Windows 11: All New Features, New UI, Android App Support, Everything You Should Know About this ?

Microsoft has announced Windows 11, the next generation of Windows at its dedicated event today. Codenamed Sun Valley, we have seen a lot of potential features Microsoft is likely to introduce with the next iteration of Windows over the past few months. Now that you’ve seen all the Windows features at the event, you must be itching to try out Windows 11. Will you have to pay for Windows once again? We will discuss everything, including the Windows 11 name, release date, new features, and much more.

Windows 11: Everything We Know So Far (2021)

Windows 11: New Name?

In a surprising turn of events, it seems like Microsoft would call the upcoming Windows 10 Sun Valley (21H2) update “Windows 11”, moving away from its previous stance of making Windows 10 the last version of the operating system. There are multiple hints that point towards Microsoft using this name for its next big update. The first hint comes from none other than Microsoft. As you can see in the event announcement tweet below, the Redmond giant chose not to add horizontal lines for shadows in the logo. The horizontal lines were present in a similar image the company posted to its Instagram in the past.

Join us June 24th at 11 am ET for the #MicrosoftEvent to see what’s next. https://t.co/kSQYIDZSyi pic.twitter.com/Emb5GPHOf0

— Windows (@Windows) June 2, 2021

Another strong hint comes from reputable tipster Evan Blass. Blass took to Twitter to share a tweet hinting that the new update will indeed be called Windows 11. Check out that tweet below. Going by these, it’s safe to assume that Microsoft would call the next update – Windows 11.

From the “Don’t take screenshots of this build” department: a forthcoming Microsoft OS called Windows 11.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) June 3, 2021

And in a solid confirmation, a recently leaked Windows build clearly shows the Windows 11 branding. From this, you can rest assured that Microsoft will announce Windows 11 next week.

Windows 11: Release Date

We could expect Microsoft to announce the release date of Windows 11 at its event next week. The event is scheduled for June 24 at 11:00 AM ET, which translates to 8:00 AM PT or 8:30 PM IST. Microsoft may release an Insider preview build soon after the event to give early adopters a taste of its next-gen desktop OS. We could expect a stable release sometime in October 2021.

Windows 11: Complete Timeline

In case you are curious about the availability of Windows 11, here’s a complete timeline for the upcoming update:

• Windows 11 Launch Date – Microsoft has announced the next Windows update, Windows 11, on June 24.
• Windows 11 Insider Preview Release Date – Microsoft will release Windows 11 for Insiders next week. Insiders in the Dev Channel will be the first to get a taste of the new design overhaul.
• Windows 11 Stable Update Release Date – Microsoft usually rolls out the second Windows 10 update in October each year. We could expect the company to follow this approach and start rolling out Windows 11 for all users in October.

Windows 11 Price: Will Windows 10 Users Get Free Windows 11 Upgrade?

If Microsoft goes on to release Windows 11, the most important question would be – What happens to the existing Windows 10 users? Well, going by history, we could expect Microsoft to offer free upgrades for current Windows 10 users. Moreover, the folks at XDA Developers have found evidence suggesting that Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 for free. For the specifics of this transition, we will have to wait for the Windows event later this month.

The Redmond giant adopted the Windows-as-a-service delivery method to reach more users and make it simpler to deploy the latest updates to everyone back in 2015. It offered free upgrades to Windows 10 for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. This has enabled Microsoft to have over 1 billion active Windows 10 users around the world.

Windows 11: Top New Features

We recently wrote an article rounding up all the features you could expect from Windows 10 Sun Valley (21H2) update, which will arrive as Windows 11. You can check out that detailed article to know all the new expected features in the update. Here, we will be highlighting the top features in Microsoft’s next major Windows update.

Android Apps on Windows

Windows 11 will support Android apps through Microsoft Store, thanks to Microsoft’s partnership with Amazon. The feature is powered by Intel Bridge technology and you can directly access Android apps from Start Menu and taskbar. This means you no longer have to rely on Android emulators for Windows to use Android apps on your Windows PC.

