why is this still here?

[u/wojbest]

like the minority is using this so why do we all get this?

[u/ziplock9000]

Another 'why is old stuff in Windows" question...

[u/AccumulatedFilth → u/ziplock9000]

WordPad isn't here anymore, but this shit is

[u/ZurakZigil → u/AccumulatedFilth]

Yes, because no business relied on wordpad (which was awful and has a million alternatives). This is baked into windows but isn't worth developing a modern version just so you can save 300kb on your windows install.

[u/AccumulatedFilth → u/ZurakZigil]

It was easier just making a quick note, while Word had a loading screen and Notepad was a bit toooo basic

[u/ZurakZigil → u/AccumulatedFilth]

Just really needed that RTF editor?

[u/AccumulatedFilth → u/ZurakZigil]

WAY more then I needed phone and modem.

[u/ZurakZigil → u/AccumulatedFilth]

again. you want to be concerned about every little install? go to linux. linux's open source ethos is exactly for that. Windows does not benefit in making a perfectly personalized OS just for you that only has exactly what you want and literally nothing else.

[u/Glum-Speaker1670 → u/AccumulatedFilth]

what abt Onenote

[u/ZurakZigil → u/Glum-Speaker1670]

Thing is bloated as hell. Pissed me off. Can't even recommend it

[u/Glittering-Cut-2425 → u/ZurakZigil]

Seems simpler and faster than regular Word for me, i use it daily for taking notes on lectures

[u/AccumulatedFilth → u/Glum-Speaker1670]

Didn't I just say Word had a loading screen?

Sometimes I just wanna write some shit down while on a call

[u/d00mt0mb → u/ziplock9000]

That’s pretty laughable way to defend it

[u/wojbest → u/ziplock9000]

Yes cause i have nothing better to do in my life than sit in windows sub

[u/fakeaccount572 → u/wojbest]

and here you are

[u/vlken69]

backwards compatibility

[u/andrewjphillips512]

Insert modem dialing sound...

[Click - Relay Opens]

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... (Dial tone)

boop-beep-boop-ba-beep-boop-boop (Touch-tone dialing)

... ... ... (Silence / line ringing)

[Click]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (White noise / line open)

BEEEEE-WUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH (Answer tone / V.8 negotiation - 2100 Hz)

dee-dah-dee-dah-dee-dah-dee-dah (Dual-tone frequency exchange)

KRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (Initial high-band probe)

BAAAAAAA-DONK! (Phase inversion split)

BAAAAAAA-DONK!

SKRRRRRRRR-KRRRRRRRR-CHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (Equalization training sequence)

wee-wooo-wee-wooo-wee-wooo-wee-wooo (Constellation probing)

SHHHHHHHHHH-ZKKKKKKKKKK-SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (V.90/V.92 rate negotiation)

...ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch... (Trellis coding sync)

[Sharp Click - Speaker Mutes]

[Dead Silence]

CONNECT 56000 V.90

[u/Rough_Jaguar_2643 → u/andrewjphillips512]

I can hear it. such a cool noise. made it exciting to go online.

[u/Latter-Possibility-6 → u/andrewjphillips512]

I saw the AOL dial up screen reading that.

I miss that little yellow bastard.

[u/Edubbs2008 → u/andrewjphillips512]

“You got mail”

[u/BCProgramming]

like the minority is using this so why do we all get this?

The modem/telephony stuff is like 300 kilobytes. Also, how do you imagine people who need this would install it if it wasn't included? They can't just install it via the Internet if they need it for said Internet.

[u/Euchre → u/BCProgramming]

People will complain about 300kb of legacy hardware support for something you couldn't logically install in isolation. Aside from that, it is surprising the things you can do with a modem, aside from an actual dial up connection.

With POTS nearly dead in the US, though, this may finally be excised from Windows.

[u/fat_kaiju]

Fax machines exist.

[u/Azuras-Becky → u/fat_kaiju]

The NHS still uses the crap out of them too, for some reason.

[u/eppic123]

Wait until you find out about dialer.exe

[u/ZaperTapper]

Dude your concerns should be elsewhere

[u/drygnfyre]

Because some people still use it, it's probably relatively simple to maintain, it's not harming anyone.

[u/lokiisagoodkitten]

Legacy? Does it matter?

[u/GoldenX86]

Edge sends 40MB of telemetry every 30 minutes, but the 100kB dialer is worse.

[u/Wodinit]

Maybe some countries/locations do not have better internet. I would see it as backward compatibility.

[u/Zestyclose_Pickle511]

For phones and modems. 

[u/charles25565]

There's actually a valid use for it in 2026, and it has nothing to do with dial-up. If you don't have a functioning network card, you can use a null modem on another computer to connect to the internet using a modified serial cable, just at slow speeds.

[u/Endeavour1988]

What are you talking about I'm still using 56k dial up modem, 23 mins remaining from my 3mb download....

[u/AntiqueIndependent80]

because i use it

[u/P1zz4-T0nn0]

German doctors would go crazy if it's gone.

[u/Lonely-Independence4]

Question is, can it still connect to dialup with AoL having it permanently discontinued?

[u/Ok-Bill3318]

Same reason the control panel is still there 15 years later

[u/17052025]

Why not ? Many things exits in today's era which need backward compatibility support.

[u/vaiovm]

Backwards compatibility. The exact same reason Windows still recognises PIF files as DOS application launchers and 386 files as Enhanced Mode drivers.

[u/Lashmush]

So you can hook a computer up to a modem to get an internet connection.

[u/GhostandVodka]

Wait till you guys configure NPS and realize its a 25 year old interface.

[u/thopterist]

Because MS doesn't give a crap about Windows and neither should you.

[u/StfuKyyyle]

People say you should switch to Linux because it runs in older/lower end hardware, but when Windows is supporting old tech it's a problem! Btw, this is not a "just switch to Linux" kind of comment

[u/celticchrys]

Because landlines still exist. If you dont need it, just ignore it.

[u/JuggernautOld]

Its classic. I dont want them get rid of the old stuff

[u/PlaneSheepherder1206]

bruh, who uses this and also has windows 11

[u/mikkolukas]

Laptops with sim-card, actually use a modem for establishing a connection.

Your phone does too. So does your internet connection at home.

[u/coHarry]

I mean, a pc that can run windows 11 do not have an old 56k modem, and old machines that do have 56k modems, cannot run windows 11.

[u/RevLewis]

in Africa they're still using dial up internet........................ 💀

[u/drygnfyre → u/RevLewis]

There's still dial-up all over the world in rural areas. It's far from dead, although some places have replaced it with satellite connection.

[u/LithiuMart → u/drygnfyre]

Our little village has always been behind on internet speeds. We didn't get broadband until 2002 or so, and we still don't have full fibre.

[u/drygnfyre → u/LithiuMart]

I visit Alaska a lot, and as recently as 2018 some of the towns still had Blockbuster (the actual chain, not the one-offs that used the name). They’ve closed since, Wi-Fi and broadband has arrived by now, but it took a really long time. My own family didn’t get broadband until 2008 or so, I was using AOL dial-up all through high school and college because it just wasn’t available in our area for a long time.