In pictures: Will Microsoft’s new Windows 11 be a game changer?

Microsoft is betting big on the Windows 11, adding more bells and whistles into the operating system than at any point in the last six years. Some would say, even a decade. The operating system reimagines the company’s core digital experiences to enhance “hybrid” working and learning.

Windows 11 brings in a whole updating of the user interface, while maintaining its familiar feel. This will help focus on improving the way people interact and help them with organising their daily tasks. Several visual enhancements on Microsoft Office will take advantage of Windows 11, giving a seamless PC experience across apps based on language and system.

From the new Start button to a revamped task bar and sounds, the new update will offer a singular experience - whether the user is on a PC, on an Android or iOS device.

Microsoft has integrated Chat from Microsoft Teams into the Windows 11 taskbar. Now people can instantly connect – through text, voice, or video – with all their personal contacts, anywhere, no matter what platform or device they are using. The Teams feature had seen a huge surge in users during the pandemic, boosting Microsoft in a product category where it has been trying to catch up with Zoom. Integrating Teams into Windows, which is pre-installed on many PCs, could keep giving the app high visibility.

The new OS unlocks the full potential of the hardware with some of the latest gaming technology, including DirectX 12 Ultimate for immersive graphics at high frame rates, DirectStorage for faster load times, and Auto HDR for a more vivid range of colors. Microsoft will also put its Xbox Game Pass gaming subscription app into Windows.

Windows 11 introduces new "web widgets" areas, where content creators can highlight their products. The tech giant is also adding a news feed that highlights stories and content and where users can give paid tips to the people who created them.

Microsoft is bringing its Android apps to the platform. They will run natively on Windows 11 and will be downloadable from Amazon's Appstore, via the new Windows Store that is included in the operating system. According to the Verge, apps will be listed in the new Windows Store, and Microsoft is also partnering with Intel to use its Intel Bridge technology to make this a reality. Microsoft demonstrated apps like TikTok running on Windows 11 during the launch event. The Windows store that Microsoft showed listed Ring, Yahoo, Uber, and others.

Microsoft Store will enable developers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to publish their apps regardless of how they are built. Win32, Progressive Web App (PWA), Universal Windows App (UWP) and a host of other development frameworks are supported, which means more opportunities for developers to engage larger markets. Microsoft also announced a progressive change to its revenue-share policies. App developers can now integrate their own commerce platform – or that of a third-party – into their app, and keep 100 per cent of their revenues.

For IT professionals, Windows 11 is built on a compatible - and familiar - Windows 10 foundation. This includes Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Windows 10 Cloud Configuration, Windows Update for Business, and Windows 10 Autopilot.

Recently, Microsoft followed Apple’s steps to take its place in history books as the second US public company to reach a $2 trillion market value, buoyed by bets its dominance in cloud computing and enterprise software in a post-coronavirus world. With Windows 11, Microsoft seems to getting all the parts right…