I’ve been poking around the latest Windows 11 Insider builds lately—specifically 26200.6725 and 26100.6725—and one thing caught my eye: Microsoft quietly dropped a new command-line text editor called “Edit.” If you’ve ever cursed at Notepad for being too clunky or wished Windows had something like Nano or Vim baked in, this might be the update you’ve been waiting for.
Why I Gave It a Shot
I spend a fair amount of time inside Windows Terminal—tweaking config files, editing scripts, and occasionally debugging batch jobs that refuse to behave. Until now, I’d either install Vim manually or just launch Notepad from the CLI and deal with the context switch. Not ideal.
So when I saw that Edit was pre-installed in the latest Insider builds, I figured: why not test it out in a real workflow?
What It’s Like to Use
Edit runs directly inside Command Prompt or PowerShell. No GUI pop-ups, no distractions. Just type edit filename.txt and you’re in. It’s built with Rust, which probably explains why it feels snappy even on my older dev box (running Hyper-V on a ThinkPad with 32GB RAM, for context).
The interface is minimal—think MS-DOS Editor vibes but with Unicode support and no file size limits. I opened a 2MB JSON file just to see if it would choke. It didn’t.
One thing I appreciated: it’s modeless. You don’t need to memorize Vim-style commands to get around. Arrow keys work. Mouse support is there. Undo history? Yep.
A Few Surprises
Not gonna lie, I expected it to be barebones. But Edit supports syntax highlighting and even works cross-platform. I haven’t tested it on macOS or Linux yet, but the GitHub repo confirms compatibility.
Also, you can install it manually via Winget if you’re not on the Insider builds:
winget install --id Microsoft.Edit
That’s handy if you’re managing a mixed environment or just want to try it without switching builds.
Lessons Learned
Most guides still point folks to Notepad or third-party editors, but Edit feels like a solid middle ground. It’s fast, native, and doesn’t require a mental shift to use. I wouldn’t use it for writing long-form code, but for quick edits to config files or scripts, it’s already replaced Notepad in my workflow.
One thing to note: it’s still early days. I haven’t hit any bugs yet, but I’d be cautious about using it in production environments until it’s officially rolled out beyond Insider builds.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft finally filled a gap that’s been nagging at sysadmins for years. Edit isn’t flashy, but it’s functional—and that’s exactly what a CLI editor should be.
Ever tried editing a broken script inside a remote session with no GUI? Tools like this make those moments less painful.
What’s your go-to CLI editor on Windows? Have you tried Edit yet, or are you sticking with Vim/Nano? Let’s swap notes.
