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5 min read

Should I upgrade to Windows 11? Not yet. Here's why.

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Windows 11 upgrade

If you’ve been reading the news (where Microsoft is concerned, at least) you’ll know they’ve been pretty amped to share their newest OS (Operating System) Windows 11. The hype campaign for brand new OS has been everywhere but…does it live up to the hype or does it leave you saying “hmmm”? Bruno Lecoq, BEMO’s CEO and CISO, gives us the lowdown on everything you need to know about Windows 11, from compatibility checks to upgrade expectations plus, why this Microsoft veteran and update expert gives the sage advice to “wait to update”.


Table of Contents

Should I upgrade to Windows 11?
Interview with Bruno Lecoq: Why You Should Wait to Update
Windows 11 system requirements
Will Windows 11 be a free upgrade?
Windows 11 review
Windows 11 wallpaper
When can I download Windows 11?


Should I upgrade to Windows 11?

The question we’ve all come here for: should you upgrade to Windows 11? The short answer: Nope. Not yet. But here’s the longer answer for a little context:
With every upgrade, there are bugs to be worked out. So, in the beginning of any upgrade one must ask oneself: Am I a nerd or not?

 

 

Julia, what are you talking about? Bruno Lecoq, our CEO and CISO here at BEMO is a self-proclaimed “nerd” and he not only worked at Microsoft for two decades he also worked specifically on upgrades. In our interview concerning all things Windows 11 he gave us a little more detail: “I worked at Microsoft for 20 years and during this time I worked in the Operating System group many times. So I worked on the windows 3.0, 3.1, Windows Server Version, MS DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98.” Needless to say, Bruno has been around the block to see new OS releases and all the “fun” that can come with them. Here's the full interview to answer all your Windows 11 questions in under 3 minutes.

 

 

If you’re a nerd like Bruno, perhaps it’s fun for you to find the bugs in a new OS but, if bug-hunting (or, the more likely scenario: having your day thrown out of whack due to bugs) is not your idea of a good time, you’re going to want to wait. “Geeks like me, we are already running Windows 11 just to learn with it, but I would say for our customers and for any user, I would say, wait a few months because millions of end-user are going to use it. Issues are going to be found. That always happens when you first release a new OS and you know, if you aren't in a hurry, you don't have to be the Guinea pig.”

So, if you’re not a geek or aren’t into being a Guinea pig, when should you update? January 2022. Let BEMO be the Guinea pigs until then. As Bruno says, “At BEMO, we will all upgrade now because we need to experience for our customers and be able to know the issues, but for our customers I would say, wait until January. Issues will have been cleaned up by Microsoft, if any. So, if you are not in a hurry, wait for it. If you're a geek and you love troubles or potential troubles, go for it.” There it is folks: geeks and Guinea pigs head to Upgrade City! Everyone else, ring in the New Year with a new OS, but not until then.

 


Windows 11 system requirements

If you’re gung-ho to begin your upgrade or you’ve decided to wait, either way, you’re going to want to check if your current system is compatible with the upgrade. “If you are running Windows 10 and your computer is around three years old, you should have no problem. If it's more, if your computer were maybe 10 years old it may be time to think of an upgrade. And if you buy a new computer anyway, it will now come with Windows 11 by default” says Lecoq.

How to check if your computer is compatible (other than buying a new computer)? “You can go to microsoft.com. As you imagine, there's a page to upgrade to Windows 11 and they will make you run an application to make sure that your computer is compatible with Windows 11. You run it and it will tell you “Yes, you can upgrade safely” or “No, you cannot because your sound card is too old or something is too old. Don't do it or go change your computer.” Here's a link to the PC health check download from the Microsoft site to check if your computer is ready or not (*scroll all the way to the bottom of the page in the "Check for compatibility" section).


Will Windows 11 be a free upgrade?

Short answer: yes

 

 


Long answer: see above
Yes, the Windows 11 update is completely free, assuming your machine is compatible with the update. If not, and if you're dead set on an upgrade, it could cost you the price of a new computer. It's up to you!


Windows 11 review

So, now that our “nerds” have been on the case for a while now (some members of our team have been on the Windows 11 insider preview for quite some time now), what’s the consensus? Beautiful, with a side of bugs. First, the bugs: Bruno said that everything has “played nicely” (meaning all of his programs have worked as expected) so far for any Microsoft product (Office, Excel, Power BI, etc.) but that some non-Microsoft apps are struggling with the upgrade. Why? While you may have upgraded to Windows 11, that doesn’t mean that every app you run has also upgraded their software to run smoothly with the new OS. Hence, why we suggest you wait to update. Calls are most certainly pouring in to these different developers and I’m sure within the quarter they will be patched up and running pretty but until then, best to hold off.

 

Now, for beautiful: Microsoft’s goal with Windows 11 was to enhance the user experience. As a solely Mac user prior to coming to BEMO, Microsoft’s user experience was a bit of a downgrade. While there’s definitely more functionality, clearly function took favor over fashion in the land of Microsoft. With Windows 11, that’s a thing of the past. “I love the interface because I feel like I am running a Mac. The colors, it looks like more Mac than PC. I love the bar to be in the middle. I have a 15-inch screen and it's always bothered me that the start button, I have to turn my head to the left. Now it's in the middle, where I will expect it to be. I like from the design perspective what they have done. It runs like before I think it's just nicer” Says Lecoq. So, is the upgrade all about looks or is it a functional upgrade as well?

 

Windows 11 wallpaper


Windows 11 wallpaper

Why did Microsoft make this change? It’s all about the wallpaper. Just kidding. Microsoft is always listening to customer feedback and while they did give the people what they wanted (a nicer user experience), they also added some bells and whistles to the upgrade that make it truly worthwhile, beauty aside. “There's a lot of things from the back end, from security. The advantage of always bringing an OS up to date is Microsoft has been working on that OS I'm sure for many years . If there's a security issue or attack that you could be attacked on Windows 10, now you will not be able to be attacked on Windows 11. There are a lot of things under the hood that are always worth it” says Lecoq.


When can I download Windows 11?

Now! Or…wait until January. The upgrade isn’t going anywhere so, it all comes down to you: Are you a Guinea pig, a geek or a let’s wait and see kind of person. There’s no right answer for all, just a right answer for you. As for us at BEMO, we’ll be over here geeking out on the new OS and reporting back to you as we. We’d love to hear from you about your experience with Windows 11. Have you switched? What do you think? Are you waiting? We want to know what’s important to you. Leave a comment below or send us a chat! Happy upgrading! 

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