Windows 11 leak reveals new UI, Start menu, and more (UPDATE - added source for Windows 10 retirement date)

[Randall Stephens]

Part of me agrees with the sentiment, but I do think there are legitimate reasons. Especially when you have an ultrawide monitor, it starts to feel a bit odd having go all the way to the side of the monitor to access certain functions (such as the start menu when it's all the way in the bottom left).

Also, maybe they will actually have multiple themes that you can choose?

This is why my taskbar is at the top of the screen. I’m going up there to close programs, may as well be up there to start programs.

 

[Randall Stephens]

After reading the comments about vista xp 7 8 here.

MS really should move to a Linux base... and offer 2 or 3 official microsoft DEs. lol

Windows Classic DE.... can look just like 7
Windows X DE... can look just like 10
Windows Touch... can be whatever they are cooking now.

Really even if they are not going with a Linux base... nothing stopping Microsoft from doing that anyway. I never understood why Microsoft didn't just add a couple UI choices. Classic(slim) Modern and touch. I mean it would shut everyone up about their UI.

Bring back control panel and death to the shitty settings tab thing

 

[pendragon1]

Bring back control panel and death to the shitty settings tab thing

 

[Eulogy]

Apples store although I'm not a fan is at least based on solid tech. Having a package manager is what sets *nix OSs of all flavors apart from Windows. People got used to willy nilly just installing stuff and letting it copy stuff where ever it liked.... and updating software by hand ect.

Another reason why I say MS would be 1000% better off moving to Linux. They could introduce the Microsoft Package Manager and actually call it that and people wouldn't be upset. In fact it would be look at this wonderful new thing. lol

Never heard of chocolatey, eh?

 

[Eulogy]

View attachment 366506

Like I said earlier... 6 years in and supposed "Power Users" / "Enthusiasts" don't seem to know how to use their OS.

 

[staknhalo]

As long as it's a free upgrade again, don't really care what it looks like/how it's designed TBH. I've adapted to every new version of Windows, I need to use them to be able to support client/future devices, I want the latest Direct X, there will always be Windows apps (win32) and tweaks/customisations to change the desktop however you like.

 

[Axman]

"Power Users" / "Enthusiasts" don't seem to know how to use their OS.

I dunno, part of me expects power users and enthusiasts to ditch the default Start menu and run a better shell entirely after installing Windows.

 

[ChadD]

Never heard of chocolatey, eh?

Its cool and all but its not an official part of windows in the way a OS package manager is.

The existence of chocolatey is proof that if MS built it people would probably come around on their store. People complaining about Apples store often don't realize just how much better a proper package management system is for regular users.

Microsoft tried to add package managing features to their store... but it was half assed and they still allow things to avoid their package manager. I know this will not be popular with most windows "power" users but there really should be no simple click and install under Windows. Microsoft should push all installs to their own package manager... doing the same as Apple. Apple allows you to install anything but not by default. If you want to install third party non verified things you have to change settings and accept warnings. Microsoft should do the same... and require an Admin password for every non package manager install.

 

[jahsoul]

I think this used to be true, but really just is not anymore. FAR more laptops get sold than desktops and touch screens are awesome on laptops. I have absolutely loved my surface pro once I got used to it. I think they are probably following down apples path and pushing integration. A mid range surface pro has more computing power than is needed for about 95% of users. When you combine that with a docking station for the office / desk and integrate the xbox platform and streaming services for gaming and other intensive tasks, etc. In the end I think this will work for most people, including gamers.

Til this day, I will still say that Windows 8.1 was the best version of Windows I've ever used and every device that can still run it in my house does. But I understand that people are reluctant to change and that totally killed the direction that Microsoft was going in and it would have been so polished by now. I mean, I questioned a LOT of tech enthusiast actual technical acumen when I saw how life couldn't be lived without a start button..lol.

