14 DAY TRIAL // It might sound like a shock for many, but Notepad was, is, and will most likely continue to be one of the most popular tools that come bundled into Windows.
For some, this is just ridiculous given how basic Notepad really is, but it’s this simplicity what makes it a must-have application for so many of us.
And yes, I said many of us because I too use Notepad on a regular basis, simply because I really don’t need anything else besides an uncluttered and quick note-taking app – and before you ask, yes, I also use OneNote, but this is mostly for syncing my notes on all my devices.
Getting back to Notepad, Microsoft has refined the app here and there in the latest feature updates, and you can read more about the 19H1 improvements in my coverage here. And furthermore, Microsoft says there’s more to come for Notepad, and I understand that some of the touches the company has in mind for 20H1 include a dark mode, Fluent design, and possibly tabs.
And while we wait for Notepad to get this highly-anticipated overhaul, there’s a little something in the Windows app ecosystem that could come in handy.
It’s Notepads, which spells like Notepad but with an S at the end, an application that comes with the majority of features already available in Microsoft’s Windows 10 app and with a little something as extra.
First and foremost, Notepads is a modern application, so it’s published in the Microsoft Store and uses features like Fluent Design, support for a dark mode, and multi-line handwriting support.
In other words, it comes with the feature package that Microsoft is now working on for Notepad, so the software giant would really make itself a favor if it tries this little app when developing Notepad updates.
The interface of Notepads is extremely simple, and this is exactly how it should be in the first place. The emphasis is on your content, and the status bar provides information like the name of the file, the line ending and encoding settings that are being used.
There’s also support for tabs and keyboard shortcuts. You can press CTRL + T to open a new tab, CTRL + W to close the one you’re working on, and CTRL + Shift + T to undo close. This allows Notepads to provide an extremely familiar experience, as the same hotkeys are being used by the majority of browsers, including Google Chrome (still the number one browser with a 67% market share on the desktop).
While Notepads is still a work-in-progress, the developer of the app focused on the little details as well, so every time you close a tab there’s also a prompt to save the document so you don’t lose any data.
The typical Notepad features are still there, like find and replace, as well as Word Wrap, which you can activate either from the context menu or from its settings.
And speaking of settings, Notepads doesn’t come with an overwhelming amount of options, but it does feature the essentials. For instance, you can choose the default encoding and line ending (CRLF, CR, and LF supported), the default font, and tab key behavior.
Notepads also supports a dark mode, and users are allowed to manually enable it or simply let the app follow the system theme. Other visual settings include background tint opacity, and accent colors.
There’s little to complain about Notepads, especially if we keep in mind that this little app is only supposed to be an alternative to Microsoft’s Notepad.
Some new features are already in the works, like automatic file saving and restore and a diff viewer, as per the project roadmap.
If I were to vote for a feature I’d like to see in Notepads, there are two of them, albeit neither exists in Notepad. Because the built-in Windows tool is used by lots of devs out there, syntax highlighting would come in super-handy, while for those using the app for writing, a live word count would fit like a glove too.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Notepads isn’t only a modern alternative to Notepad, but it could actually be an early glimpse into what’s to come for the built-in Windows application.
Microsoft itself pledged to overhaul Notepad sooner or later, and after fine-tuning the app here and there, improvements like a dark theme, tabs, and Fluent Design support are likely on their way.
But on the other hand, these are all features that are already part of Notepads, all in a modern package that perfectly aligns with Windows 10 overall.
Since this is a beta, there’s no doubt that Notepads will evolve to become one of the top replacements to the classic Notepad, not necessarily until Microsoft ships this highly-anticipated overhaul, but even beyond this point.
