＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:https://skawa68.com/
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
<Addition on 1/4/2022> End of support for Windows 10 in 2025 and transition to Windows 11.
＜Windows 10 support ends in 2025.＞
Windows 11 was announced in June 2021, and it was reported that “Windows 10 will be supported until October 2025,” even though Windows 10 was said to be the “last Windows.”
Computers with Windows 11 pre-installed went on sale in November 2021.
<Transition to Windows 11>
How can individual users migrate to Windows 11 before support ends?
Windows 11 will be distributed to Windows 10 users via Windows Update, starting in the second half of 2021 and rolling out to eligible devices by the first half of 2022. The upgrade to Windows 11 will be provided free of charge.
To check whether your computer is compatible with Windows 11, please use the “PC Health Check App” available on the “Windows 11 Official Website” below.
Please obtain the program from the “Check compatibility” section of the official Windows 11 website below, under “Download PC health check app”, then install and run it.
<Microsoft Windows 11 site>
https://www.microsoft.com/ja-jp/windows/windows-11
Run the PC Health Check app and click “Check Now” to see the results. If your PC is compatible with Windows 11, you will see the message “This PC meets the requirements for Windows 11.”
<Main features and functions of Windows 11>
(1) The new UI design puts the start button closer to the center
The Windows 11 desktop screen adopts a new UI (user interface) and icons, the start button has been moved from the left end of the taskbar to near the center, and the icon configuration has also been changed, such as the elimination of live tiles. It has a rounded glass style design, and new themes have also been added.
(2) Enhanced snap function
When multitasking with applications, multiple windows are opened, but in Windows 11 the snap function for arranging windows has been improved, making it easy for users to select the screen that is easiest to view.
(3) Enhanced game functions
The user interfaces of the Xbox app’s Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming have been integrated to make them easier to use, and the app now comes with an AutoHDR function that enables pseudo-HDR display even in games that don’t support HDR, allowing for more immersive gaming.
*AutoHDR requires an HDR-compatible monitor and graphics card.
(4) Android apps can now be run
Windows 11 now supports Android applications. Software can be downloaded from the Amazon Appstore.
(5) Other improvements
In addition to integrating Teams into the OS, many other existing features have been enhanced and improved, such as a search function on the desktop screen, improved CPU and memory consumption for the built-in Microsoft Edge (Chromium version) browser, and a new software keyboard for touch operation, making the device easier to use.
1. I started using a computer with Windows 98
The first version of “Windows,” currently the most widely used operating system for personal computers, was released in 1985. However, it wasn’t until “Windows 95,” released in 1995, that it became familiar to ordinary people. Since then, we have seen “Windows 98” in 1998, “Windows XP” in 2001, Vista, 7, and 8, and finally “Windows 10” in 2015, when Windows version upgrades have apparently “come to an end.”
When I bought my first computer, it was Windows 98. However, the one I’m most attached to is Windows XP. The reason is that I used it for the longest period of time, and it was very easy to use.
And as for web browsers (browsing software for displaying web pages), I found that I had been familiar with the software called “Internet Explorer” for many years.
2. I switched to Windows 10 in anticipation of the end of support for Windows 7.
Early last year, I heard that the support period for Windows 7 would soon expire, so I bought a new computer at K’s Denki in April 2017. Of course, I was excited to get the new version of Windows 10.
However, to my surprise, the box that the product came in was very thin. This is partly because the PC itself has become even thinner, but it also does not come with the “Instructions” that were included with Windows 7. There are no “Instructions” such as “Preparation and Settings,” “A Book for Solving PC Troubleshooting,” or “Simple AV Guide: A Book for Enjoying Video and Music.”
Since I am a complete novice, I used J:COM’s “Omakase Support” (500 yen per month excluding tax) to request “PC setup, Internet settings and wireless LAN connection, printer settings and wireless LAN connection, and email settings” for free, so I didn’t have to worry about the initial settings. However, the second thing that surprised me was that when I looked at the status bar at the bottom, “Internet Explorer” had disappeared and been replaced by “Edge.”
When I asked a J:COM representative about this, I was told that if I would prefer to be able to use Internet Explorer, it could be added, so I had it added right away.
3. Edge is hard to use
A J:COM representative told me that if I continue to use Edge, I will naturally get used to it, but I have decided to continue using Internet Explorer as usual for the time being.
I also tried Edge, but the toolbar was no longer displayed, and I had a hard time figuring out how to zoom in or change the text size, which are common features.
Now, I basically use “Internet Explorer” to search, and when I want to look up a different word, I open the “Edge” screen. Of course, I can also open a new tab (Ctrl + T) in the “Internet Explorer” screen, but I find it easier to see if I use two browser screens.
Compared to the “Internet Explorer” which was like a “show storage”, “Edge” is like a “hide storage”, which is not user-friendly and seems to me to be a “deterioration”. After all, the things (functions) that we use most often should be placed in a place (toolbar) where we can use them immediately. If possible, even a “minor change” would be fine, so please consider this.
4. J:COM’s “Omakase Support” is a valuable and convenient service
By the way, when Takatsuki City Hall was remodeled into a high-rise building (Takatsuki City General Center) in 1994, the television at my house stopped working due to radio interference, so I started watching TV via J:COM using a cooperative antenna.
Along the way, I consolidated my Internet, TV, and phone service to J:COM. I also subscribed to “Omakase Support” (500 yen/month before tax). This is a convenient service that allows me to get immediate help when I have questions about not only my TV, but also my PC and the Internet. The service is also helpful because it allows me to view the screen of my computer on J:COM and operate it on my behalf. Of course, the operation is limited to the minimum necessary range that we agree to, and there is no need to worry that the “remote operation” will be abused.
Whenever I have a question about my computer or the Internet, such as “Edge,” I immediately ask “Omakase Support. This is quite a convenient service, and I think it is well worth the 500 yen per month before tax.