Windows 11 is finally starting to see the changes Microsoft has promised for months, except the best parts are still limited to Windows Insiders and mockups. I appreciate Microsoft's efforts to revamp Windows 11 — better late than never — but some of these improvements should have shipped years ago.
The status of Windows 11 makes me ask why Microsoft didn't aggressively start climbing the metaphorical mountain years ago. Microsoft has revamped settings and UI elements, but the big changes are part of a new initiative that honestly shouldn't need to exist.
Microsoft is updating several core parts of Windows 11 with WinUI, which improves performance and even helps Windows 11 run on PCs with less RAM. But I can't help but ask how we got here in the first place. How did we end up with a "modern" OS with legacy components and UI elements from different decades?
Biggest News of the Week
Microsoft's CVP of Design and Research on Windows, Marcus Ash, sits down with Windows Central to talk all things UI on Windows 11.
Marcus Ash, Microsoft's design and research lead for Windows 11, sits down to talk about how the company is planning to optimize Windows 11 for devices with low amounts of RAM.
Everything from the Start menu to legacy File Explorer dialogs are being rewritten with WinUI in the coming months.
Windows Insiders need to update to a build with a renewed flight certificate before August 11, 2026 to prevent builds from expiring and to keep automatic updates flowing.
Creators were able to connect an NVIDIA RTX 4060 to an ASUS Zenbook A16 with a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme. Is this a glimmer of hope for Windows on Arm gaming?
Reports indicate a BIOS update is bricking some Lenovo Legion Go gaming handhelds. Subreddit mods warn users to avoid the update as out-of-warranty repairs cost over $270.
I understand that updating legacy components can be tricky. Microsoft's CVP of Design and Research on Windows, Marcus Ash, joined the most recent Windows Central Podcast and discussed the challenges of updating Windows.
Obviously, Ash knows more about Windows than I ever will. I don't question the difficulty of updating an entire OS, especially if you need to re-update components several times.
What I question is why keeping Windows up to date and unified was not a core value from the start? Why did Microsoft reach a point where user feedback became overwhelming and the tech giant finally decided to make bigger changes?
Legacy support is critical for enterprise users, so Microsoft could not just throw out old code or elements to make Windows modern. But having a unified OS could have been a priority from the beginning.
Work like this needed to start decades ago, not in 2026. Some of the groundwork has been laid for these improvements, but some projects are quite new. That's not an acceptable way to make an operating system.
Shopping with Sean
My top recommendation isn't an item on sale. Instead, it's a must-have for Xbox owners that's running out of stock. Several retailers have listed the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S as unavailable. Best Buy ran out of stock while I was writing a piece highlighting the shortage. Below are all the listings I've found that still let you order the speedy storage card.
An excellent deal on the Dell XPS 14 slashes $1,150 off the premium PC. I love the design of the XPS 14 from last year, and the current discount makes the laptop a great choice for back-to-school shopping.
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