But all in all, you are absolutely right about the integration piece and I think about what could have been years ago. Unified code between desktop/mobile, UWP apps, & Continuum were looking promising

 

[cybereality]

Another reason why I say MS would be 1000% better off moving to Linux. They could introduce the Microsoft Package Manager and actually call it that and people wouldn't be upset. In fact it would be look at this wonderful new thing. lol

Not sure if you saw, but this is a real thing.
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-package-manager-1-0/

 

[Randall Stephens]

View attachment 366506

Oh I know it’s there if you want to make me work for it. In 7 it was two mouse clicks away. Now I have to click then type in three letters then look for it to make sure it’s not going to open up my porn folder that starts with “con” then click on it. They doubled the effort it took to get there. But that’s MS for you.

 

[ChadD]

Not sure if you saw, but this is a real thing.
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/windows-package-manager-1-0/

Ya I don't really pay a ton of attention to Microsoft stuffs. lol

That sounds cool. Hopefully this is part of what they are cooking for "11".

I really would love to see MS become a Linux company... and turn powershell into their GUI terminal. Powershell already supports most *nix arguments. Really a switch to a Linux base really wouldn't be disruptive in anyway at this point. Heck MS could even retain NTFS if they wished. Its not like they couldn't just open source it and get it added to the kernel. They could switch new installs to ZFS or BtrFS or even ext4.... while having NTFS go fully Linux supported. Its not like anyone in the open source world would fork NTFS... or even bother trying to improve it it would just give MS the ability to not force switch upgraders.

It does seem more and more like Microsoft is actually leaning toward swapping to a Linux base. I know most Linux people don't trust MS in anyway... but to be honest the last few years they have actually been pretty good open source players. It seems like the new(er) leadership their is far different then 90s era MS.

 

[Randall Stephens]

I dunno, part of me expects power users and enthusiasts to ditch the default Start menu and run a better shell entirely after installing Windows.

Or it could not suck to begin with.

 

[pendragon1]

Oh I know it’s there if you want to make me work for it. In 7 it was two mouse clicks away. Now I have to click then type in three letters then look for it to make sure it’s not going to open up my porn folder that starts with “con” then click on it. They doubled the effort it took to get there. But that’s MS for you.

pin it

 

[Randall Stephens]

pin it

That’s their job, not mine. You don’t make something better by taking something useful away. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I remember when shit used to work without having to google how to change a setting.

 

[pendragon1]

That’s their job, not mine. You don’t make something better by taking something useful away. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I remember when shit used to work without having to google how to change a setting.

most windows users dont use it so they moved it out of their way. thats their job, pleasing the majority. youre supposed to be [H]ard, make it work. lol, thats funny...

 

[Axman]

They doubled the effort it took to get there. But that’s MS for you.

Switch to a different shell.

People have been (rightly) bitching about every attempt Windows interface since 8. Clearly they're not listening and have no plans to moving forward.

Classic Shell lets you use the Windows 7 Start Menu and customize it and use Metro at the same time.

 

[Ranulfo]

Switch to a different shell.

People have been (rightly) bitching about every attempt Windows interface since 8. Clearly they're not listening and have no plans to moving forward.

Classic Shell lets you use the Windows 7 Start Menu and customize it and use Metro at the same time.

Then you worry about each major windows patch borking something. MS refuses to offer options in the default OS. Even in Win7 you could easily swap the UI back to 98/2k if you wanted to.

 

[Axman]

Then you worry about each major windows patch borking something.

I have never once had any problems with Open-Shell or prior to that Classic Shell ever on the three machines I run Windows 10 on.

 

[Smoblikat]

Switch to a different shell.

People have been (rightly) bitching about every attempt Windows interface since 8. Clearly they're not listening and have no plans to moving forward.

Classic Shell lets you use the Windows 7 Start Menu and customize it and use Metro at the same time.

I believe OpenShell is the new replacment for ClassicShell. Ive had a folder named "Tolerable10" ever since I started using W10, it has openshell, newoldexplorer, a copy of the default W7 background (including the lock screen), plus the start button pictures. With all that you can pretty much get a true W7 experience (if on a laptop, use HideVolumeOSD to disable the audio popup when changing volume), the only thing you cant get is the right click of the network icon to get directly to network and sharing center. You can enable a button in the start menu using OpenShell called "Network Settings" (I think) that will bring you right where you want to go, I always rename it to "BitsNStuff".

