WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.400 So remember that thing about how Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows ever? 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:09.120 Well, it's not a thing. The next version of Windows will be gracing us with its presence 00:00:09.120 --> 00:00:16.480 once the 2021 holiday season rolls around, and yes, it will be a free upgrade called Windows 11. 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:22.640 But are the changes actually big enough to justify Microsoft calling it a whole new version 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:27.520 instead of just another update to Windows 10? Well, the ones you'll notice immediately 00:00:27.520 --> 00:00:32.240 are the visual changes. So let's start by talking about those. The taskbar has gotten a 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:37.120 facelift with icons now clustered in the center by default rather than off to the left, 00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:43.440 similar to what you'd see on macOS. It puts you at the center. It's a little jarring, but given 00:00:43.440 --> 00:00:49.120 how taskbar icons have been just squares for over a decade now, instead of the big rectangles we had 00:00:49.120 --> 00:00:54.880 with Windows XP, the move does make some sense and should be a little easier to deal with for 00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:00.800 ultra-wide users as well. There are also rounded corners. Rounded corners everywhere. Even on the 00:01:00.800 --> 00:01:07.200 logo, kind of reminiscent of Aeroglass from Windows 7, as well as redesigned icons and animations, 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.880 which Microsoft says are designed to feel more real and contextual to the user. Kind of sounds 00:01:12.880 --> 00:01:17.520 like they took a page out of Google's material design philosophy. And you can feel their elegance. 00:01:17.520 --> 00:01:23.680 But probably the biggest visual change is snap layouts, which will automatically suggest snap 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:28.800 presets to manage all the Windows you have open. And it's supposed to be based on your actual 00:01:28.800 --> 00:01:34.480 hardware, which is great news for folks who don't happen to be rocking a standard screen. Windows 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:39.200 auto saves any layout that you're using, so you can quickly go back to it if you're interrupted, 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:44.080 or if you unplug and reconnect the second monitor, which is a much needed feature. 00:01:44.720 --> 00:01:49.920 Moving on, Microsoft is also trying to make Windows more phone-like in a couple of ways. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:54.800 One, they want it to be easier for users to get current information. So widgets have been 00:01:54.800 --> 00:02:00.000 reanimated from the dead, but in their own window this time, which also includes a news feed that's 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:05.200 kind of like what you'd get in the Google app in Android. And number two, one of the biggest changes 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:11.440 is that Windows 11 will feature Android apps in the Microsoft Store through Amazon. Could we have 00:02:11.440 --> 00:02:16.480 any more tech giants collaborating here? They're going to run on Windows natively, so hopefully 00:02:16.480 --> 00:02:20.640 they won't have the same issues that users have experienced trying to get Android apps to run using 00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.920 third-party solutions, or on Chromebooks. But what if you already use Windows mostly on a touch 00:02:25.920 --> 00:02:31.920 device like a tablet? Well, Microsoft has added little tweaks to make tapping and swiping easier, 00:02:31.920 --> 00:02:37.200 including more space around taskbar icons when you're in tablet mode, a swipable keyboard with 00:02:37.200 --> 00:02:42.960 Swift key-like text entry and emoji, and auto-vertical window stacking when you turn your tablet to 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:48.320 portrait mode. And there's enhanced voice recognition and auto-punctuation if you want to go totally 00:02:48.320 --> 00:02:54.560 hands-free. There's also a renewed focus on gaming, which shouldn't be surprising given how Microsoft 00:02:54.560 --> 00:03:00.880 has been trying to unify the Xbox and PC ecosystems for a few years now. Windows 11 features a couple 00:03:00.880 --> 00:03:07.920 of tricks taken right from the Xbox, the first of which is auto-HDR. Yes! Microsoft says that over 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:13.040 a thousand games will be automatically enhanced with HDR, requiring no additional work from either 00:03:13.040 --> 00:03:18.000 the player or the developer. That's a big claim. The other big ticket gaming feature is direct 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:23.040 storage, which allows your graphics card to directly access the data it needs from your 00:03:23.040 --> 00:03:28.880 NB and ESSD instead of having to go back through the CPU. This should significantly cut down on 00:03:28.880 --> 00:03:34.960 load times when starting up a game or loading a new level with supported games. And underlying 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:39.680 all of this are the usual performance improvements, including with Windows Update. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:45.760 Microsoft says updates are now 40% smaller and the OS will only get one major feature update a year 00:03:45.760 --> 00:03:50.720 instead of two, so hopefully you won't have your system slowing down or getting interrupted 00:03:50.720 --> 00:03:56.320 as often. Wow, that really is a positive spin on not getting a spinny new features as often. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:02.400 So what do you guys think of the changes? Let us know in the comments. As for me, I just hope 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:08.480 Windows 11 has fewer glitches than Microsoft's launch event did. Haha, big oof. Thanks for 00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:13.600 watching guys! Like or dislike, check out our other videos if you want to watch more videos, 00:04:13.600 --> 00:04:18.160 leave a comment if you have suggestions for future videos, and do not forget to subscribe.