What was your favorite reveal at Microsoft's Windows 11 event?

By Robert Carnevale
published

Windows 11 Logo 3 Surface Pro
Windows 11 Logo 3 Surface Pro (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

Microsoft finally held its big Windows 11 reveal event, more than a week after Windows 11 leaked to the masses. We already saw wallpapers, the startup sound, some of its features and tools. But now, we've seen a whole lot more, courtesy of Microsoft itself.

We found out Android apps will be available on the brand-new Microsoft Store. We learned Windows 11 not only officially exists but will be a free upgrade for all those interested in making the jump. We got Windows 11's minimum system requirements.

Basically, all of us Windows enthusiasts received scoop after scoop after scoop of big news. The question now is: Which one grabbed your attention the most? Are you jazzed that the upgrade to Windows 11 will be free, or did you expect that and therefore not care too much? Are you psyched beyond belief for Windows 11's new productivity features?

Whatever has you on the edge of your seat, let us know via the poll or the comments. We've run a few polls in recent memory about Windows 11 and its various features, and of all of the fresh content, people seemed to be most excited by the OS's start menu. We also had a few folks in the comments who voiced their love of the operating system's rounded-edge look.

With that said, there's so much more to Windows 11 than a start menu, and today's event further solidified that fact. People should expect more news in the coming months, such as a concrete release date for the operating system.

Whatever big developments happen, rest assured that Windows Central will be there to cover them. We covered the leaks in extensive detail, we covered the buildup to the official reveal, and we'll cover everything that happens after so that you know everything there is to know about Windows 11.

Robert Carnevale
Robert Carnevale

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He's a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author of Cold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.

25 Comments
  • I’m glad they improved touch support mostly. But they really should have had something to say about ARM, especially in light of Apple Silicon.
  • Came here to say the same. I heard a couple of things that sounded like indirect responses, like DirectStorage and new devices coming that are built to perform optimally with Windows 11. The Wintel conglomerate is still reeling from Apple silicon disruption. I hope they fully realize the urgency of the situation. -- A lifelong Windows fan typing this on a seemingly neglected Windows 10 ARM VM running in Parallels on a new M1 Mac Mini.
  • I can tell you what my least favorite reveal was: that annoying System Tray. It looks just like Windows 10 and I was hoping we'd get a simplified version a la Windows 10X. I know Windows 11 UI isn't exactly done and there's lots of time between now and October, but yeah, this will definitely be my first bit of feedback on Windows 11 Insider Program.
  • Meh. Nothing really groundbreaking here, especially on the productivity side. Seems like a new coat of paint on a car - generally an improvement, but not too exciting overall.
  • New store because that old one was extremely slow and dated
  • Agreed. I voted for Android apps in the survey, but the new Microsoft Store together with better developer support could have a much bigger impact. I just didn't see enough in the presentation to have confidence that either of these initiatives be done right this time. Waiting to see what gets revealed in the developer-focused presentation later today. 🤞
  • What store, I saw album art for a movie
  • The productivity features are huge! That's the best part for me. Being able to unplug a screen, have the apps on that screen automatically minimize, and then plug the screen back in later in the day and the same apps open back up to exactly where they were was huge. Being able to snap apps to a specific area of the screen without additional apps like PowerToys is awesome. They talked about some cool things with Desktops too, but I probably personally won't make use of them. Highly productive people will though. 😂
  • My favorite reveal - system requirements. Specifically, the TPM 2.0 requirement. My laptop will not be updated to Windows 11... Thanks, Microsoft...
  • I can't be excited about any of the improvements because of how terrible the start menu is. On Windows 10 the tile groups and folders allow me to organize lots of applications the way I want. The Windows 11 start menu just has a grid that fits far fewer apps. The all apps list is not there as soon as the start menu is opened; you have to click on a button that's far away from the start button to get to it. The power options are also far from the start button. It doesn't make any sense. If you feel the same way please write about it in the Feedback Hub!
  • I don't get how people have strong feelings one way or the other about a start menu. It is useless anyway, just hit Windows + S, type the first few characters of the program you want to launch, hit Enter and bam you're done. I wouldn't even care if MS ditched the start menu entirely.
  • Your method is only faster when you have a PC in desktop mode attached to a keyboard. If you're undocking your Surface tablet and sitting on the couch, having pinned and grouped apps in your Start Menu, launchable via touch, is faster.
  • That's what the task bar is for.
  • install MS-DOS and you can type as many commands and switches as you like
  • The task bar doesn't let you organize apps via groups like you can in the Start Menu.
  • Option 7 - I didn't like anything about Windows 11 and won't update to it.
  • That is your prerogative of course, but any particular reason for such a position? Just curious.
  • Me, I just loved Panos' sneakers man. It's all I was looking at anytime he was fully shown on screen!
  • I loved those too! he shouldn't be saying 'The Product' though...
  • So Microsoft just center the taskbar icons and make windows rounded while Apple redesigned every inch of macOS while making it run natively on a completely different architecture along with an impossibly efficient translation layer. This is nothing but a lipstick on a pig to keep Windows 10 from looking ancient compared to latest Apple computers. The real windows is under the hood, which is absolutely fat and dated. A 30 minute presentation for Microsoft's most important software? No wonder Panos looked like he was about to cry.
  • A very clinical response but I hate to say I have to agree. This is like Apple inventing an efficient flying car and Microsoft seeing that takes an old helicopter, slaps on a coat of paint and calls it a spaceship. Not buying it.... Android app support is nice. I'll liken that to taping an LG smartphone to the dash. ... And Panos ALWAYS looks like he's about to cry.
  • Running Android apps was the biggest surprise for me, but improved UI and touch was my favorite. Interestingly, this poll doesn't have an option for Improved touch support.
  • My favorite reveal is that I can't get it 😂
  • I'm excited about all of it. You can tell Microsoft put a lot of thought into Windows 11. There appears to be enough new features and improvements along with all that gorgeous eye candy to keep me in the Windows ecosystem for many more years to come. And this is coming from someone who also has a new M1 Mac Mini. I'll enjoy switching between macOS and Windows as the mood/project suits while keeping my fingers crossed (apparently my theme for the day) for Windows 11 for ARM.
  • I'm excited that EVERY single PC/Laptop in my Home will need to be dumped because TPM 2.0 is a must with Windows 11.
    I will not tak talk about "only UEFI Boot" (Bye Bye CSM Boot).. I really feel that some Specifications should and ought to be relaxed (TPM and UEFI Boot). Not excited at all.