Ubuntu Linux 21.10 'Impish Indri' Beta is here
Happy Friday, dear BetaNews readers! The weekend is almost here, so hopefully you can take some time to do the things you want to do, rather than the tasks your boss or teacher makes you do. For some, that means spending time with family, watching movies, or resting up. For nerdier people, it is an excellent time to test a Linux distribution!
Today, Canonical releases the official beta version of the upcoming Ubuntu 21.10 Linux distro. Code-named "Impish Indri," the operating system features Linux kernel 5.13. Also notable, the Firefox browser that comes with Ubuntu 21.10 is a Snap rather than a typical deb -- this may prove controversial for some.
Best Windows apps this week
Four-hundred-fifty-seven in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Microsoft announced new Surface devices this week, which will be released on the same day as the company's Windows 11 operating system. Preordering is available, and the devices come with Windows 11 preinstalled.
MSI PRO AP241 All-in-One PC is ready for Microsoft Windows 11
As more and more people work from home, they are quickly realizing that their dwellings are simply too small to accommodate a large desk and workstation. While some folks have turned to makeshift solutions like laptops atop kitchen tables, other workers want proper desktops and designated work areas.
While desktop towers may be too bulky, all-in-one computers could be the perfect option. Since the PC is integrated into the monitor, it has a far smaller footprint than a traditional desktop. Today, MSI launches an elegant such computer that professionals should adore. It is available in both black and white colors, so you can better match your home's decor. Called "PRO AP241 All-in-One," it ships with Windows 10, but is absolutely ready for an upgrade to the upcoming Windows 11.
Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse is made of garbage, and that's a good thing
Earlier today, Microsoft held its big Surface Event, and there were many new devices announced. As my colleague Wayne Williams shared, the company unveiled the Surface Pro 8, Surface Duo 2, and the Surface Laptop Studio just to name a few.
All of the new Surface computers are exciting, but believe it or not, I was mostly intrigued by a simple wireless mouse. Specifically, the "Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse," as it is called, really inspired me. Why? Well, the Bluetooth mouse is partly made of literal garbage. And yes, folks, that is a good thing. You see, as the name implies, the Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse is manufactured using plastic recovered from the ocean -- things like non-reusable water bottles.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 Build 22463, fixes taskbar
At a special hardware event hosted earlier today, Microsoft unveiled a number of new Surface devices designed to run Windows 11.
Following that, the company rolls out Windows 11 Preview Build 22463 to Insiders in the Dev Channel. This flight fixes a lot of problems, including the issue impacting the Taskbar where icons appeared misaligned and/or cut off.
All the new Surface devices Microsoft announced today
Today, at a online hardware event, Microsoft unveiled a large number of new Surface devices, including Surface Pro 8, Surface Pro X, Surface Go 3, and Surface Duo 2. There was also a new flagship laptop announced -- Surface Laptop Studio.
If you’re in the market for a new tablet or laptop that can run Windows 11, then Microsoft certainly has you covered.
Watch Microsoft's new Surface launch event today -- live
Microsoft is holding an online launch event today, September 22, when it’s expected to unveil a number of new Surface devices, including tablets and laptops. It’s even rumored to be set to unveil a new Surface Duo 2.
Of course, there will be a heavy focus on Windows 11, as the new devices will come with that OS.
Microsoft may not block installing Windows 11 on PCs that do not meet minimum requirements
The issue of Windows 11's hardware requirements has reared its head once again, just after Microsoft publicly released an updated version of its PC Health Check compatibility checker. For people with computers that do not meet the minimum requirements, there may be some good news from the last twist in the mixed messaging from Microsoft.
While it was looking rather like installing Windows 11 on incompatible hardware was going to be blocked, now it appears that Microsoft is going to let people go ahead with the installation -- with a caveat. The installation can only proceed on systems that do not meet minimum requirements if users agree to a statement acknowledging the fact that any damage caused by installing Windows 11 on such hardware is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty,
Ubuntu Linux 14.04 and 16.04 each get a decade of support from Canonical
If you are a home Linux desktop user, there is a good chance you like living on the bleeding edge. When a new version of a Linux distribution is released, you may find yourself upgrading immediately. After all, if something breaks, you can just reinstall the OS or move back to the previous version. This is particularly easy if you store your data on a secondary drive and you can format your boot drive without worry.
