Windows 11, Part 2: Things I Did Like (to some Extent or Quite a Lot)
Once Windows 11 was up and running, I was surprised to see a multitude of changes since Windows 10 (saying so with due respect, considering the time frame). Either the team had some serious support from outside or they have eventually learned to adopt useful features from their competitors.
Here’s a couple of things I did actually like. Not, that there were nothing left to long for, but the first steps in the right direction have clearly been taken (and with a bit of luck, Microsoft will eventually decide to bury some skeletons they have been hauling along for the past quarter century in one of the next versions).
Pointer and Cursor
The option to have the pointer systemwide react to the background has to be my favourite. It may not be a brand new feature, though. But somehow I doubt that it has been available for a long time — or awfully well known. While I haven’t used Windows for more than a decade (regularly), I have witnessed too many people over the years struggle to instantly locate the pointer or cursor. So what’s the story and why celebrate it?
Well, usually one may choose to use a black or white (or almost any colour, really) pointer, and that’s fine and dandy most of the time. But every now and then, you might find yourself struggling to quickly locate the darn thing. That’s when this feature kicks in. The pointer’s colour never matches the background colour. That is, regardless of where your pointer is sitting at any given time, its colour contrasts with the background, making it constantly visible.
This is not only a beautiful (and useful) display of accessibility, it also makes for good fun, if you have nothing better to do but watch it change colour, as you randomly move the pointing device. If you happen to use a multicoloured wallpaper (like this writer), this “trick” takes a while to get old.
Task Bar
The task bar has been improved considerably since Windows 10 (or any of the previous versions) — even though this statement is likely to be disputed by some users (but then, I’m under no obligation to make everyone happy).
However, expanding the “Taskbar settings” (right–click any empty space on the taskbar to launch them) to allow for further customisation in a straightforward fashion wouldn’t hurt the developers, while making things perceptibly easier for users.
Edge
Granted, even the latest version of Microsoft’s browser is no serious match for Brave or Vivaldi, but, to be honest, I’d be hard pressed, if I had to decide between Firefox, or Chrome, or Edge.
Is it, after all, possible that some do not actually criticise these products, but rather their producers? Make no mistake, all mentioned browsers are supposed to garner revenue, none of them were developed without any economic purpose, for the pure benefit and joy of the end user.
As for Edge, I coudn’t say that any of its features would strike me as particularly useful, but I can see how some people prefer it to any of its contenders (if, perhaps, mostly because it comes with the operating system). I for one wouldn’t mind, if I had to use it exclusively.
Pretty much the same goes for “Microsoft Bing”, by the way. Using it appears to be no less useful (or useless) than using Google to search for information on the internet — and both gather and try to monetise information you provide (or why else would they gather it in the first place).
The only difference is that you actually paid for using Bing (because you paid for using Windows), whether or not you actually use it. That in itself should actually rule out monetising your information (but that’s an ethical issue rather than a technical one).
Peripheral Devices
When it came to peripheral devices under Windows, I have to admit that I was … well, let’s say, a bit reluctant to even try and setup any of them. Yet Windows 11 managed to surprise me. Unlike previous versions, it did not require me to sit trough the gruelling process of downloading and installing this or that software and waiting for it to get its act together.
The setup of my mainstream (but not brand new) printer/scanner combo was not exactly a “plug and play” experience, but reasonably quick and straightforward (without having to obtain an updated driver or providing additional software). I made use of the WiFi option, which also spared me yet another cable connection to the computer.
The graphic tablet (also not the latest model, but still widely used) was instantly recognised by the operating system, but it would not work as expected. To that end, Windows required a tool, the manufacturer did still provide. Download, installation, setup, and fine–tuning was hassle–free, though. Ever since Mr Gates left his garage, this was a first for me; what used to be a routine of try and fail, try again and fail better, was a matter of a few minutes this time around.
Encouraged by this experience, I started to rummage through the bottom drawer of my desk (where I store all sorts of gadgets for the benefit of future archaeologists) to find a device that Windows 11 would refuse to integrate into the system — and found none (that wouldn’t work properly within a reasonable amount of time).
The most pleasant surprise, however, was that I could connect my phone seamlessly to the computer. If you are anything like me, you know what a relief it is being able to use a regular keyboard instead of its darn virtual “equivalent”. Signal and WhatsApp do have desktop apps already, but also being able to receive and send regular text messages on and from a computer, makes life a whole lot easier (and certain tasks considerably less time–consuming).
Support
The last, but certainly not least, of the things I did like may come as a surprise for many a reader. Yet Microsoft’s Support should not be confused with their “Online Help” or even their local “Troubleshooting” (or whatever you want to call that nonsense). The former is a bunch of knowledgeable and actively helpful people, the latter are a waste of time.
The copy of Windows 11 I tested shipped with a trial version of the “Family Edition” of Microsoft 365 (the Office Suite). It automatically renews to the Family Edition after the trial period expires, unless one stops the subscription before the deadline (which might lead to a loss of whatever one may have produced during the trial period, if one did not have the mind to make copies of their produce).
Basically, I don’t mind their marketing plan (of course, they try to collect money wherever they may), the concept as such is not bad (and they are quite open about it). However, I really have no use for a 6–person subscription (or a cloud storage of 6 TB), and my internet connection is fast enough to use the remote Office Suite exclusively. On the other hand, I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to test the Office Suite for another while.
Soon, I was set to keep Microsoft 365, but there was no (obvious) way to downgrade the renewal to a Single Edition subscription. This was an opportunity to test the support team, if ever I had seen one. I never tire to advise people to test the support team before signing a contract (if nothing else, take away this advise — it’s free and copyleft).
So I started to chat with their “Support Team”, trying to figure out how we could settle this issue (without me having to jump through too many hoops). First, I was welcomed by an “agent” that immediately identified as a bot and, rather than wasting my time, instantly offered me the option to switch to a human agent, instead.
As a rule, I have no trouble chatting with bots, as long as the result is satisfactory. Two messages later, however, it became clear to me that paving the way was a shade above the bot’s pay grade, and (without further ado) switched to one of the human agents.
This agent, her name is Grace, and she truly was amazing (yes, it’s a pun, and fully intended), made quick work of the matter. She offered to set my account to expire at the regular time (so I could use the free trial to its full extent), and make sure that it upon reactivation downgraded to a Single Edition subscription. What took a lot of words to describe here was accomplished inside of three minutes, really (in a civilised fashion, without any yelling, threats, or complaints). That’s how I expect customer service to work.