The so-called “rollout” – i.e. the gradual delivery of Windows 11 will start on 5 October 2021, Microsoft announced today. The operating system will first be available on new PCs and later be available as a free upgrade for Windows 10 PCs.
How will customers know when Windows 11 can be installed? The notification will show automatically on the system sidebar. In the update menu (‘Settings’ > ‘Windows Update’ > ‘Check for updates’), users can also manually check whether the upgrade can already be downloaded.
It was announced previously that the Windows 11 will be available from the end of the year and eligible Windows 10 PCs will get a free upgrade. Those switching from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will have to brace themselves for some changes. The most obvious: the Start button and Start menu will move to the middle of the taskbar. The video conferencing software Teams is conveniently installed as standard.
But apart from literal superficialities (fonts, icons, sounds), the new Windows is supposed to simplify operation considerably – for example, through ‘snap layouts’, whereby windows can easily be docked on top of and next to each other. Widgets are supposed to provide quick access to news feeds and weather updates. The new ‘Desktops’ function also creates quickly changeable virtual screens for different areas of application, such as working, learning or playing.