Wayne Williams

With Windows 11, Microsoft tried to make the new OS look different from Windows 10, mainly by centering the taskbar and Start menu. This wasn’t the most popular change for a lot of people.

As we’ve covered before, there are a good number of third-party tools that you can use to put the Start menu and taskbar back to how they were, as well as tweak other areas of the newest operating system, including improving icons and updating File Explorer.

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Every so often, we hear rumors about Microsoft’s next operating system, widely expected to be called Windows 12. The tech giant has been keeping quiet about its future plans, preferring instead to continue to update Windows 11, adding more AI features, and deprecating functionality it thinks we no longer need.

Although plenty of people still prefer Windows 10 to its successor, Windows 11 will be the only game in town in a matter of months when the older OS comes to its end of life later this year. Windows 11 isn’t bad -- far from it -- but it could be better, as evidenced by Windows 11 2025 Edition.

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For a lot of people, the biggest, most noticeable difference between Windows 10 and 11 is the centered taskbar and Start menu that Microsoft introduced to its latest operating system.

The software giant made the change to give Windows 11 a fresh, modern look and set it apart from its predecessor, but Windows has had a left-aligned taskbar and menu since Windows 95, and as the company proved when it gave us a tiled Start screen in Windows 8, change isn't always good -- or welcome.

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Windows XP hasn’t been supported by Microsoft for a decade now, but it’s in use in many places. According to the most recent figures from Statcounter, the ancient OS still holds 0.27 percent of the Windows market, placing it above Windows 8/8.1.

There is even a Linux version of XP that you can run if you want a hit of nostalgia, but don’t want to risk using an unsupported OS. You’ve no doubt seen Doom running on all sorts of hardware, and XP is similar in some respects. We’ve already seen it running on Apple’s Vision Pro, and now it appears that with a bit of creative thinking it’s possible to run Windows XP on an Apple TV.

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Apple has announced the iPhone 16e (yes, not SE), the latest addition to its iPhone range. The Cupertino-based tech giant describes the new device as a more affordable option for users looking to experience what the iPhone 16 has to offer.

“iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “We’re so excited for iPhone 16e to complete the lineup as a powerful, more affordable option to bring the iPhone experience to even more people.”

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I appreciate calling Windows XP “Microsoft’s greatest OS” will elicit snorts of derision from a good number of you. That honor probably belongs to Windows 7, or maybe even Windows 10 (once Microsoft ironed out the many problems that plagued it from the start). But certainly, Windows XP was a classic, and a huge step up from the operating systems that preceded it.

If you miss XP but aren’t crazy enough to run an OS that (mostly) hasn’t had security updates in over a decade, FreeXP might be just what you’re looking for. It’s not XP, and it’s not from Microsoft, but it looks and feels just like it.

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You can tell that people aren’t overjoyed with Windows 11 by the number of great third-party tools that have been developed to fix the OS. The most recent of these is Talon, which can debloat Windows 11 in just two mouse clicks, removing all the bundled junk that Microsoft has shoehorned into its OS, including Microsoft Edge, OneDrive, Copilot, and Clipchamp.

Winhance is another such tool, but it works differently and can be used to debloat and optimize Windows 11 -- and, perhaps just as importantly, keep it that way. Although it’s been designed for Windows 11, it will work just as well on a fully updated version of Windows 10 22H2.

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Word, Microsoft's powerful and popular word processor, is capable of extraordinary things. From template building to fancy formatting and even AI-powered editing and proofing, your copy of Word stands ready to help you supercharge your productivity and save you time and energy. You just need to learn how it's done. And, thanks to this easy-to-understand book, learning is the easy part!

This latest edition of Word For Dummies is packed with the essentials you need to turn any old copy of the famous word processor into a document-creating, table-formatting, graphics-editing super app. You'll even learn how to customize your version of Microsoft Word so it's absolutely perfect for you, at home and at work.

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The biggest problem with saying goodbye to Windows 10 or 11 is knowing what to use instead. macOS is a great choice, but you’ll probably need to buy a Mac to run it, so that makes it an expensive option.

There’s no shortage of Linux distros you can use, including the big ones like Ubuntu and Mint, but they aren’t for everyone. One relatively new choice is the stunning Oreon 10 which we declared had "arrived to replace Microsoft Windows" when it launched last December. That OS has just received a big update, but it’s what’s coming next that has us most excited.

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If you’ve had enough of Windows 11, or are considering moving away from Microsoft when the tech giant pulls the plug on Windows 10 later this year, there are plenty of options available to you, ranging from the likes of Nitrux Linux to the just-updated, gorgeous EndeavourOS 'Mercury'.

The successor to EndeavourOS 'Neo' has been in development for quite some time, but it's a great update and not only fixes loads of problems but also introduces some great new features.

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Microsoft continues to work hard at improving Windows 11, fixing problems and cramming in loads of new AI features. Despite that (or perhaps because of it), its newest operating system still lags behind Windows 10 in terms of market share, even though end of life is fast approaching for that beloved but aging OS.

Microsoft hasn't officially announced Windows 12 yet, and it likely won't until after Windows 10 is no more. But if you want inspiration for what the next generation of Windows could look like, feast your eyes on the stunning AR OS 2.

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For many users, myself included, Windows 10 and 11 are functional but unremarkable. The design, while supposedly modern, tends to be a bit, well, boring. The current design comes across as bland, offering little of the warmth or personality that once defined Windows. Remember Windows XP? Whatever happened to the Microsoft that gave us that leap forward in design a couple of decades ago?

Thankfully, there is a solution at hand. Seelen UI is a free tool that reimagines what a Windows desktop can be, giving users the tools to break free from Microsoft monotony. It offers a number of customization features that will let you craft a unique, stylish and practical workspace.

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With Windows 10 set to reach its end of life later this year, Microsoft has been taking every opportunity to heavily push Windows 11 as the only upgrade path for users. The latest operating system share figures from StatCounter show the message is getting through -- slowly -- with Windows 11 achieving 36.65 percent of the market, an increase of 2.53 percentage points since last month.

What that means, of course, is that Windows 10 still has 60.33 percent, suggesting users aren’t in a huge rush to move away from their OS of choice to the AI-riddled sequel. Let’s be honest, Windows 11 isn’t the only game in town for Windows 10 users looking to make the move. One of the more popular alternatives is Nitrux Linux, which has just hit a new milestone.

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If you’re running Windows 11 or Windows 10 but miss the look and feel of Windows 7, there’s a simple yet brilliant way to transform your newer OS into the older one.

This process, which takes just five mouse clicks, brings back all the features you may have missed, such as Windows Media Center, Windows Gadgets, and, of course, those classic Windows 7 games. The familiar, fuss-free Start menu also returns. This transformation works on all versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, up to 24H2.

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Microsoft has today announced two additions to its Surface for Business Copilot+ PC family, with new versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop that, instead of using Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs, will be powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), giving buyers a choice.

Microsoft says the Surface Pro 11 for Business is designed to deliver high performance, versatility, and security. The device offers up to 28 percent more overall performance, 98 percent better graphics performance, and double the battery life during Teams calls, compared to the Surface Pro 9. The 13-inch PixelSense display features optional OLED technology with better color accuracy, and anti-reflective properties for improved visibility, even in direct sunlight.

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