to handle input from the touchpad, mouse, and drawing tablets. This raises doubts over how well the apps will be integrated into a computer.
I was also never a big fan of the Microsoft Store and greatly preferred the traditional desktop apps. The Microsoft Store counterparts were always missing features, looking weird, and much more janky overall.
Additionally, the apps in the Microsoft Store will not be directly from the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android apps; they are getting the apps from the Amazon App Store, a third-party app store.
That means that the selection of apps will be limited. Users may still fall back to emulators like Bluestacks, which allows people to play mobile games from a computer.
I am hoping that Windows 11 will allow users to directly install Android Package Kit (APK) files. Hypothetically, as long as you can obtain the APK of an app, you will be able to install it on your PC.
Widgets
This also seems like a copy of an existing feature. Both iOS and Android have widgets now, and Microsoft may be copying them.
However, widgets have long existed in the Microsoft Edge browser.
You can see that the information contained in the first image is nearly identical to that of the second.
Both contain information about the weather, the markets, and news. There are a few differences though. In the first image, there is information from local apps, such as Microsoft To-Do. The widgets from the browser contain multiple ads, while the first one is very clean.
Snap Layouts
For many, this will be a very useful feature. Snap layouts will allow windows to be able to be placed in more than the old two-column layout. This will allow for better organization and a smoother user experience overall.
Unfortunately again, this feature has already existed in Windows 10. A Microsoft-made app called PowerToys has a feature they named FancyZones. With FancyZones, users can design custom window layouts in addition to the default ones.
As you can see, the snap layouts that will be added are redundant features that Windows 10 users can have for free.
Why did Microsoft even make Windows 11?
When Microsoft announced the new Windows, they advertised it with the theme of “centred-ness”. (This is why they moved the taskbar icons to the centre)
They want the experience to be centred around the user. Rather than excluding other ecosystems, they want to seem inclusive.
For example, Apple wants to keep you in its ecosystem. Transferring files between iPhone and Mac is seamless with AirDrop. But as soon as you leave their Garden of Eden, everything becomes a huge pain.
I’m not too sure how many practical changes they made to fulfil that promise. Meanwhile, I’ll still be waiting for a reliable way to send large files between iPhone and PC.
I believe that the announcement of Windows 11 was more of a PR stunt, especially when everyone expected Windows 10 to be the last version.
Microsoft hinted that Windows 11 would be released in October of 2021 as a free update for existing Windows users.
Offering it as a free download, I think Microsoft recognizes that Windows 11 is not much of an upgrade from Windows 10.
As we wait, I hope that Windows 11 will surprise me with changes I have not thought of before.
Let me know what you think about Windows 11 in the comments section.
