Also, wgrep-mode for editing files is amazing
If the editor ships a built in file manager, that file manager should not require explicit configuration to open e.g. a jpeg in an image viewer by default. We've had `xdg-open` for years now, it's kind of absurd how far behind emacs is in so many ways.
One dired/wdired feature I use all the time is to edit filenames by using multiple cursors. Either that or, as TFA mentions, keyboard macros. It's really powerful.
The author also has a blog entry about getting rid of use-package:
https://eugene-andrienko.com/2025-10-10-emacs-ditch-use-pack...
It's funny because my config is a half-arsed one where it's partially use-package and partially old-school config. It's an old config and at some point I move to use-package and now I moved back to "not use-package" but I mostly kept the part that are using use-package as-is.
I've got about 3000 to 4000 elisp config lines. And counting...