Windows 11 much watch video

Not everything new is new

Many of the features Microsoft mentions as being new in Windows 11 are actually in Windows 10 already (or easily added).

Microsoft Teams can be installed in Windows 10.
The new Microsoft Store looks very much like the old Microsoft Store, with the revamped Windows 11 look and feel and additional marketing from Disney.
Windows Security is being touted in some of Microsoft’s materials. It’s already built in to Windows 10.
Virtual Desktops have been improved, but I’m not seeing how. They work fine for me in Windows 10, and I use them heavily.

Before you use new features in Windows 11 as a reason to upgrade, make sure you don’t have them available already in Windows 10.

Not everything new is good

It turns out that it can be extremely difficult to set a new default browser in Windows 11. At its worst (and, naturally, the worst turns out to be the most likely scenario) it now involves making multiple changes in the Settings app to make the switch.

I honestly expect and hope that this will be one of the first issues addressed in Windows 11 updates. As it stands, it’s bound to cause a significant amount of not-very-positive feedback.


You don’t need to update to Windows 11

That’s just a cursory overview of my initial reactions to Windows 11. It’s nice, but there’s no rush.

And, to be clear:

You do not need to update to Windows 11.

No one is forcing you to update to Windows 11.
You probably don’t need a new machine to update to Windows 11, unless your machine is quite old.
Windows 10 will be supported at least into 2025 — a full three years from this writing.

As I said, I’m somewhat underwhelmed with Windows 11. I suspect that’s a good thing. The number of changes aren’t overwhelming, and certainly none are what I’d consider to be catastrophic (except maybe for that default browser change thing). It’s an upgrade that’s not compelling, yet interesting enough to perhaps take at your leisure.

Right now, though, unless you just can’t contain yourself, I recommend not updating to Windows 11. Wait for more of the dust to settle and issues to be discovered and worked out.

Windows 10 is just fine.