Windows 11 Adoption: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

News has recently emerged, revealing that Windows 11 has successfully found its way onto over 400 million devices across the globe. However, when we draw a comparison with its forerunner, Windows 10, the differences become abundantly clear.

Windows 11's journey through the realm of operating systems has been a gradual but relentless ascent, gaining the trust and favor of users along the way. Surpassing the 400 million devices mark is a remarkable achievement, highlighting the OS's appeal and the resilience of the Windows ecosystem. However, when we cast our minds back to Windows 10, the disparity is impossible to overlook.


This pace is significantly slower than the one Windows 10 set. Windows 10 managed to reach the same milestone in just a little over a year, eventually boasting a user base of 1 billion by early 2020. Windows 10's rapid adoption was attributed to several factors, including its accessibility and broad hardware support.

The contrasting journey of Windows 11 can, in part, be attributed to its status as the newcomer on the block. Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 in October 2021 with stringent hardware requirements. Windows 11 is exclusively compatible with CPUs released from 2018 onwards, and it necessitates devices that support TPM security chips. Microsoft's motive behind the shift in minimum system requirements was to focus on elevating the security threshold within Windows 11, utilizing modern chips capable of enabling memory integrity security features that depend on virtualization and Microsoft's Virtual Machine Platform (VMP).

Despite the slower adoption rate, Windows 11 has successfully won the hearts of those who made the transition. The OS offers a modern interface, enhanced productivity features, and improved gaming experiences. Users who have embraced Windows 11 have expressed high levels of satisfaction.

As per Microsoft's internal metrics, Windows 11 is on a robust trajectory, contrary to some online perceptions. All eyes are now eagerly fixed on the 2024 release of Windows, potentially named Windows 12, set to debut on a new iteration of the Windows platform, codenamed Germanium. This new version is anticipated to introduce revolutionary AI and cloud features.

The forthcoming Windows 12 is expected to usher in a revamped desktop interface, a customary evolution with new Windows versions. Reports from Microsoft's Ignite 2022 keynote suggest that a prototype of the Windows 12 interface has been unveiled, offering a glimpse of the direction in which Windows 12 is heading.

This marks yet another chapter in Microsoft's ever-evolving quest to meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of its user base. It promises to be a fascinating development that will influence the future of computing. I guess we'll see how it goes!

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