Farewell to WordPad. We’ll Miss you!

Farewell to WordPad. We'll Miss you!

WordPad Icon Evolution [HowToCodeSchool.com] [Video]

Video uploaded by HowToCodeSchool on June 29, 2022

Microsoft Bids Farewell to WordPad, its Legendary Word Processor

WordPad, the software present on every Microsoft operating system for the last thirty years, is saying goodbye…

WordPad is a basic word processing program included with Windows operating systems, allowing users to create, edit, and format text documents. WordPad was first introduced with Microsoft Windows 95 in August 1995 as a replacement for the older Windows Write, which came with previous versions of Windows.

But Microsoft has just announced that WordPad will soon cease to operate.

This will first be marked by the discontinuation of software updates and eventually its removal. Despite its limited features, this program has nevertheless left a mark on generations of users due to its handy and very affordable nature.

WordPad was first introduced with Microsoft Windows 95 in August 1995 as a replacement for the older Windows Write, which came with previous versions of Windows.

Microsoft has announced the conclusion of the famous word processing tool that has been present on Windows since 1995. 28 years after its launch, the tech giant formalized the news in a very straightforward statement:

“WordPad is no longer updated and will be removed in a future version of Windows. We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf, and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt.”

You have most likely used this tool before. It is especially useful for writing short texts or taking notes. Its free availability and ease of use are among its main selling points. These features contributed to its popularity over time, though it must be admitted that one quickly finds its capabilities limited.

For instance, WordPad does not integrate a spell checker and is not suitable for editing long reports. It is also somewhat challenging to write lengthy formats in this software. Most people who need word processing for professional purposes thus opt for the paid version of Microsoft Word or free alternative software like LibreOffice. It’s uncertain if the general public will deeply mourn its loss.

Moreover, this isn’t the first time that the Redmond-based company has phased out iconic software from its operating system that has become outdated. We particularly recall the removal of MS Paint a few years ago, though it eventually made a comeback. This year, Microsoft also discontinued the voice assistant Cortana, which was infrequently used.

Many also remember the discontinuation of Internet Explorer (IE), notable due to the iconic nature of this browser that was a default installation on Windows (and which caused many issues for millions of users worldwide).

While this discontinuation didn’t greatly upset internet users, it did pose problems for some companies. Indeed, many businesses (especially in Japan) still relied on its technologies. Microsoft thus developed an “Internet Explorer mode” for its Edge browser, so these entities could continue using their IE-dependent tools.