Microsoft moves away from Calibri and a small Windows 11 RAM feat
Microsoft has announced a shift in default typography across its suite, signaling Aptos as the new default font in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel for hundreds of millions of users. The change, described by a senior Microsoft program manager, reflects the company’s response to modern display resolutions and device variety. Aptos replaces Calibri after more than a decade of use, marking a significant typography update across the Office ecosystem. (Attribution: TechNow)
According to the official briefing, the transition to Aptos is entering its final phase, with broad adoption expected in the coming months. The move is framed as a natural step to align with high-resolution screens and evolving user interfaces, while preserving document compatibility and readability. The commitment to Aptos spans all major Office applications, ensuring a consistent experience for users across Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. (Attribution: TechNow)
Officials indicated that the Calibri era, which began about 15 years ago, is concluding as the new default takes its place. The rationale centers on modern display hardware and the desire for a font that scales cleanly across devices from laptops to large monitors. The transition is described as seamless for existing documents, with users gradually adopting Aptos as their standard choice. (Attribution: TechNow)
In a separate thread of tech experimentation, a developer known in the community as NTDev demonstrated a running version of Microsoft’s Windows 11 on a PC with only 176 MB of RAM. This configuration is far below Microsoft’s published minimum requirements and illustrates the limits of running a modern operating system on extremely constrained hardware. The tester achieved this by minimizing processes and reducing background activity within Windows 11. (Attribution: TechFocus)
NTDev further explained that the approach includes slimming down functionality and drivers to keep the system usable. Journalists noted that a text-only version of Windows 11 could operate on as little as 96 MB of RAM, yet the setup maintained the familiar desktop appearance. This experimentation underscores ongoing debates about the viability of lean, legacy-compatible configurations for contemporary software. (Attribution: TechFocus)
As the Windows ecosystem continues to evolve, observers weigh the implications for performance, accessibility, and hardware lifecycle management. The broader takeaway is a reminder that professional software ecosystems must balance feature richness with practical hardware considerations and user needs. (Attribution: TechFocus)