Microsoft has published the minimum CPU requirements for Windows 11

[sapphirescales]

One generally has to go out of ones way to do a special "delete cam" order to get one of these.

And many, many businesses do. Like I said, about 20% of the laptops I go to buy have no webcam so I've got to be very careful when I'm ordering them not to accidentally get ones with no webcam. Sellers are desperate to unload these as no one wants them and will happily omit the fact that they don't have a webcam in the description. I can't wait until I no longer have to worry about this BS.

 

[nlinecomputers]

And many, many businesses do. Like I said, about 20% of the laptops I go to buy have no webcam so I've got to be very careful when I'm ordering them not to accidentally get ones with no webcam. Sellers are desperate to unload these as no one wants them and will happily omit the fact that they don't have a webcam in the description. I can't wait until I no longer have to worry about this BS.

I don’t think it’s going away. As you point out certain clients will have a requirement of no webcam. A switch isn’t going to be satisfactory. I can’t believe that Windows 11 will demand a webcam. I can believe that if you have one it must meet a certain spec.

Edit meant can’t not can.

 

[fincoder]

Laptops without webcams are sometimes found in ex-lease refurbs. Large corporations and maybe government departments can order any business-grade laptop without webcam, they do it for security reasons. Or I should say they have done it in the past. I suspect we might see less with missing webcams in the secondary market in the future because video calls for staff working from home has become endemic!

There will still be some clients wanting no webcam, so I doubt that Windows 11 requirements document will prevent this. I agree with the above, it's in the document to state minimum webcam specs (720p, auto focus, auto white balance).

 

[Sky-Knight]

Right because the document specifically says "PC", the question becomes what is that?

In the end I suspect this is a soft requirement, not a hard one like TPM 2.0.

 

[fincoder]

That windowsreport article quotes the Microsoft Windows 11 requirements document:
Starting from January 1, 2023, all Device Types except Desktop PC, are required to have Forward-facing camera which meets the following requirements [HD 720, AE, AWB].

 

[nlinecomputers]

For fun I just tried Newegg's Power Search to find a Refurbished machine marked as Windows 11 Ready.

There were none available!

Windows 11 is going to make it tough on these refurbishers as their current crop of machines lose considerable value due to their inability to upgrade to the newest Microsoft OS. On the flip side, their value for Linux machines should be enhanced considerably.

Yes and no. 8th gen systems are 3 years old now and many are going to be flooding the market soon. And from what I have seen Windows 10 is no less secure than Windows 11 on ANY hardware. The OS isn't more secure this is 100% a hardware issue. They are just using that as an excuse to push a "new" version of Windows that is mostly just a new paint job. Over the years that may change as the two versions diverge but RIGHT NOW selling a Windows 10 refurb is just as good as a Windows 11 machine.

And while it remains to be tested Microsoft has implied that we will be able to upgrade any machine to Windows 11 anyway, for free. Windows 11 will install on anything from the ISO. Microsoft coyly says it MAY not be supported. They don't say will not. They don't have a subroutine in the installer to abort if the wrong hardware is found. Which they certainly could do. So like the Windows 10 free upgrade Microsoft will claim that it is not valid or unsupported but will allow you to do it anyway. So chances are you can buy your Windows 10 refurbs, upgrade them to 11 and go on your merry way.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I can get 8th gen gear from my refurb vendors easily, I've just raised my rates, and explained to my customers that I'm not willing to sell a device that doesn't have at least a 5 year life cycle. And that means only hardware on the Windows 11 HCL. You can gamble with gen 6 cheap its... I'm not. Because I want these hardware vulns out of my fleet!

 

[sapphirescales]

8th gen systems are 3 years old now

Jesus, time is just flying by during this pandemic. It feels like 8th gen is still new.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Jesus, time is just flying by during this pandemic. It feels like 8th gen is still new.

That's because for all practical purposes they are. There's no functional reason to upgrade from 8th gen to current, there are a ton of reasons to upgrade to 8-11th gen if you're older though. There are a few 7th gen platforms that are still OK too... but that line is always a little fuzzy.

And 8th gen systems will be 6 years old by the time we need them for Win11, so any of us dealing in off lease business grade gear for refurbs in home applications are going to be slinging the daylights out of 8th and 9th generation equipment on the cheap as early as next year.

 

[Galdorf]

Someone should make a windows 11 sub forum now that it is live.
Well seems wndows 11 and ryzen gaming does not mix customers complaining of loosing quite alot of fps i looked at systems backup then reformat fresh with all updates and drivers on high end ryzen 3000 and 4000 and 5000 systems.
In some games i am seeing up to 30% fps loss.

https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/pa-400

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-21h2

 

[britechguy]

Someone should make a windows 11 sub forum now that it is live.

Agree there. While, at the moment, the differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 are very largely cosmetic, there will be continuing divergence over the next 4 years. It always makes sense to have a dedicated forum/subforum for each official Windows version.

@Kitten Kong

 

[Galdorf]

lol when microsoft fixed performance issues with killer and smartbyte network chips ryzen performance tanked even more.