Windows 11 has been a hot topic lately, with Microsoft releasing information about it to the public. But why is Microsoft doing this?
Is Windows 11 essential? In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the reasons behind Microsoft’s decision and what it could mean for users and businesses.
Windows 10 was supposed to be the final version; why is there a Windows 11? That’s an excellent question. Unfortunately, as is often with many questions, the reply is “it depends.”
When Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015, the concept of “Windows as a service” became a reality.
Microsoft stated that the company would keep adding features and fixing bugs to the “Windows 10” platform through updates. But we now know that no matter what Microsoft adds to Windows, it is still Windows.
However, Microsoft representatives never stated that Windows 10 would be the final version of Windows.
This was stated by Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft developer evangelist, at the company’s
“Tiles, Notifications, & Action Center” presentation about Windows 10 at Microsoft’s Ignite conference in 2015.
According to the session transcript, Nixon’s comment was more of a throwaway line that he referred to as a segue.
He stated that Microsoft developers could never talk about what they were working on now, only what they had worked on & released. That changed with Windows 10, given it was all on the same platform.
Nixon stated, “All the stuff that’s coming because we were announcing Windows 8.1, we were all working on Windows 10.”
It’s unfortunate in its own right. But that is not the case today.
“Right now, we’re releasing Windows 10, & because it’s the last version of Windows, we’re all still working on it,” Nixon explained.
“And it’s great. So I can say, “Yeah, we’re working on interactive tiles, and they’ll be available in a future update to Windows 10, right?”
Microsoft did not deny what Nixon said, but it also did not back the “latest version” of Windows.
A Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge, “Recent comments at Ignite about Windows 10 reflect how Windows will be delivered as a service, continually bringing innovations and updates, with continuous value for our consumer and business customers.
” “We can’t talk future branding now, but customers can be confident that Windows 10 will run current and work on a wide range of devices, from PCs and phones to Surface Hub, HoloLens, and Xbox.” (Italics added.)
In other words, all Microsoft would officially confirm at the time was the concept of Windows as a service and the existence of ongoing patches and updates. However, Microsoft declined to comment on the record.
So, what is Windows 11?
Based on our time with a leaked build of Windows 11, we can argue that Microsoft’s original statement is still valid.
Microsoft’s Windows 11 looks like “Windows 10+,” which is Windows 10 with a visual update that includes a new Taskbar orientation and icons, a new Start menu, Widgets, and not much else (for now).
It differs from Windows 10, but it also builds on Windows 10 in many ways. For example, almost all familiar Windows 10 apps are included in Windows 11.
Microsoft has not yet acknowledged Windows 11. However, the company has not provided any context for what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella refers to as “the next generation of Windows.
” We don’t know if Windows 11 will be the foundation for Windows in the future or if this is a parallel development track like Windows 10 S.
In reality, Windows 11 is merely a marketing tool. Windows 11 is still Windows, and it’s still Windows 10, just as Windows 10 carried over parts of Windows 8.
“Windows as a service” is not going away. Microsoft will most likely fix it and continue to add features.
Expecting Windows to continue producing “Windows 10” until the end was probably unrealistic.
So, Nixon was incorrect, and Microsoft intended to move on from Windows 10. But be gentle with Nixon: he made an enthusiastic, off-handed remark that became company policy.
Arguments for Windows 11
Here are nine reasons why Microsoft might have decided to release a major update, possibly dubbed Windows 11, rather than just another twice-yearly update to Windows 10:
Tough to compare.
As a result of the coronavirus, people rushed to buy computers so they could work and take classes from home.
This aided PC manufacturers like Microsoft. According to Gartner, a technology research company, the number of PCs shipped in 2020 will grow faster than in the previous ten years. As a result, growth rates for Windows license revenue tied to consumer PCs increased.
So, Microsoft could release Windows updates that entice people to buy new machines so that comparing their results to the pandemic computer crush doesn’t make their investor presentations look bad.
The pursuit of excellence.
There are still ways to improve Windows 10, which irritates some users with product ads and software updates.
“Our goal with Windows 10 is to move people from needing to choosing to loving Windows,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a conference call days before the operating system was released in 2015.
According to the documentation page on Microsoft’s website, “Windows 10 has a much higher Net Promoter score than Windows 7.”
As a result, users are more likely to recommend Windows 10 to their friends or coworkers. It’s a good thing, but it doesn’t mean Microsoft has reached Nadella’s Windows nirvana.
Surface Enhancement:
It’s not as popular as Windows or other Microsoft brands like Azure and Office, but Microsoft still sells its line of Surface PCs, which could be made more appealing on store shelves.
Surface sales increased by more than 30% in the second and third quarters of 2020, but not at the same rate as Chromebook sales.
A new version of Windows may cause people to make the Surface Pro convertible tablet, whose basic hardware design hasn’t changed much since 2012.
It’s beneficial to business.
Microsoft has previously stated that releasing new versions of major products such as Windows has aided the company’s revenue growth rate.
People buy PCs with Microsoft software already installed as a result of this. Historically, Windows has had a better operating margin than the rest of Microsoft, and keeping Windows growing can make the company more profitable.
Growing old.
- Microsoft supports Windows 10 up to date by releasing two updates per year. It is still almost 6 years old, making it older than its predecessors.
Google’s threat.
People use cheap Chromebook laptops with Google’s Chrome OS instead of more traditional Windows or Apple macOS computers. Chrome OS may pose a more significant threat than ever.
According to Gartner, computer manufacturers will ship 11.7 million Chromebooks in 2020.
Compared to the 79.4 million PCs shipped, that is still a small number, but Chromebooks grew by 200 percent while PCs grew by about 11 percent. The challenge for Microsoft is to entice people to return.
Developing the brand.
A fresh new Windows could help the company’s overall image. Windows 10 is the most popular operating system globally, with over 1.3 billion devices running it.
Suppose the company can persuade users that the operating system is changing.
In that case, the users may believe that the company is still innovating, making them willing to pay for other Microsoft products, like Office subscriptions.
Developers.
If Windows is redesigned, software developers may want to port their programs to it to capitalize on the renewed interest in Windows.
“Developers chose to build their apps for Windows,” Microsoft’s chief marketing officer Chris Capossela told Evercore analyst Kirk Materne on Monday.
The company could benefit from adding more popular apps to its Windows app store. People may spend more money in the store if they spend more time there.
Related article:
Apple’s threat.
Apple has threatened the Windows ecosystem by developing Mac computers that run on its Arm-based M1 chips, with longer battery life than Intel-based PCs.
Microsoft and other PC manufacturers have made Arm-based Windows 10 computers, but software compatibility issues have made it difficult for reviewers to recommend them. Microsoft could assist in this situation.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst John McPeake, with a buy rating on Microsoft stock, wrote in a note sent to analysts that “If Microsoft and the PC OEM ecosystem can offer a nearly identical user experience across Windows on x86 & Windows on Arm for the fat tail of productivity applications that matter to users, plus longer battery life, performance per watt, & 5G approaching that of the M1, we figure it would be a big winner for Windows.”
Summary
Microsoft’s Windows 11 looks like “Windows 10+,” which is Windows 10 with a new Taskbar orientation and icons.
Apple has threatened the Windows ecosystem by developing Mac computers that run on its Arm-based M1 chips, with longer battery life than Intel-based PCs.
