Windows 11 leak

Windows 11. © Microsoft.

Talk about raining on Microsoft’s parade… While the official unveiling of the new OS isn’t scheduled until Thursday, June 24, an early build of Windows 11 flooded the Internet ahead of time. However, since it’s a development version and not even a beta, it doesn’t reveal any revolutionary new features which were surely implemented later. Still, build 21996 offers a complete overview of a simpler and unified interface, which in many ways resembles that of Windows 10X, the scrapped OS in development for dual-screen PCs.

This leaked build looks more like Windows 10 with a new ’do than an actual new OS. The initial boot-up, very similar to that of Windows 10X, guides new hardware users or those upgrading to Windows 11 through a series of configuration steps. Also, Microsoft is integrating the Xbox experience into Windows 11. The new Xbox app provides quick access to Xbox Game Pass games, the social parts of Xbox network, and the Xbox Store. All this to say, if you were hoping to get a peek at the changes in the built-in applications, they’re not showing up yet. All the more reason to tune in to the official presentation on June 24, because hopefully Windows 11 has much more up its sleeve than a new interface. A purely esthetic shift from 10 to 11 would come across as just another marketing ploy. (We remember that Microsoft had been implying since the Windows 10 release that it would be the “last version”, followed by a continuous update of “Windows as a service” rather than another OS version.)

⇨ YouTube, “Windows 11 Build 21996 - New Start, Taskbar, Widgets, Tablet Improvements, Sounds + MORE.”

⇨ The Verge, Tom Warren, “Windows 11 leak reveals new UI, Start menu, and more.”

2021-06-15