Redesigned Settings App

Microsoft is redesigning the Settings app with Windows 11. It should look somewhat much cleaner, like what you see in the image below. The screenshot here originates from an Italian tech blog (taken down now) and was reshared on Windows 10 subreddit. Take a look at it below:

Image Courtesy: Reddit/u/Pulagatha

As you can see, Microsoft is tweaking the Settings app to include colorful icons for key options. Notably, Microsoft has placed all the main options towards the left of the app, which in turn acts as a sidebar. This way, you can quickly jump between all the various Settings options without having to come back to the primary screen. The Settings redesign is not live in the leaked build, so you will have to wait until June 24 to get a better look at the changes.

UI Revamp with Rounded Corners

As part of Microsoft’s visual rejuvenation of Windows, the company will add rounded corners for UI components across the operating system. Microsoft has even implemented a floating start menu, similar to the now-defunct Windows 10X. Take a look at the new Windows 11 Start Menu below:

Windows 11 Start Menu Light Mode

Windows 11 Start Menu Dark Mode

As you can see in the images above, the taskbar is centered by default on Windows 11. However, if you prefer having the Start Menu at the left corner, you can do that too. Go to Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar -> Taskbar alignment and choose “Left” if that’s what you are used to.

Also new with Windows 11 update is improved Widgets, Task View, and Windows Search. As of now, Windows 11’s widgets section features the news and interests widget that’s already available on Windows 10. But you now have a dedicated section for widgets, so it will be quite interesting to see if other developers build widgets for Windows in the future.

 Windows 11 Task View

A minor yet useful change with Windows 11 worth pointing out is the new snap assist functionality. Going forward, Windows will let you choose the exact placement of the window while you are maximizing it. You simply need to hover your cursor over the maximize button to see the new snap assist window. That should greatly help improve the multitasking experience on Windows 11.

Snap Assist built into the maximize button in Windows 11

New Wallpapers and Startup Sound

Speaking of other improvements, Microsoft has added new wallpapers and a new startup sound (among other sounds) on Windows 11. You can download Windows 11 wallpapers and hear the new startup sound from our linked articles. The startup sound seems to be inspired by the now-canceled Windows 10X build.

New Action Center

With Windows 10X, Microsoft redesigned the Action Center and improved its design and functionality. For instance, you don’t have to open the Settings page to switch Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth devices on Windows 10X. Instead, you can expand these menus without leaving the Action Center. That is a huge usability improvement, and now that Microsoft has officially canceled Windows 10X, we could expect a similar implementation on Windows 11. Meanwhile, go through our articles on the best Windows 10X features and check out our guide to run Windows 10X on your PC to explore the OS.

New Action Center on Windows 10X

Coming to notifications, they will now stack in a separate section above the quick settings panel. Moreover, there will be a “Clear All” button to dismiss all pending notifications. Microsoft may even add a dashboard in the Task View to keep track of your Microsoft account and upcoming events. The new action center was not available in the leaked #21996 build.

Redesigned Microsoft Store

Microsoft refreshed the Xbox store in August last year and is preparing a refresh to the Microsoft Store. If a recent report from Windows Central is anything to go by, the new Microsoft Store will flaunt a modern interface and be more open to users and developers.

According to the report, the new Store will let developers submit unpacked Win32 apps, host apps & updates on their own content delivery network (CDN), and make it possible for developers to use third-party commerce platforms in apps. These are all exciting changes from a developer’s perspective and should hopefully make Microsoft Store the one-stop destination for all apps.

Windows 11: The Future of Windows

So, that’s all we know about Windows 11 ahead of the release. The announcement is merely a week away and we will learn all the new features at the upcoming event. At the moment, all the hints point towards a major revamp for Microsoft’s desktop OS and Windows 11 rebranding. We will have to wait and see if all the hype and anticipation results in increased adoption for Microsoft’s next major version of Windows or not. What are your expectations from Windows 11? Let us know in the comments below.

When Will My PC Get Windows 11 Update?

Microsoft announced Windows 11 at its event last night, and you might be wondering if you can install Windows 11 on your PC right away. If the answer is yes, when will you be able to get your hands on all the cool new Windows 11 features? That’s exactly what we will be clarifying in this article.