For business users, however, constantly upgrading to the latest and greatest often isn't feasible. Instead, an organization may want to install a Linux distro and just have it work -- with several years of official support. For instance, Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty Tahr) and 16.04 (Xenial Xerus) are pretty dated, as they were released in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Age aside, they are rock solid from a stability standpoint. Despite newer versions of Ubuntu being available, some organizations simply don't have the resources to upgrade. Plus, why fix what isn't broken?
You will need to download many of Windows 11's 'pre-installed' apps in order to use them
Here's an odd one: when Windows 11 launches in a couple of weeks, it will include a number of pre-installed apps... except they won't really be pre-installed. Eh?
This slightly strange state of affair comes as a result of Microsoft taking steps to reduce the size of Windows 11's footprint to help improve performance. What it means in practice is that in order to use apps such as Microsoft To-Do, you'll click the shortcut -- which is really just a placeholder -- and the app will then be downloaded for you.
Check if your PC is Windows 11-compatible with Microsoft's updated PC Health Check app
Windows 11 starts to roll out as a free upgrade in just two weeks and there is still great confusion about the system requirements for the operating system. Microsoft had released a compatibility testing tool called PC Health Check, but the launch of this utility was fraught with issues.
Having released, pulled, updated and made the app Insider-only, Microsoft has now released a new version of the PC Health Check app -- and this time everyone can download it, regardless of whether they are an Insider or not. This means that you can now find out -- hopefully once and for all -- whether your computer can run Windows 11 or not.
Ubuntu Linux 21.10 'Impish Indri' official wallpapers now available for download
The next new version of Ubuntu will be designated as 21.10. Why? Well, the versioning scheme of that Linux-based operating system uses a two digit year followed by a period and then a two digit month (yy.mm). With October being the 10th month, Ubuntu Linux 21.10 is merely weeks away.
Besides knowing the version number of the next Ubuntu release, we also know the code-name -- "Impish Indri." We shared that detail with you back in April of this year. And now, the official artwork of Ubuntu Linux 21.10 "Impish Indri" becomes available for download.
This Ubuntu Linux version of 'Windows 11' is available to install now
Microsoft is set to start rolling out Windows 11 next month, but it will only be offered to newer, compatible systems at first, so even if you have a PC that fits the bill, and supports TPM 2.0, it might be the middle of next year before you have the chance to upgrade. And, of course, if you want to install the new OS on an older PC, the TPM requirement means you simply won’t be able to.
Windowsfx is a Linux OS that borrows its look from various flavors of Microsoft’s operating system, including Windows 7 and Windows 10, and now it’s offering a version that looks just like Windows 11.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is the Windows 11 device of your dreams
Tom Warren over at The Verge really hates Windows 11, proclaiming he won't be upgrading to Microsoft's upcoming operating system. Why? He has several reasons, such as his inability to easily locate the date and time when using multiple monitors. Oh well. It is his loss, as Windows 11 is really good. In fact, it is definitely the best version of Windows ever.
Despite Warren's apparent hatred of Windows 11, today, he shares some leaked information about the upcoming Surface Pro 8. Sadly, Microsoft's big announcement is due in just a few days, meaning The Verge and other leakers (such as the one it sources) have largely ruined the big reveal. Warren's actions are arguably a huge sign of disrespect towards Microsoft's Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay. Sigh. Thankfully, the leaked information signals a very exciting Surface tablet is on the way.
Run Windows 11 in VirtualBox? Nope!
The curse of Windows 11's system requirements has struck, and this time the victims are users of VirtualBox. Anyone hoping to run the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system in Oracle’s virtualization software is out of luck.
It comes after Microsoft tightened up the requirements for running Windows 11 in virtualized environment. The recent change in policy means that virtual machines are subject to the same hardware requirements as physical computers -- including the need for TPM 2.0.