Windows 11 Versus Windows 10 - Which is Better for Me?
Microsoft has created a lot of chatter recently about its plans to release a new Windows 11 operating system. It is supposed to be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users. However, it will not run on all computers.
They posted a software program called PC Health Check Tool that could be downloaded and run to find out if a user's machine was compatible with Windows 11. However, that program already has been taken off the company's website and there is talk that it was giving inaccurate results.
This is the kind of thing that spurs a lot of users to call me, so let me offer a few comments that might be helpful.
Many of us who were using Windows 7 or 8.1 when Windows 10 came out will remember how much speculation there was then, and how the initial release of Windows 10 seemed to have a lot of bugs. That's probably the best gauge we have on how the Windows 11 release will go.
Public release of Windows 11 is not expected until October. I expect to try out a "beta" version of it before then, but on a test machine - NOT my main PC. There's plenty of time anyway to see how the release goes, and I suggest not reaching any hasty conclusions about your PC becoming outdated all that soon.
Each new Windows version takes me down a memory lane tour. I started on 3.1 after using Apple and DOS machines for years. We ran 95, 98 and ME around the house in the early 2000's. I ran my home business on XP for years then worked through Vista and Windows 7 as my old hardware wore out. I learned just enough of 8.1 to navigate it fluently, but was happy to migrate to Windows 10 as it proved to be so much more stable and secure for my needs. Windows 10 updates unfortunately still cause glitches for a lot of users, but my own experience with it has been positive.
Why Windows 11? Windows 10 was supposed to be the endpoint of the product line, but I don't think anybody ever seriously believed that.
Microsoft support says that in order to download Windows 11 on PCs, users need to meet certain hardware requirements - 1GHz or faster processor with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or larger storage space, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 and a graphics card that is compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
Ignore the Greek. Bottom line is, you don't know if an upgrade on a machine will go smoothly until you try it. Since we're looking at the fall pre-holiday season as the earliest point of public release, a typical PC user might be wondering what they should do now in the meantime.
These are the things I suggest could be helpful for any user whether you end up upgrading to 11, or get a new machine, or simply stick with 10:
- Try to get your files in order, or keep them in order, so you can do a backup smoothly if you transition;
- Same goes for your passwords list, and your software licenses list;
- Check to see if your browser or machine is using a signed-in ID;
- See if either is using the cloud to backup any of your files, or data related to optimizing your web activity; and
- Consider whether you might do well to reduce the number of programs you have preloading or installed on your current machine.
These are housekeeping items that a typical user might only need to consider doing quarterly, or even only annually for light computer use. But they can be especially good checkpoints to take care of when you know that a major new release is coming.
Further follow-up comments:
A lot of home computer users are wondering what Microsoft's rollout of Windows 11 means for them - Wiill Windows 10 computers still work, for how long? and what choices are available?
Windows 11 "officially" came out on the retail market yesterday, October 5, 2021.
The big question for most home users is - Will I have to switch to Windows 11? Probably not.
Some Windows 10 computers may have the capability of updating to Windows 11. There's a tool available from Microsoft to check on whether your machine can handle the new operating system. If not, it should continue operating normally.
Is there a cut-off date for Windows 10 support?
Microsoft support for Windows 10 computers will continue until 2025. After that, "official" support will end. However, in practice Microsoft has continued to send security and and system updates to users of even older Windows versions well past their official cut-off dates. This means that if you have a Windows 10 computer it should continue to be useful for at least several more years.
Just like when Windows 10 came out, it will take awhile to get the bugs out. Retailers still are carrying Windows 10 computers in their inventory. So there may be good deals on Windows 10 computers this season. If you have a computer that older and slowing down, it actually could be a good time to replace it for a good mark-down on a Windows 10 PC that's got more memory and a newer, more robust processor.
What other computer choices are out there?
More and more home users are using tablet computers (such as androids, iPads, Amazon Fire tablets), or thin client type computers like the Surface, Chromebook and others. These have the advantage of simplicity, as well as light-weight mobility.
Many people also are using smart phones in lieu of computers for many tasks. (Smart phones are minaturized tablet computers that also function to handle phone tower signals.)
Tablets and smart phones may be convenient, but manual dexterity and vision can be factors in how useable they are for individual users.
Mac computers are an alternative to Windows PC's, but Apple's operating systems do go through major updates too, and navigation on Apple machines (Macs as well as iPods and iPhones) is rather different from competing computer systems.
What about setup on a new device?
Getting set up on a new computer or mobile device fortunately is easier and more straightforward than in the past. Also, getting your files transferred from old to new devices is easier - whether by cable connection, external storage, or cloud transfer.
All in all, Microsoft's Windows 11 rollout is not a reason for worry. There is no looming deadline to switch over, and there are numerous choices available.
If you are considering whether to get a new computer or mobile device though, there is a wider range of choices available depending on your mobility, vision, space-saving or other needs.
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