Microsoft Windows 11 is now available

As the day becomes October 5 in each time zone around the world, the availability of Windows 11 begins through a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs pre-installed with Windows 11.

Microsoft has pointed to several improvements over its predecessor, including faster performance, better multitasking capabilities, and a refreshed design.

Here are a few of the top features Windows 11 has to offer:

• Chat from Microsoft Teams is a new experience that helps bring you closer to the people you care about.
• Microsoft Store on Windows has been redesigned from the ground up to be easier to build for, and make it more seamless for customers to find and browse apps, games and entertainment all in one place.
  Snap Layouts and Groups offer a more powerful way to multitask and optimise your screen real estate in a way that is visually clean.
• Windows 11 is the most inclusively designed version of Windows, built with and for people with disabilities.
• Built for Gaming – Windows 11 was made for gaming, with innovative new features that can take your PC gaming experience to the next level like AutoHDR and DirectStorage. It also includes the Xbox app built right in, where you can browse, download and play over 100 high-quality PC games from the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC library.
• The Operating System for Hybrid Work and Learning – Beginning today, organisations can also start moving to Windows 11 on powerful PCs and through the cloud with Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop.
• Chip-to-cloud Protection – Windows 11 was designed with security in mind to meet the challenges we will face in this new work environment and beyond.
• New Tools and Resources for Developers – Windows 11 is for all developers – whether they are building apps for a PC, web, phone, game console or anything in between – and provides the most seamless development experience. A more open store, deep development integrations and new design are just the start.
• Available on the Widest Array of Choice in Devices – Microsoft is proud to offer Windows 11 on the widest array of choice in devices, form factors, and silicon from its valued partners at Acer, AMD, ASUS, Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Surface.
• Additionally, as a reminder, most new Surface devices and accessories – including Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Go 3 – will be generally available starting tomorrow, October 5 from Microsoft Store on microsoft.com and other major retailers including Best Buy and Amazon.

What will it cost?

All genuine copies of Windows 10 can upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

If you are still on Windows 7, you will have to upgrade to Windows 10 first before moving to Windows 11, reports MyBroabdand.

As of 3 October 2021, it was still possible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free using the media creation tool to create a bootable Windows 10 installation.

Microsoft said there would be no standalone versions of Windows 11 at launch.

Those users who don’t have a Windows licence yet can buy a copy of Windows 10 and then upgrade to Windows 11 when the update becomes available for their system.

Microsoft charges R2,799 for a Windows 10 Home download from its website or R2,599 for the product key needed to activate when purchased through Takealot.

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