Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 11, has been available since October 5th, 2021, promising improved security, performance, user experience, and other benefits that all business users can appreciate.
However, business users also appreciate reliability, and they’re reluctant to adopt any software that’s not rock-stable.
There’s a general consensus that desktop Windows releases adhere to a good/bad cycle, and Windows 10 is widely regarded as one of the best releases in recent history, so why upgrade to Windows 11 and risk increased IT issues?
To answer this question for your small business, you need to consider the following factors.
What to Consider When Upgrading to Windows 11:
Hardware Requirements
With Windows 11, Microsoft is setting a new baseline for the PC market by dropping support for many computers that don’t meet its hardware requirements, which include:
- 1 GHz CPU
- 4 GB of RAM
- 64 GB of storage space
- GPU with DirectX 12 support
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
The last requirement in particular has caused quite a controversy because any computer that doesn’t have a TPM chip is officially unsupported by Windows 11 regardless of how powerful it is.
Microsoft requires support for TPM technology to provide hardware-based, security-related functions that make it far more difficult for attackers to install rootkits, execute ransomware and firmware attacks, and steal credentials.
SWITCH:
If your computers meet the hardware requirements of Windows 11 (you can use the PC Health Check app from Microsoft to check), then you can upgrade to take advantage of all the improvements it brings to the table.
WAIT:
While Windows 11 can be installed even on computers that don’t meet all hardware requirements, we strongly discourage businesses from running the operating system on unsupported hardware for stability and security reasons.
Compatibility and Stability
One reason why Windows dominates the global desktop operating market, especially when it comes to the business segment, is its excellent compatibility with older software, which goes hand in hand with stability.
Indeed, worries about compatibility and stability issues were among the main reasons why so many experts were warning users against rushing to implement Windows 11 back when it was still new.
Since the release of Windows 11, developers have had plenty of time to update their software, so compatibility and stability issues are few and far between.
That said, many organizations rely on custom software, and they don’t always have the resources to maintain it as well as they should. In such cases, it’s best to test Windows 11 compatibility on a case-by-case basis, especially when it comes to old 32-bit applications that run on Windows 11 through a compatibility layer.
SWITCH:
Do you only use software applications that are officially compatible with Windows 11? If so, then switching to the new operating system shouldn’t create any compatibility or stability issues for you.
WAIT:
Is there some business-critical software application that doesn’t run well on Windows 11? In that case, you should solve the compatibility issues before upgrading to the new operating system.
User Experience
An operating system that delivers a great user experience can make its users more productive, and that’s exactly what Microsoft is trying to achieve with the Fluent Design System.
Windows 11 is designed to be tranquil, responsive, and familiar, and the round corners are just the most prominent manifestation of Microsoft’s new design philosophy. There are also smoother animations, optimized color schemes, new sound effects, and more.
Windows 11 Design Upgrades
The Start menu is now centered by default, and it opens a simplified menu with a search bar and two customizable sections—one for apps and one for recommendations. A new taskbar button has been added for the Widgets menu, where you can place auto-updating widgets for easy access to useful information, such as calendar appointments.
Windows 11 greatly improves the management of application windows with its new Snap Assist feature, allowing users to arrange windows in a number of different ways to maximize the utilization of available screen real estate.
Unfortunately, Microsoft has yet to implement several highly popular features, such as the ability to display the remaining battery time by clicking the battery icon on the taskbar (it should be available later this year), but their implementation is only a matter of time.
SWITCH:
Are your employees familiar with Windows 11 from their personal devices and like the new user experience? Then upgrading their work devices to Windows 11 should be painless—just don’t do it for the user experience alone.
WAIT:
Microsoft is still polishing the Windows 11 user experience and adding missing features from Windows 10. By waiting a bit longer, you can avoid the annoyances early adopters face.
Conclusion
The right time to switch to Windows 11 is when the benefits you can unlock outweigh the cost of switching and the issues you may potentially experience while getting used to the new operating.
If you think that the time to switch is now, then contact a Managed IT Service Provider like us at TechGen, and we’ll help you ensure the upgrade to Windows 11 is quick and easy.
Not ready to switch to Windows 11 just yet? Don’t worry! Windows 10 will be supported until October 2025, so you still have plenty of time left.