The visual appearance of the OS has been upgraded so the look of your software will feel a little different. Aesthetics such as the position of the start button and rounded corners instead of square ones should be pretty easy to get used to, so there’s nothing to be concerned about there.
The system has been optimised for remote working and MS assure us it will be easier to communicate with people on other devices. This is achieved by functions such as Teams being built in and more smoothly integrated, and new features make connectivity easier when moving to different locations.
If you don’t like the feel of your new OS, don’t worry. Windows 11 is more customisable than previous releases, so you can override the positioning of the start menu and other elements.
A definite bonus is the increased processing speed and lower power consumption, making mobile computing and edge computing more efficient. Updates are around 40% smaller in keeping with faster load times.
An upgrade to the security features of Windows 11 has caused some compatibility issues, and some CPUs aren’t compatible with Windows 11 due to the much higher minimum system requirements. For example, older versions of Intel and Arm processors don’t have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) built in.
TPM provides cryptographic keys which make hacking trickier, and without this, Windows 11 won’t run. A recent Lansweeper survey suggested that about half of all workstations won’t be compatible: “While the majority passed the RAM test (91%), only about 50% [of the] TPMs tested met the requirements. It’s worse for virtual machine workstations. Only 0.23% of all virtual workstations have TPM 2.0 enabled.”1
There may also be compatibility issues with certain software, especially custom, in-house software and apps. Users and IT administrators will need to check suitability before installing.
Minimum hardware requirements are also a little higher than Windows 10, and have been published by Microsoft as follows:
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB of storage
• UEFI, Secure Boot capable
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
• Graphics card compatible with DirectX 12
• Display larger than 9in with 720p or higher resolution
• Microsoft account + internet connection
Reported issues following installation have been cited as poor Wi-Fi performance, a broken search function, issues with File Explorer and problems with memory which will, in time, slow devices down.
