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Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 will launch

before the end of the year

Microsoft announced today that Windows 11 will be available to the general public from 5 Octo-
ber 2021. The latest iteration of the Windows operating system was initially unveiled in June, after
a fair amount of speculation: those fortunate enough to enrol in the beta programme have been
testing the software since then but, between these people and the brave souls who downloaded a
leaked version after the original announcement, very few of us have yet seen Windows 11 in the
flesh.

As of 5 October, that will change. From that date onwards, owners of Windows 10 will be entitled
to a free upgrade to Windows 11, and Microsoft also says that some PCs that come with Windows
11 pre-installed will also become available to purchase. You can find a list of example products
over on the Microsoft blog post on the subject.

In case you haven't already read up on the subject, Windows 11 brings with it a host of UI chang-
es, alongside a number of new features centred around both productivity and recreation (ie gam-
ing). You can find out more about what's new in Windows 11 via our dedicated page but the head-
lines are as follows:

New user interface: apps now fan outwards from the centre of your taskbar. Menu boxes and so
forth now have rounded edges and a "modern" feel.

New sounds and animations for various actions: Snapping windows together has been stream-
lined as well.
The Start menu now looks more like a smartphone app drawer, and has pinned applications as
well as suggested files/apps.

Chat for Microsoft Teams has been integrated into the taskbar.

Widgets are back – information is scarce but they will show things like weather, news etc on the
left-hand side of your desktop.