Windows 11 Update Timeline (June 2021)

Before we begin, it’s worth mentioning that you can go through the official system requirements for Windows 11 or check if your PC can run Windows 11 through the new PC Health Check app. If your PC is eligible, here’s when you will get the Windows 11 update.

When to Expect Windows 11 Update for Insiders

Microsoft has revealed that it will release the first Insider Preview build for Windows 11 next week. If you are interested in getting an early taste of Windows 11, sign up for the Insider program from “Settings -> Update & Security -> Windows Insider Program” right away. Having said that, proceed with caution as you may run into bugs and crashes since it is not entirely stable. We suggest you install the preview build on a secondary PC.

If your PC meets the hardware requirements, you will get the Insider build as soon as Microsoft rolls it out. In addition, Microsoft will let users test Windows 11 even if their system doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, as long as the user is already in the Dev Channel. However, these users are likely to face more random issues here and there.

Image Courtesy: Microsoft

More importantly, this rollout is limited to Windows 11 Insider builds. Microsoft will not roll out the stable Windows 11 to devices that don’t meet the minimum specification requirements. While you can test Windows 11 on your outdated PC, you will no longer receive updates when the stable Windows 11 build is out. Hence, you will have to move back to Windows 10 after the initial testing phase.

When to Expect Windows 11 Stable Update

Coming to the stable Windows 11 release date, Microsoft officially announced that the Windows 11 update rollout is scheduled to start in late 2021. The upgrade process will continue into 2022. As is the case with all Windows updates, it might take a while until Windows 11 reaches your PC.

And for those planning to purchase new Windows PCs, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer Panos Panay says that the company has partnered with Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Surface, and other brands to ensure that most PCs or laptops you buy today are ready for Windows 11. Microsoft recommends looking for PCs that indicate they are eligible for the free upgrade or check with your retailer to be sure. You can always use the PC Health check app to ensure eligibility.

Get Windows 11 on your PC

So, that’s when you will get Windows 11 on your PC. If your PC passes the eligibility check, you can rest assured that you will get the update later this year or in early 2022. You can go through our Windows 11 article to know all the new features coming to Microsoft’s next-gen desktop operating system.

[Laptop Buying Guide] 14 things in mind when buying a laptop in 2020

Laptop buying guide in 2020 : With so many products from so many companies, people seem to get confused and lost in the world of notebooks while buying. Since you are spending so much for your first notebook, you want to look at each aspect and ability before buying one. You don”t want to regret later. People who already have their own personal laptops are kind of pro while buying new laptops or notebooks whatever you call, but those having their first in the life experience to buy brand new laptop really need to be aware of the specs and technologies delivered by laptops from different brands. It”s like a whole new experience to them and without getting proper experience or guidance, you might end up buying a laptop regretting the rest of your 2-3 years and wasting money.

Here is a quick guidance what to look for in a brand new laptop if you are in trouble what to buy.

Laptop Buying Guide in 2020

1.  Laptop/notebook, Ultra book or convertibles/ hybrids:

Hybrids (tablet cum notebook): Mostly touch based notebooks ideal for travelers  expensive, have weak specs at the same price as that of laptop, really not worthy to some power and heavy users who love coding like stuff, ideal for light work like document editing, watching videos and playing music. Ideal for fun and entertainment rather than professional work.

Ultra books: Pricey but have top notch specs as compared to laptops. Excellent buy to professional people who are on the go. Excellent on battery life, can do everything laptop can do, light weight and have to compromise on optical drives.

Laptops: Comes at every price point according to your budget, wide range in specs, good buy for professional work with entertainment at low price. Battery life is approx. 4 hours just half that of ultra-books, bulkier than ultra-book and hybrid. Ideal for students and home users.

2. Form Factor

10-12 inch screen size: Mostly some pricey laptops and some ultra-books come at this form factors. It is thin and light weight and ideal for professionals, travelers.

