Windows 11 Alternatives: Microsoft has given ‘the punch on the table’ that we asked to turn the page of the insubstantial, problematic, and inconsistent Windows 10. A version that has not met the objectives set (except to monopolize the OEM channel like previous Windows) and that was crying out for a renewal. At least visual …
She will arrive with Windows 11 , an evolution that does not revolutionize , created on the basis of the work done for Windows 10X and that will offer improvements in the user interface, in the workspaces, in security, in the execution of games and in others sections, in addition to the premiere of a new Windows Store that will include improvements for developers and applications for Android.
Windows 11 Alternatives
Microsoft will offer Windows 11 for free to upgrade older systems to unsupported versions like Windows 7. The problem is that the vendor has set minimum hardware requirements that if maintained, will leave out tens of millions of current computers. Do not worry. The world does not end with Windows 11 and there are other alternatives to use that we are going to review.
Windows 10
The most ‘natural’ alternative if your computer hardware does not meet the requirements is to stay on Windows 10. Microsoft will offer official technical support for this version until October 14, 2025 . There will be enough time to squeeze out current hardware without the need to invest in new equipment.
Also, Windows 10 support until the end of 2025 is considered “minimal.” It is not the first time that Microsoft has extended deadlines for business needs. He did it in Windows XP to slow down the installation of Linux on the first netbooks, although he later had to deal with the ‘XP case’. And it did so by expanding the Windows 10 program for free. If Windows 11 does not finish convincing and you are interested in doing so, there will be changes.
On the other hand, despite its shortcomings and leaving aside the errors that arrive with each edition, Windows 10 continues to be a system that “works” and the next autumn version ‘ Sun Valley ‘ will offer quite a few new features, some of which will be available in Windows 11 and arriving from the development of Windows 10X. Summary: If you’re comfortable with Windows 10, you can rest easy for four more years… at least.
Linux
The eternal alternative, without reaching the market share that its potential deserves. On the computer desk because in the rest of the segments it sweeps or is very well positioned. On paper, the hardware of any computer running Windows 7/8/10 is capable of running current GNU / Linux distributions , and it’s a great option if you don’t have UEFI, Secure Boot, or the TPM that Windows 11 requires.
Its installation is just as simple as that of Windows and you can even install it together with Windows if you want to take advantage of both, which they have according to the types of use. Note that there are some specific GNU / Linux distributions to run on computers with a lower level of hardware, which is interesting if you use older computers.
Open source software and totally free , it offers thousands of applications also free and for all kinds of uses. Attending to any customization need, there are dozens of distributions that you can choose from, including some specially designed to help in the transition from Windows thanks to a visual section that offers a certain degree of familiarity without losing its own personality or improved components such as WINE to run applications Windows and thus achieve a gradual and non-dramatic change for a user who is approaching the Linux universe for the first time.
Here we can cite Zorin OS, Kubuntu, Elementary, Deepin, Manjaro Xfce, LinuxFx or the always attractive Linux Mint whose new version was presented to us last week by our muylinux colleagues . If you want to try, you can start with its ‘Live CD’ operation without affecting your main Windows computer. Afterwards, dual booting is a great option. Want to learn other things beyond Windows and to the bull! You don’t need Windows 11.
Chrome OS / Chromium OS
Google’s operating system for personal computers has definitely carved out a niche on the desktop. If the requirements of Windows 11 force you to change equipment, the best experience from Google will be obtained with Chromebooks , laptops that have not stopped raising their level of performance and their ability to run applications, native to Chrome OS, Web, Linux, Android and even Windows.
If you don’t want to buy a new computer, here are also alternatives to Windows 11, since you can run Chrome OS on almost any machine with older Windows because the hardware requirements are similar or lower.
And the software? Google does not offer an official version beyond the versions of Chrome OS that it gives to manufacturers to install on new computers. But you can install Chromium OS , the open source project on which this is based. As you can see in this practical , there are alternative sources that provide images for both ARM machines, such as x86 for Intel or AMD, and that are installed from a USB as we would with Windows. We like a typical GNU / Linux distro better, but it’s another way to explore.
macOS
The world of Hackintosh or the use of the Apple system without having to acquire a new Mac, it was already difficult to label it as an alternative. Much more so now when Apple has opted for ARM complicating the scenario on previous x86 developments from Intel or even AMD where OS X could be run.
You have to understand that Apple has not licensed its operating systems to third parties since 1997 and also battles in court against any company that sells equipment with its pre-installed systems. Currently, the legal (and practical) use of macOS is limited to the purchase of an Apple computer.
That said, the alternative here would come when the previous options did not convince you and you had to buy a new computer with Windows 11 . In that scenario, Macs are another option to explore. Its users are among the most loyal of any platform and it maintains a market share of between 8 and 10% among all personal computers sold.
Other more ‘exotic’ Windows 11 alternatives
There is life beyond Windows, Linux, and Mac. They are little known to the general public and cannot really compete with them on a commercial level. They are not even a complete replacement to the use of the big three platforms, they are not updated as frequently, nor are they useful for everything and for all users, but they do exist.
They will certainly not replace the main system of an ordinary user, but they can be used in some fields of use or tested simply for the pleasure of knowing other things. All are free to use and most are licensed under free software , and can be installed on standalone machines or virtual machines for testing beforehand without affecting your everyday equipment.
If you are definitely not convinced by the above alternatives and your computer does not allow you to upgrade to Windows 11, it is time to try FreeBSD (the maximum representative of these alternatives); FreeDOS (which is usually pre-installed on new machines without Windows); ReactOS (the “Windows” without Microsoft); OpenBSD as free software from Unix and others that we offered you in this special .
What was said; Rest assured that there are alternatives to Windows 11 for computers that do not meet the hardware requirements. And if you choose to acquire new equipment, whose vast majority of those that are sold from now on will support it, there are other platforms to explore, the Macs, OEM computers with Linux or those that arrive with Chrome OS.