The system upgrade to the official version of Windows 11 brings so many surprises

Last Friday, Microsoft officially released a new generation of Windows, and it has been six years since the release of Windows 10. Considering the tool attributes of PC and the huge user base worldwide, Microsoft will not iterate the new system every year like macOS. In the past, it even said that "Windows 10 is the last generation of Windows". Now it is a bit embarrassing to release a new system to contradict itself.

Anyway, Windows 11 is finally here. But there was a small incident before the release of Windows 11. An early preview version was accidentally released, and we were able to experience the various changes brought by Windows 11 in advance, including some new features and a new UI design. But Microsoft emphasized that the leaked Windows 11 system is only an earlier version, basically just an updated UI. If you want to experience a more complete Windows 11, you still have to wait for the official push.

After the press conference, Microsoft stated that Windows 10 users can use the "Preview Experience Program" in the settings to experience the beta version of Windows 11 in advance. We also used this method to successfully upgrade to the official test version of Windows 11 on June 29.

It should be noted that the currently available Windows 11 is a developer preview version, which is a test version prepared for developers. Generally speaking, it is less stable and has more bugs. In addition, the main features of Windows 11, "direct installation of Android apps" and "integration of Microsoft Teams", have not yet been launched, but except for these two features, most of the features mentioned at the press conference have been implemented in the Windows 11 developer preview version.

This time the change is radical.

在此前的“偷跑”版本中，Windows 11的变化非常有限，基本上除了换用了全新UI其他特性就没有明显变化。但在官方推出的开发者预览版中，我们可以见到系统层面的变化更加全面，无论是我们眼睛可以直观见到的还是见不到的地方，都出现了显著变化。

Let’s first talk about the changes that are intuitively perceptible. There have been obvious changes in the UI design style and presentation logic of Windows 11. I personally feel that it is more oriented towards mobile devices.

Like the previous leaked version, Windows 11 will display the taskbar icons in the center by default (of course, there is a way to restore it to the traditional style), and some people will feel that it is more like macOS. Maybe I have already experienced the "leaked version" and have been vaccinated, Xiao Lei feels that this design does not make me feel uncomfortable. It is better to say that the design of the taskbar application icon in the center on a large-size screen shortens the distance the mouse pointer moves, and it becomes more convenient to click the application icon.

As for other design changes, I personally feel that the overall tone of Windows 11 has become more vivid and lively, and it is further rejuvenated on the basis of Windows 10. On the visual level, Xiaolei likes Windows 11 very much. Whether it is the design of large and small icons or the change of operation logic, it has a more "modern operating system" flavor. We seem to be able to find similar design elements on some mobile devices and even smartphones.

In terms of other details, Windows 11 as a whole has indeed become more user-friendly. For example, the integration of the "Control Panel" has become higher. Compared with previous systems, WIndows 11 makes better use of design elements to distinguish and implement functions. The action of switching functions has changed from "clicking on text" to "clicking on icons", and the integration of elements has also made the functional interface of Windows 11 more concise.

The optimization of the settings interface is one of the biggest highlights of Windows 11 in my opinion. Although some texts have not been translated into Chinese, it can be seen that the settings interface of Windows 11 has been further optimized on the basis of Windows 10. Microsoft hopes to integrate the settings items scattered in every corner of the system. We can complete most of the system settings in the "Settings" page.

This kind of interaction logic is very similar to that of smartphones, which is one of the best evidences that Windows 11 has learned from its peers. But obviously, as a very complex and versatile operating system, a simple "settings" page alone cannot accommodate all function settings. If you want to open more settings interfaces, you need to "right-click" at different locations to open more menus. For example, right-clicking on the Windows logo (start menu) can open some "hidden menus" for targeted settings.

By the way, speaking of the right-click menu, a new change in the Windows 11 developer beta must be mentioned. I don’t know since when, “right-click the mouse to pop up the menu and click refresh” has become the default usage habit of most computer users in China. Although we know that frequent refreshing of desktop icons will not bring any improvement in smoothness, this is indeed the most common computer operation habit of Chinese computer users.

