Microsoft calls this new feature Snap Assist, and it makes it easier to arrange open apps on your desktop into Layouts and Groups. There's also some useful new options for arranging windows on your desktop. The biggest change you’ll notice when upgrading is the new design: Windows 11 still has the traditional desktop and taskbar, but now there are some new buttons on the taskbar alongside the Start button and they’re all centered in the middle, rather than clustered in the left corner. Despite its remarkably stringent system requirements the new and improved Windows is, on the surface, very similar to Windows 10, and after testing it myself since launch I can tell you that it's completely usable. If your PC qualifies, upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 should be free, so the only potential roadblock is your fear of change.Īnd while some of that fear may be well-founded, in general I think you'll find Windows 11 is a very inoffensive operating system. That's really all there is to it, for most of us. While this feature didn't work at launch, Windows 11 users can finally try out Android apps in a limited form as Microsoft inches closer to delivering full-fledged native Android app support on Windows 11.

Native Android app support: While it's not quiet operational yet, Microsoft has promised that Windows 11 will run Android apps natively thanks to Intel’s Bridge Technology.You can also use the new Task View button on the taskbar to organize and switch between different Desktops too, which can be a handy way to silo off work from fun. Just hover your pointer over the minimize/maximize button in the top-right corner of any app window and Windows 11 will show you a menu of potential windows layouts to choose from. New tools for managing windows/desktops: Windows 11's new Snap Assist feature is one of my faves, as it makes arranging the windows on your desktop way easier.It's a neat but, in my experience, mostly useless feature. New Widgets menu: Windows 11 users can cause a pane of auto-updating widgets and news stories to fly out of the left-hand side of the screen.Now there's a clear search bar above two simple, customizable sections: one for pinned apps, the other for files/apps Windows 11 recommends for you (like recently-opened files). New Start menu: In addition to now being in the center of the taskbar by default (though you can move it back to the left-hand side using the Taskbar settings menu), the Windows 11 Start button opens a simpler, more streamlined Start menu.And hey, Windows apps (like Notepad) finally get a Dark Mode. Much of the interface is easier to navigate via touchscreen, and it does a much better job of intelligently adapting when you connect or disconnect displays. Overhauled visual design: Nearly every corner of Windows 11 has been updated to fit in with Microsoft’s Fluent Design language, which emphasizes rounded corners, centered text and bigger, more colorful icons.While there's a nigh infinite number of minor changes affecting everything from the appearance of menus to the location of specific settings, here are the major changes worth knowing about:

Just download the Windows PC Health Check app from the official Windows 11 page. If you’re unsure about what hardware your PC has, or you want to be doubly sure that you’ll be able to upgrade to Windows 11 when the time comes, there is a way to check. (And yes, you can actually upgrade to Windows 11 without a TPM 2.0 if you really want to, but the hassle and risk are rarely worth it given how minor the difference is between Windows 10 vs 11.) How to check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11

Internet: Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft account to complete device setup on first use.

Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel.

Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.

TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.

System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable.

CPU: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).

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Upgrade to windows 11 for free