What blows me away is the number of people who dont even bat a lash when calling it the "Start button", but are genuinely lost when I tell them to hit the start button on their keyboard, I always need to tell them its "the windows button"..............like its the same picture and everything..........

 

[Axman]

What blows me away is the number of people who dont even bat a lash when calling it the "Start button", but are genuinely lost when I tell them to hit the start button on their keyboard, I always need to tell them its "the windows button"..............like its the same picture and everything..........

If we're gonna be all technical on Classic Shell/Open-Shell then FYI it's called the "super" key and the other one is called the "menu" key

 

[cybereality]

Back when I ran Windows 8, they didn't let you change the login screen. So I used a mod to hack a new background. Worked fine until I updated to Win 10.

Even though MS added login screen background as an option, the hack I did completely borked it. It was stuck on the old image I set even after trying everything, registry tweaks, group editor, etc.

I ended up having to just wipe it and install Windows 10 fresh. I don't mess around anymore cause it just ends up breaking things.

 

[ChronoDetector]

I really wish they would ditch the flat dull GUI, ever since Windows 8 Microsoft decided to cater for the tablet users, I wish they would bring back the Windows Vista/7 Aero Glass GUI look.

 

[bigdogchris]

 

[blade52x]

I feel like time is moving too fast. How is it that I hardly remember using arguable the best OS that MS ever released in Windows 7, while wondering how and why MS keeps changing the UI for the worse for the third consecutive time now. Heck I even enjoyed using Windows Vista because I really liked the UI. Same with Windows 7 Aero. Then it just kind of went downhill with 8 onward. But on 8 I at least installed Classic Shell, and since 10 I've kind of just given up fighting it.

 

[Axman]

snk

 

[Randall Stephens]

View attachment 366584

What weapon is the woman carrying?

 

[Axman]

What weapon is the woman carrying?

You're a special kind of horny sonovabitch that should post more often.

 

[ng4ever]

Vista and 7 had the best IMO.

No Windows 2000!

 

[M76]

I think this used to be true, but really just is not anymore. FAR more laptops get sold than desktops and touch screens are awesome on laptops. I have absolutely loved my surface pro once I got used to it. I think they are probably following down apples path and pushing integration. A mid range surface pro has more computing power than is needed for about 95% of users. When you combine that with a docking station for the office / desk and integrate the xbox platform and streaming services for gaming and other intensive tasks, etc. In the end I think this will work for most people, including gamers.

Great, so MS is tailoring the os to .01% of the user base.
I'm sorry, but a laptop for me will always be a compromise that I reluctantly use when I don't have access to my desktop. Optimizing anything for that is ludicrous. I'm not going to use a bucket when I have indoor plumbing.

One size fits all, really just means it doesn't really fit anyone well. What on earth is MS thinking? They couldn't make a mobile specific OS stick, so why would a mobile OS marketed as a desktop OS replacement work for them? Because they give no choice? There is always a choice, even if they don't like it.

 

[MaZa]

I would expect, by now (6 years in the wild), that "power users" would know the shortcuts to where they need to go. It's really simple - most advanced settings get to just by hitting the windows key and start typing what you want (i.e. the setting you're complaining about, literally press win key, type "sound" and it's the 2nd item).

The search function is amazing indeed and if it were not for that the operating system would be a disaster in my eyes. But it still does not excuse why they are dumbing things down.

 

[Randall Stephens]

Bleeping Computer has a decent rundown on the leaks
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...-what-we-know-so-far-about-microsofts-new-os/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...may-be-unveiled-next-week-heres-what-we-know/

The control panel does look a lot better, so hopefully, they are properly unifying the "Settings" and "Control Panel" Interfaces because having to bounce between them depending on the task was a PITA that should never have been a thing.

There is also a strong chance that the leaked Win 11 ISO that is out in the wild currently has been modified by the Chinese Leakers so it's recommended that if you are going to play with it you do so in a clean and isolated environment.

EDIT:
Supposedly many of the features that are in 11, are currently in the new builds posted to the insider channel, including improved settings panels, improvements to the audio interface, and better GPU control, (hope it fixes my Optimus problems on my laptop)

OMFG they're fucking with disk management?

