Microsoft Inc. has been dropping hints that it looks ready to launch the upcoming Windows 11 operating system. Earlier on Tuesday, June 15th, screenshots of the entire Windows 11 OS appeared online, complete with a new user interface, Start menu, and lots more.
Tom Warren of The Verge, who had been sharing updates on the new OS, confirmed that the screenshots were first published at a Chinese site called Baidu.
According to Warren, “The new Windows 11 user interface and Start menu look very similar to what was originally found in Windows 10X. Microsoft had been simplifying Windows for dual-screen devices, before canceling this project in favor of Windows 11. Visually, the biggest changes you’ll notice can be found along the taskbar. Microsoft has centered the app icons here, cleaned up the tray area, and included a new Start button and menu.”
This updated Start menu is a simplified version of what you can find in Windows 10, without Live Tiles. It includes pinned apps, recent files, and the ability to quickly shut down or restart Windows 11 devices. Microsoft helped to simplify it more than what exists in Windows 10 today.
If you don’t want the app icons and Start menu centered, there’s an option to move them all back to the left-hand side. Coupled with the dark mode that’s also available, Windows 11 starts to look like a more refined version of Windows 10 than something dramatically new.
The Software Company is also using rounded corners throughout the upcoming Windows 11. “These,”according to Tom’s report, “are visible in context menus, and around apps and the File Explorer. The Start menu itself also includes rounded corners. This is still an early version of Windows 11 that has leaked, so not everything is included yet.”
So expect to see more changes to the built-in apps within Windows 11, though most of which are yet in appearance. A large portion of the operating system feels finished though, so we’re likely to see a beta of this to arrive shortly for Windows Insiders to test.
There’s a new icon in the Windows 11 taskbar, and it is labeled Widgets in the operating system. There are rumors that suggest Microsoft is bringing back Windows Widgets, and this early version appears to include some of them.
As this is clearly a very early version of Windows 11, the widgets aren’t loading fully in the OS, but they’re designed to slide out and provide quick access to news, weather, and other web content.
Finally, the software giant has scheduled a special Windows event for June 24th where it will reveal the next Windows OS. The event starts at 11AM ET, the invite includes a window that creates a shadow with an outline that looks like the number 11. Microsoft execs have also been teasing a “next generation of Windows” announcement for months, and this leak now confirms that Windows 11 will be officially revealed later this month.
