Hi Everyone,

Microsoft released the latest version of their operating system, Windows 11, almost a year ago in October of 2021. Should you "upgrade"? Here's my thoughts on that question. 

For most people, Windows 11 hasn't even been something they've given much thought... and I don't blame them. There really are not any features that people need in Windows 11 that are not already in Windows 10. Windows 10 will also be supported for at least three more years, until near the end of 2025. So if you have Windows 10 on your computer and you like it, there's no compelling reason to install Windows 11. 

There have also been some issues with Windows 11, from decreased performance in gaming and productivity software to seemly random bugs and glitches. Those are being worked out and it is much better now than when it was released.

There is also a lot of confusion about what computers can run Windows 11. Microsoft has an upgrade eligibility checker that says your computer is not able to "upgrade" to Windows 11 if it has a processor older than the Intel i series 8th generation... with a few exceptions for Microsoft Surface products that had older processors. 

What's confusing about this is, technically, Windows 11 is similar to Windows 10 and Windows 10 can run just fine (though not as fast) on processors that are more than ten years older than the Intel i series 8th gen processors. 

Also, Windows 11 can be installed, using some workarounds, on older hardware than what is officially supported by Microsoft and it works just fine.

It seems that Microsoft is trying very hard to get you to think that your computer is outdated and that you needed to buy a new one in order to be able to run their latest version of Windows. From both a budget and electronics waste environmental standpoint, this is shameful behavior by Microsoft. 

For the vast majority of my customers, I recommend staying with Windows 10 or considering switching to Linux. However, there are some people who may need or want Windows 11 and so I am offering it as an option on some of the computers that I sell. 

Windows 11 does work well with touchscreen laptops, such as this ThinkPad T470s laptop:

https://orangecomputer.us/items/thinkpad-t470s/

It also resolved the webcam issue that the HP ProBook 650 G1 was having in Windows 10, so I am now offering that model with Windows 11:

https://orangecomputer.us/items/hp-probook-650-g1-win11pro/

Note that the processor in that laptop is a 4th gen Intel i5 processor, four generations older than what Microsoft says is needed to run Windows 11... and it works fine on that laptop, arguably better than Windows 10 did. Of course, that laptop also works great with Linux ;-)

To summarize: 

Don't think that you are missing out on anything if your computer isn't officially supported by Windows 11. It's fine to stay on Windows 10 for at least three more years and there are other operating systems besides Windows, too. 

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To view the refurbished computers I currently have available, check out:

https://orangecomputer.us/items/
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Until next time,