Microsoft touts migration to Windows 11 as painless, though wallets may disagree
- Reference: 1705494616
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/01/17/windows_11_migration_easy/
- Source link:
Uptake of Windows 11 is not going well, despite less than two years remaining before Windows 10 drops out of support – although an extension will be available for a fee. December figures from StatCounter showed that Windows 11 accounted for just [1]16.97 percent share of Windows PCs .
Microsoft's strategy around the operating system is becoming increasingly muddled. On the one hand, PC makers appear to be looking forward to the next major upgrade of the operating system – [2]rumored to be Windows 12 – which will include AI code to make exotic and expensive hardware more appealing to users. On the other hand, Microsoft has [3]inserted the likes of Copilot into Windows 10 .
[4]
No one would suggest that users are flocking to Windows 11.
[5]
[6]
And now we have a short video from Microsoft demonstrating to users how easy it is to migrate from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Back up – using your Microsoft account, of course – and then simply fire up your new computer to find that everything is present and correct. Even saved passwords and browser settings will make the leap. On Edge, naturally.
[7]Youtube Video
[8]Windows 12 fan fiction shows how Microsoft might ladle AI into the OS
[9]Microsoft braces for automatic AI takeover with Copilot at Windows startup
[10]Microsoft pulls the plug on WordPad, the world's least favorite text editor
[11]Windows keyboards to get a Copilot key – but how quickly will users jump?
A cynic might point out that browser settings leaping from installation to installation has long been a thing – Chrome and Vivaldi spring to mind – and bringing a profile over from another Windows installation predates Windows 11.
However, as the grating voiceover makes clear, it's all ever so simple. Not made quite as clear in the video is that the move from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will likely require new hardware, thanks to its onerous hardware requirements, which means handing over money to PC vendors in return for precious little new functionality.
[12]
It's a shame because there's nothing particularly wrong with Windows 11, although your mileage may vary. It's no Windows 8 in terms of a jarring user experience, but there is also nothing particularly right enough for many users when it comes to justifying the migration.
According to Microsoft, the move to Windows 11 will be a painless one. The software giant has, however, stopped short of making it equally painless for your wallet. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/02/windows_11_unable_to_escape/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/23/windows_12_analysis/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/17/microsoft_to_bring_copilot_to/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZagHuisy6rWQvqHIi9rFpQAAAZI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZagHuisy6rWQvqHIi9rFpQAAAZI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZagHuisy6rWQvqHIi9rFpQAAAZI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://youtu.be/szrisB_bhVU?si=54olpckmS2FRLMkE
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/windows_12_speculation/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/microsoft_copilot_windows_startup/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/05/wordpad_off_windows_11/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/04/windows_keyboards_copilot/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZagHuisy6rWQvqHIi9rFpQAAAZI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Pointless
Exactly this. Outside the nerds/techies that inhabit el-Reg most people do not care about the operating system. As long as they can "go on the Internet" ("Eh, what do you mean 'browser' - what is that ?"), play music, games, edit a document, ... they are happy -- especially if things do not change at all.
Most would quite happily have stuck with Windows XP if microsoft had not killed it.
Re: Pointless
I'd have been very happy with a continuation of XP's user experience; though certain elements of hardware support would obviously need modification to keep up.
It's almost as though having modular components that can be developed and re-used on more than one platform are a good idea.
Oh, yes...
Re: Pointless
"As long as they can "go on the Internet" ("Eh, what do you mean 'browser' - what is that ?”)”
Often nothing as sophisticated as that, ‘I can’t open Google......'
Re: Pointless
Not used windows 10 or 11, so googled adverts in windows 10/11 and selected the images to see what it was all about.
They can fuck right off with that shite, as well as telemetry.
As others have said, maybe people put up with it because the OS is just seen as per the internet, full of ads.
If microsoft charged for the OS on a monthly basis, then i do not see much resistance. People pay exorbitant sums per month for Sky and they have adverts all over the place.
Re: Pointless
Except, of course, more Telemetry and Adverts
Just what are MS doing with all that telemetry? It pretty obvious they aren't passing any of it back to any of the developers to work with otherwise we'd be seeing actual improvements with the OS instead of the usual 'Break something, fix it, repeat next month' cycle we're in now.
