Windows 11 is officially happening, at least according to fresh spillage from the rumor mill which gives us a glimpse of the purported next incarnation of the OS.

Zac Bowden has got hold of a leaked version of what is apparently Windows 11, and published a couple of grabs showing what we can expect.

The leaked build 21996 shows the desktop environment of the supposed successor to Windows 10 in all its redesigned glory, with the likes of new icons and rounded corners in evidence as expected.

Windows 11 also goes with a very different looking taskbar, with the icons centralized rather than left-aligned in a design we've seen used in leaks of Windows 10X (reminiscent of Chromebooks and their Launcher).

On the taskbar, the system tray on the far-right isn't even visible in the above screenshot which was tweeted, although it is present in the other grab shared at Windows Central currently.

What's apparently the new Start menu is also shown, in a very much streamlined and simplified form, complete with app recommendations (and no live tiles in sight).

Clean machine

The overall look is more modern and clean, as expected, coming with rounded corners, and this contemporary look is likely to please in many respects.

However, there's seemingly a good deal of influence from the shelved Windows 10X operating system, and that already appears to have irked some folks, with initial comments comparing it to the much-unloved Windows 8 in terms of a tablet and more touch-friendly skewed design.

Remember that this is just a leak, so we shouldn't get too carried away with what we're seeing here, and the possibility that this is the Windows 11 that Microsoft is about to unveil. For starters, this is only a fleeting glimpse of the OS in preview, and as ever, we should treat any rumor will skepticism (although Bowden is certainly one of the more reliable sources for all things Microsoft).