Windows 11's Sound Recorder Is Bringing Back Features Removed Years Ago (arstechnica.com) 30
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Windows' Sound Recorder app has gone through a few iterations since its initial release in Windows 3.0 back in 1990, when it launched as a simple app that could only record 60 seconds of audio at a time. But the app vanished altogether in Windows 10, replaced by a totally new app called Voice Recorder, which can record and trim basic sound recordings and save them as m4a files. Sound Recorder is now making a comeback, and Microsoft is currently testing a revamped version for Windows Insiders in the Dev channel. The company announced the redesign in a blog post summarizing Windows 11's updates to built-in Windows apps.
The new Sound Recorder uses a two-column layout similar to Voice Recorder's, with playback and trimming controls to the right and a list of all the files you've recorded on the left. But it adds some old Sound Recorder features that disappeared from the app years ago, when it was boiled down to almost nothing in Windows Vista. The app has a waveform visualizer that appears during recording and playback, and you can once again choose to save or open files in multiple formats (including the default m4a, as well as mp3, wma, FLAC, and WAV). The new Sound Recorder can also adjust audio playback speed from 0.25x to 4 and set markers so you can easily jump from place to place within a large audio recording.
The new Sound Recorder uses a two-column layout similar to Voice Recorder's, with playback and trimming controls to the right and a list of all the files you've recorded on the left. But it adds some old Sound Recorder features that disappeared from the app years ago, when it was boiled down to almost nothing in Windows Vista. The app has a waveform visualizer that appears during recording and playback, and you can once again choose to save or open files in multiple formats (including the default m4a, as well as mp3, wma, FLAC, and WAV). The new Sound Recorder can also adjust audio playback speed from 0.25x to 4 and set markers so you can easily jump from place to place within a large audio recording.
Re: (Score:3)
Or just constantly fuck around with a new shitty UI while the underlying ones are still the same.
* New: About your PC (Windows-Break) vs Old: Advanced System Settings
* New: Mouse vs Old: Additional Mouse Options
Not to defend Apple but even they try to have a consistent control panel.
Here is an interesting video on how Microsoft fucks up basic mouse options. [youtube.com]
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Microsoft Windows, noun: A 64-bit compilation of 32 bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit operating system originally cod
This is embarrassingly primitive (Score:3, Informative)
Compared to a free open source app like Audacity, or even Reaper or Cakewalk Sonar. There are so many excellent audio recording apps available that MS might as well not bother.
Re: (Score:3)
Or even good shareware - Goldwave FTW!
www.goldwave.com
Re:This is embarrassingly primitive (Score:5, Insightful)
Some people just need something primitive. There's a reason why Notepad still exists while there are other programs out there like Notepad++, or how MS Paint still exists even though GIMP has more features.
Re:This is embarrassingly primitive (Score:4, Interesting)
Primitive is great. If it's actually stripped down. Same reason I love to use the vanilla notepad and calculator. Instant launching and only a few buttons and menu options makes quick work of the basics even if I use something more full featured for advanced stuff.
Some of their new stuff is just badly coded and slow, though. I'll have to try it out and see.
Re: This is embarrassingly primitive (Score:2)
Believe or not Notepad has been updated with the latest dev builds for this fall annual update.
Notepad will support dark mode and have a file menu more in Win11 style.
MS has been updating notepad on Windows 10 to finally be able to open and save Linux and Mac text encodings. No more unix2dos and dos2unix
Re: (Score:3)
Ahh, but does it bug you when you try to save in those encodings? Does it encourage you to save in the "correct" encoding or just auto-mangle the file to CR+LF?
"This text file may contain features that are not compatible with this encoding. Do you want to continue to save in this encoding?"
(Tongue in cheek, but only just.)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Unfortunately, Audacity is just as bad at this (Score:2)
point. [makeuseof.com]
I still have an old copy from before this shit, but both of the main forks appear dead. [sleeplessbeastie.eu]
One of them abandoned almost immediately thanks to 4chan. [theregister.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Open Source: Ardour. Overkill for a voice memo recorder? Sure, but you can use it as simply as you want, and if you get to the point where you need more than one track of audio, *click*click* and you're off to the races.
Re: (Score:1)
Code Complexity? (Score:1)
Re: Paint (Score:1)
Oh, oh, oh! (Score:2)
Updared to Windows 10 (Score:2)
Windows 11 has been such a boon to me with the ad-hoc 'improvements' and arbitrary changes to my configs after every update, I've decided to upgrade my experience and install Windows 10.
I've been a MS used since DOS 3.0, but Windows 11 has finally pushed me to install a Linux distro and seriously look and taking that leap, especially when they start forcing an upgrade.
Wait until Google starts wandering their graveyard (Score:3)
many zombie apps to return in 2022
Just a quick reach-around, (Score:3)
in return for users taking it up the backside by running Windows 11.
Yearing to Craft Silk Purse from Sow's Ear (Score:3)
Windows 11 is a Failure (Score:2)
What the everlovin' fuck? (Score:2)
Who the fuck thinks this is news that anyone in their right mind would care about?
Slashdot has transitioned from "news for nerds" to "news for autistic obsessives".
Christ guys, didn't you listen to Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder? Never go full retard!
unbelievable (Score:2)
Buyout GoldWave and include a full editor (Score:1)
vertical taskbar or windows 10 (Score:1)