Microsoft announced the release of the new Windows 11 operating system on October 5. Users of the previous version of the operating system will be offered a free upgrade.
Starting October 5, stores will start selling computers with Windows 11 preinstalled. Those who purchase new computers with Windows 10 preinstalled will be the first to be offered a free upgrade. As the new operating system is assessed for compliance with the older hardware, the update will be offered to other groups of users. Microsoft expects the update to be available for all eligible devices by mid-2022.
Microsoft has listed the main new features of the operating system:
- new design and system sounds;
- integration of Microsoft Teams chat into the taskbar;
- more options for working in the cloud;
- a new Microsoft Store application store, in the coming months they plan to integrate applications for the Android mobile operating system;
- optimization of the system for work with touch screens and voice input.
Microsoft will support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025, writes The Verge.
The minimum system requirements for Windows 11 are a processor with a clock speed of at least 1 GHz and two cores, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of memory on disk.
Microsoft previously claimed that Windows 11 is the “most secure” operating system in the family and runs faster than Windows 10 in most tasks. The size of updates for the OS will be reduced by 40%, and its efficiency will increase due to improvements in working with tasks in the background.
