The American publisher seems to have been caught off guard by the outcry following the publication of hardware recommendations for Windows 11.
When Windows 11 was made official, there were logically a few voices criticizing Microsoft's new operating system, regretting a certain lack of information or a "visual overhaul rather than a technical one". Well-founded or not, these criticisms are, so to speak, inseparable from such an announcement. However, what is less so, and what probably caught Microsoft a little off guard, is what happened next, when the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11 were published by Microsoft.
On a large part of these recommendations, Windows 11 does not seem fundamentally different from Windows 10, which was not much more demanding than Windows 8. Windows 11 requires a processor with at least two cores and capable of running at least 1 GHz. It must be supported by at least 4 GB of RAM and accompanied by a storage unit with at least 64 GB. Finally, Microsoft mentions the need for a DirectX 12-compatible graphics card and a high-definition screen (720p) with a diagonal of more than 9 inches. In short, nothing but the usual.
Problem is, things are actually a bit more complicated than that and one line of the recommendations caused a panic: " Secure Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 ". Worse, while the release of the PC Health Check tool was supposed to give a clear answer on whether or not our PC will be able to receive Windows 11, the answer has frustrated many users. First concern, the software in question answers in a cold, almost brutal way, without giving any explanation. The second problem is that powerful processors such as the Core i7-7700K are excluded: you should at least have an 8th generation Intel CPU, an AMD Zen 2 or a Qualcomm 7/8 series SoC.
Microsoft did not bury its head in the sand and faced with the outcry over its application. It has logically decided to remove it, explaining that it " will be back online in preparation for general availability in the fall ": this seems more logical knowing that the Windows 11 update for current machines will not arrive until early next year anyway. On the other hand, Microsoft seems to recognize a certain awkwardness on its part by insisting on the presence of TPM 2.0. In fact, the editor has admitted that he is working to ensure that other processors - there is talk of 7th generation Intel CPUs and AMD Zen 1 - are also accepted. Even if it obviously wants to move things forward and the configurations of our machines, Microsoft is not going to risk cutting itself off from too large a part of the installed base either. A happy medium to find for the promoter of Windows.
