

- #TECH UTILITIES PC FIX REVIEW UPGRADE#
- #TECH UTILITIES PC FIX REVIEW WINDOWS 10#
- #TECH UTILITIES PC FIX REVIEW WINDOWS#
Game developers need to implement the DirectStorage API for it to work, though, which means on launch day this feature is going to do absolutely nothing for your gaming experience, even if you have the necessary speedy NVMe SSD.
#TECH UTILITIES PC FIX REVIEW WINDOWS#
If you don't have an HDR monitor-still an expensive rarity in the PC world-Auto HDR won't do anything for you, unless you hook your PC up to a TV.ĭirectStorage was initially going to be a Windows 11 exclusive before Microsoft backtracked, adding support for Windows 10, too.

#TECH UTILITIES PC FIX REVIEW UPGRADE#
These feel like features Microsoft will inevitably add back in over the coming months, which does highlight how meager an upgrade Windows 11 feels on launch day. The unspoken answer may be that the Start menu is nearly worthless when you can more quickly launch applications by pressing the Windows key and typing a couple letters, but as it is now it feels like a half-thought-out redesign.Īnd the taskbar/Start renovation has come at the expense of some options that hardcore users love, like the ability to stick the taskbar to the side of the screen or right-click it to access the Task Manager. I don't understand why the button you click to see more of your apps is so small, or why Microsoft didn't make it more customizable on the whole. The Start menu also looks nice and clean compared to the mess of tiles it was in Windows 10, though as a consequence it does end up feeing less functional. I don't know why the heck the ancient Control Panel is still included in Windows 11, but Microsoft really needs to ensure all its functionality is replicated in Settings and kill it off once and for all.
#TECH UTILITIES PC FIX REVIEW WINDOWS 10#
The primary Settings menu has been nicely polished up and improves on the gobs of wasted white space in Windows 10 to display more important information without the need for diving into advanced menus. Sometimes the screen still blinks black a couple times before its animation kicks in.) In Windows 11, the desktop on your primary monitor zooms out for a couple seconds to signify a display change is happening, and then it pops right back into place as the second monitor comes online. If you use two monitors and turn your second one on while Windows 10 is running, the OS spends a few seconds basically having a seizure before figuring out what to display where. The window snap feature now lets you hover over the maximize button to choose from different ratios and arrangements, like a 70/30 split, which I find really handy. There are other little things I really like here. But I definitely find Windows 11's soundscape much more pleasant.

Here's a comparison: the notification sound in Windows 10 vs. It's as if for years computer sound effects have been designed with pure functional utility in mind, and then one day someone said "Remember when we had Brian Eno compose the Windows 95 startup jingle, and it sounded nice? What if we tried to make things sound nice again?" Windows 11 has new sound effects, too, and I think they're way more pleasant in general. Smooth is a good word for a lot of Windows 11-it reflects almost everything I enjoy about it, like the new, far less jarring notification pop-ups.

Regardless, I think Microsoft has done a better job than with Windows 10 making themes feel cohesive, and the switch from light mode to dark mode is really smooth. Pretty soon I'll get used to the new aesthetic and then it'll just be business as usual, or I'll apply a different color scheme. The taskbar and rounded edges and colors evoke the same airy lightness as that classic Windows XP wallpaper I feel a little like I'm floating on clouds as I pop open the Start menu and the file explorer, which is a nice feeling. Microsoft has done a better job than with Windows 10 making themes feel cohesive
