Explained: Why Windows 11 Failed To Take Off Like Windows 7 and 10- Technology News, Firstpost

FP ExplainersApr 18, 2022 17:08:49 IST

Microsoft bet big on Windows 11 and had hoped that the OS would have the same resounding reception that Windows 7 and Windows 10 did. That, unfortunately, has not been the case, for a vast majority of people, have found the OS to be glitchy, full of bugs, and at times broken. 

Now, had these people been beta testers, it would have been fine. However, these people were the common gentry of Windows PC, regular folks who just wanted to use their computers. As per a report from a reputed online tech news platform, barring from office-provided devices, Windows 11 isn’t actually found on a lot of PCs, meaning not a lot of people aren’t downloading and installing the new OS on their systems. The only reason why would one even have the new OS on their systems is that their offices would have mandated an update, or if it is bundled by their OEM.

So, what went wrong for Microsoft? Why has the response been so lacklustre for Windows 11? Well, it seems that Microsoft rushed the OS, and in the process forgot the finishing touches that would have made the OS more rounded than what it is today.

Not Playing Nice With Older Devices

While the advent of a new OS naturally means that some older hardware is not compatible with it, the list of devices such as CPUs and motherboards that cannot support Windows 11 is uncanny. There have been patches and workaround to fix this, but you really need to know your stuff if you are to implement any such solution. Needless to say, people with older devices, will Windows 11 extremely difficult to work with and get a smooth experience.

Issues With AMD Processors

Right when Windows 11 launched, AMD users had to face a number of challenges. Given that most recent PC builders have switched to AMD Ryzen processors and the fact that the laptop market now has quite a sizeable chunk of AMD-powered laptops, it was surprising that Windows 11 wasn’t properly optimised for AMD processors. In certain workloads and games, the performance dip was as high as 15 per cent, which really spoils the user experience.

Too Many Bugs

The initial version of Windows 11 that was launched for the general public, had many bugs that spoiled the experience. Windows Explorer would often crash unexpectedly, screens would freeze up erratically and whatnot. The situation seemed to be exasperated if your Windows 11 installation was not a fresh one and you had chosen to migrate from Windows 10 to 11. Although most of these bugs were sorted out in the numerous patches that followed, early adopters of Windows 11, were clearly not impressed.

Issues With Hard Disks

For some bizarre reason, Windows 11 seems to perform a lot better if it has been installed on a fast SSD. On the other hand, if it has been installed on a Hard-disk drive, it would generally run a lot slower and would often glitch out. Now, although SSDs are much faster than traditional HDDs in general operations, simply browsing around the internet and basic word processing shouldn’t feel sluggishly slow if you’re using a good HDD. In India, this becomes an even bigger problem because most of our personal computers don’t come with SSDs. Some new laptops still use HDDs over SSDs.

Too Many Broken Features At Launch

Right when Windows 11 was launched a few of Microsoft’s licences expired. As a result, several applications were simply broken. What that meant was whenever they started such an application, it either wouldn’t function at all, or worse, would cause the system to crash. And mind you, these were some very basic applications, namely the Snipping Tool, Voice Typing, and the emoji panel.

Driver Update Tool Downgrading GPU Drivers

Another “scandal” that disappointed the early users of Windows 11, was the fact the Driver Updater that came bundled with the OS, would in some cases downgrade the drivers for the graphics processors, without intimating the users. This led to glitchy experiences and slower performances, especially in games.

Rearranged Shortcuts & Menus

Perhaps the biggest gripe that users have had with Windows 11 is the fact that in a bid to look more like macOS, Windows rearranged the menus and shortcuts to some really important stuff. Take the Task Manager as an example. When you click on the taskbar in Windows 11, you only get the option to select “Task Bar Options.” You don’t get any of the other options that you used to get in Windows 7 or 10. This meant that there is a rather steep learning curve to the OS, that frankly, many people wouldn’t want to deal with.

TL;DR

Windows 11 is a massive step forward when it comes to computing, especially for people who are well versed with tech and can manage on their own. However, it is evident that the OS’ launch was rather rushed, and the early reviews decimated what Microsoft was hoping to go for with their latest OS. We’re pretty sure that once most of the bugs and kinks are ironed out eventually, people will seriously consider switching over to Windows 11. Until then, they would surely like to stick with Windows 10.