GEEK FREE
By Joe Callison
12 July 2021
Introducing Windows 11
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11
Much to my surprise, Microsoft chose to name their “new and improved” version of Windows as 11 instead of creating a catchy new name- a missed opportunity in my opinion. I guess they were still stinging from the Millennium Edition and Vista names that did not go so well. Now let’s see if they can actually get the new version out to computer manufacturers soon enough to be pre-installed in new computers for this holiday shopping season or if it will have to be installed later as a free upgrade.
For those not looking to buy a new computer with Windows 11 pre-installed, you will have to wait until sometime in the first half of 2022 for a free upgrade to Windows 11- but only if your current computer has the hardware requirements to support it. Otherwise, you will be stuck using Windows 10 updates until Microsoft ends support of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The hardware requirements for Windows 11 are still up in the air because some are “hard” requirements that must be met and some are just arbitrary performance or security-related requirements and could be loosened if Microsoft so chooses, or users figure out how to get around them as has already been done with the TPM 2.0 (security-related) requirement, by users replacing a file in the installation media for Windows 11 with the corresponding file from Windows 10 installation media so it does not look for that requirement when installing. I wonder if Microsoft will revise the Windows 11 operating system to block that workaround?
Should you plan on buying a new computer with Windows 11? If you have a computer with an Intel 7th generation or AMD Ryzen 1st generation processor or older versions of either, it is probably time to consider buying a new computer anyway, but you can delay up to four more years if you are willing to keep using Windows 10 to the end of its support. The performance and security improvements in the Intel 8th generation or Ryzen 2nd generation and later systems are significant and they will meet the Windows 11 installation requirements. New computers designed to take advantage of many of the available Windows 11 features will be well worth considering if your current system will not support Windows 11. A list of requirements for installation of Windows 11 and the use of specific features is in the link below. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications
Windows 11 Supported Intel Processors
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors
Windows 11 Supported AMD Processors
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-amd-processors
