WIN11 GOES BETA

Try it for yourself now

MICROSOFT HAS PUT Win11 build 22000.100 into beta on the Windows Insider Program, the first build to do so, and a sign that Microsoft is feeling confident that it’s ready. Previous builds were limited to the development channel. The Windows Insider Program may sound like a fancy club, but joining is easy—you just need a Microsoft account, and to tick a box to say you understand you might experience data loss, crashes, and security vulnerabilities (what’s new?).

There are a few missing features, such as Chat on Microsoft Teams, and no doubt the odd bug will surface. The next step will be a version on the release channel of the Insider Program before it appears on new systems later this year. Microsoft also launched a free trial of its cloud-based Windows 365 system but suspended sign-ups just two days later. Despite only being available to businesses, it proved so popular that Microsoft was running out of server capacity. Or it was an astute publicity stunt?