Arr! Avast ye, scurvy dogs! Two Windows 11 apps be walkin' the plank – one ye might miss, and another ye've likely forgotten!
2024-01-05
Avast ye! Microsoft be takin' away some o' their default apps yet again! Two more have been told to walk the plank, they have!
Microsoft is dropping two core apps in Windows 11 – WordPad and People. The People app's functionality will be transferred to Outlook for Windows, the new default mailbox app. However, there will no longer be a separate People application. WordPad, on the other hand, will be completely removed from Windows 11. Clean installations of Windows 11 will no longer include WordPad, and eventually, the app will be removed when users upgrade to a new version of the OS. Once WordPad is gone, it cannot be reinstalled.It's important not to confuse WordPad with Notepad or Microsoft Word. Word is a heavyweight word processor in Microsoft 365, while WordPad is a 'lite' version of Word. Notepad, on the other hand, remains a useful and highly streamlined app for jotting notes. WordPad falls between stools a little, and Microsoft may have decided to drop it due to potential security risks. Some people will miss WordPad, but they will have to look for alternative lightweight word processors for Windows 11.
In addition to the app changes, build 26020 of Windows 11 also brings improvements to Voice Access and Narrator, adding natural voices for 10 new locales. Furthermore, a new icon is present in the system tray to indicate when the energy saver feature is enabled on a desktop PC.
Overall, while some will mourn the loss of WordPad, it's important to remember that there are alternative options available. Microsoft is constantly evolving its apps and features to enhance user experience, and these changes in Windows 11 reflect that ongoing process.