Windows has today released Windows 11, its biggest software update for more than five year.
The update to Microsoft PCs will give your computer a brand new look with new features for better multitasking capabilities and better ways to chat with friends.
There are also a few performance updates to help with gaming.
The tech giant says under the bonnet upgrades will make Windows 11 faster overall and more secure.
Window Updates will also be 40% smaller.
Windows 11 release time UK
Windows 11 will launch today (October 5) in the UK but users may face a longer wait to be able to download.
The update will see new PCs in stores coming pre-loaded with the Windows 11 update however existing users on Window 10 may need to wait a little longer.
Microsoft has said the rollout of Windows 11 to current Windows 10 users will be staggered over a number of months meaning not all users will have access to it on release day.
New design changes
Windows 11 will come with some big design changes with the start menu positioned in the middle of the screen.
The start menu will open up your most frequently used apps with other items along the task bar.
The new design is similar to the appearance on a smartphone with the use of “tiles”.
When Windows 8 was released many users complained that the start menu has been removed completely and Windows chief product officer Panos Panay said the design team had learnt from previous mistakes.
He said: “You learn from that, of course, and then you adapt.”
The new design ops for a simple system with more options to organise your folders.
The popular ‘widgets’ will make a return from Windows Vista.
Microsoft service devices
Microsoft’s new line of Surface devices, including the first Laptop Studio and second-generation Duo 2 foldable phone, show the tech firm “leading in innovation”, experts have said.
“Each new version of Windows unlocks the next generation of hardware innovation,” Microsoft’s vice president for devices, Pete Kyriacou, said at the launch last week.
“And for the last decade, Surface has been at the forefront – challenging convention, pioneering new experiences and creating entirely new categories of devices.
“Today, on the threshold of Windows 11, we are revealing the largest update to the Surface portfolio in its history.
“With PixelSense displays, new pen technology, premium mics and cameras, powerful silicon and versatile form factors, the new Surface devices are designed to take Windows innovation to the next level.”
Industry expert and analyst Geoff Blaber, chief executive at CCS Insight, agreed the new line-up of devices was a significant step forward for the company.
“Surface is a clear example of Microsoft leading in innovation. Detachable keyboards, displays, innovative hinges and all-in-one designs have been led by Microsoft and created new segments that others have followed,” he said.
“Microsoft’s hardware investments have played an important role in resurrecting the PC to the benefit of the entire industry.”
He went on: “The Surface portfolio has expanded significantly since the first device in 2012 when there was widespread scepticism about Microsoft’s return to making hardware. Fast forward nearly a decade, and it has been vindicated.
“Microsoft now has a popular line of products using a host of chipset partners and device form factors to provide a wealth of choice and price points. This coupled with tight integration with Microsoft software and services is what is differentiating the company from an Apple that has been invigorated by the success and flexibility afforded by its M1 processor.
“Microsoft’s strength is increasingly its Surface hardware coupled with its software and services. The more it can bring those elements together in hardware that spans a host of different segments and user requirements, the more competitive it becomes.”
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