C++11 itself not theoretical, but the added "improvements" to the language are mostly theoretical. Since adding the template concepts a few years ago, the steering committee has dropped all sense for pragmatic design decisions and replaced it with fashionable-at-the-moment CS-concepts that will not improve your life as a developer in the real world. There is a good reason why most companies limit/prohibit the usage of certain newer C++ features. Using them only adds complexity while not leading to better software (>speed,<size, >maintainability).