Closing the gap between laptop and tablet, Windows 11 becomes a formidable opponent for iPad

The ambition to bridge the gap between laptops and tablets has been rekindled by Microsoft since 2011 with Windows 8, and most of them have ended in failure. But Windows 11 is giving the company an opportunity to revive that ambition with its new features.

Based on Microsoft’s introduction, many of the features on Windows 11 will make the PC work more like a tablet without sacrificing its laptop functionality. This could make Microsoft’s decades-old vision come true, as well as turn Windows 11 touch laptops into the biggest rival to Apple’s iPad.

To understand why Windows 11 is so important to Microsoft’s ambitions, it’s important to look back at what caused Windows 8 to fail.

Windows 8 is completely different from everyone’s computer habits, part of the reason it is shunned

Launched in 2012, Windows 8 promised to bring a more modern feel at a time when people thought tablets would threaten laptops. They replaced the traditional Windows interface – including removing the Start button and menus – with a tile to make it easier to manipulate with touch. A new start screen and support for touchscreen swipe gestures.

However, the problem is that the series of changes is too sudden for the user’s habits. Instead of gradually making Windows more mobile-friendly over time, Microsoft forced users to relearn the whole way of using Windows because of these major changes.

The Windows 8 results were mostly unwelcome, with even fewer installs than Windows Vista. Some even call this the worst version of Windows ever.

Windows 10 brings the Start Menu back

In 2015, Microsoft corrected with Windows 10, in an attempt to correct the mistakes of its mobile-first strategy by bringing back the Start Menu as well as many other changes to improve the desktop experience.

Windows 10 devices with touchscreens and flexible designs can be used like tablets, but they don’t feel as consistent and smooth as a real tablet.

Now with Windows 11, these problems can be solved more radically, bringing the balance between desktop and mobile that the company has long wanted. Its philosophy is the exact opposite of Windows 8. Instead of forcing users to get used to the new operating system, Windows 11 does its best to satisfy users’ needs.

In the new operating system, the desktop and mobile interfaces are essentially the same, unlike Windows 10. The larger screen keys will make managing windows easier than in Windows 10. The new touch keyboard is smaller and moved to the corner of the screen to make typing with one hand easier – just like we are doing with phones.

Widgets on Windows 11 have been designed to be more touch-friendly

Windows 11 also brings many new widgets that quickly provide information as well as weather conditions for users – a common thing for smartphones today. Swiping the touch screen is similar to using a trackpad to navigate Windows 11, providing greater consistency between laptop and tablet.

If these changes weren’t enough to convince users that Microsoft is serious about its efforts to bridge the gap between PC and mobile, the company is also bringing the ability to run Android apps on Windows 11. Doing so will help. help Microsoft better compete with Apple and Google, when these two companies are also bringing mobile applications to their desktop operating systems.

But above all, the weather seems to be in favor of Windows 11. Windows 8 came out at a time when most people were more interested in having a tablet than a laptop. But now times are different. The need to work more mobile has pushed people to pay more attention to laptops than ever and what’s better when it also has the advantages of tablets.

But with Microsoft’s past failures to this ambition, it will still take some time as well as the official appearance of Windows 11 to know if Microsoft’s plan is on the right track.

Consult BusinessInsider