Microsoft's eye-opening list of fixes for Windows 11 deals with most major pain points — and you can thank Apple

Is Microsoft defending Windows 11 from the MacBook Neo — and Linux, too?

23 Mar 2026, 16:00 · TechRadar

Opinion By Darren Allan published 23 March 2026

(Image credit: Future)

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As we saw over the weekend, big things are happening with Windows 11, as Microsoft has provided more details on what it's doing with its ongoing campaign to 'fix Windows 11'. And it turns out that these promises encompass fixing, well, pretty much everything that's wrong with the operating system.

Everything? Okay, so yes, that's hyperbole, but honestly, the list of what Microsoft's proposing to smooth over in Windows 11 is extensive, and it deals with most of the major pain points that many have been complaining about over the past couple of years (or in some cases, since the inception of the operating system).

That includes letting people reposition the taskbar away from the bottom of the screen (finally), and improving overall customization choices (for the likes of widgets as well as the taskbar itself). A faster, better File Explorer is also in the works (which was already promised).

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The real eye-openers for me, though, were the intention to cut back on AI in a meaningful way — trimming 'unnecessary' (Microsoft's actual word choice) appearances of Copilot from various apps and menus — and changes to Windows Update. Microsoft is, rather out of the blue, talking about giving users more control over installing monthly updates — so they can be paused for longer — and "reducing update noise with fewer automatic restarts".

In other words, Microsoft would appear to be attempting to ensure Windows 11 won't suddenly decide your PC needs to restart and update when you leave your desk for five minutes to get a coffee, and allowing for more of a delay before update installation in case you might be paranoid about a bug that early adopters have found.

However, I think the most interesting move of all is Microsoft's promise to reduce the resources that Windows 11 hoovers up, and to make the OS more streamlined with more consistent performance levels. That specifically includes: "Improved memory efficiency, lowering the baseline memory footprint for Windows, freeing up more capacity for the apps you run."

A new threat (or two)

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Now, what else has just happened that is huge in the world of computing? The laptop arena has been changed in a major way with the introduction of the MacBook Neo, which has been very well-received, surprising many critics. It may have a mobile (iPhone) CPU — and only 8GB of system RAM — but the MacBook Neo is a sterling performer for everyday computing tasks. As we've observed elsewhere, the Neo more than holds its own against the MacBook Air M1, which remains a powerful laptop even today.

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