A new version of Tiny11 - a stripped-down version of Microsoft's flagship operating system - is here, now in full 23H2 guise.

We took a look at Tiny11 earlier this year and, while an undoubted technical tour-de-force, found the considerably slimmed-down operating system more a curiosity than something one would want to use as a daily driver.

In the months since, the developer - a YouTuber going by the handle of NTDEV - has fiddled with the image, culminating in the latest update based on the actual 23H2 release of Windows 11.

NTDEV's
previous attempt at a 23H2 version of Tiny11 was based on Windows 11 22H2. At the time, NTDEV noted that it would be possible to update to 23H2 via Microsoft's enablement package. However, a fresh install is tempting given that the latest release weighs in at 20 percent smaller than its predecessor.

In a nod to Microsoft's Windows numbering conventions of yore, the new release is dubbed Tiny11 2311. It retains, however, a footprint so small that one cannot help but wonder why Microsoft does not do something similar itself. After all, Microsoft sells the Surface Go 3, which has storage starting at 64GB, much of which is consumed by a standard installation of Windows 11.

The developer
claims to have resolved many of the bugs and issues that plagued earlier versions of Tiny11 and, importantly, it appears that the Windows Update functionality is now working. This means the flow of fixes from Microsoft should - and we use the word "should" advisedly - keep the installation secure.

As in our previous look at the release, running Tiny11 2311 with minimal RAM is possible, although we can't recommend the experience. That said, cutting down on the amount of disk space required has a definite appeal, and the fact that Copilot is an optional extra - you need to install Edge to make it work - carries a certain attraction. Then there is the bonus of dealing with the onerous hardware requirements of Windows 11.

But just because you can does not necessarily mean you should. For one, Tiny11 2311 is not free - you will need a Windows 11 license. Microsoft also does not support it, and the company could easily roll out an update that comprehensively breaks the project.

Yet the 2311 release is a good deal more stable than its predecessors and an option for users wondering what to do about their Windows 10 hardware when 2025 rolls around.

Otherwise, there's always Linux. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2023/11/27/tiny11_2311/