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Windows 11 release date sounds like it'll be sooner than we first thought

 


Nearly six years on from the release of Windows 10, Microsoft has finally unveiled the Windows 11 operating system, featuring a cleaner, more Mac-like design and a bunch of new features. Windows 11 will be available as a free download for existing Windows users during the 2021 holiday season, according to a Microsoft blog post published after the virtual announcement event. However, new clues suggest that the update may actually arrive earlier. (Here's how to download Windows 11 once it's available, and everything you need to know about Windows 11.) 

The free upgrade will begin to roll out to eligible Windows 10 PCs around the holidays (which would suggest November or December), and will continue into 2022, the post said. No specific date was announced. But it appears that Microsoft and laptop retailers may be hinting at an earlier release time: October. 


During the Windows 11 reveal event, a Microsoft Teams message popped up on the demo screen that said "excited to turn it up to 11... can't wait for October!" And many press images for Windows 11 include a date of Oct. 20 in the taskbar, The Verge noted. Plus, Walmart's website lists a "free Upgrade to Windows October 2021 when available" on certain laptops. 

When asked about the October hints, Microsoft said it had nothing to share.

To find out if your computer will be compatible with Windows 11, check out our guide here. And if you just can't wait for the final release, you can download the Windows 11 Insider Preview build now. 

If you haven't updated to Windows 10 yet, you can still take advantage of a trick for downloading Windows 10 free that still works. Now would be a good time to make the switch to prepare your machine for the Windows 11 upgrade. 


Windows 11: What to know about the beta download, new features, device compatibility, price and more

Windows 11 is coming soon. These are all of the new features and other details about Microsoft's big update you need to know.

 

Windows 11 is on its way. Microsoft unveiled "the next generation of Windows" at its virtual event in June, and with it, some big changes to the long-standing operating system, including its first name change in six years. The announcement follows Microsoft's roll out the latest version of Windows 10, the Windows 10 May 2021 update (also known as version 21H1). 

Now playing: Windows 11: Top new features in 2021
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Windows 11 includes a slew of new features, like the ability to download and run Android apps on your Windows PC and updates to Microsoft Teams, the Start menu and the overall look of the software, which is more clean and Mac-like in design. (Here are all of our favorite new Windows 11 features and how to use them.) 

Here's every detail we know so far about Windows 11, including price, compatibility, release date, how to download the beta, new features and more.

7 new features included in Windows 11

Here are a few of the standout new features in Windows 11:

  • A new, more Mac-like interface. Windows 11 features a clean design with rounded corners, pastel shades and a centered Start menu and Taskbar. 
  • Integrated Android apps. Android apps will be coming to Windows 11 and installable from within the new Microsoft Store via the Amazon Appstore. (There were a couple of ways to access Android apps on Windows 10, including if you had a Samsung Galaxy phone, but this will make it native.) 
  • Widgets. While they've been around for a while (remember desktop gadgets on Windows Vista?), including in a recent Windows 10 update, you can now access widgets directly from the Taskbar and personalize them to see whatever you'd like. 
  • Microsoft Teams integration. Teams is getting a face-lift and will be integrated directly into the Windows 11 Taskbar, making it easier to access (and a bit more like Apple's FaceTime). You'll be able to access Teams from Windows, Mac, Android or iOS. 
  • Xbox tech for better gaming. Windows 11 will get certain features found in Xbox consoles, like Auto HDR and DirectStorage, to improve gaming on your Windows PC. 
  • Better virtual desktop support. Windows 11 will let you set up virtual desktops in a way that's more similar to MacOS, toggling between multiple desktops for personal, work, school or gaming use. 
  • Easier transition from monitor to laptop, and better multitasking. The new OS includes features called Snap Groups and Snap Layouts -- collections of the apps you're using at once that sit in the Taskbar, and can come up or be minimized at the same time for easier task switching. They also let you plug and unplug from a monitor more easily without losing where your open windows are located. 

 

 

 

 

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