The most recent version of Windows, Windows 11, is a significant redesign of Windows 10. The two operating systems, however, are extremely similar within. Should you update to the most recent Windows OS? That is the question we have answered by side-by-side comparison of Windows 11 and Windows 10.
This comparison is for you if you’re wondering whether Windows 11 is any good or if upgrading to Windows 11 is worthwhile. The most significant differences between Windows 11 and Windows 10 will be discussed, especially how the Windows 11 2022 Update alters things.
Windows 11 versus Windows 10: What’s new
Despite the fact that Windows 11 only reskins Windows 10, the operating system has a tonne of brand-new features. There are some distinguishing features, such compatibility for Android applications on Windows 11, as well as relatively minor modifications, like a redesigned Start menu and Taskbar.
Better design and features
Microsoft makes a significant cosmetic change with Windows 11. Microsoft’s new operating system places the Start menu and Taskbar in the middle of the screen. This gives it a somewhat more macOS and ChromeOS-like appearance. However, if you want, you may still reposition it to the left.
We have bad news, however, if you wish to pin your Taskbar to the right or left of the screen. As the Taskbar only remains on the bottom in Windows 11, you can no longer do that natively. However, you may modify it if you wish to using paid third-party applications like Start11.
In addition to the primary design update, Windows 11 also has new programme icons, rounded edges on windows, and unique to Windows 11 Fluent Emojis. The 3D emoticons Microsoft teased at the first introduction of Windows 11 are yet to appear.
There are several minor feature upgrades as well, such as the ability to modify your notification settings for a certain period of time when working in Focus mode and live captions for your browser.
Start menu and Taskbar
The Start menu and the Taskbar are the two most noticeable alterations between Windows 11 and Windows 10.
In Windows 11, the Start menu is a little bit more straightforward. You only see a static list of applications, followed at the bottom by your most frequently used papers. Importantly, Windows 11 does away with Live Tiles, giving the Start menu a considerably cleaner appearance.
In Windows 11, Microsoft deleted the Cortana features and reduced the search box on the taskbar to an icon. Microsoft Teams now has its own icon in the Taskbar, which is a feature of Windows 11. If you don’t use Teams, you may choose to remove the symbol.
Moving the weather in the Taskbar to the left side of the screen is the other significant adjustment. In Windows 10, this was known as News and Interests, but in Windows 11, Widgets will take its place (read our roundup of the best Windows 11 widgets). You will still view the weather, along with other information like traffic, your preferred news, sports scores, and more.
Additionally, Windows 11 adds Virtual Desktops, which let you keep distinct desktop workspaces for work, gaming, or other purposes.
Android apps integration
The design of the app stores in Windows 11 and Windows 10 is the same. The Amazon Appstore, however, offers compatibility for Android applications in the Windows 11 app store. You should read our article on how to instal Android applications on Windows 11 since just a few Android apps are supported.
Microsoft has added additional non-Universal Windows Platform (Non-UWP) app categories to Windows 11 compared to Windows 10. You can still use UWP, but now you can also use Win32 applications like Firefox and the Epic Games Store.
Improved gaming features
Windows 11 is the greatest Windows operating system for gamers. The most recent versions to Windows 11 include technologies like Auto HDR and DirectStorage, which will speed up game loading to under one second and featured enhancements for playing games in windowed mode.
DirectStorage is one of these capabilities that is also accessible in Windows 10. Windows 11 is the best platform for gamers right now, particularly now that some of the performance concerns have been resolved. Microsoft has made it obvious that gaming is a significant emphasis for Windows 11. The fact that so many PC gamers are upgrading to Windows 11 is encouraging.
Microsoft acknowledged that there were some gaming-related difficulties with the 2022 Windows 11 update, notably with Nvidia GPUs. If you’ve put off upgrading because of this problem, you may do it today without experiencing any performance hiccups.
Snap Layouts and multitasking
The multitasking enhancements in Windows 11 are unique; Windows 10 will not get a backport of them. With Snap Layouts in Windows 11, you may arrange your windows and save them to the taskbar to improve multitasking and system efficiency.
Although Windows 10 offers this, Windows 11 makes it simpler to access Snap Layouts and offers additional customising options. Since its debut, Microsoft has also added new features to Snap Layouts.
Windows 11 also addresses a significant problem with multi-monitor installations. When you unplug a monitor and then put it back in, Windows 11 will remember how your windows were configured on the external display and store them in that configuration. One of the most irksome issues with Windows 10 that Windows 11 eventually fixes is this one.
Enhanced tablet mode
The standard tablet mode in Windows 10 causes the Start menu to appear in full-screen on your computer. Windows 11 does away with this. Instead, Windows 11 operates more like an iPad, making things simpler to touch when you change your device to a tablet. This features brand-new gestures that are not available in Windows 10 for launching the Start menu, closing windows, and more.
Windows 11 also has enhanced pen capabilities. Windows 11 adds support for up to four programme shortcuts using your pen in addition to continuing to support Whiteboard for collaborative visual work.
Windows 11 also improves speech navigation, enabling you to use your voice to perform just much everything you would need, including opening programmes, entering keyboard and mouse inputs, controlling the operating system, and more. In essence, Windows 11 enables voice control of the OS in its entirety.
Performance
If performance is important to you, Windows 11 is fantastic. In a YouTube video, Microsoft discussed the advantages and performance enhancements in Windows 11.
