Windows 11 could make its first public appearance as early as October 20.

Windows 11 is expected to reach the overall availability stage by the end of the year. But before that, Microsoft released the first build of Windows 11 Insider Preview for developers to test out the new experience. The Windows 11 preview includes features like the Start menu and a centrally installed taskbar, as well as new themes and sounds – just about everything that was unveiled at last week’s Windows virtual event. In addition to the first appearance of the Windows 11 preview, Microsoft appears to be suggesting an October release date for Windows 11. The launch could take place on October 20th.

Windows 11 Insider Preview Features

The first preview of Windows 11 Insider (build 2200.51) includes most of the features that Microsoft unveiled at the Windows event last week. These include the Start Menu and the all-new Task Bar which is now located in the center of the display and brings new animation effects, Enhanced Notification Center and Quick Settings, and new themes. The Windows 11 preview also includes the new sounds, including the new startup sound that will refresh your experience. In addition, there is an updated File Explorer that will display context menus when you right-click on the screen.

Microsoft has also provided gadgets that you can watch by clicking on the dedicated Widget icon in the system tray. You can also swipe from the left using the touch bar / display or by pressing Win + W on the keyboard to access the gadgets. By default, there are gadgets for calendar, weather, local traffic, Microsoft task listings, OneDrive photos, sports and eSports, inventory and tips. The widget section also includes a news feed section to display customized news content.

The first preview of Windows 11 brings the new multitasking features Microsoft introduced to the launch event, including Snap layouts and Snap groups. There are also access to several virtual desktops. You will also be able to check out the new Microsoft Store which has an updated interface and a dedicated Entertainment tab.

In terms of hardware-specific changes, the first Windows 11 Insider Preview build offers users a new docking experience that works across multiple monitors. There are also features including refresh rate and dynamic display enhancements like auto HDR support. For machines with an accelerometer, the Windows 11 lock screen also has the effect of parallax motion.

The Windows 11 preview includes touch keyboard adjustments, voice typing launcher, improved gesture controls, a stylus input pen menu, and an updated input toggle.

Microsoft has also provided Wi-Fi 6E support for hardware-compatible machines and drivers. In addition, Microsoft Office has received a new preview build to align with Windows 11 beta.

That said, the first preview of Windows 11 excludes some of the features unveiled by Microsoft last week – one is the integration of Microsoft Teams and the other is support for Android apps on Windows. Both are currently being tested and will likely be built in a later preview.

We recommend that you download the first preview of Windows 11 only on secondary devices as it contains some known issues. These include a limited taskbar that will not display on multiple monitors, the availability of the “Power Mode” setting on the Power & Battery page, and misaligned widgets on external monitors. There are also many bugs that may affect your daily experience.

How to download the Windows 11 Insider Preview build

To download the first build of Windows 11 Insider Preview on your Windows 10 PC, you will need to sign up for the Windows Insider Program and then visit Settings> Update & Security> Windows Insider Program. Microsoft provides the test build specifically on compatible machines, although it has made some changes to the minimum hardware requirements to test Windows 11 on a wide range of systems. Changes include support for Intel’s 7th Gen and AMD Zen 1. However, the basic minimum requirements remain the same: more than 1 GHz and dual-core processors, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage on board.

Microsoft has also temporarily removed its PC Health Check app which was supposed to allow Windows 10 users to see if their PCs are compatible with Windows 11. However, the app will return when Windows 11 is generally available .

Windows 11 suggested the release date for October

In addition to releasing the first preview of Windows 11, Microsoft is expected to suggest an October release date for Windows 11. As the Verge reports, the release date was suggested several times during last week’s Windows event. These tips include a Microsoft Teams message from Surface Engineer Stevie Bathiche that appeared on a Windows 11 screen displayed during the virtual event. The message addressed to Panos Panay, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer, reads: “Exciting to turn the volume up to 11 … can’t wait for October!”

In other cases, Microsoft has even suggested October 20 as a release date for Windows 11. It could also be the time when Redmond, a Washington-based company, would unveil its new operating system-based Surface devices new Windows.

Walmart also suggested the October release date by promising customers to bring a “free update to Windows October 2021 when available” on a list of laptops available online.

Microsoft has not officially confirmed when it intends to release Windows 11. The company has only commented on the availability of the new version of Windows only “this holiday” and “this fall.