Here is why Microsoft is Releasing Windows 11: Although Windows 11 has amazing features from the consumer’s point of view, this isn’t the best time for Microsoft to introduce a new operating system.
Launches of Microsoft operating systems don’t seem to correlate much with increases in consumer hardware adoption, especially over the last ten years. However, there is a severe shortage of silicon right now.
Windows 11’s increased demand will put more strain on the market than an equivalent increase during more regular times.
Microsoft might not even consider this to be a problem. It can even be the reason the business is releasing the OS at this particular time.
Problem with Windows Migration
For at least the past 15 years, Microsoft has battled to get customers to switch from earlier versions of Windows.
Due to the rapid advancement of hardware and software, initially, it was quite simple to convince customers to purchase new versions of earlier products.
There was no denying that Windows 95 was significantly different from Windows 3.1, whether you liked it or despised it. People frequently updated from Win 9x to Windows XP to increase system stability and basic functionality.
People today keep computers for a lot longer than they used to, therefore they are less likely to buy a new OS when they buy a system.
Microsoft’s initial response, implemented with Windows 10, was to make upgrading to the new operating system free and simple for almost everyone, even users of outdated computers, and then ferociously bug, gaslight, and needle anyone who didn’t hop on board.
Even though we disliked the nagware component, the method seemed to function fairly well on an objective level. The bulk of the Windows world is using Windows 10 six years after its release.
But during the previous six years, security threats have also significantly changed. Today, ransomware is a significant issue in a wide range of businesses.
Better infiltration tools and more complex malware attacks have become increasingly prevalent. Microsoft is still debating exactly what the security requirements for Windows 11 are, but they go beyond TPM 2.0, and the corporation is serious about mandating more stringent security measures for devices.
Pandemics and Processors
Microsoft used to be able to count on the x86 manufacturers to regularly provide faster CPUs. It’s challenging to describe (or recall) how rapid this cadxence was.
The fastest CPU you could purchase in late 1995 and early 1996 was either a Pentium or Pentium Pro 166.
With the Northwood P4, Intel was attempting to reach 2GHz six years later. Even though the Northwood P4 had lower efficiency than the P3, it was still more effective than the first Pentium.
Even if you subtract 400MHz from the comparison to be impolite, there has been an 8.43x increase in clock speed in just over six years, and that doesn’t even take into account advancements like a full-speed on-die cache or the then-ongoing adoption of performance-enhancing SIMD instructions via SSE2.
Nowadays, improvements happen considerably more slowly, and computers last much longer. Laptops will always need to be replaced more frequently than desktops due to the wear and tear they unavoidably endure, although replacement cycles for PC desktops have increased from 2-3 years to five years or more.
A firm representative previously spoke confidently of “the four-year PC replacement cycle.” Twelve months later, the representative brought up “the five-year PC replacement cycle” while being briefed by the same company on its new items.
In terms of hardware sales, the PC market’s tale from 2010 to 2020 is essentially one of decline. Although ultrabooks undoubtedly provide a more upscale PC experience than what was typically available ten years ago, PC sales have been declining year over year for the majority of that time, from a high of 365 million units in 2011 to just 263 million units in 2019.
Thanks to the epidemic, PC sales increased to 275 million units in 2020, or roughly 302 million units if Chromebooks are taken into account. In any case, Windows PC sales increased for the first time in years.
Currently, it is anticipated that the PC industry will continue to grow through at least the end of this year and maybe beyond 2022.
Any Windows update cycle Microsoft starts today runs the danger of escalating demand problems.
However, the fact that many are upgrading now presents a chance as well. In general, computers people are upgrading to support more modern security requirements than those purchased between 2010 and 2016.
The best method for Microsoft to advance the industry and encourage the adoption of new security standards is probably by releasing a new version of Windows.
Microsoft is reverting to an old strategy in doing so. Although the Windows developer has usually used new versions to denote significant changes in hardware support, it might have followed Apple’s lead and increased OS versions without releasing a new product.
Microsoft will be able to benefit from the fact that more PC buyers are replacing their outdated devices by releasing Windows 11 in 2021.
The corporation has the best chance of ensuring that specific security features are built in as the default setting on the largest variety of PCs.
Microsoft has made a point of saying that Windows 10 will be supported through 2025 in its messaging, and we assume that’s partly to lessen the blow of this change.
Our best assumption is that Microsoft will soon release Windows 11 to leverage the unanticipated increase in PC demand to hasten the transition to higher security standards than it otherwise could have.
This aligns with Microsoft’s focus on enhancing hardware security with tools like its Pluton security processor.
Although the new icons are attractive and the enhancement to hybrid computing may be helpful, Windows 11 doesn’t appear to have many “killer features” for customers.
However, from Microsoft’s standpoint, there might not be a better time. The PC market is currently seeing its first real demand surge in ten years, and a global pandemic was required to bring it about. Betting on that kind of lightning happening twice is a foolish idea.
Final thought
We anticipate that the answer to the reason Microsoft release window 11 is “Because it doesn’t think it has many choices.” The easiest strategy to promote new security standards is to take advantage of a significant increase in PC sales.
