Is It Time to Get Excited About Windows 11?
Big changes are coming and that might be a good thing
I derive a certain pleasure from running early Windows Builds. It’s something I’ve been doing it since the mid-1990s, back when Windows 95 was code-named “Chicago.” So, imagine my disappointment at not being able to run beta builds of Windows 11.
Two months ago and shortly after Microsoft announced Windows 11, I decided to activate my Windows Insider subscription (it’s free and lets you test-drive early and pre-release builds of upcoming Windows updates). I planned to access the first Windows 11 Beta. Microsoft makes the process relatively safe for most users. Adventuresome Windows users willing to put up with some missing features and just a bit of instability might choose the “Beta Channel” (it used to be called “Slow Ring). The Dev Channel (or Fast Ring) builds promise features still warm and fresh from the developer oven, but far less stability.
I found, however, that I couldn't install any of them. My relatively new Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 received a shocking message: “Your PC doesn't meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11 and there may be issues and bugs that impact your experience.” No matter what I did, I couldn’t install a beta.
