by Christine Betterton-Jones – Knowledge junkie
Here’s a summary of the points raised at the JCCs interactive presentation on February 24th.
Why Windows 11? – we were led to believe that Windows 10 would be the be-all and end-all of Windows versions. Why then, have they suddenly come up with Windows 11? Couldn’t they just have called it Windows 10.1? …..and there are rumours of a Windows 12 (so far, these are only only rumours)
Possible reasons:
- Microsoft no longer wants the burden of supporting old hardware, hence Windows 11 is only compatible with fairly recent 64 bit PCs. For the full hardware requirements see:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-faq-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/
- It’s all about security. Windows 11 requires hardware which can provide extra protections against cyber attack and hackers.
For this analysis see:
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3623772/the-real-reason-for-windows-11.html
So If I’m stuck with Windows 10, is my PC therefore insecure? Should I go out and buy a new one? I can’t afford it. New PCs are getting more expensive what with the economic disruption caused by Covid, extreme weather events and now war in Ukraine….
- Don’t worry about your Windows 10 security. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until 2025.
- The bad guys are mostly targeting big corporations and governments, many of whom use Windows and Microsoft Office – hence they are the targets. As discussed in a previous JCC presentation, keep your browser up to date, follow basic security advice and you’ll be fine – and tell the guy who rings you from “Microsoft” to go away. https://javeacomputerclub.com/2021/03/18/internet-security-and-privacy-2021/
How is the user interface in Windows 11 different from Windows 10 ?
- The User Interface has changed in several ways. The most obvious changes are to the Start Menu and Task Bar. Both are now placed centrally. The menu looks a bit like that of an Android phone, the task bar like that of an Apple iMac. Here’s a review:
https://www.theverge.com/22708762/microsoft-windows-11-review
- Several of the features much beloved by Windows 10 users have been removed, (e.g. the Quick Actions centre to the right of the task bar) however Microsoft has decided to use the next Windows 11 upgrade to put back some of the things it took away (such as drag and drop onto the task bar)…plus some other goodies. See:
https://www.windowslatest.com/2022/02/17/windows-11-build-22557-released-with-tons-of-new-features/
Why did they take these things out of Windows 11 in the first place? The whole thing looks like a rushed, botched job!
- Yes, it seems that Microsoft was in big a hurry. It’s not clear why (maybe in response to an increase in cyber attacks??)
See: Seven things we hate about Windows 11
https://www.windowscentral.com/seven-things-we-hate-about-windows-11
….and we didn’t get time to discuss the fact that Microsoft now requires users to sign up for a Microsoft account to install the OS and that it’s quite tricky to change the default browser away from Edge and the default search engine away from Bing. Windows 11 does look pretty though…