Would you buy from the first batch of Windows 11 computers?

I would not buy anything at the moment since my 2 years old laptop shows this:

Haydon said:

The first batch of Windows 11 computers will presumably be on sale this yearend holiday season. Would you buy one?

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If I were in the market for laptop (custom build my own desktops) and had the choice between 10 and 11, I'd take Windows 11. So yeah, I'd buy a newly released Windows 11 PC (laptop). Did it with Windows 8, did it with Windows 10

If I were building around Windows 11 release, I'd get Windows 11. BTW, my current desktop (system one) is fully compatible right now.

Winuser said:

I use to go to the local computer shows. I would spec out what I wanted and they would build it while I waited. Now the closest is in lower Maryland. What i do now is buy the custom built desktops from Micro Center.

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Looks like we've both ended up in the same place.

I used to to the shows, too. Would be there when they opened the door, rush to the booth to buy the stuff, take it home and hook it up. By noon, I knew if it was going to work or not, and if not, I boxed it up, went back to the show and got a refund. Only bought from folks that were well know.

But I have not seen those in years, and while I have thought seriously about buying the PowerSpec line from MicroCenter, I have read they have custom BIOS that don't allow advanced setting changes -- and I am use to retail mobos that allow those, as I make those changes literally every day. IF you know something else, then please let me know.

And WHEN I do this depends on IF the requirements-hacks continue to work with the Released versions of Win11. If they do not, I'll probably look to build a new Ryzen system late this year; if they do, then I can put off the upgrade till next Fall.

Mark Phelps said:

Looks like we've both ended up in the same place.

I used to to the shows, too. Would be there when they opened the door, rush to the booth to buy the stuff, take it home and hook it up. By noon, I knew if it was going to work or not, and if not, I boxed it up, went back to the show and got a refund. Only bought from folks that were well know.

But I have not seen those in years, and while I have thought seriously about buying the PowerSpec line from MicroCenter, I have read they have custom BIOS that don't allow advanced setting changes -- and I am use to retail mobos that allow those, as I make those changes literally every day. IF you know something else, then please let me know.

And WHEN I do this depends on IF the requirements-hacks continue to work with the Released versions of Win11. If they do not, I'll probably look to build a new Ryzen system late this year; if they do, then I can put off the upgrade till next Fall.

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That's not true about the BIOS. The only thing I see different is the PowerSpec name on screen before the login screen. On my old desktop I found a newer BIOS update on the ASUS site then the one on the PowerSpec site. I had no problem doing the update. Now instead of showing the PowerSpec name it now shows the ASUS name.

@Mark Phelps, I looked up MarketPro Computer Shows and the shows are in Lauel MD. It's south of Baltimore and way to far for me. When they had them at the University of Delaware I could be there in 20 to 30 minutes. The Micro Center in St. Davids is about 45 minutes to 1 hour away. There use to be a Tiger Direct about 15 minutes away but they closed the store.

Winuser said:

The Micro Center in St. Davids is about 45 minutes to 1 hour away.

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I shop at the one in Fairfax VA. It's actually two hours away from me so I always plan trips around visiting family in Maryland.

Dru2 said:

I shop at the one in Fairfax VA. It's actually two hours away from me so I always plan trips around visiting family in Maryland.

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They are a nice store. I do wish they had a close location in N.J. so I don't have to pay the bridge toll to cross the river.

If someone wants or needs a new computer why not buy one with Windows 11 already installed. Even in the early Insider Builds Windows 11 is very impressive.

Haydon said:

The first batch of Windows 11 computers will presumably be on sale this yearend holiday season. Would you buy one?

Pros and cons in my case:

Pros: My main desktop tower came with Windows 8.1, upgraded to Windows 10 Pro, but it cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 (4th generation i7, no TPM) I do like the 'peace of mind' benefits of TPM, especially dTPM, in light of ever growing concerns about security.

Cons: The computer runs well, and will probably still run well until 2025.

What about you?

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First, TPM only offers security if you encrypt your disk and if the disk is removed from the original computer and attempted to be used on another computer. It offers little protection if the entire computer is stolen or is hacked into over a network connection. So for me, as a standard user, I see very little security benefit to TPM. It's only big benefit is for removable drives that have a greater chance of being stolen separately from the computer.

Now, regarding all the Windows 11 ready and Windows 11 certified....ummmm.....polite word, hooplah. It's just marketing hype and nothing else. So someone who says, "I'm not going to get a Windows 11 computer when they first come out because I want the bugs to get worked out first!" Well if Windows 11 has bugs on the new computer then guess what you do....just install Windows 10 on it. So far Windows 11 and Windows 10 are using the exact same digital licenses and product keys, and I don't see that changing. Windows 11 and Windows 10 share the same drivers, I don't see that changing.

Then there is the person that says, "I'm not going to buy a new computer now, I'm going to wait to get a Windows 11 computer!" Well, guess what...as long as the computer has TPM 2.0, and a modern processor on the Windows 11 supported list, there is no indication whatsoever that the upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 will be anything but free. There is no indication that there are plans to separate Windows 10 and Windows 11 digital licenses or product keys.

So, in summary, Windows 11 is not going affect my computer buying decisions at all.

