Desktops will provide users the ability to create individual Desktops that display different sets of apps to help stay organized and focused.

New upgraded features in Windows 11:

Users will see more space between the icons in the Taskbar, adding bigger touch targets and subtle visual cues to make resizing and moving windows easier, as well as adding gestures. Windows 11 also now comes with haptics to make using pens even more immersive – allowing users to hear and feel the vibrations as they click through and edit or sketch. Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately) is a great example of haptics in action.

Accessibility was also considered from the start in the development of Windows 11, and it offers familiar assistive technologies like Narrator, Magnifier, Closed Captions and Windows Speech Recognition to support users across the disability spectrum. Microsoft has also improved the experiences for touch and voice typing with Windows 11.

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How to upgrade to Windows 11:

From today, a variety of exciting new devices are available pre-loaded with Windows 11, and new devices still shipping with Windows 10 will be the first to be offered the upgrade.

Windows 10 devices:

If users are running Windows 10 today, they can check to see if the device is eligible (i.e., meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11) to upgrade using the PC Health Check app. You can then check to see if the Windows 11 upgrade is ready for your specific device by opening Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and selecting Check for updates3. If your device is eligible and the upgrade is ready, the option to download and install will appear: If you are ready to install Windows 11, simply select Download and install.

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Here’s how you can get Windows 11:

• Purchase a new PC pre-installed with Windows 11 by visiting Windows.com or your local retailer
• Purchase a Windows 10 PC that’s eligible for the free upgrade by visiting Windows.com or your local retailer
• Use the PC Health Check app to check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade

Windows 11 is built for gaming:

Windows 11 was made for gaming, with innovative new features that can take a user’s PC gaming experience to the next level. If a PC has an HDR capable display, Auto HDR will automatically upgrade over 1000 DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games to high dynamic range, rendering a much wider range of colors and brightness. Microsoft believes that player choice is important, so Windows 11 includes the ability to turn Auto HDR on or off on a per-game basis.

For developers, the operating system will also provide a more open platform for them to use tools, frameworks, and languages that they know and love to create amazing apps. It will also embrace all apps and Microsoft will continue to work developers to make them feel at home on Windows.

Windows 11 is available through familiar channels and processes including Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Update for Business, and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC)5 for phased deployment using Microsoft Endpoint Manager or other endpoint management solutions. Oct. 4, 2021 marks the start of the 36 months of servicing support lifecycle for Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 11. As it is being released in the second half of the year, the version number for this original release of Windows 11 is 21H2.