This is the latest version of the Windows operating system releases, with a new user interface and other new features, such as the new Microsoft Store, a new personalized feed with AI and best-in-class browser performance from Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Teams chat integrated into the taskbar, and many more!
What’s new in Windows 11:
— Windows 11 gets a completely new look. Microsoft clearly needs a good reason to refute its previous claims and still abandon Windows 10 by introducing a new operating system number. And the completely new design suits it well. The Redmond giant has long been preparing a redesign for an update under the code name Sun Valley («Sun Valley») — apparently under this name it was Windows 11. The Sun Valley project flashed online for a long time — Microsoft regularly revealed details of the new interface style, insiders shared previously unknown information, and popular designers in their circles drew realistic concepts based on all this information.
— Startup and system elements float above the bottom bar. Start is the business card and face of all the latest versions of Windows. Not surprisingly, in Windows 11, developers change it again, but not so much functionally as visually — the Start window hovers above the bottom bar. We have to admit that this small change makes the system look much fresher. Based on the information on the network, Microsoft does not radically change the «insides» of this menu — the innovations affect only the design of the window itself. The control panel also floats and has the exact same design as «Start». The function center is combined with the control buttons — something similar has been used in some other operating systems for a long time. Almost all mentions of this new menu point to it being an island — the controls are in a separate panel, notifications are in another, and certain elements (like the player) are in another separate panel.
— Straight corners disappear, they are replaced by fillets. In reality, insiders and concept designers disagree on this — some are sure that Microsoft will not change its traditions and remain at a right angle, while others are convinced that in 2021 Microsoft will follow the fashion of fillets. The latter fits more into the definition of «all new Windows» — just having menus floating around isn’t enough to consider the new look truly new. Fillets are expected to affect practically everything in the system, from context menus and system panels to all application windows. True, even in this matter, the opinions of concept designers differ — some draw fillets on all possible interface elements, others connect them with right angles.
— There is a translucent background and blur everywhere. On the Internet, there is disagreement about the island style of the windows, the design of the corners and the levitation effect of the menu, but almost everyone agrees on the transparency of the windows. Most of the leaks and design renders show transparency and blur in all windows, whether it’s at least the Start menu or Explorer. Moreover, these effects are even present in the configuration of the canceled Windows 10X operating system, which Microsoft developed with two screens and weak devices in parallel with the Sun Valley project. The so-called acrylic transparency means the use of new effects when hovering the mouse over the elements and the increased distance between the elements — the areas of the user interface with which the user interacts will certainly become larger and the page titles will be thicker.
— A new font that has already been presented. Windows 11 will likely use the default responsive Segoe UI Variable font, which has already appeared in Windows 10 Build 21376 for Insiders. Its advantage is that it is equally suitable for small texts and large writings.