Microsoft announces Windows 11 is launching on October 5th

After unveiling the latest version of their operating system in June, Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will officially be available from October 5th. 

Windows 11 will come pre-loaded on laptops and desktops from manufacturers including Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer and more, though technically there may be stock with Windows 10 still floating around retailers on October 5th. Microsoft will begin offering Windows 11 to eligible PCs running Windows 10 on October 5th as well, though it will be a staged rollout, says Microsoft. 

Microsoft says they’ll use ‘intelligence models that consider hardware eligibility, reliability metrics, age of device and other factors’ to determine which Windows 10 PCs will receive the update first. The staged rollout is expected to take until ‘mid-2022’ according to Microsoft. 

There’s a lot to love about the new Windows when it arrives, with a new Start Menu which drops the annoying Live Tiles, moving them to a new Widget area on the left. You also get new ‘Snap Layouts’ for window management that lets you snap your windows to the display, just how you need them. 

Microsoft is also bringing Android apps to Windows 11 via the Amazon Android app store, though this feature won’t be available on October 5th, instead it will be in preview for their Windows Insider program for a while longer.

If you’re unsure if your PC is Windows 11 ready, you do need a 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage with a TPM 2.0 module for starters. If you don’t know any of that though, the easiest way to check is running the PC Health Check app from Microsoft when it’s available.