Tldr: Remote desktop, Cortana, camera, people app are all getting uninstall buttons.

The more steam deck and proton get games working on linux, the less need I have for this bloated windows.

I'm all for less bloat ware, but come one. The camera app or remote desktop are the least shitty ones. Its borderline to call them even bloatware.

Let's cut the crap: it's not that they "realized" nobody wants it -- it's that they've come to accept the blowback against their reputation has gotten too big to outweigh the potential pros of preinstalled bloatware supporting their strategy.

They always knew, they just didn't care.

Realized?? They knew all the time, and didn't give a shit.

It's more likely that they have pushed too far, and users are pushing back. They will dial it back a bit, and hope people forget.

That, and stop dumbing down the UI. Gradeschoolers in 1999 could operate windows, it doesn't need to get dumber

This is all so foreign to me now. I'm not forced to keep anything on Linux.

They've always realized, they've just never cared.

Using Windows primarily for gaming, I eventually got tired of some of the issues I had with it (ads appearing in the start menu). I gave Linux a try and it was so so for a while. I kept going back and forth but it's been 2 years now and I haven't had Windows installed and can play 90% of my games without issue. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. But for those that primarily use their computer for gaming and non-windows specific applications (like web browsing or other various things), Linux is offering some competition for desktop people.

a beta build of Windows 11 in the Canary Channel includes the option for the first time to uninstall the Camera app, Cortana app, Photos app, People app, and the Remote Desktop client.

Still no Microsoft edge though...

It's the integrated AI spying on you that is real concern

Is there a way to disable the ads, news and recommendations yet? Until then I'm not upgrading.

I don't give a shit, I'll use other programs to uninstall whatever I want.

Call me when I can use a vertical task bar. Until then, I'm sticking with win10.

it's crazy to think that you can't just uninstall some apps in the first place even though it would be technologically possible

Wait: They are saying you can remove the Remote Desktop client? You mean the client you cannot use to connect to a Windows Home license because you cannot run remote desktop without a higher license?

Interesting flex there Microsoft.

I'm a CG artist and I dual boot Fedora on my workstation and run it on my file/license server. I'm very familiar with Linux and it's great for a lot of things.

A ton of my software runs much better than on windows and I would stay in it if I could, but unfortunately I have software needs that don't run on Linux and can't work in a VM in full capacity.

If I could also get the ability to disable internet search results from the start menu that'd be great. So sick of looking for a file or app, hitting enter a second too soon, and having Edge slowly eat my resources to display a Bing search result that I never wanted.

Good, maybe in two or three more years Windows 11 will be useable. Right on time for Windows 12 to roll out and drag Microsoft users back to the Stone Age again.

Windows 11 Pro, now with NOTHING installed. Windows 11 Pro plus, now with firefox pre-installed so you can clame your system never had edge on it!

They always knew. When the time comes they'll force everything back with even more bloatware and even less freedom to choose because that's the corpo way. This is just another long-term power grab.

What about one drive and edge?? Last time I had to do updates on the SOs computer I told her I'm switching her to Linux as soon as gaming just gets a little more stable (she plays halo infinite, which sometimes isn't that polished on Linux)

Mmm that's not really realizing anything.

You know what sort of tom fuckery I had to get into to get my gaming laptop working? I had to find a sketchy windows 10 LTS IOT ISO, run some registry hack then find and install all my drivers just because the regular working consumer edition of windows is such a bag of bloat..

For hardware I paid for..! Next time I'm just going with system76 right out of the gate. I just kept reading reviews about things not working right or still being in development so I bought a mainstream laptop with a warranty.

A lot of linuxy or FOSS sort of stuff is still buggy despite being better than it was ten years ago. No one talks about it. Purism phone, pine phone, Linux gaming, the steam deck, etc. They all have major flaws or sometimes breaks in functionality. Where mainstream has breaks 1/10 even the best Linux setup has breaks 1/5 of the time minimum. And that's great but it still sucks that you have to look elsewhere because mainstream is a monetization sponge in all senses of the phrase.