Winuser said:

If someone wants or needs a new computer why not buy one with Windows 11 already installed. Even in the early Insider Builds Windows 11 is very impressive.

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That's reassuring :) I have an ancient laptop whose housing is beginning to disintegrate. Now I can treat myself to a cheap laptop at Christmas time :)

NavyLCDR said:

First, TPM only offers security if you encrypt your disk and if the disk is removed from the original computer and attempted to be used on another computer. It offers little protection if the entire computer is stolen or is hacked into over a network connection. So for me, as a standard user, I see very little security benefit to TPM. It's only big benefit is for removable drives that have a greater chance of being stolen separately from the computer.

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You can configure BitLocker (with or without TPM) to require a USB key to start up the computer (I do that without TPM) So, that protects against theft of the entire computer. Of course, that does not protect against hacking over a network connection while you are working on your computer (and the hacker 'sees' your unencrypted computer) It may help if you turn off your home networking, but practically speaking, you do need to connect to the Internet, via a router with NAT, etc. Nothing is perfect

To answer the original Forum question....Yes....have already purchased a W11 certified Microsoft Surface laptop on which I have installed W11 insider.

Winuser said:

That's not true about the BIOS. The only thing I see different is the PowerSpec name on screen before the login screen. On my old desktop I found a newer BIOS update on the ASUS site then the one on the PowerSpec site. I had no problem doing the update. Now instead of showing the PowerSpec name it now shows the ASUS name.

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Great news -- thanks. So, I'll consider a PowerSpec when I get around to upgrading.

The last time I bought a desktop PC was in 2010. I was building my own after that.
I bougth a laptop last year (Asus Zenbook, 10th Gen i5) and it is compatible with Win 11. But a barely consider it a "PC" for my purpose. I mainly use a laptop for paying bills and stuffs while having coffee. It's like an iPad for me. :)

Haydon said:

You can configure BitLocker (with or without TPM) to require a USB key to start up the computer (I do that without TPM) So, that protects against theft of the entire computer. Of course, that does not protect against hacking over a network connection while you are working on your computer (and the hacker 'sees' your unencrypted computer) It may help if you turn off your home networking, but practically speaking, you do need to connect to the Internet, via a router with NAT, etc. Nothing is perfect

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I am confused. You initially posted:

Haydon said:

The first batch of Windows 11 computers will presumably be on sale this yearend holiday season. Would you buy one?

Pros and cons in my case:

Pros: My main desktop tower came with Windows 8.1, upgraded to Windows 10 Pro, but it cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 (4th generation i7, no TPM) I do like the 'peace of mind' benefits of TPM, especially dTPM, in light of ever growing concerns about security.

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So what are the "peace of mind" benefits that you get with TPM?

NavyLCDR said:

I am confused. You initially posted:



So what are the "peace of mind" benefits that you get with TPM?

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Well, first of all, I don't claim to be an expert. I have a little bit of practical experience in security without TPM, and my reading says that there is still a small attack surface exposed. I don't have any practical experience in security with TPM, but my reading says that the attack surface is even smaller (not non-existent)

There are entire forums dedicated to this topic, and there is a lot of people out there that can explain this a lot better than me. I sometimes read elsewhere on this forum that the whole TPM issue is overblown, I myself don't think that the TPM issue is overblown at all. If you go on those other forums, you can read about TPM for a more balanced opinion.

just because one person doesn't believe in an app or feature doesn't mean it's useless; it simply mean they don't believe in it.

Most never even heard of TPM until Windows 11. Now there's mass hysteria, confusion, and misinformation.

Dru2 said:

just because one person doesn't believe in an app or feature doesn't mean it's useless; it simply mean they don't believe in it.

Most never even heard of TPM until Windows 11. Now there's mass hysteria, confusion, and misinformation.

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But what exactly does TPM do other than protect an encrypted drive if it is removed the computer? I just don't see a thief taking the time to open my desktop or my laptop and removing the drives from them and taking them.

I guess there is this from an internet article:

Safer Storage​

You can safely store your encryption keys, certificates, and passwords used for accessing online services inside a TPM. This is a more secure alternative than storing them inside the software on your hard drive.

So how do you store your credentials in TPM rather than in Windows? Does anyone know?

But, again, that would only seem to be effective if the drive was removed from the computer and separated from the TPM.

Basically, users are saying, "I feel safer knowing I have TPM!" And then you ask them, "Why?" and the answer is, "Because I have TPM, that's why!"

Not trying to be funny but if you really wanted to know you'd look into it instead of arguing it down and asking others what it does. There are numerous postings here, tenforums, and elsewhere explaining TPM. It's not hard to find that info.

The real question is why is Microsoft so keen on making it a requirement for Windows 11. Does Windows 11 plan on auto encrypting our drives? Are there other security features requiring TPM? I can't answer those.

But again, as stated, just because you don't believe in a feature doesn't make it useless, is simply means you don't believe in it.

Oh, I see that the last paragraph in my previous post is poorly worded. I have just edited it to read like the following.

There are entire forums dedicated to this topic, and there is a lot of people out there that can explain this a lot better than me. I sometimes read elsewhere on this forum that the whole TPM issue is overblown, I myself don't think that the TPM issue is overblown at all. If you go on those other forums, you can read about TPM for a more balanced opinion.

Peace.