Windows 11 - live: Microsoft’s new ‘next generation’ operating system unveiled today
A new Start Menu, better Xbox integration, a revamped Windows Store, and more are all expected in the announcement
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Microsoft is today announcing its new operating system, Windows 11. The “next generation of Windows” will be showcased at a virtual event, with a new user interface and hints of new features.
Windows 10, the current operating system, was said to be the company’s final version - but the company is now promising “significant” updates. A first build of Windows 11 has already leaked, revealing a new, more rounded interface, a new Start Menu, widgets, and more.
It is also expected there will be changes to the Windows Store, a closer integration with Xbox services, and possibly Office 365 updates.
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Windows 11: How to watch online
Microsoft will be streaming its new operating system launch from its website at 16:00pm GMT/11:00am ET - with The Independent reporting live on all the updates.
Windows 11: A new Start Menu and the death of Live Tiles
A leaked build of Windows 11 revealed some of what we can expect from Microsoft’s launch.
The new “Sun Valley” interface, as Microsoft has codenamed it, brings a centred rounded-edge rectangle with a grid of downloaded apps, recommended files, and a link to the user’s Microsoft account.
The grid of apps replaces Live Tiles, introduced in Windows 8, and attempts to make it easier for users to access programs faster.
Microsoft has added a new icon in the taskbar called Widgets, and it is expected that news, weather, and other content will be available pinned to the desktop. Apple’s iOS 14, from September 2020, recently introduced Widgets for the home screen.
There are also new snap controls that allow users to quickly pin windows to the left and right side of the screen, or arranging them into sections.
Windows 11: What we expect is coming
The new operating system should also bring with it new icon designs for system services as well as Microsoft’s range of Mail, Calendar, music and video apps, and more.
Microsoft will probably bring some updates to the Xbox app, in line with its new cloud gaming initiatives that will bring Xbox streaming sticks and a TV app to consumers. The Windows Store is also expected to be revamped to match.
It is hoped that Microsoft will also consolidate some of its features, making it easier to use – such as a single Settings app, rather than utility being split between Control Panel, and a more comprehensive user interface. Such updates have been rumoured for some time, but are still awaited by users.
What about Microsoft Office?
At its Build 2020 conference, Microsoft announced “Fluid Office”, a competitor to Google’s suite of online office applications such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
This update makes Word, PowerPoint, and Excel able to be updated in real-time across multiple platforms, such as Teams.
Users can share a Fluid file via a link or download, with the information in it kept up to date by collaborative user changes - such as adding new points to a graph, or edits in a Word document.
Microsoft is hoping that this infrastructure will become the future of workplace collaboration. The Fluid preview and, it can be assumed, future versions of the software is currently available on the latest version of all major browsers: Microsoft Edge, Apple’s Safari (but only on Apple computers), Google Chrome, and Mozilla’s Firefox.
Although it was announced in 2020, the update has yet to tangibly reach most users - and so it’s possible that this will be launched in full with Windows 11.
Will Windows 11 be free?
It is expected that Windows 11 will be a free upgrade to any computer running Windows 10.
The company has updated the current operating system - said to be the ‘last version of Windows’ at the time - for years, and there is no clear reason for it to change that.
Microsoft makes most of its money through equipment manufacturing and commercial licenses, and could alienate its audience if it pivoted to making people pay for an operating system update.
Microsoft will be ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, a full decade after it was initially launched.
Panos Panay, the head of Windows, says that Windows needs to be “secure ... open [and] connected” to “bring you closer to the things you love”
Live stream issues
The Windows 11 livestream appears to be having issues, with multiple people reporting lag and buffering problems.
But it is confirmed: the new version is called Windows 11.
“We put start at the centre. It’s put you at the centre”, Panos says about the new Start Menu.
Rounded corners and softer visuals are a part of Windows 11 - with widgets “like a sheet of glass” over the top of screens.
We also saw a peek of what appeared to be a new notification panel from the right-hand side.
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