For those that managed to get through the live stream, there was at least one big surprise, but it’s the separate blog posts that provided more information. Here’s a summary, with links to where you can learn more:
- Windows 11 will be a free upgrade from Windows 10. “The free upgrade will begin to roll out to eligible Windows 10 PCs this holiday and continuing into 2022. And next week, we’ll begin to share an early build of Windows 11 to the Windows Insider Program.” (Expectations have been for an October release of bits to enterprises.)
- Introducing Windows 11 from the Windows Experience blog.
- Windows 11 will be 64-bit only, with no x86 32-bit release. It will also require a dual-core CPU (try to find a 64-bit device that doesn’t have dual cores).
- The new Store app will support installing Android apps from the Amazon app store, as well as every possible type of Windows apps (MSI, setup.exe, UWP, MSIX, etc.).
- See the same Introducing Windows 11 post.
- Microsoft announces Windows 11 will be able to run Android apps from Zac Bowden.
- Windows 11 will be updated annually (no more attempts at twice per year) via a feature update. Each release will be supported for 24 months for Home/Pro and 36 months for Enterprise/Education.
- Windows 11: The operating system for hybrid work and learning from the Microsoft 365 blog.
- Windows 11 to move to just one feature update per year from Mary Jo Foley.
- Microsoft is returning to one major feature update a year on Windows 11 from Zac Bowden.
- There will be a new Start menu experience, task bar, widgets, etc.
- Microsoft announces Windows 11, with a new design, Start menu, and more from Tom Warren.
- All of this leaked last week, so no big surprises there.
- Teams will be integrated into Windows 11 via a new Chat experience “integrated with the task bar.” (I hope it’s an app that you can remove, or an icon that you can turn off, not yet clear.)
- See the same Introducing Windows 11 post.
Out of Office Hours 