Windows 11 Trial Review: Is it easy to use the greatly changed GUI? : Focus on Snap Layouts

Microsoft is rolling out hardware-based security in Windows 10 on its latest Surface. Windows 11 brings this security to all supported hardware. Such security includes requiring Trusted Boot to reduce the risk of kernel malware, Microsoft Defender Application Guard, which opens downloaded files in a sandboxed virtual machine, and user logins governed by cryptographic tokens stored in the TPM. There is

In July 2021, Microsoft rolled out the first preview build of Windows 11 to "Windows Insiders" in its development channel, updating test machines to Windows 11. Not all currently planned features are included in this preview build. But it is stable and ready for testing.

On my test machine, Windows 11 installed easily with the Windows Insider version update tool. No need to download an ISO file or format your PC and do a clean install. The new build downloaded in minutes and installed relatively quickly, leaving my applications and data intact.

After the first reboot, you'll see a slightly new login screen. The font is new and the layout is slightly different. If you have set biometric sign-in on Windows 10, that setting will be retained. Windows Hello and the fingerprint sensor will continue to work in Windows 11.

GUI

Microsoft has made some tweaks to the Windows 10 GUI. The Windows taskbar, which has always been left-aligned, is now center-aligned, with new icons and a redesigned Windows logo.

The biggest change is the Start menu. The Start menu opens in the center of the screen, the Windows 10 live tiles are gone, and a new widget pane appears. The split view also includes a "Recommended" view that lists your pinned applications and your most recent documents and newly installed applications.

The window has also changed slightly, with rounded corners (which follow the corners of the Surface Laptop Go). This new look and feel (codenamed "Sun Valley") uses the Windows design language "Fluent Design System" and applies to the entire operating system. It's like a new coat of familiar house paint, and everything works as before, but with some clever gimmicks.

One of the new tricks works when you right-click or mouse over the maximize button of a window. This will open the "Snap Layouts" tool. This tool uses the screen geometry to suggest new layouts. This is surprisingly convenient. Snap Layouts let you quickly select windows and create your own layouts. Layouts you create are saved as Snap Groups, allowing you to quickly revert to them when needed.

This tool builds on previous features of Windows and reimagines how people work in new ways. You can also use this tool in conjunction with Windows' virtual desktop support. This combination can also be made into a single taskbar icon, simplifying layout switching. In other words, Windows 11 allows you to have taskbar icons for work and play. This allows us to create a wall between work and life. These functions will become even more important in a situation where telework has increased.

One of the big changes is that "notifications" and "action center", which were integrated in Windows 10, have been separated in Windows 11. Notifications have a much simplified look and feel, with a rounded design similar to the rest of the user interface. Action Center, which quickly transfers control to system functions, is now a standalone panel, again with rounded pop-ups. Currently, it's launched by clicking on the network or sound controls in the taskbar.

When you open Action Center, it is displayed in the same layout as that of Windows 10. A new icon shows details such as connected Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, as well as brightness and volume controls. Microsoft allows users to add/remove features.

Non-GUI Updates

Windows 11 features redesigned features for greater consistency and clarity. The new look and feel of the desktop is also part of this. The "Explorer" has been redesigned and the "Settings" application has been improved.

The biggest change is the Microsoft Store. Microsoft removed store restrictions, allowing anyone to contribute their own applications to the store. No need to package as Appx or MSIX. You can use familiar MSI or EXE-based installers. Packages and web-based applications bundled as "Electron" or "PWA" are also supported.

Electron is a software framework that allows you to build desktop applications for Windows, macOS and Linux. PWA (Progressive Web Apps) is a mechanism that allows websites to be used like native smartphone apps.

Perhaps most importantly, software developers can bring their own payment engine. This keeps all the revenue without paying Microsoft a 15% fee. Big subscription apps like Adobe Creative Cloud and Acrobat DC are already available in the new store. By the time Windows 11 is released, more applications will be available in the Microsoft Store.

What's missing from this preview build is "Android" application support in the Microsoft Store. It's built on the Amazon Appstore and Intel's tools to run Arm code on x64 CPUs, allowing you to install and run Android applications on your PC. However, Windows 11 can only run applications recompiled for Fire tablets, and applications that use the Google Play API are not supported.

There is something to look forward to in this preview build. Preview builds are aimed at developers, but are much more stable than early builds of Windows 10. Not surprisingly, it builds on the "Windows as a Service" model that Microsoft has been using for years. Many Windows 11 features are already live on the developer channel as preview builds of new Windows 10 updates. The Windows 11 release is a blend of a thoroughly tested platform with a new GUI.

Under the hood, it brings 64-bit applications to Arm-based devices, and finally offers an Arm64 version of "Microsoft Office." Windows 11 breathes new life into the Arm version of Windows, allowing the Surface Pro X to really shine. The connectivity and long battery life of Arm devices make them ideal portable devices, and we hope to see them available on more Arm devices in the future. It would also be useful to support Android applications using mobile application libraries.

Microsoft is switching its deployment model to Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). As a result, the way software is built has changed, and the benefits of that approach live on in Windows 11. Windows 11 may not be as big a change as Windows XP or Windows 7. But it's worth giving it a new number. I'm looking forward to how Windows 11 will be developed in the future and how it will be integrated with the new version of "Windows Server" scheduled for a major release in 2021.