Recently, Windows 11 system images have been circulating crazily on the Internet. So what ordinary users are most concerned about is what is different about Windows 11 and is it worth updating? For now, after Windows 11 is officially launched, many functions will definitely be deleted and some will be added.

　1 – Start Menu: Simple icons, no live tiles

　Windows 11’s Start Menu is undoubtedly a major change compared to Windows 10’s tiled app shortcuts (starting with Windows 8). The Start menu sits at the center of your PC's desktop by default, much like Windows 10X's Start menu would have done just fine if it had ever launched.

In Windows 10, you can launch the Start menu by clicking on the lower left corner of the screen. In Windows 11, the Start icon is just the left icon in the list of small app icons on the taskbar. Instead of the slanted Windows icon in Windows 10, the new Start icon is flat and symmetrical.

Once you open the Start menu itself, even more profound changes occur. In Windows 10, Live Tiles allow app developers to cycle through photos and provide you with dynamic information. That's all in the past.

Similarly, Microsoft draws inspiration from Windows 10X and provides a series of small static icons. The "recommended" file list below appears to be shortcuts to commonly used files, or at least recently opened documents. Small buttons such as "All Apps" provide shortcuts to any other apps that may be hidden.

The Start menu may not be as user-friendly as it has been in years past, but it's more useful than ever.

　2 – Enhanced Windows Snap with FancyZones

　One of the great additions that Windows 8 and later versions of Windows 10 bring to Windows is the ability to organize windows in such a way that they can be aligned to each side of the screen or even each corner. In Windows 11, Microsoft has taken this approach to the next level.

Windows 11 looks like it has FancyZones implemented into the operating system.

In a window in Windows 11, hovering your cursor over the Maximize Window icon in the upper right corner of the window does more than just fill the screen with the selected window. It lets you choose from a variety of configurations to organize the window, from a "four corners" orientation to a narrow strip along one corner of the screen.

This is very reminiscent of the "FancyZones" portion of the Power Tools suite that Microsoft implemented in 2020. All you need to do is highlight the window configuration you want and then choose one of the available alignments for the window of your choice.

　3 –Simplified Taskbar

An important part of the starting experience is the new taskbar, which is a set of small icons at the bottom of the screen. In Windows 10, the taskbar is dominated by the search box, which takes up a lot of space.

In Windows 11, these icons are grouped together. The result is, in Windows 11, more space on the taskbar. It's unclear what Microsoft plans to do in this area, but there's a lot more.

　4- Goodbye, Cortana

　Yes, goodbye Cortana—well, from the Windows 11 taskbar, anyway. One of the ways Microsoft is shrinking the Windows 11 taskbar is by collapsing the search bar into a simple search icon and doing away with the Cortana icon entirely.

Cortana continues to exist as an app in Windows 11, but you must manually launch the Cortana app and then interact with its limited functionality. Cortana has improved from never knowing the answer to 2+2, but her functionality is still limited.

　5 – What exactly are Widgets?

While Microsoft may have removed Cortana from the Windows 11 taskbar, there's a new addition: the widget, an icon that opens a massive sidebar that opens from the left side of the screen.

It’s unclear what Widgets will eventually become, but for now, Widgets is just a giant implementation of News & Interests, the controversial addition Microsoft made to Windows 10 in April.

We’re not sure what the widget will eventually become, but for now, it’s a showcase for news and interest in Windows 11.

We must assume that Widget may eventually become a repository for Windows gadgets or other tools. For now, however, it just takes up space. At least it won't bother you unless you click on the widget icon.

　6 –New icons and other UI tweaks

One of the new features expected to be part of the "Sun Valley" Windows Update is a series of small UI upgrades: rounded corners and new icons, among other tweaks. The new icon is there, but the rounded corners are barely visible. Microsoft does offer new wallpapers under the Windows 10 Settings > Personalization tab, however, some of them are truly stunning.

　7 –No changes to apps

So far, we haven't noticed any changes to the traditional app model: there are no restrictions on 32-bit apps versus 64-bit apps, and there's no lock-in to apps in the Microsoft Store. Likewise, the leaked version of Windows 11 appears to be a visual redesign of Windows 11, meaning you'll be able to do the same things with Windows 11 as you did with Windows 10.