Microsoft has begun the distribution of the first significant update to the Windows 11 operating system, which it simply calls Windows 11 2022. The update is already available to most users, although it will take a few more weeks before it is automatically installed by everyone.
The update brings together a number of different innovations that Microsoft has tested over the past year, including a change in the design of the Start menu that allows for a denser and longer view of programs, the creation of application folders in the menu of the Start button, and automatic recommendations for creating additional shortcuts. In this version, Windows 11 also includes simpler options for arranging windows, including dragging and dropping to defined areas of the screen with support for touch screens.
About a year ago, Microsoft acquired a video editing software called Clipchamp, and it is now pre-installed as part of the operating system and comes with much more advanced tools for creating clips, with premium features that will be available for those who want to pay for them. Beyond that, the default settings of the operating system are supposed to be more energy efficient, and the operating system will display a warning when opening software that is suspected of being harmful – an option that can be canceled, but to restore it, it will be necessary to reinstall the operating system.
Some of the innovations are directly related to games: Microsoft promises that in this version Android games installed in the operating system through the Amazon store will benefit from improved graphic performance, and the same applies to PC games that rely on DirectX 10 or DirectX 11. Other innovations are related to more voice commands, Artificial intelligence-based filtering of background noise during video calls, and automatic translation while watching video.
Microsoft previously promised to add a tab-based interface to the File Explorer software, but this innovation is not yet ready and will be distributed in a separate update that will arrive within the next month. However, the search has been improved, there will be options to add subtitles live to videos, and also to make better video conferences, at least on high-quality computers.