Microsoft Build 2026 unveils developer-focused Windows 11 mode with dark mode, Unix tools, and AI terminal
By
Frederic Lardinois
Toasted golden, schmeared with insight. Top of the rack.
Summary
At Microsoft Build 2026, Microsoft is launching a developer-optimized Windows 11 experience that includes dark mode (on by default), a quieter OS with widgets/notifications/recommendations turned off, over 30 settings retuned for developers, Unix utilities in PowerShell, an AI terminal, and on-device AI models. The initiative aims to win back developers who have drifted to macOS and Linux by making Windows less intrusive and more developer-friendly.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledMicrosoft is launching so many new features for developers, it's hard to keep up.
This is part of a new, developer-optimized Windows 11 experience that quiets down the operating system and turns off widgets, notifications, and in-product recommendations.
The point is to get out of the way (and even if you are not a developer, turning off most of these features makes Windows 11 better).
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