this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2024
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Windows will no longer have an integrated basic rich-text-based word app.

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[–] [email protected] 146 points 4 weeks ago (10 children)

Wordpad always seemed like an annoying and unnecessary half-step between notepad and word to me.

[–] [email protected] 67 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I liked having the minimal formatting options in WordPad without the bloat of Word.

[–] [email protected] 76 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Wordpad is also able to open large text files without having a stroke. RIP

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

This is my most common use. It is grrat for opening large log files on servers.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 weeks ago

I read that like you’re Tony the Tiger. “It is GRRRRRREAT for opening large log files.”

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[–] [email protected] 63 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Word is now so bloated that I fear using it. It's nice to have Wordpad.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

T

Ah. Are you trying to write about Theodore Roosevelt? Bing can help!

The

Here are 10,000 links to Theodore Roosevelt

The fox....

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

As if Clippy wasn't doing that 25 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

Yeah but Clippy was attractive. All those curves on display.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

its pretty neat if you dont have access to word, which is likely why they want to get rid of it

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Doubtful. There are a myriad of free and FOSS options that are available right now to people of even limited technological skill. WordPad isn't damaging their bottom line, but since it's certainly not adding to it, there's no point in maintaining it.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

It was very niche, but it’s great for viewing docs or other light work on a system you don’t want to install a whole office suite onto.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Can't say I ever needed it in the 28 years I've been using Windows. I'm sure there are plenty who did, though.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 weeks ago

I used it all the time to save text temporarily in. Note worked too, but i like the line break that WordPad had. It made reading and formatting easier.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 weeks ago

As others have said, fast opening quick notes with basic formatting.

For example, if I get an unexpected call I need to write down more than a call back number, Wordpad was my go to.

Well, at least when back when I used Windows regularly.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Microsoft's business model has often gotten in the way of anything they do making sense.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

It was created for people to open Word docs at home before everyone had Office.

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (3 children)

Microsoft: We can't spy on your usage when you use wordpad, use O365 instead! (guessing since MS recommends using O365 Word in its place).

TBH, I haven't used wordpad since Windows 98. Not saying others don't use it, but Notepad++ and a myriad of other options are better anyway.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (2 children)

If they just wanted telemetry they'd just "enhance it" they way they did with the monstrosity that is new Paint or AI assisted notepad.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

AI assisted Notepad is a thing?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

Yeah, though I don't know if it graduated beta, because I don't use windows 11.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Does Notepad++ allow rich text?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

On a default install on NP++ you can only save as rtf, but there are addable plugins that give some rtf functionality. So as a direct answer, no, it doesn't, but it can.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 weeks ago

TBH, I haven't used wordpad since Windows 98

which is why they're getting rid of it

it would probably be pretty easy to just patch telemetry into it, except nobody uses it because why would you

[–] [email protected] 54 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

What, they couldn't add AI to it?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

You wouldn’t add AI to a hand bag?! You wouldn’t add AI to a car?! You wouldn’t add AI to a baby?! You wouldn’t shoot a police man?! … and then steal his helmet?! … and then add AI to it?!

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh get fucked Microsoft. Now I have to use notepad when I put the tape measure on the spacebar so teams doesn’t change my status to idle.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Just select yourself to chat with in Teams (top option in contacts) and put a battery on the delete key like a professional..

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I like the cut of your jib. I’ll put a word in for you with the Bobs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

MouseJiggle.exe

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm a frequent host and participant of a meeting for one.

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[–] JackbyDev 24 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)
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[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 weeks ago

I've used windows since the 90s. Not once have I intentionally used WordPad.

It did open by default for some file types for a long time (.doc), usually mangling the content cause it couldn't actually handle them properly. I think it was also the default for .txt files at some point, causing many curse words when editing plain text files, that invisibly weren't so plain any more after... Programs expecting a configuration fine really don't like that sort of thing.

So: I'm very ok with this. Just install LibreOffice or something if you needa Word-like experience. Install notepad++ for anything "plain".

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

And so the bloodline of windows write is extinguished

This is kinda sad that if you want to do even basic word processing with Microsoft software, your only option now is an ongoing subscription to do so.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

...your only option now is an ongoing subscription to do so.

You can also still buy the Office package without subscription. The latest release is from 2024 and 2021 before that. But of course its expensive for basic stuff.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

Oh I didn't actually realise that, I thought they'd just gone full Adobe with office 365

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 weeks ago (6 children)

As long as you have notepad, you're good.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

And they're making notepad pretty unusable also

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I've had no real issuses with the new notepad.

I just hope that they don't continue adding too much stuff to it and it becomes the new wordpad and we don't have a basic box to put text anymore.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)

One of my biggest problems with the new notepad is you've lost using it as a forgettable scratch space. Anything you put in the new Notepad now gets written to your drive, even if you don't save the file.

You can't type or copy/paste anything sensitive into notepad anymore as a temporary space even if you don't save the file.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Wordpad, as I recall, only existed because back in the Windows 95 days nobody had Office and couldn’t open Word documents.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago

Sad to see such a great program go…

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

More brilliant decisions from Satya Nadella. 🙄

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

It is an obvious maneuver, to be fair to Nadella. Not only will this push more over to subscription based word processing, but it also closes one of the easier avenues useds have to avoid aggregated data farming. Their next move should be to turn Notepad into a complementary tiered program:
Tier 1) Use at no charge, but your data pays for it instead.
Tier 2) Notepad becomes an extra pay to unlock feature of 365.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 weeks ago

Sad but expected. Most people are using either office or one of the free alternatives by now.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 weeks ago

idc what people say mswrite was always > wordpad > word

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