The imminent arrival of a browser-style tab system for Windows 11 File Explorer could also provide an added benefit, according to new reports.
When Microsoft first introduced the new feature, the company noted the benefits from a productivity perspective, but it seems that File Explorer tabs also provide a welcome performance benefit.
As reported by Windows Latest, users with early access to the installation find that opening a new File Explorer tab uses minimal additional memory resources (on the order of 1MB). Meanwhile, launching into a new File Explorer window requires about ten times that amount.
On most modern computers, especially professional workstations, these memory savings are minimal. But again, every bit counts and the performance benefits will scale with the amount of file management the user does.
Windows 11 File Explorer Tabs
File Explorer's new look was first announced in April, at an event that focused on hybrid working innovations for Windows 11. As part of the new system, instead of opening an additional instance of File Explorer to search for a new file location, users can simply open a new tab that sits neatly in the same window.
The goal is simple: reduce desktop clutter and make it easier to work with multiple file locations at once by reducing the number of windows open simultaneously.
The announcement was well received by Windows fans, who had been asking for this feature for years. roughly since its introduction in macOS in 2013. Until now, users had to rely on third-party solutions to take advantage of Windows 11 features, but not anymore.
The rollout of the new tab system began earlier this month with the arrival of Windows 25136 Preview Build 11, available to Early Access Program members. It's not yet clear when the new version of File Explorer will be fully released to the public, but users can at least take comfort in the fact that testing has already begun in earnest.
In the meantime, users will also be pleased to learn that the new system may also offer a performance boost, which scales with the number of File Explorer tabs someone has traditionally had open at once.
And that's not the only way Microsoft is looking to optimize RAM usage in Windows 11. The company recently announced that its new Sleep Tabs feature for Microsoft Edge has saved users 273PB of RAM over the past month or so. less (about 39,1 MB per tab).
Together, the two new ones (*11*) could deliver hardware RAM savings for users, delivering superior multitasking performance and longer battery life. What's not to like?
Via Windows Latest (Opens in a new tab)