Windows 11 - The Key Points for NZ Businesses

We have an updated post regarding Windows 11.

It doesn't seem that long ago we were told that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows ever. Well, Windows 11 has just been announced and is due out "late in 2021".

What you need to know:

Based on information available to date, here are the 12 key points our clients need to know:

1. Windows 11 will be an optional free upgrade from Windows 10.

2. You won’t need to move to Windows 11 until the end of Microsoft's support for Windows 10 in 2025.

3. New PCs will likely ship with Windows 11 as standard from early in 2022, but you will still be able to have Win 10 on new GTB-supplied PCs if you prefer.

4. Most PCs will run Windows 11, especially if bought in the last few years, however older or lower spec PCs may not. 

5. The look and feel of the main screen will change – Microsoft says they designed the new interface with simplicity and ease of use in mind. Most reviews we have read so far seem to think they have done a pretty good job. So, it doesn’t look at this stage like it will be too big a job for your team to get used to another interface, although some people will of course need some support.

6. There will be many improvements and new features compared to Windows 10 – included some that could be of use to business, such as better use of MS Teams, and chat.

7. GTB's recommendation at this stage for our SureIT managed service clients is to take note but do nothing! Unless you have a good reason to move to Win 11 and don't mind being a guinea pig, we recommend you wait and see what happens. We will keep watch and make a further decision probably early in 2022 on whether to advise our clients to upgrade, when and how.

8. For our managed service clients, GTB will likely suppress the ‘nag’ screens asking you and your team to upgrade – to avoid work interruptions. But at home, or if you are not on GTB SureIT, you should expect to start getting ‘upgrade now’ messages from later this year.

9. They are trying to make it “fluid” so that creativity and productivity are improved.

10. They have made a special focus on improving the experience for touch screen users.

11. A big part of the upgrade is a new app store. Microsoft Store will look better and match Windows 11, but the big news is they are allowing support for Android apps – so expect to see an even bigger range of apps becoming available over time.

12. Microsoft Teams is being more deeply integrated into Windows – which will likely fuel further the growth in the use of Teams we are already seeing amongst our clients.

GTB is optimistic, and waiting to see how it actually works, as the proof is always in the pudding, as the wise old saying goes. Not all Windows versions have been welcomed by users once they have launched.

What Windows 11 will look like:

Here’s a glimpse of the new main screen. The menu is different and comes up in the middle:

Microsoft have made a big effort to simplify Windows in as many areas as possible, making Windows 11 easier to use.

Minimum Hardware Requirements  

Here are some of the new minimum hardware specs for hardware to run Windows 11. Most recent PCs will be fine with this, but older PCs or consumer grade PCs may not be. Anything bought from GTB in the last ten+ years will be fine, unless it was specifically a low-grade PC for a restricted role. 

• Modern 64-bit dual core processor (some PCs/laptops being sold to consumers at the lower end of the price range are only single core even today)

• 4 GB RAM

• 64 GB drive

• 9-inch display

• 1366 x 768 DPI monitor resolution (most have been 1920 x 1080 for several years now)

For a lot more information – check out the Microsoft blog.