14 inch form factor: These come at all price points. They are somewhat bulky with 2-3 kg and are not as comfortable to carry, usually need cases. But bigger screen and keyboard helps a lot, ideal for home users and students.

15-17 inch form factor: Bulky, what else can be said if you are not a traveler  then it is a good option , are cheaper with comfortable keyboard and numpad, and good specs at low price point if compared to 14 inch with same price. Most suitable for home users but students can opt it, really can”t carry for too long.

3.  Processor

AMD processors: They are cheaper than the Intel processors but most of the times lags behind Intel in terms of performances. Only consider AMD Turion dual core or above processors if really want AMD.

Intel processors: Most widely used and trusted processors by brands. Offer high performance and comes at price ranges.

• Intel online pokies core i3 : Cheap and battery optimized good for normal users(not gamers),
• Intel core i5: Offers performance with turbo boost which can overclock processor when needed, good for professionals and  gamers(except some high end games),
• Intel core i7: This beast can offer everything and suitable for any task, but is expensive. Ideal for professional and heavy gamers.

4.  Screen Quality:

16:9 ratio: Most usable and widescreen picture delivery offers best viewing for movies, pictures and webpages.

4:3 ratio: Standard screen resolution not as great in terms of viewing and pixels.

HD resolution: 1280 X 800, 1024X 768, 1366X 768 (best suited and supported by new Windows 8 features).

Retina display: Mac book pro has this display, the best ever resolution on 14 inch screen.

5.  Memory:

2GB RAM: Is the basic requirement for optimal working of new Operating systems. Ideal for very basic laptop and not suitable for gaming, heavy coding and developing softwares, sometimes lag to watch videos and movies.

4GB RAM: Perfect for laptop to perform all necessary tasks except gaming. Ideal for home, normal and professional users.

More than 4 GB: Perfect for gamers and power users. Will make tasks blazingly fast. Ideal for professionals and gamers, expensive.

6.  Storage:

SSD(solid state drives): Fast, expensive, thin and normally have less storage capacity but gets the job done without letting you know. Ideal for professionals.

HDD(Conventional hard disk): Cheap, more storage, does take time to read and write and depends on rpm (7200 rpm fastest, 5600rpm normally found on laptops), add to the weight of laptop. Ideal for all kinds of users.

7.  Graphics:

On-board graphics without graphics card: Only choose if you don”t want to play games and won”t run graphic intensive tasks. Ideal for home users and are cheap.

512 MB: Can run heavy tasks and normal games. Is cheaper and ideal for anyone who don”t play too much games

1GB: Can run heavy games and all kinds of heavy tasks. Perfect for balanced gaming and working laptop, gamers would like it.

2GB or more: Can run all future and console quality high end games without any glitch. Gamers love it and is expensive.

8.   Operating system :

Windows: Most widely used and has wide applications, now with windows 8 is more fluid and obvious choice for any user.

Linux: For those who love free and open source OS, Linux offers everything from document editor, photo editing tools, games and virus free system and most simple connectivity settings options.

Mac OS X: Gorgeous UI, virus free system, wide apps and have solution to every basic  and high end requirements like documents, PowerPoint, photo editing right in build and one of the best OS with support to high end hardware on any notebook.

9.  Touch pad and keyboard

Multi touch: Touch pad supports multi-gestures with your track pad like zoom in and out and is convenient to use.

Keyboard: Spill proof keyboard is durable and resistant to accident spills of liquids on the keyboard. Best for usage. Back-lit keyboard allow to type in dark because of LED illumination and are expensive but useful.

10.  Battery life:

6 cell: Offer battery power to laptop for 4 hours and comes standard with every laptop. Ideal for normal users.

12 cell: Optional battery backup and is expensive but can extend battery life up to 8 hours. Ideal for travelers and power users.

11.   Data transfer options:

USB 3.0: offer high transfer speed between your portable hard disk, USB to your laptop. Highly recommended for every kind of users. Is common and not expensive.

HDMI or VGA port: Want to connect to TV to transfer videos and movies to HD TV and projectors. Ideal for professionals, home users.

