Update: Mainstream is a bit buggy, but Twitter seems to be the best place to watch the live stream right now; check out the Windows 11 live stream on Twitter.

Today is Windows 11 day. Probably. Microsoft is holding a special event today, but they're all but tight-lipped about what they're planning for the next iteration of the Windows operating system, unless it's the fact that a build of Windows 11 has already been leaked. would have been wondering what it was going to be about. Spoiler alert, it's Windows 10, but with a new skin.

The event starts today, June 24, at 11:00 AM EST (8:00 AM GMT, 4:00 PM UK time).

To see what's going on, you'll want to point your browser to the official site.

Unlike these recent events, there does not appear to be any streaming on Twitch or YouTube, at least for now. It is likely that Microsoft is dropping a lot of cookies to see how many people are still using Internet Explorer.

We expect many important questions to be answered by this event:

The two pieces of information that everyone absolutely wants to know about Windows 11 are when it will appear and whether they will have to pay for it. The "Sun Valley" update to Windows 10 (which seems to be the codename for this big Windows 11 release) is expected around October. If Microsoft were to announce a specific date for this release, it is expected to be in the fall.

As for cost, it is unlikely that Microsoft will charge at least existing Windows 10 users up front for the new version of Windows. Microsoft wants to keep everyone on their platform, and making Windows free is the best way to do that. Corporate customers may have to pay for Windows 11, but they would be surprised if most users do.

The most striking thing about the leaked Windows 11 screenshots is the new centered Start menu. It's odd; perhaps it's like the Mac OS dock and we'll soon get used to it. Longtime Windows users will not like it at first, but even those who do need not panic. According to leaked information, it can be moved back to the left side of the taskbar.

It also appears that Windows 11 will feature a new icon set and curved edges for windows like File Explorer. Flat, solid-color UI designs have been around for about a decade. That means it's time to return to rounded edges and transparency.

According to leaked information, we can expect a new search UI built into the taskbar, the return of widgets, and an upgraded snap feature that allows windows to be attached to the sides and corners of the screen. much of the OS is the same as before, but the Start menu's live tiles ( which felt like a holdover from Windows 8), some things are gone.

The Store is still a no-no; since the introduction of Windows 10, there has been little reason to use the Microsoft Store; Windows applications can still be easily downloaded from the Internet, and Microsoft has been able to move away from the big headache for game developers, the The company has backed away from the UWP app format, which was a major headache for game developers.

Unless Microsoft tries to force software into the store (unlikely, considering how much it pissed people off in the first place), it won't be an app we'll use much. At the very least, it would be great if huge game downloads were easier to manage in the store.

Microsoft will surely tout Windows 11 as an exciting and substantial upgrade to Windows. And sometimes new is exciting; not many people pay attention to Windows 10's seasonal updates, but 11 will generate a lot of buzz. As with game sequels, putting a big new number on it means something.

But on the other side of the UI changes, Windows 11 is going to be almost identical to the OS we've been using for the last few years. It is an evolution of Windows 10, not a dramatic departure made with entirely new code; Windows 10 is widely used and has not run into the major security and performance issues that required past releases of Windows like XP and 7.

There are likely to be many other small UI changes that will add up to a very different Windows experience. But the most frustrating thing we've seen from the leaks is that Windows 11 under the new UI still seems to have many of the same menus that have stuck for over a decade so far:

Microsoft is the devil and Windows 7's Control Panel until the heat of the universe cools down.

Has Microsoft made some sort of pact with the devil that they can't become a trillion dollar company if they don't reuse the Windows 7 control panel until the heat of the universe cools off?

Microsoft is focused on making the Xbox app a better game destination than the Microsoft Store and is starting to launch a cloud streaming service for PCs. While this probably won't be the focus of the event, we may see a new version of the Xbox app, or at least see how Windows 11 continues to build on the gaming capabilities Microsoft has been working on over the past few years. For example, the current developer build of Windows 10 supports Auto HDR, a feature inherited from Xbox. This might buy a little stage time.

We'll be following Thursday's event and covering all the news about Windows 11.