Microsoft says Windows 11 will be available from 5th October

Microsoft has named the date for the beginning of the Windows 11 era. From Tuesday 5th October, consumers will be able to buy new PCs with Windows 11 pre-installed from a wide array of Microsoft partners (and Microsoft (Surface)). Moreover, Microsoft seems to have changed its mind and will be rolling out Windows 11 updates through Windows Update on Windows 10, straight away.

To remind users why they might want to buy a new PC with Windows 11 on, or to upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft has put together 11 bullet points, covering all the new attractions of the OS. Bit-Tech has reported on Windows 11 features previously, but it is worth a recap. In brief, as well as the new UI, Start Menu, Snap Layouts, Snap Groups, Widgets, and accessibility features – Microsoft's Windows 11 is claimed to be "the best Windows ever for gaming," and it integrates cloud and Microsoft 365 hybrid working, Microsoft Teams, a revamped Microsoft Store and is "optimized for speed, efficiency and improved experiences with touch, digital pen and voice input".

In its blog post, Microsoft highlights thirteen desirable modern laptops and convertibles you might want to buy on 5th October to get started with a new device and new OS simultaneously (not one desktop is highlighted, though). If you don't fancy buying a new PC, the good news shared in this blog post is that you won't have to wait until early 2022 to upgrade to Windows 11.

In what appears to be a change of heart, Microsoft will be rolling out Windows 11 upgrades to eligible and compatible computers from 5th Oct, and it is going to do so starting with the newest PCs. Sometime after rollout begins, it will start to harness its AI to bring forward upgrades for PCs that appear to be good candidates, judging from wrinkle-free upgrade experiences based on user feedback. If you are an eager beaver, you can fire up Windows Update anytime, to see if you can prompt Windows Update to initiate the Windows 11 upgrade process.

We don't have any info on final Windows 11 ISOs or any more news about the ins and outs of compatibility, as we talked about on Monday. If your system is on the borderline, and you are interested in Windows 11, I'd advise a wait until early October, then downloading the full and final PC Health Check app (current available version is for Windows Insiders).