Windows 11 Early Impressions

In the midst of a heat wave unlike the Pacific Northwest has ever seen Microsoft made a boring, hot Monday into something special. The first bits of Windows 11 were released to Windows Insiders this morning, for PC’s enrolled in the Dev Channel. I immediately installed it to my test VM while my laptop started work. It is still very early in this process, and I will have more later but my initial impressions match up very much with my enthusiasm from last week during the reveal. This thing is gorgeous. This is a breath of fresh COOL air. It’s a shot in the arm to Windows. Yet it is still Home.

This build is also VERY stable for an early build, which shows how much of the foundation has been tested and built in Windows 10 and in Dev Channel builds of 2021. I am NOT suggesting to make this your daily driver if you are not very technical. There will be more refined builds that come along the way, and Microsoft has “less risky” channels for the curious. For the technical there is no reason not to spin up a VM and give this thing a try.

There are subtle changes throughout, from even the installation screens/fonts to the lock screen and some of the effects of launching an application. Of course there are the major revamps of Start, Settings, Themes, Action Center, etc.

There is obviously a lot of work to be done: I’ve already filed two pieces of Feedback, but this makes me very optimistic. I know all builds won’t be this smooth, its part of the development process as you make new features, optimize code, and fix other bugs. I’m a Windows Insider, I’m prepared for life in the Fast Lane.

I’ve noticed little quirks with laggy spots, delayed transitions, some blurred areas, and some jarring experiences where the OLD UI’s fly right out at ya, but its all incredibly fixable. Again this is very early, we’ve got several months until this rolls out. For now there is a ton to explore, features to try, and PC resets to be done. Stay tuned! We are just getting started!

Chris Gahlsdorf

I have been a System Administrator for 15 years now. I have been an avid Microsoft fan for over 20. From my first 486 with Windows 3.0 to my latest custom rig with Windows 11. I have gone from tinkering, to programming, to managing servers, and virtualization. I am a Windows Insider MVP as part of the Windows Insider Program.

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1 Response

  1. July 8, 2021

    […] Pacific Northwest. I was able to download and install the build on a laptop last week to provide my early impressions. Being me, I also decided to take that same laptop on the road as my only PC. I figured it would be […]

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