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.

Keep in mind, though, that unlike previous versions of Windows, you may not be invited to install Windows 11 if your machine isn’t considered up to its standard. That doesn’t mean that you can’t install the new OS — Microsoft has said if you have an older machine, you will be able to access Windows 11, but you’ll have to download an ISO file of Windows 11 and install the OS manually. (However, you may not get automatic updates — you may have to install a new ISO each time instead.)

Now that the update is rolling out, you can check to see if it’s arrived at your machine by going to “Settings” > “Windows Update.” If you haven’t gotten the upgrade yet, and you want to see if your machine is considered good enough for Windows 11, you can download Microsoft’s PC Health App (click here), which should tell you whether your machine qualifies.

If it does, and you don’t want to wait, here’s how to install Windows 11:

• Go to the Windows 11 software download page.
• If you want to do it the easy way, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant; just click “Download Now” and follow the instructions.
• You can also create a bootable USB or DVD by selecting “Create Windows 11 Installation Media.”
• And finally, you can download a disk image (ISO) for either bootable media or a virtual machine install.

Follow the directions, and you should be good for an immediate install of Windows 11.

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, so 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.