- Microsoft’s published a new article featuring Windows 11 tips that doubles as a prod to upgrade to the newer OS
- The trouble is there’s a baffling selection of ‘strong’ points highlighted
- There are some good reasons to upgrade to Windows 11, but none of them are presented by this document
In case you hadn’t noticed (unlikely), Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 – if it’s at all possible and their PC fulfils the spec requirements for the newer operating system – and we’ve just caught wind of another attempt to prod folks to make that leap.
This is a new article on Microsoft’s ‘Learning Center’ portal noticed by Neowin which is called ‘7 tips to get the most out of Windows 11,’ and is an effort to persuade Windows 10 holdouts.
Microsoft begins the piece: “So, you’ve heard the buzz about Windows 11, but is it worth the upgrade? From productivity tools to sleek designs, Windows 11 is packed with features that make your life easier. If you’re still on Windows 10, now’s a good time to make the switch – especially with support for Windows 10 ending in October 2025.”
Essentially, the idea appears to be that it’s a list of tips which double as strong points of Windows 11. So, buckle up, let’s take a look at this collection and see what we make of it.
The initial tip is to ‘Make the Start Menu your own’ and it points out that it’s easy to customize said menu. Microsoft informs us: “You can pin your favorite apps, rearrange tiles, or even resize the whole thing to suit your vibe.” You can indeed, but highlighting the Start menu is an odd choice here, seeing as it’s a piece of Windows 11 that a lot of folks aren’t that happy with for one reason or another.
Also, customization is relatively limited in some respects. For example, want to get rid of the ‘recommendations’ section? You can’t – but to be fair, this ability might be inbound in a major redesign for the Start menu, so Microsoft appears to be listening to feedback, thankfully.
Then we have a couple of tips for rather niche features. The second point is to use snap layouts, which consist of multiple apps ‘snapped’ or fitted neatly together to enable them to be viewed simultaneously across your monitor screen. They’re a nice idea, but really something that you’ll use, or you won’t – and there are a good many folks in the latter category. The third tip, to use virtual desktops to keep, say, your work life and personal desktop separate, is something that the majority of Windows users won’t ever go near.
Then we’re told widgets are great – hmm, some folks might enjoy them, but again, they’re more of a minority thing, albeit a feature Microsoft seems unhealthily obsessed with – and we’re reminded that you can use focus sessions for better productivity (once more, most people won’t, though).
Tip six points out that you can use Windows Hello for login (you can on Windows 10, too, though to be fair, the feature is enhanced on Windows 11), and Microsoft’s final tip is to use dark mode (again, this is present on Windows 10, albeit the implementation is better on the newer OS once more).
Analysis: Some odd choices indeed
Overall, this represents an odd collection of tips and possible reasons to hop on the Windows 11 train. There are certainly more compelling arguments to take the plunge with Microsoft’s newest OS, including better security under-the-hood for starters, and smoother overall performance compared to Windows 10.
Indeed, there are some neat features for PC gamers, such as Auto HDR mode, or DirectStorage for speeding up games considerably (where it’s supported, and that’ll eventually be a much wider array of titles).
Or what about some of the great accessibility features that Windows 11 has introduced? Or the new AI features that’ve been drafted in (some of which are for Copilot+ PCs only, admittedly, but not all of them).
Microsoft’s article fails miserably in terms of the meat here to persuade people to pull the upgrade trigger, and even rather falls flat when it comes to pointing out the bits of Windows 11 that you really need to know about for those who’ve just installed the OS and need some initial tips to help find their way around.
Of course, with Windows 10’s End of Life now looming very large, you’re going to have to examine the realities of a Windows 11 upgrade before long, anyway – that or the alternatives such as paying to maintain Windows 10 support for another year through to October 2026.
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