 

[Gavv]

Great, so MS is tailoring the os to .01% of the user base.
I'm sorry, but a laptop for me will always be a compromise that I reluctantly use when I don't have access to my desktop. Optimizing anything for that is ludicrous. I'm not going to use a bucket when I have indoor plumbing.

One size fits all, really just means it doesn't really fit anyone well. What on earth is MS thinking? They couldn't make a mobile specific OS stick, so why would a mobile OS marketed as a desktop OS replacement work for them? Because they give no choice? There is always a choice, even if they don't like it.

It makes sense. Optimize for laptop it will run on the desktop.

And there’s many of us laptop users out there. For example where I work the majority are on laptops and have docking stations in our offices. Many of us work from home and from the office. I wonder if that’s a big segment?

So I am not sure how big that market is or isn’t to compare. In terms of it Win10 performs well on both platforms. We can all disagree on look and feel but function wise it does work good for the most part. Yea some things it doesn’t do well and some things it does great. Been using Win10 on both platforms for a long time and both are good.

I look forward to Win11 and hope the fix some of the annoyances. The forced update piece always bugs me. For the most part it works good. Not a fan of “forced” but not changing at this point. What bugs me is it updates or starts to update but doesn’t finish the job. Meaning I walk away from the computer, I know it’s supposed to shut off but 10 hours later it’s still on. Look and see and it’s sitting at restart and upgrade and shutdown after upgrade or whatever the verbiage is for it and doesn’t go to sleep/hibernate. I just wish if it’s going to do it then I don’t see it and it does it’s thing.

This is because it’s on my desktop which I use less and less, mainly gaming and laptop or phone for everything else. Since it’s in my spare room I only see it when I game and not everyday. To me that one annoyance I hope they fix.

Otherwise for the most part OS interaction is very low because everything just works.

 

[michalrz]

They made a Linux distro for the Raspberry that has a Windows 95 theme. It's pretty friggin close, actually.

Oh and also thanks for reminding me Powertoys exist - it now has a right-click menu image resizer that you can configure. That snap-in window to an area thing is also there and it has one benefit for me over the built-in one in 10: you can pre-define your own layout of these zones, including vertically stacked full-width windows.
Alt+space looks powerful. Definitely stuff that wouldn't hurt to have running.

 

[Aurelius]

I have used several different iterations of MacOS over the years and I hated every version of it. It keeps getting worse by the looks of it. Taste is subjective. I, for one, hate the floaty bubbly look of it and always despised the M/R/C buttons being in the top-left even before I was introduced to Windows.

I'd say it beats the leaked view of Windows 11, which looks like a weird mix of stiff, boring old Windows with a Microsoft marketing exec's idea of what copying Apple should look like.

I know the aesthetics in macOS aren't to everyone's tastes, but hating the position of the corner buttons? C'mon, you know you'd get used to it! Now, getting used to the idea that closing the last window doesn't necessarily mean closing the app, that's another matter...

 

[wandplus]

I'm so relieved they rounded out those corners it could actually change my life.

 

[Tengis]

People freaking out with each new version of a Windows release has been something I enjoy since Windows XP.

And to think, there are still professionals and enthusiasts out there that don't know you can right click the start menu in 10 to access basically anything useful from the Control Panel.

/Insert smooth brain meme

 

[blackmomba]

Forgot to show candy crush in the screenshots

 

[Armenius]

I think this used to be true, but really just is not anymore. FAR more laptops get sold than desktops and touch screens are awesome on laptops. I have absolutely loved my surface pro once I got used to it. I think they are probably following down apples path and pushing integration. A mid range surface pro has more computing power than is needed for about 95% of users. When you combine that with a docking station for the office / desk and integrate the xbox platform and streaming services for gaming and other intensive tasks, etc. In the end I think this will work for most people, including gamers.

I love my Surface Pro, too, but I only use the touchscreen when I want to use the pen to write notes and such. The rest of the time I am using the key cover.

 

[DejaWiz]

Looks OK.

Not great, but OK.

I will reserve final subjective judgement when it's released.