Windows 11 is now five years old
Windows 11 has reached its five-year anniversary since its initial release, marking half a decade since Microsoft launched the operating system to the public.
Background
- Windows 11 was officially released by Microsoft on October 5, 2021, meaning it is now just over five years old in the consumer market.
- It is the successor to Windows 10, which was released in 2015 and remains widely used — some estimates still show Windows 10 with a larger market share than Windows 11.
- Windows 11 introduced a redesigned interface (centered taskbar, rounded corners), stricter hardware requirements (notably TPM 2.0 and the need for 8th-gen Intel or Ryzen 2000 CPUs or newer), and Android app support (via the Amazon Appstore, later discontinued).
- The adoption of Windows 11 has been slower than Microsoft hoped, partly due to the hardware restrictions that left many older but still capable PCs unable to upgrade officially.
- Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 in October 2025, which is expected to push more users and organizations toward Windows 11 (or toward paid Extended Security Updates).