Zed is now available on Windows (zed.dev)

Article summary

Zed, a code editor, is now available on Windows, with a stable release and a preview release that receives new features one week earlier. The Windows build integrates directly with the underlying platform, using DirectX 11 for rendering and DirectWrite for text rendering. Zed also supports Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and SSH remoting, allowing for seamless editing of remote files. The editor's extensions are compatible with Windows, and its AI features, including edit predictions and ACP-powered agents, are fully supported.

Main themes

• Zed on Windows
• Platform Integration
• WSL and SSH Remoting
• Extension Compatibility
• AI Features
• Binary Size and Performance

What commenters say

• The size of the Zed binary is a concern for some users, who argue that it is too large and inefficient.
• Others argue that storage is cheap and that the size of the binary is not a significant issue, especially considering the benefits of static linking.
• Some users praise Zed's performance and responsiveness, citing its snappy interface and fast rendering, while others criticize its text rendering and lack of subpixel font rendering.
• There are differing opinions on the importance of binary size, with some arguing that it is a key factor in software quality and others seeing it as a minor concern.
• The use of static linking and embedded libraries is seen as both a benefit and a drawback, with some arguing that it improves performance and others that it increases binary size.
• Some users report issues with Zed's compatibility with certain file formats and encoding, such as UTF-8, and argue that it should be improved before promoting the editor to stable.