Microsoft claims that Windows 11 puts a lot of effort into memory management to give preference to the programme windows that are open and active in the forefront. They should get more CPU power as a result of this than from other system resources.
Additionally, Windows 11 keeps certain data in RAM while your computer rests, making it 25% quicker to get up from sleep than Windows 10.Since its debut, Microsoft has also incorporated performance enhancements. For instance, a February upgrade to Windows 11 increased SSD (solid-state drive) performance.
Although Windows 11 is faster than Windows 10, the differences in real-world usage are negligible. Windows 11 has a number of enhancements that let it operate quicker on less powerful machines, but Windows 10 still offers adequate performance.
Collaboration and remote work
While Windows 10 and Windows 11 both support remote work, Windows 11’s collaborative capabilities are much superior. It offers features like backdrop blur, automated framing, and eye contact adjustments for meetings that Windows 10 does not.
Microsoft Teams offers some AI-powered capabilities, albeit some of them can be reliant on your computer’s hardware.
Should you upgrade to Windows 11?
The most popular option for most users is Windows 11, which is the most recent version of Windows. However, some of its new capabilities also come with significant restrictions that make some updates more difficult, particularly on older PCs.
Upgrading to Windows 11
Although upgrading to Windows 11 is a straightforward process, if you’ve been using Windows 10 up until now, you may be wary. The majority of PCs can upgrade from Windows 10 for free with a simple Windows update, as we outline in our tutorial on how to instal Windows 11. To prevent rogue Windows 11 instals that may appear in search results, we highly advise using this way.
Microsoft has finished rolling out Windows 11, so any PC with compatible hardware may update without charge. After upgrading, you have only ten days to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10.
To downgrade after that, you’ll have to do a clean instal (delete all of your data). If you’re the technical kind, you may also attempt a low-risk dual-boot with Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Microsoft deleted several functions that were included in Windows 10 even though Windows 11 has a lot of new features. A few programmes are also eliminated, along with the ability to sync your desktop background, Internet Explorer, and the Math Input window.
These programmes include Skype, Paint 3D, OneNote for Windows 10, and 3D Viewer. But they are still available in the shop. If you’re worried, Microsoft offers a complete list.
System requirements and compatibility
The main difficulty in upgrading is the need for Windows 11. You will need TPM 2.0 compatibility on your system and a modern CPU from Intel 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 2000 (or newer). In recent PCs, TPM essentially functions as a hardware security processor.
TPM 2.0 is supported by almost all desktops and laptops, but if you constructed your own PC, be sure to check our list of TPM-compatible motherboards. This limitation does not apply to bespoke PCs running Windows 10.
Although theoretically possible, we don’t advise installing Windows 11 on incompatible hardware. You could no longer get essential security updates from Microsoft if your PC isn’t certified for Windows 11. (though Microsoft has rolled out Windows 11 updates for unsupported hardware since launch).
There’s a strong probability that Windows 11 won’t work on a machine that is more than four years old. That may make the difference between it and Windows 10 in the end.
Support and update cycle
Windows 11 abandoned Windows 10’s semi-annual release cycle in favour of a single yearly update. That is identical to macOS. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 would only get yearly upgrades and that it will continue to support Windows 10 until the year 2025. Smaller feature rollouts for Windows 11 happen all year long in addition to the major yearly release.
The most recent Windows 11 2022 Update establishes the style for these yearly releases. It has a tonne of features, particularly when contrasted to the patchy updates that came with Windows 10.
Everything from minor changes to the Start menu’s user interface to whole new applications like Clipchamp are included in this release. Certain people consider the accessibility features to be essential, and some key Windows 10 features, such folders in the Start menu, have finally been carried over to Windows 11.
It resembles Windows 11 in many aspects in the manner that it ought to have come out last year.
Bugs
While the much older Windows 10 is more reliable, Windows 11 has experienced its fair share of issues. But Microsoft has responded quickly to challenges with its most recent OS. In addition to a flaw that would significantly impair SSD speeds, we’ve observed one that causes File Explorer to produce thousands of empty folders.
Microsoft has advised against installing one of its Windows 11 upgrades, and the operating system often encounters problems with AMD CPUs. All of these issues have been resolved by Microsoft, but even though it fixes issues as they arise, it’s reasonable to expect that Windows 11 will have more faults than Windows 10 has.
One issue with Windows 11 is still there, however, and it has to do with memory leaks. We have verified and tested that when you launch several instances of File Explorer in Windows 11, more RAM may be used.
When you close the File Explorer, the RAM is never released, and the system uses more resources. Although it’s not a widespread issue and hasn’t been in Windows 10 for very long, this is nonetheless a noteworthy issue.
We’ve just recently discussed a few Windows 11 problems, but the operating system has a fantastic feature for tracking defects. New issues may constantly be reported by Windows users through the Feedback Hub application.
You may see all the minor Windows 11 issues that we are unable to include in a single article by sorting by New or Top. So, if you’re truly interested in learning what’s going on there, look for Windows 11 feedback in the app on your Windows 10 PC.
Is Windows 11 worth it?
For most users, upgrading to Windows 11 is worthwhile. It has several new features, performance enhancements, and design modifications. It often receives more attention than Windows 10 since it is the newest Windows operating system.
Upgrading to Windows 11 also doesn’t carry a lot of danger. You may remove Windows 11 and go back to Windows 10 with a little preparation. It’s never made more sense to try it out, especially with the most recent upgrade available.