(Un)lucky number eleven
Probably everyone who uses computers knows that Microsoft has recently introduced its latest operating system, Windows 11. Even for longtime and demanding users, including me, its first announcement came as quite a surprise. After the first version of Windows 10 was released in 2015, the original plan was to keep updating the system indefinitely with new features and security patches added regularly. Since Microsoft allowed legitimate users of older versions of Windows to install and use Windows 10 for free, this was a kind of precedent that pleased many for a good reason. Especially with the fact that the preconditions for installing this system are relatively modest, even by today's standards.
This all suddenly fell into the water with the arrival of Windows 11. Although Microsoft has maintained a policy of free upgrades from previous Windows, at the same time they have imposed new system requirements that many computers do not meet. It’s not just about very old hardware; even those systems that are only a few years old often do not pass the test. The worst thing is that this is not so much about a lack of power (too weak CPU, too small memory or storage space), but rather about certain security features that were not included on older motherboards.
On the one hand, Microsoft is trying to make the world as secure as possible (at least the virtual one), but at the same time, as usual, they jump into their own mouths. If they prevent many users of older but still fully usable computers from upgrading to the latest version of Windows, those will soon be major security issue after the official support for Windows 10 expires in late 2025. Pressed by the public, they decided to "change the tune" a bit, so it is now possible to install Windows 11 on computers that do not meet the prerequisites. However, with a remark that these users shouldn’t count on further support from Microsoft. And, back to the beginning...
The matter becomes even more confusing with the first Windows 11 updates released recently, which were allegedly given even to those with unsupported systems. That should certainly be good news, but there is no guarantee whatsoever that things will not change later. Anyway, quite a chaos.
For now, I'm not overly enthusiastic about Windows 11 and I don't plan to install it on any of my systems, at least not during a period of “baby illnesses”. Furthermore, the two computers that I use in addition to my DAW are not compliant. But I’m not too worried for now. From what I’ve read, the new Windows brings changes that are mostly cosmetic in nature, at least for now. As an artist, I believe that the appearance of the programs you are in constant contact with is not unimportant, but it’s also not a crucial reason for upgrading. Honestly, I was hoping that Microsoft, as previously announced, would continue to polish a pretty successful Windows 10 further. While Windows 11 seems to be addressing some of its shortcomings out-of-the-box, only time will tell.
But many problems remain. What about countless older computers that are still useful and in regular use? Will Microsoft's latest move ironically push many into the world of Linux? Linux is a very mature system these days, however, it’s still not a true alternative to more popular commercial systems in every particular case. Eg. in my world of music production, the complete transition to Linux is still a utopia. Not because it's not as good a system as Windows and macOS (in many ways much superior to those, in fact) but because of compatibility issues that are still a major pain when it comes to Linux. But things change very quickly and in few years, who knows? ;)