Most Windows Users Are Unaware of Windows 11’s Existence, Survey Finds
In an effort to “gauge awareness and excitement for Windows 11,” Savings.com surveyed 1,042 current Windows users regarding their knowledge of and willingness to upgrade to the new OS. A hair under 40 percent of users said they knew of Windows 11’s pending release, with about the same number of those respondents saying they’d be willing to upgrade once their time came. Nearly two thirds of all users surveyed stated they didn’t know if their devices were compatible with Windows 11, especially since the OS is incompatible with older CPUs. (Luckily the PC Health Check app is capable of telling users whether Windows 11 is an option with their current hardware.) Older users were also more likely to indicate they were aware of the update, with only 28 percent of respondents between ages 18 and 24 saying they were aware of Windows 11—opposed to 56 percent of respondents over the age of 55.
Forty percent of users isn’t exactly a great awareness rate, especially you compare Windows with other major OS releases, like Apple’s iOS and macOS, which iPhone and Mac users tend to eagerly await. This raises the question: Why isn’t Microsoft more heavily advertising Windows 11 to PC users? While we’ve discussed in the past how Windows 11 doesn’t seem to be for any one audience in particular (likely due in part to its more stringent hardware requirements), one would assume the company would be a little more proud of its latest release, especially as new devices come preloaded with the OS beginning this fall.
Windows 11, due to begin rolling out on October 5, rides the tailwind of the overall successful Windows 10—and therefore has some big shoes to fill. It’s expected to be a worker-friendly update, with added productivity features like “Snap” multitasking layouts and Microsoft Teams integration, as well as virtual desktop support and the reintroduction of desktop widgets. Whether a decent chunk of Windows users will take advantage of the upgrade as opposed to buying new, however, is clearly still up in the air.
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