Optical drives: If you like watching movies using DVD, then it can come handy, although some laptop manufacturers have started ignoring it to make notebooks thin, but it still has its own advantages. You can buy optional one as a hardware if your machine doesn”t have it.

12.   Connectivity options:

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n : Must for any laptop to connect to internet.

Bluetooth: Ideal for users who want to connect speakers, headphones to laptop wirelessly. Ideal for any kind of user.

Thunderbolt: Only found on mac book and is faster than usb 3.0 in terms of data transfers.

13.   After sales services

Nobody would ever want to travel miles if something went wrong with their laptop. Service centers along with servicing quality should be thought once before buying laptop.

14.   Parts availability and cost:

Should check once the cost of parts you might need several years later after buying laptop, say for e.g. cost of new battery.

How to Check CPU Configuration of Mac

CPU Configuration of Mac : If you are planning to buy a second-hand MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or any other Mac, you should make sure to check its CPU configuration. Since each Mac model comes with different CPU configurations, checking the processor configuration will ensure that you are not swindled out of your hard-earned money. So, if you are in the market for a second hand Mac or just don’t trust the seller, here is how you can check the CPU configuration of Mac to ensure that you are getting the right product.

Check CPU Configuration of Mac

It is easy to check CPU configuration of Macs. Since you are not supposed to open the Mac to see its internals, you can do all this using the software. Here are the steps:

1. First, click the Apple menu at the top left corner and then click on “About This Mac.”

2. Here, in the “Overview menu”, you can see the processor configuration along with other information including the graphics card, serial number, memory, and more.

3. If you want a detailed report, click on the “System Report” button.

4. Here, you will get a detailed report on the CPU powering the Mac. You can find out processor name, the number of cores, L2 and L3 cache, and more.

Based on the reports, you can decide if you are buying the right Mac or not and save yourself from fraud.

Find Out the CPU Configuration of Any Mac

So that is how you can find the processor configuration of your Mac. Mac sure to also check the battery cycle health of the Mac that you are planning to buy. This way, you can find a better estimate of the price that you need to pay.

If you find the right deal and buy the laptop, don’t forget to factory reset the Mac and do a fresh install of macOS to remove the old cruft. That’s it for this article. If you have any questions, drop it down in the comments below, and we will help you out.

MSI Laptop Guide : How to Choose budgets laptop

MSI Laptop Guide : It’s already October and if you’re feeling the lockdown blues that won’t go away no matter how much you’ve been waiting for fall weather, you can take joy in the fact that Diwali is fast approaching. That means a lot of good things, including some amazing deals on electronics and gadgets. So if you’re thinking of buying an MSI laptop this holiday season during the MSI Diwali sale, here’s a guide we’ve put together to help you decide just which laptop will suit your needs perfectly.

Gaming Laptops

Enthusiast Gamers

If you are an enthusiast gamer looking for your next gaming laptop, you are probably looking for something that can play pretty much any AAA title under the sun at 4K resolution with good frame rates. Even if you don’t want 4K, as an enthusiast, you obviously want to experience ray tracing in supported games. Well, to get performance that would satisfy an enthusiast gamer, you will need the latest processors, highest-end graphics cards, and a large amount of RAM and storage, right?

MSI’s laptops come with up to 10th-gen Intel Core processors. Plus you get up to Nvidia’s RTX 2070 GPUs which will let you use ray tracing, and Nvidia DLSS for a much better, smoother gaming experience. You also get nice and large amounts of RAM and storage plus high refresh rate displays and what not. As an enthusiast, MSI’s offerings will probably prove very worthwhile to you.

Take the MSI GP65 Leopard 10SFK, for example. This laptop brings pretty much everything an enthusiast gamer could want, including the RTX 2070 GPU. You will be able to play your favourite games with ease, and even stream them to your followers on Twitch without the laptop breaking a sweat.

The MSI GP65 Leopard is available on Flipkart for ₹1,61,990.