But this operation may be completely eliminated on Windows 11, because in the developer preview version, when we right-click on the desktop, it is not the traditional menu that pops up. The traditional menu is folded into the "Show more Options" command. Only by clicking this command can we expand the traditional right-click menu with "Refresh".

Considering that the Windows 11 developer preview we experienced is not the final version, we don’t know whether this operation logic will be changed back in the end. Under the current logic, we can’t refresh the desktop frequently, and it is also more troublesome to create new documents. I hope Microsoft can provide a custom menu function so that we can choose which functions can appear in the right-click menu.

As for the widgets, split-screen buttons and other functions, they are similar to the previous sneak version, so I won’t go into details here. It is worth mentioning that there are almost no compatibility issues when experiencing Windows 11. Software that previously ran on Windows 10, such as PC version WeChat, Office three-piece suite, Chrome, Photoshop, etc., can run normally.

However, the fact that the software can run normally does not mean that the experience is completely problem-free. When we experienced the Windows 11 preview version, we did find some experience defects.

These little issues are a bit annoying

In general, the degree of completion of this Windows 11 developer preview is very high. So far, Xiao Lei has been using it for almost 8 hours, but has not encountered even one obvious freeze or system-level failure. Compared with the iOS developer experience version, it is in sharp contrast.

Despite this, the Windows 11 developer preview still has many imperfections. If you are concerned about these minor issues, I would not recommend upgrading your experience.

First, it is difficult to perceive changes in application status. In Windows 10, when an application status changes (for example, a message comes in on WeChat or a problem occurs in Chrome), the icon on the taskbar will change color (usually to yellow), and we can know the situation at a glance (for example, someone sends you a message on WeChat).

However, on Windows 11, the prompt for application status change is retained but becomes very subtle. Simply put, a rounded rectangular frosted glass effect is added around the icon. Since it is very close to the background color of the taskbar, you really can't see the change if you don't look carefully.

Second, there are still many bugs. Although there are no serious system-level bugs in the Windows 11 developer preview, there are still some minor bugs. For example, the taskbar occasionally flickers, and sometimes the control center cannot be opened; the settings page will become unresponsive or flash back after being opened for a period of time, and some functions will not respond when clicked, such as clicking "Pin the app to the start menu" multiple times without any change.

Third, some interfaces have display issues. For example, in the "Explorer" interface, the page title, minimize, maximize, and close buttons may appear the same color as the background, making it impossible to operate.

In general, the minor issues on the Windows 11 Developer Preview are not serious and are easy to fix. As a developer preview, its stability is quite good, which is surprising. In addition, some of the experience problems are not caused by bugs, but may be caused by product design concepts. I hope Microsoft can correct them in subsequent versions, otherwise Windows 11 will still bring some unpleasantness.

It is hard to explain in a few words

Given the important role of PC in daily life and work, Windows has always been in an awkward position. If you don't upgrade, some people will say that Windows is not making progress and is relying on its past achievements. If you upgrade, some people will say that they are worried about compatibility and bug issues, which will affect their lives and work. In any case, Windows is always at a disadvantage, and people always feel that it is a thankless task.

But in Windows 11, we do see Microsoft's efforts. The new system does not have serious compatibility issues like Windows 7 and Windows 10 in the past. Instead, it first does a good job of basic work, and then seeks visual stimulation and changes in experience. Compared with the past few versions, the Windows 11 developer preview can be said to be the most stable version. If you can tolerate some minor bugs, then there is no problem using it as the main system.

However, judging from the trend of hardware development in the future, one system connecting multiple terminals is always the mainstream, and Windows 11 has indeed done some work, such as running Android applications. At this level, Windows 11 is even more important. The task it shoulders is not only to make PCs better, but also to make all devices running Windows better.

From the current experience, Xiaolei is satisfied with Windows 11, and hopes that more software manufacturers can take action and adapt to Windows 11 as soon as possible. Windows 10 has come to this day amid doubts and has become the operating system with the best overall performance. Windows 11, which brings us freshness in all aspects, also hopes to continue the success of its predecessors and bring more freshness to the PC market.