I’m hoping to replace at the very least a number of Home windows 11 Area Information chapters for model 23H2 whereas we’re in Mexico Metropolis. And I’ve a number of concepts about one of the best ways to try this.
Most of these updates are at all times tough. In an excellent world, I’d merely ship a brand new version of the e book through which the entire chapters have been up to date for no matter new OS model, however that’s unimaginable right here. For one, it is a 900+ web page e book with dozens and dozens of chapters, and there are new chapters, a number of content material to replace, and too many screenshots to re-take to rely. However Microsoft’s weird updating technique is problematic too, as Home windows 11 is totally different on totally different PCs at any cut-off date. It’s all very messy.
Home windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Join our new free publication to get three time-saving suggestions every Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott’s Home windows 11 and Home windows 10 Area Guides (usually $9.99) as a particular welcome reward!
“*” signifies required fields
However for this e book particularly, I’ve executed one thing I’ve wished to do for a very long time and made a model of it obtainable on the internet too, right here on Thurrott.com. That’s a pleasant perk for Premium members, I believe, however it additionally creates one other degree of help on my half: Not solely do I’ve to publish every chapter to the location, which is tedious on many ranges, however I’ve to maintain every up to date as I alter/edit the e book as nicely. And I’ve executed OK at that, excluding the Microsoft Edge chapters, that are at the moment a bit behind the variations within the e book.
For the Home windows 11 model 23H2 updates, I’m beginning with the high-value targets, which means these elements of the system—and thus these elements of the e book—which are altering probably the most. This may require main updates to sure chapters but in addition new chapters to cowl matters like Copilot, Outlook, Home windows Backup, and presumably extra. It should require retiring some current chapters, like these for Mail and Information. And it’ll require extra new screenshots than I even need to take into consideration.
Final yr, after I was getting ready for the preliminary launch of the e book, I wished to ensure I had one thing substantial for individuals to buy with the understanding that it could nonetheless be a piece in progress and would get for much longer and full over time. And so there was a protracted hole between me asserting that I used to be engaged on the e book and the preliminary publication, and the primary launch included 27 chapters. It’s going to be slightly totally different for 23H2.
Not too long ago, it occurred to me that one of the best ways to replace the e book for 23H2 is to begin posting the brand new and totally edited chapters to the location first. I posted the primary of those final night time, What’s New and Acquainted in Home windows 11 Model 23H2 and What’s Lacking in Home windows 11 Model 23H2, and I “archived” the unique variations by pushing them into a brand new “Archived – 22H2” part on the backside of the desk of contents on the e book’s touchdown web page. I’ll do the identical for every chapter I totally replace going ahead.
Neither of those chapters is especially notable, however it’s a begin. And whereas I haven’t recognized precisely which updates will represent the subsequent replace to the e-book model of the e book on Leanpub, it can doubtless embody the three new chapters famous above, up to date variations of the chapters within the Set up Home windows 11 and Improve to Home windows 11 sections, and possibly a number of necessary chapters like File Explorer, Backup (which will probably be impacted by and even changed by Home windows Backup) and some others. If I can by way of all of that whereas right here in Mexico Metropolis, I really feel like I’ll be in good condition. After which I can plow by way of the rest, updating as wanted.
Some updates might want to wait. Microsoft Edge, for instance, is getting a visible change within the type of a Copilot icon changing the Bing icon that’s functionally a non-event however will affect nearly each single screenshot in these chapters.
Some updates are nonetheless unclear. For instance, the e book doesn’t at the moment cowl issues like Paint and Notepad, however it might want to now. So that might lead to a brand new chapter or two.
To distinguish this “version” of the e book from the “authentic”—it’s actually only one factor in no matter transitionary state at any given time—the brand new and up to date chapters could have 16:10 screenshots as an alternative of 16:9, which higher displays the look of issues on trendy PCs. And I’m going to have an upfront part in every chapter (that isn’t within the two chapters already posted as a result of it’s not wanted there) that can spotlight what’s new and/or most fascinating so readers can go proper to that content material. Why? It’s laborious discovering a very powerful content material in a e book this huge.
Anyway, we’ll see how this goes. However I ought to begin posting some extra new and up to date chapters to this web site quickly, and when it will get to the purpose the place it is smart, to the e-book as nicely.
Come to think about it, possibly I would like a brand new cowl design for 23H2 too. Hm.
Extra quickly.