There are a bunch of configurations you can choose to go with, by the way, you don’t necessarily want the RTX 2070, or 32GB RAM, etc, and MSI has a bunch of other laptops that will offer you RTX graphics, and high-end gaming experience at other price points and with different specs that you can check out. For example, you can take a look at the GL65 Leopard (₹1,19,990), or the GF65 Thin (₹1,09,990) for getting your RTX gaming fix at other price ranges.

Mid Range Budget

On the other hand, maybe you’re not an enthusiast gamer, but you just like to play the latest games, get good graphics and frame rates, and not end up spending way too much money on your hobby. Maybe you want a laptop that offers a better price to performance ratio, or you simply don’t care about things like ray tracing or DLSS (yet). In that case, you can probably sacrifice a little in the processor and graphics card department to bring both the price down, and get a laptop that’s more of a fit for both work and play.

If that sounds like you, a 9th-gen processor should prove good enough for your needs, and you also don’t need to spend the extra money to get an RTX GPU. A GTX 16-series graphics card is more than capable enough of handling AAA games at good settings and give you really nice frame rates for an enjoyable experience with your favourite games.

MSI’s GL65 Leopard is a great laptop for such use cases. It brings a good combination of the 9th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and the GTX 1650 GPU. It will be able to handle your favourite games at a nice combination of graphics quality and FPS which is what matters after all, right? Plus, at ₹77,679 it won’t break the bank.

Also, if you want slightly better performance in games, you can check out the GF63 Thin (₹77,739). The GF63 comes in a bunch of different variants and there are a lot of choices to go with. You can get a variety of storage options, GPU choices including GTX 1650 and GTX 1650 Ti, etc.

There are other MSI laptops as well in a similar price bracket that you can check out for a mid-range budget gaming laptop.

For Gamers on the Move (Thin and Light Gaming Laptops)

Finally, if you’re like me and you have to carry your laptop to work/college every day, and you don’t want a heavy back-breaking device to lug around, thin and light gaming laptops are probably your best bet. These laptops offer similar specs as the mid-range offerings in this list, but they focus a lot on being portable. That’s a big reason why these laptops offer GTX 16-series graphics cards instead of an RTX GPU.

Take the MSI GF65 Thin for example. This laptop has a sleek chassis and weighs just 1.86kg. That’s really nice for a laptop that will be able to handle AAA games with ease and get you 60+ FPS with the right video settings thanks to the GTX 1660Ti. Plus, since it’s thin and light, it’s easy to carry around, and it fits right in at both work, and at home when you’re gaming with your squad.

The MSI GF65 Thin is available on Flipkart for ₹1,04,990

There are other laptops here as well, such as the GF75 Thin (₹90,990) and even a Core i5 variant of the GF65 Thin (₹89,990) along with other options that you can check out.

Productivity

As a creative professional, you probably want a laptop that offers high end specs including a capable graphics card. At the same time, you would want a laptop that’s thin and light, and also looks like a work machine, and not a gaming device. Plus, it should be able to handle heavy apps such as Adobe’s creative suite, or high-end graphics editing or AR apps that you might need to work on, or maybe even things like Blender and Maya.

One of the choices you have here is the MSI Prestige 15 which brings all the things you might want in your laptop as a creative pro. It brings a nice 4K display, 10th-gen processors, and a GTX 1650 GPU for handling graphical tasks with ease. The laptop should easily handle your workload, and it looks quite good as well.

The MSI Prestige 15 is available on Flipkart for ₹1,36,590

On the other hand, if you don’t really need a powerful GPU for your work, or if you basically just work on Photoshop and similar software, there are some other options as well, including the Prestige 14 (₹92,990) and the Modern A15 (₹69,490) that you can check out based on your preferences.

Choose Your MSI Laptop Guide with Our Buying Guide

We understand buying laptops can be a pain, especially because there is just so much to choose from. Hopefully, this MSI laptop buying guide has helped you in making a decision regarding what to buy for your grand Diwali splurge. What’s more, MSI’s Diwali sale has these laptops at up to 35% off, so it’s a good time to get your next MSI laptop. We have tried to include laptops across multiple price points and use-cases, so you should be able to find something that fits your needs here. Let us know which laptop you picked in the comments down below.

Check out MSI’s Diwali Sale