When Microsoft introduced Windows 11 it did so under the promise of marking a definitive path for its operating system. Those of Redmond were encouraged to make a very interesting design change, as well as to incorporate some really positive features, such as support for running Android applications.
However, since the first development versions were made available, the software has wandered from controversy to controversy; especially because of the twists and turns around minimum specs and supported hardware. And its final arrival to the public has been plagued with bugs and performance issues.
This does not mean that Windows 11 is bad or has no potential. But it does have several shortcomings and absences that, to say the least, are meaningless..
Windows 11 insists on forcing you to use Edge
Some time ago we told you that in Windows 11 it is more “difficult” to choose a default web browser other than Edge. This is because, unlike previous versions of the operating system, it is necessary to stipulate which software to use to open different file extensions.
But beyond that, Microsoft keeps pushing you towards its own browser, even when you’ve already taken the trouble to set another one as your favorite. This is clearly visible in the new dashboard. widgets, given that clicking on one of the cards automatically opens Edge, even if your browser configured as default is another. The same happens with web results when we use the search engine integrated into the Windows 11 Start menu.
Don’t get it wrong: Edge is a great browser. However, the Redmond insistence is invasive and unnecessarily complicates the user experience.
The absence of the ‘drag and drop’ on the icons of the taskbar
One of the traditional features of previous editions of Windows was to “drag and drop” files onto the taskbar icons to invoke a minimized program. If we wanted to send a document saved in a folder or the Desktop through WhatsApp Web, for example, we only had to drag it to the browser icon and in an instant the window would be maximized to drop it on the site in question.
Nevertheless, this is impossible in Windows 11. In an incomprehensible decision, Microsoft has removed a function that many users used by memory. If you are used to Windows 7 or Windows 10, when you try to do drag and drop On the taskbar icons you will find the “forbidden” symbol.
And worst of all, no one has explained why this possibility has been eliminated. What is clear is that this determination undermines productivity, since it forces users to change a basic behavior of proven effectiveness.
Another incredible situation involving the Windows 11 taskbar is the total absence of quick options in the context menu. Until Windows 10, by right-clicking on the taskbar we could access the cascading windows, activate or deactivate the search box and the widget news, or show the Desktop, among several other possibilities. We even had a faster way to enter the Task Manager, without relying on the famous shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Del.
But now all that has disappeared. Right clicking on the Windows 11 taskbar only shows the button “Taskbar Settings”. In this way, we lose an important range of quick options, in another controversial Microsoft decision that threatens basic functions inherited from previous versions of the OS.
Windows 11 dark mode is very nice but lacks optimization
Among the aesthetic changes of Windows 11, the Start menu centered on the taskbar and a very nice dark mode stand out. This color scheme has been more accepted than the light mode, to the point that Microsoft has decided to activate it by default on some computers that arrive with the new operating system pre-installed.
The problem is that dark mode is not fully optimized. This is especially noticeable when opening Run and the Task Manager, among other system configuration windows; in these cases they are shown in the traditional light tone, even when the dark color option is activated. It is worth noting that this problem is not new, since it also occurs in Windows 10.
With all the time that Microsoft has spent developing Windows 11, added to the months of testing the operating system, it seems that this could have already been solved. And the same happens with the automatic activation of this mode based on the time of day, a feature that many other systems have but that, in this case, we cannot find it.
Microsoft does not escape outdated configuration windows
Another problem that is not new, but that does not find a solution in Windows 11 either. Microsoft has a fetish for advanced settings windows inherited from Windows 95 or Windows 98. The years go by and we cannot get rid of the settings grouped in tabs.
Many have already given up hope that Redmond will ever shed that outdated interface. Clearly, users have already had enough of it. In addition, aesthetically it is an aberration that is completely out of step with the rest of the design to which Microsoft claims to have put so much effort and affection.
Foolish decisions subtract points from Windows 11
The absences and shortcomings that we mention in this article – which are added to many others that circulate on the internet – do not imply that Windows 11 has no potential. But I think they make no sense, aside from taking points away from the overall experience with the operating system.
After so many years in the market, Microsoft should know better than anyone what users like and don’t like. After all, Windows is the desktop operating system reference all over the world. That does not mean it must be infallible, but yes that certain issues should already be more oiled. Especially when it comes to “trifles”.
The drawbacks that we point out in this article are surely solvable with updates. And hopefully so.