Annoyances I'd like fixed in Windows 11

It’s looking increasingly likely that we’ll be seeing Microsoft announce a next-gen Windows OS later this week. Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, explicitly mentioned in the opening speech of Microsoft's Build 2021 Conference that the company will soon share the company's most significant update to Windows in the past decade.

Why are we so certain this could be Windows 11? Oh, perhaps it's something to do with Microsoft finally updating its OS lifecycle retirement date for Windows 10 Home and Pro, Windows 10X being axed and to be steamrolled into the next Windows update, Microsoft compiling all the startup sounds it has released since Windows 95 in an 11-minute remix, and the 11am Eastern time (11pm Singapore time) for the official launch event on June 24. So yes, there are plenty of signs.

As someone who has used Windows since 3.11 (and MS-Dos before that), I thought we’d take a step back from the hype, leaks, expectations and see what I’d want to see in Windows 11. A wish list or a fix-list if you will…

Retire live tiles?

Why have them? If I want to see anything I need to click start to pull them up. Most of the time they’re out of sight, and out of mind. Even if it's on the start menu, it doesn't show me enough anyway. There isn’t anything I need from them that I can’t get in an easier and more convenient form.

Better auto-updates

So, I’ve got updates. I know. I will get round to them in a while. Don’t make the choice for me and install them when YOU feel like it. I may not be ready.

Yes, there is scheduled updating but what if I'm not ready or forgot about it? The point is, updates can be more conveniently applied and be less intrusive. Plus, why does it still need to take so long?

One-click uninstall

Never liked the way Microsoft does this. Why does it have to be so painful? I hate that DLL message that pops up too.

Wish it was more intelligent since I can't possibly do anything about missing installation reference files or what do to about DLLs since I'm not mapping their usage. Come on Windows, surely you can be better with so much AI development elsewhere in the organisation?

Free Office

Apple has done it. Google has done it. I know it’s a big moneymaker for them, but I think it’s time to jump on the bandwagon. Clearly many consumers can now live with the freeware options that have advanced a fair bit from their starting days.

Less cluttered store app

Compared to Apple, Microsoft's store just seems so messy and distracting. I’m not a child. I don’t need so many things yelling for attention.

Control panel to settings app switching

When you start out, it's in one format and a Window. Click on something and it reverts to an original settings format from good ol’ Windows back when.

I don’t really understand why it can’t be standardised. Nobody is asking for an overhaul or a different way of accessing settings, but surely Windows can standardise how it presents all the options in various windows after two decades since Window XP debuted?

Not include a browser so I can decide what I want to use

I don’t need Microsoft to make a choice for me. There are many other browsers I may want to use, so let me do it. I know Google and Apple both do it as well. And I bitch about them as well.

A little bit extra

I also asked my colleagues what they’d like to see in the next version of Windows. Some have stuck to Windows cause they’re gamers, some are Apple fanboys, and some just use their PC for work. Look at what they came up with and can you guess who made the wish?

More accessible price points for a fresh copy of the OS. Computers are hardly a luxury item these days and Windows has already cornered the mass market and enterprise segments, so why charge me so much if I want a copy for my home?

Tighter integration with Xbox Game Pass, please!

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About choice and the browser, since browsers are an integral portion of our daily usage, it would be great if the next edition of Windows setup had a pull-down menu of the browser options in the market and we could choose our preferred options, including any extensions. It should auto fetch the latest respective installer to process it as part of the Windows installation process.

How about a smoother and streamlined installation process without the Cortana welcome process?

Burn it all and start from scratch!

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.