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On my test systems, the crapware collection consisted of Clipchamp, an online video editor Picsart Photo Studio, which offers a suite of online image editing and design tools and Corel PaintShop Pro.
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(Note that Windows users in corporate environments won't see any of these apps if they sign in with a domain-based or Azure AD account or install Windows 11 Enterprise.) On a default clean installation of any Windows 11 consumer edition (Home or Pro), where you sign in using a Microsoft account or a local account, you'll be offered an assortment of third-party apps. If you found yourself annoyed by the constant reappearance of Candy Crush and other unsolicited software on the Windows 10 Start menu, prepare to be equally exasperated with Windows 11. Meanwhile, the jury is out on whether Windows users will discover the Microsoft Store and flock to it after years of disappointment. That latter capability is still missing in action, with no firm ship date in sight. They also promised that Windows 11 users would be able to install and run Android apps. That's a noteworthy contrast with Windows 10, which requires manual rearranging of windows when reconnecting a docking station.Īs part of the Windows 11 launch event, Microsoft announced big changes coming to the Microsoft Store, with developers now having the ability to deliver conventional desktop apps through the Store. The experience of using a docking station is also greatly improved, with Windows 11 remembering the position of windows on each display and restoring those windows to their previous location when reconnecting. The experience of snapping windows into side-by-side arrangements is easier than in Windows 10 Two major improvements in the user experience are less obvious but extremely welcome, especially for those who use Windows on a large display or with multiple monitors with a docking station. You'll still find inconsistencies in the Windows 11 user experience, especially when using dark themes with legacy apps. But this is a serious effort to relegate those outdated pieces to a corner of Windows where most people will never see them. There are still bits and pieces of Control Panel and other ancient pieces of Windows that pop up occasionally, especially for components that use the Microsoft Management Console. With the Windows 11 upgrade, that effort has gone into overdrive. Over the past six years, Microsoft has been slowly but steadily moving settings from the legacy Control Panel into the new Settings app. That eliminates the need to continually return to the Settings Home page to select a new category, as is the case in Windows 10. In the Windows 11 layout, the list of categories is pinned to the left, with options in the selected category sliding open and closed in panes on the right as you work with them.
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Compare the Windows 10 Settings layout (left) versus the Windows 11 version (right) Click to enlarge
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