This week Windows 11 was officially launched after being available to those in the Windows Insiders program for the last few months. While some are pointing out Microsoft’s promise that Windows 10 was supposed to be the last version of Windows, others are pointing out the benefits and flaws of the new system. Today I am going to go through the requirements that your computer will need to install it, some of the benefits, a few issues with it, and how to install it if you want to.
Requirements:
Before you can consider installing Windows 11 you will need to do some research on your own device, or if you plan to buy a new one on that device. Above all else there is one thing your computer will need and that is a TPM 2.0 module. This one little chip has caused a lot of frustration within the IT community as it can be a nuisance for casual users to figure out if their device has it or not, this is compounded by the fact that some manufacturers call it something else despite it being the same module. It should be noted that most computers do not have a TPM module, the exception being most business computers and ones designed with Windows 11 in mind. This is extremely important with Black Friday/Cyber Monday coming up as most of the computers on sale are unlikely to have one so keep an eye out on any information available on the device and do some research if you want to run Windows 11 on it. If you need help with this, feel free to contact us using the information here.
Aside from a TPM 2.0 module, you will need Windows 10 to upgrade for free, a CPU with two or more cores, 4 GB of RAM, and at least 64 GB of storage (I would suggest at least 250 GB to be safe to allow for personal files, software, and Windows updates). If you use your device for gaming, you will need a few extra parts to get the most out of Windows 11 due to the new Direct Storage system, and graphical requirements.
Benefits to Upgrading:
To be clear I have not tested Windows 11 myself as I can’t seem to get a TPM 2.0 chip for my computer at the time of writing and I can’t justify purchasing a new computer just for a free blog. However, I have been keeping an eye on news reports to fill in the gaps of my knowledge. The first benefit of using Windows 11 is directly linked to the TPM module, and that is the enhanced security that the module provides to the device in terms of enhanced encryption of user files and it makes it harder for malware to infect the device. The next benefit that I have seen is that it is very easy to install, assuming your device meets the requirements of course. The third benefit applies to gamers only, and even then, it is not available yet, and that is Direct Storage, this system was first developed for Microsoft’s XBOX Series X console. Direct Storage has some hefty hardware requirements of its own, but if it works as planned it could greatly improve a gamers experience in terms of load times by loading data into the GPU straight from the computers NVMe storage (i.e., the hefty hardware requirements).
Issues to be Aware of:
Now let’s look at some issues that have been reported. First and foremost, it should be noted that Windows 11 is new, despite being tested by Windows Insiders, issues and bugs are likely to pop up especially once updates start to roll out so be careful. The second, and probably most obvious negative is the frustrating requirements outlined above. The next thing that many tech critics are frustrated by is the deeper integration of the Edge browser and the Bing search engine, both created by Microsoft. This was already something that many did not like about Windows 10 as it would constantly try to direct the user towards them at appropriate times with very few ways to get around them; with Windows 11 most of these ways have been removed. Another potential issue for some, is that a few features from Windows 10 have been removed, these include but are not limited to: the task view feature, tablet mode, and live tiles in the start menu. While some of these are no loss, the likes of task view may have been useful for those with multiple devices editing documents or photos on the go, and personally I like using tablet mode even without a touchscreen as the Start menu is much larger for many apps and shortcuts.
Conclusion:
From what I have read, Windows 11 is not for everybody, at least right now, regular users whose PCs meet the requirements may have no issues with it and can probably install it when they are prompted to do so. Gamers and those using the device for work may want to wait and see what other features get added such as Direct Storage and Android Apps, before installing it. As always, I would recommend that if you are considering upgrading do some research or contact Tech Advice for some help cutting through the jargon. When I eventually upgrade myself, I will post a review here.
The flowing sources contributed information to this article:
PC Pro Magazine Issue 326; can be purchased from bookstores and some newsagents.
Microsoft article on Windows 11 requirements: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/windows-11-specifications#table1
Thank you for reading this article and as always if you have any suggestions for future articles post them in the comments here or on Facebook.
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