Top Thurrott.com Posts of 2021

Here are the top posts on Thurrott.com by page views for all of 2021. Not surprisingly, most of them are about Windows 11.

#15

Apple Mac Mini (M1): The Parallels Desktop Experience

January 7, 2021

Like many others, I was surprised by how well Windows 10 on ARM ran on Apple Silicon. In fact, it runs better on M1-based Macs while virtualized than it does on physical hardware with Qualcomm chipsets, which is embarrassing to everyone involved. “This is impressive stuff, and it’s already at a quality level that I’d consider ready for the public,” I wrote at the time. “It’s clear that this is an excellent solution, even at this early point in time.” With the move to 64-bit app compatibility in Windows 11 on ARM, it’s even better today. You know, aside from the fact that Microsoft won’t support it officially.

#14

Windows 11: Real-World Use

June 18, 2021

Ahead of the official Windows 11 reveal, I used the leaked version of Windows 11, and only the leaked version of Windows 11, during our first-ever trip to Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, and Guanajuato. And despite its early, pre-release state, and a few bugs and regressions, it performed admirably.

#13

I’m Switching to the iPhone

December 27, 2021

After encountering far too many problems with the Pixel 6 Pro, I finally gave in and ordered an iPhone 13 Pro, which finally arrived the week before Christmas. Not surprisingly, I chose the reliability and certainty of the iPhone over the unreliability and misery of the Pixel. (And it’s likely that this article will land in the top 5 before the year is out.)

#12

Windows 10 Support Ends on October 14, 2025

June 13, 2021

Ahead of the Windows 11 announcement, Microsoft quietly updated a Windows 10 support document to note that support for this system will end on October 14, 2025. This was the first time Microsoft had ever described the end of support for Windows 10; previously, it documented only when specific Windows 10 versions would leave support.

#11

Microsoft Finally Announces Windows 10 Version 21H1

February 17, 2021

Microsoft waited a lot longer than usual to announce this very minor Windows 10 feature update. Concurrent to this announcement, the Beta channel of the Windows Insider program finally moved off Windows 10 version 20H2, which had been released several months earlier, and onto 21H1. Looking back at this, it’s possible that the sudden injection of Windows 11 into the schedule caused this delay.

#10

Tip: Switch to Microsoft for Password Management and Autofill

March 14, 2021

I’m happy to see this kind of article make the list. That said, Microsoft’s password management and autofill functionality is a bit complicated, so it’s also necessary for those who trust the software giant with this data.

#9

Microsoft to Block Windows 11 Browser Workarounds

November 12, 2021

One of the many, many Windows 11 controversies this year: the creator of EdgeDeflector alerted us that the then-latest Insider build of Windows 11 had started blocking all default browser workarounds. Microsoft later confirmed that it was doing this purposefully, and it shipped the code into the stable version of Windows 11 less than a month later.

#8

Windows 11 is the New XP (Premium)

June 25, 2021

In the wake of the official Windows 11 reveal, I opined that Windows 11 was just like Windows XP two decades earlier, a new version of Windows with a fresh new user interface that was built on the technical foundation laid by its predecessor.

#7

Google Pixel 6 Pro: The Day After

October 31, 2021

I had a lot riding on the Google Pixel 6 Pro, and this post is kind of interesting now because it addresses a few minor issues I had with the device right away—the non-configurable aspects of the home screen and the fingerprint sensor—and it documents my early experience with the new camera system (which is mostly very good).

#6

Google Makes Workspace Free for Everyone

June 14, 2021

I’m surprised to see this one in the top 10, and I can only assume it got caught up in some SEO-related coincidence. Not that it’s not important or interesting. It’s just not central to anything I do.

#5

Windows 11: Clean Install

June 15, 2021

I was among the first to fully document the Windows 11 clean install experience, and I did so almost two weeks before Microsoft announced the new platform. The big news here is that it uses the Windows 10X Setup look and feel. One major change, the ability to edit the PC name, would come in a later build.

#4

Windows 11 First Impressions

June 15, 2021

As with the previous post, this was based on an early leaked build of Windows 11, build 21996.1, and while it wasn’t feature-complete, it did include most of the major features that Microsoft would later ship publicly. “It’s pretty much exactly what I expected,” I wrote, “a new version of Windows 10 with a slightly revised user interface that features rounded window corners and the new icons we’re familiar with from the Windows Insider Program.”

#3

Microsoft Releases WinGet 1.0

May 31, 2021

I’m always happy to see a developer/IT-related topic make the list, though we should remember that WinGet started controversially in that it was essentially stolen from a third-party developer, and that his complaints were ignored by Microsoft. But whatever. WinGet is basically a command-line tool that’s used to automate the installation and updating of Windows applications that you obtain from outside the Microsoft Store.

#2

Tip: Install Windows 10 Version 21H1 Right Now

I write this kind of article for just about every Windows feature update, and I’m a bit surprised that this one made the list, and so highly, while the version for Windows 11 did not. Anyway, this was tied to Microsoft finalizing this release and it involves enrolling a PC in the Insider Program, upgrading, and then dis-enrolling it.

#1

Windows 11? (Premium)

June 4, 2021

Weeks ahead of the Windows 11 reveal and a major leak, Microsoft revealed that it would host a virtual Windows event. And the speculation started: would this be a major update to Windows 10? Or would it be called Windows 11? “I expect ‘the next generation of Windows’ to be mostly about the Sun Valley user interface upgrade, which I think is important enough to be the only major new feature in this release,” I wrote. “But I don’t expect it to change much.” Spoiler alert: Nailed it.