So, let’s just start by saying that this blog has been in a coma for a while. Obviously. Work and family have kept me busy, and to a certain degree I lost interest in blogging. Windows 10 is in many ways a great operating system. And iteration after iteration of the OS just kept improving on it. But nothing has been exciting for a long time.

Then rumors of Windows 11 began surfacing, a leaked version appeared and June 24 was the official announcement of it. And the excitement is back. Whether it is deserved or not remains to be seen. But so far I like what I see. The underpinnings of the OS is still good old Windows 10. The core is still the same, but the looks and feel have been updated and are more modern and appealing. To me at least.

So I am preparing to install the insider version as soon as it is available. I have downloaded the leaked version, but I have chosen to not install it. It is “stolen” bits, and plenty have been written about that version already. So I am biding my time for the legal and official test version that is going to be released to us insiders next week.

The minimum requirements for the hardware has been bumped up this time around. In order to install Windows 11 you will have to have a machine that meets these requirements;

Processor
1 gigahertz (GHz)?or?faster with 2 or more cores on a?compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)

Memory
4 GB RAM

Storage
64 GB or larger storage device

System firmware
UEFI, Secure Boot capable

TPM
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0

Graphics card
DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x

Display
>9” with HD Resolution (720p)

Internet connection
Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home

Certain features require specific hardware, see detailed system requirements.

This means that my Windows Surface Laptop 3 is eligible, but my homemade desktop from 2015 is not. It seems both my processor and the TPM requirements are to blame for that. Too bad, since the desktop has more than enough juice for what I am using it for these days. So I will be testing Windows 11 on my Surface Laptop. I will probably not update the desktop until I have to, which means when something breaks within it.

Well, next week, starting 28 June, I will be installing the bits on this machine and start testing, and posting more of my experience with Windows 11. Hope you will tag along.