Pros & Cons Should You Upgrade to Windows 11 Now or Wait
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As of June 2021, Windows has over 72% of the desktop operating system market share, so a majority of companies are having to make the decision of when to upgrade from Windows 10 to the just-released Windows 11.
Upgrading your business technology solutions, especially one as important as the OS that runs employee PCs, is an important timing decision. Companies don’t want to upgrade too soon and face downtime and other issues due to bugs that have yet to be worked out.
But waiting to upgrade also has a downside. Employees can miss out on productivity-enhancing features that could improve their workflows. Additionally, a company could get caught having to rush to upgrade before the older OS loses vital security support or risk increased exposure to a cyberattack.
When it comes to Windows 11, out for a little over 2 months now, many companies are weighing the pros and cons and trying to decide exactly when to upgrade their office devices.
We’ll go through the pros and cons of upgrading now to help you make a more informed decision on when to roll out your Windows 11 companywide upgrade.
Reasons You May Want to Wait to Upgrade
If Your Company Uses Oracle VirtualBox
The Windows 11 release has been largely well-received with few issues. Nearly all bugs that have been found have already been resolved, according to the Windows health and status page.
However, there is still a confirmed issue with Oracle VirtualBox and its compatibility with Windows 11. Users might be unable to start Virtual machines and may receive an error message.
The Widgets Panel Needs More Work
While many of the features have rolled out without a hitch, one in particular still needs more work and is minimally helpful right now.
The Widgets panel that is activated from the taskbar is designed to allow you to get quick access to different types of information like your Microsoft To Do list, news, weather, stocks, and email. But it has some problems, that include:
Email widget is difficult for some users to connect to their Outlook email
There aren’t that many widgets to choose from
There are not many productivity-focused widgets
The panel can be slow to load
Reasons You May Want to Upgrade Now
Easier Multi-Window Workflow
68% of surveyed office workers say that they spend at least 30 minutes a day switching between apps. This is often done because it can be time-consuming to size two or more windows on the screen at the same time and still reach the menu items and scrollbars.
The new snap layouts feature in Windows 11 solves this dilemma. It allows users to quickly snap a group of windows into an optimized view that allows them full access to scroll bars, menus, etc.
This single feature can save your employees a lot of time and make their multi-window work easier and more fluid.
Snap layouts in Windows 11
Easy-to-Learn Upgrade Without Major Differences from Windows 10
This won’t be an upgrade that has your employees feeling like they’re in alien territory when they get to their upgraded desktop. Windows 11 doesn’t make major changes to the interface or navigation of Windows; it just enhances it to make it less cluttered and reduce the time it takes users to do tasks.
The biggest interface change that users will need to get used to is that the Windows Start Menu button has been moved from the far left of the taskbar to the middle.
Native Teams Integration Promotes Easier Connections
We’ve all known that one person that seems to have a hard time navigating video call applications. For those users and others, Windows 11 is going to make the chat, audio call, and video call experience easier.
Microsoft Teams is natively integrated with an icon on the taskbar. Users can click to easy message or call anyone from their desktop without needing to open another app. This includes the ability to screen share during a call and to send and receive text messages. The person you are connecting with doesn’t have to be a Teams user to connect with them.
The Upgrade is Free for Compatible Windows 10 PCs
Another reason you may not need to wait to upgrade is that upgrading to Windows 11 won’t mean having to purchase a new operating system for all your computers in most cases.
The Windows 11 upgrade is free for Windows 10 PCs (home and business versions) that meet the minimum system requirements for the upgrade.
Schedule Your Windows 11 Office Upgrade Today
BrainStomp can help your business upgrade all user PCs (in-office and remote worker) to Windows 11 smoothly without disrupting your normal business operations.
Schedule a free consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.