If, after over two years availability, your new OS is at less than 20% market penetration, you have to accept that it must be a fundamentally broken, complete and utter steaming pile of shit that no-one wants to use. So go away, fix the total abortion of a UI, rip out all the telemetry and adverts, stop insisting on onerous hardware requirements that don't add value, make any AI 'assistants' entirely optional, enable local accounts and give everyone the option to have the desktop they want with a Start menu they prefer, such as 2000, XP, 7, 8, 10, etc. Perhaps then, you'll have a little more success and a lot less hate.
Small to invisible
Like most versions of android the improvements in Windows are micrometric as far as the end user is concerned.
Most people will simply see that the task bar defaults to the center instead of being held in the left .. Other than that they will see some new wallpapers.
There is no point in explained to most people why they need TPM etc in order to install W11. they are truly not interested and it is understandable.
Re: Small to invisible
I disabled TPM on my windoze box which seems to have stopped the "update to Win11" nags
Re: Small to invisible
I did a clean install over Pro on an old nearly compatible machine - TPM present, CPU missing ONE tiny instruction - no checks get done, just the usual pain to install with a local account!!
Agreed cosmetic changes over windows 10 are of minimal interest to most people, Mostly just jumping through same hoops to get rid of some the annoyances - e.g. disabling widgets, beefing up the UAC prompt for installing apps etc.
Re: Small to invisible
Micrometric improvement?
Makes me wonder if Win10 to Win11 is Microsoft's vision of Sinclair's "quantum leap"?
Why?
Having spent considerable effort in beating win10 into submission and severing all ties from my system to MS (exccept for OS updates) why on earth would I want to switch to a new OS which has absolutely nothing new I want, let alone need.
With gaming on linux improving all the time I anticipate being an MS-free household next year.
Re: Why?
>> why on earth would I want to switch to a new OS
You monster, you! Won't you think of the poor poor MS shareholders who need a new yatch?
The pain of changing to a new OS, and the cost of the new hardware and software, are a small price to pay, to see their happy, beaming faces
11 looks horrid
I don't want to but being forced to.
But can I force a 7 UI on it?
Re: 11 looks horrid
Partly. Install OpenShell and you'll have a proper menu similar to Win 7 rather then Microsoft's more recent cartoonish approaches to the control interface. You'll then find the usual UI chaos still appearing from time to time, as some things will still default to "Microsoft apps", but that's fairly tolerable.
I'm running W11 and OpenShell, it looks and feels like Win10 with OpenShell, and there's no obvious reason to upgrade - no improvements at all that I see.
ROM
"simply fire up your new computer"
Way back in the day ROM was the acronym for two different phrases. One, of course, was "Read-Only Memory".
The other was "Requires Only Money".
Only two years to go
before I tell the family that I've migrated their files from the old family laptop to Nextcloud that they can access from their phones and tablets, and I get to play with Linux on a laptop.
Re: Only two years to go
Why wait? Surely they are already complaining about not being able to access their stuff from their phones and tablets …
So why are the hardware requirements un-necessarily ramping up if you want people to adopt it? And no, I do not count using the various workarounds for "unsupported" hardware out there as adopting it.
Money
Because it allows system manufacturers to sell "more poweful" and definitely more expensive hardware. After all, they HAVE to sell the latest and greatest ... or at least the latest and more expensive.
To be fair it has been mostly painless - at work. At home : no thank you.
Work laptop upgraded and frankly spent less time doing so than a larger Windows 10 update. Unimpressed by the interface changes, time spent to stop the news feed, and the task bar keeps turning icons blank. Multiple desktops are slow and quirky too. So it works, but I can't say I'm overjoyed.
At home, not a chance. If they allowed local accounts and older hardware support without any hassle or workarounds I might have considered upgrading. Until they do, the migration to FreeBSD continues..
Microsoft touts migration to Windows 11 as painless, though wallets may disagree
Memo to Satya:
You should not have made the hapless Win 11 such a fugly kludge that no one can customise to their own liking.
Painless?
Just like Johnny Mandel & Michael Altman's song, I'd argue (hoping there are still some people here who saw the original MASH movie).
Caveat
"using your Microsoft account"
That counts me out.
*I'm the guy that always installs windows with the network unplugged and no Wi-Fi so that I can continue to use my local accounts.
Pointless
Nothing onerous in W11? Except, of course, more Telemetry and Adverts, It is a pointless exercise, though, when there is nothing new, really, over W10. What an annoying advert.