The day has finally arrived for Windows 10 to go into retirement. So if you have a computer that can run Windows 11, the time has come to decide whether you want to go ahead, or if you should take a different path (cough, Linux, cough).
If you haven’t actually used Windows 11 yet, you’ve probably heard some pretty negative things about it. However, I’ve been using it on several computers from the day of its launch, and you know, the Windows 11 waters are just fine.
I Was There at the Beginning
Just over four years ago, as soon as Windows 11 became available to the public, I immediately pulled the trigger. Not because I was excited for a new version of Windows, but because I just could not deal with the trainwreck that was Windows 10. Surely, nothing could be worse than my Windows 10 experience?
There was no risk either, since at this point my Windows 10 computer was purely used for video games, and when I needed Windows screenshots for work. Since 2019, I’d switched over to a Mac and macOS as my main work computer. The mission-critical device that I had to rely on to make a living. So there was no important data on my Windows computer, and the worst that could happen was needing a fresh installation of Windows 10.
Well, it turns out that this was the easiest and smoothest Windows upgrade of my life. Not only did it upgrade things quickly, but all my stuff was exactly where I left it. It was completely uneventful, and in the years since, I’ve had five different Windows 11 computers, all with very different hardware, and it’s been pretty smooth sailing. At least compared to Windows 10.
- Operating System
-
macOS
- CPU
-
Apple M4
- RAM
-
16 GB
- Storage
-
256GB
- Colors
-
Midnight, Silver, Sky Blue, Starlight
Despite the Critics, Windows 11 Never Failed Me Like Windows 10 Did
I’ve written quite a bit about my sour experience with Windows 10, which eventually drove me to macOS. Every second unasked-for update would break my computer. I lost days, if not weeks, while trying to roll back or repair something which Windows 10 broke for no reason. I had constant performance problems in video games, random freezes, and a long list of other small and large pain points I don’t have the word count to cover.
Moving over to macOS, over three MacBooks and six years, I have not had a single minute, nay a single second of unplanned downtime. This matters, because in my line of work I get paid for what I produce. Any lost productivity can be calculated in exact dollars and cents. In that context, a MacBook Air pays for itself very quickly.
Now, while I don’t drive a Windows computer daily anymore, I do have to stay up to date with the various popular operating systems. So, in addition to playing video games on my Windows 11 machine, I try to use it for work occasionally. So far, unlike Windows 10, I’ve yet to encounter any show-stopping issues. It’s not enough to make me come back, but it’s a big improvement.
The Worst Parts of Windows 11 Are in Windows 10 Too
Now, I don’t want to create the impression that Windows 11 is perfect or anything. I consider it an improvement on Windows 10 in just about every way, but it’s still an operating system that doesn’t make you feel in control. It’s also still riddled with what amounts to unwanted advertising, though it does a better job of disguising this fact.
There are concerns about problematic telemetry, about features like CoPilot which, (as far as I can tell), no one asked for or wants, Also, of course, individual people will have issues with specific hardware and software combinations. That’s just the nature of the infinite variety of the PC platform. However, even on day one, I think Windows 11 was the better OS than 10, and it’s had four years of updates and tweaking since then.
Windows 11 isn’t my favorite operating system, but if you’re on Windows 10, then I think things can only get better for you.
If Your Computer Can’t Upgrade, It’s Time to Make a Choice
The elephant in the room is how much more restrictive Windows 11 is when it comes to hardware support. If your computer can run Windows 11, my advice is back up any important data you have, and pull the trigger on upgrading to the latest OS.
If you have a computer that Windows 11 doesn’t officially support, and you have no way of upgrading it to make it compliant, you have a few options. The most expensive one is to buy a new computer. That sucks, but it also means your computer is pretty old at this point, so an upgrade might actually be well-timed. If you’re buying a new computer anyway, this might be the right time to switch to macOS, like I did. Apple Silicon is so powerful these days that even entry-level Macs are overpowered for most people’s needs. So unless you have specific software that needs Windows, don’t ignore the Mac as an option.
You can also try some of the workarounds to make Windows 11 run on unsupported hardware, but I wouldn’t recommend that on anything mission-critical, and those loopholes can be closed by Microsoft at any time. Just like they’ve been clamping down on local account creation in Windows 11.
Finally, if you want to keep your current hardware, there’s always Linux. It’s easier and more user-friendly than ever. The Linux gaming scene is popping off, and you can probably run any Windows-only software you need using a compatibility layer. If you can’t do anything else with your existing computer anyway, you have literally nothing to lose. So why not give the penguin life a chance?
