Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 11, offered some worthwhile upgrades compared with Windows 10. The new OS showcased a redesigned interface reminiscent of a Mac, including more manageable virtual desktops, widgets, Android app downloads, and a more integrated Microsoft Teams experience.
The new OS offers quite a bit, but experts were definitely disappointed in some of the recent performance and productivity features.

Here are some of the Windows 11 upgrades that industry insiders were hoping to see – but didn’t. The following information is derived from a post on CNET.com.

  • Vertical taskbar: Windows 10 allowed users to move their taskbar to a vertical position on the left or right of the screen. The feature was a bit glitchy and messy, and experts hoped Microsoft would clean it up in the new version. However, Microsoft deleted the feature completely rather than revising it.
  • Computational videography for webcams: One of the byproducts of the pandemic is the increase in remote and hybrid workers – making an effective webcam essential for all of those Zoom and Teams calls. While the Apple iPhone and Google Pixel phones include quality computational image processing, Windows 11 for webcams does not provide this capability.
  • Faster Windows updates: Windows 10 was designed as Microsoft’s delivery of Windows as a service. While continuous updates effectively maintain secure machines, they can be slow. Experts were hoping for a faster experience in Windows 11, but the process in Windows 11 has not been changed since Windows 10.
  • Faster shutdown and restart capability: PCs running Windows 10 can result in lagging shutdown, restart, and wake-from-sleep times, typically due to the process of closing apps such as task manager. Insiders hoped that those processes would be sped up in Windows 11, but Microsoft made no changes in that area.
  • Three-finger trackpad: One of the desirable features of MacOS is drag and drop
    using three fingers on the trackpad. Sadly, Windows still requires the old “double-click” for drag and drop functions.

  • Reverse the scroll direction more easily:With MacOS, reversing the direction of the mouse scroll is achieved from System Preferences. With Windows, you still have to access the Registry, a more complex process.
  • Easier user account creation: Windows 10 requires a login to create a new user account, and Microsoft recommends that the account is also attached to a Microsoft account. Insiders hoped for an easier account creation process, free of multiple logins – but Windows 11 still requires a Microsoft account and an internet connection to obtain the upgrade.
  • Better setup of multiple cameras, webcams, mics, and headsets: Remote working has made it necessary for employees and personnel to improve home computer setups. Professional sales calls and meetings require webcams, microphones, and headsets most people at home didn’t even think of three years ago. Windows 10 device choice was clunky and difficult, even making you disable one to turn on another. While Windows 11 has developed a few useful features for the hybrid workplace – including easier desktop creation – Microsoft didn’t provide new design ideas from the hardware setup perspective.

Windows 11 provides many new features that people need – but missed a few that we hope to see in a future update. If you need advice or guidance as to how Windows 11 can help your business to be more productive, call Alliance IT today. We can help you make the decisions you need to streamline your business – from hardware and software to network communications. We are your local expert team.