Microsoft has long since been following the same bad habit of releasing a good Windows OS, a bad one, then back to something decent, and rinse and repeat for all its previous versions, which is why people weren’t really expecting too much from the Windows 11 announcement a few months ago. And even though the initial features and design changes showcased back in June were very promising, people didn’t really find the hype nor motivation to psyche themselves up, so they could avoid any potential disappointment.
However, the long wait is finally over, and people are finally getting their hands on the new Windows 11 operating system, and whether it’s good or bad is still up in the air for official critics, users, and tech influencers to decide. And to help users decide whether upgrading now is the best course of action, we’ll be going over the pros and cons you will experience with the latest update.
The New OS Has A Lot Going For It
On the brighter side of things, Windows 11 actually has a lot more going for it than people gave the OS credit for, and even though it still needs a bit of polishing and optimizing here and there, we can point out numerous enjoyable features that have been added with the update. Namely, we’ve seen significant quality of life improvements with the (1) user interface & design, (2) support for better productivity, (3) increased features for more gaming performance, and (4) the free price tag for the upgrade.
- Modern UI Changes Look Super Clean: While we’ve gotten used to the design and style of Windows 10, we can assure you that none will deny that the modern UI changes that come with Windows 11 look super clean. Sure, some could say they can see some parallels with the Mac OS design, but Windows 11 carries a much more frosted glass appeal. Plus, you also get the option to personalize the themes and outlays for different use-cases like work, relaxing, and playing games.
- Excellent For Productivity And Multitasking: In addition to the user interface and design changes, you will find plenty of new features excellent for general productivity and multitasking on many projects. For example, you get to customize different snap layouts to work on multiple tabs at once, seamlessly switching from one tile to the next with ease. Moreover, Windows 11 introduces support and functionality for Android applications, and while it’s currently not available at launch, this will see plenty of use in the future for productivity apps as well.
- Gaming Gets Plenty Of Love: Games have been getting plenty of time in the spotlight recently, being the single most accessible means of entertainment, and to support this trend, the new Windows 11 OS is also showing gamers plenty of love with the update. In terms of getting the best resolution and graphics, you will be getting the Auto HDR function to crank out the best scenes from your gameplay. And as far as performance goes, Direct Storage support will bring the performance more in line with how Xbox is able to crunch frames.
However, It Does Have Some Shortfalls
Of course, despite the prevailing advantages of the new features, the new Windows 11 OS does have some glaring issues and shortfalls that you might want to consider first before jumping the gun and installing the latest update. Namely, you might encounter some (1) compatibility issues with a fresh install of Windows 11 and (2) have trouble getting used to the interface missing some Windows 10 features.
- Users Experiencing Compatibility Issues: While Microsoft did take the time to post the system requirements for the new Windows 11 OS, it has whitelisted select modern processors, with some users having trouble getting it to work on older CPUs. However, the problem doesn’t stop there because others have been experiencing an extreme dip in performance from Ryzen CPUs, with almost 15% gone due to the new OS.
- Some Windows 10 Features Are Missing: Although we will agree that Windows 10 wasn’t perfect by a long shot, it was lightyears better than Windows 8, and many of its features have grown on us over the years. So, you might be disappointed to find out that some Windows 10 features that were actually great to use are completely missing from the latest Windows 11. For example, numerous drag and drop functionality is simply nowhere to be found when you try to do the same on the new OS.
Verdict: Let’s Give It Some Time For Optimization
Overall, while the new Windows 11 OS does have plenty of potential in its current state, we think it still needs more optimization to deal with some of the gaps before you go process a loan for a brand-new laptop with the system installed. Luckily enough, the update is free for existing Windows 10 users, so you’ll have plenty of time to wait and watch the OS improve in the months to come.
