Saying Goodbye to WordPad
Can you believe it? We are saying goodbye to WordPad as Microsoft discontinues it after thirty years of service. The app, which launched with Windows 95 and allowed you to open a .doc file even if you don’t have Word installed, is being retired.
But why does this matter now? And what does it mean for your business?
Microsoft made a recent announcement that WordPad will no longer receive updates and that it will soon be gone from Windows entirely. Although the timing of when this will happen is unknown, it will happen.
But let’s be honest, how often do you mistakenly open a WordPad when you’re trying to open a Notepad?
Notepad works when you want to use plain text. Wordpad more resembles a word processor. And it’s confusing for everyone.
Could this common mix-up have caused the imminent end of WordPad? Or maybe Microsoft is attempting to get more users to purchase Microsoft Word, a key part of the Microsoft 365 suite.
Microsoft suggests using Notepad for plain text documents and Microsoft Word for rich text documents in their most recent features update. So, in their own way, “WordPad who?”
Let’s not get too sentimental here. Most of us have been Windows users for a majority of our technology lives, and some have definitely made the accidental WordPas click. The truth is, most won’t be losing sleep over the end of WordPad, and most will continue to just use Word.
If you’re a devoted WordPad user, though, don’t give up just yet. Through the Windows feedback Hub app, Microsoft is soliciting comments. So, if there’s a wave of WordPad support, who knows? Perhaps WordPad will become available in the Microsoft Store, albeit as an optional program with few updates. This could be a change Microsoft decides to make.
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