Notepad++.
That is all.
I don't want to get into a text editor war - because these are all good options - but it's definitely also worth giving the "Kate" editor from KDE a go, it's available as a native Windows app from the MS store and everything:
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9NWMW7BB59HW
I personally find it considerably nicer to use than Notepad++, and it means I don't have to give up 25 years of muscle memory for keyboard shortcuts when I have to switch to a windows machine.
Also some crazy how, it uses less RAM than Notepad‽ (With no files open, 61 vs 71MB) Not sure what Microsoft are up to, but it's definitely something strange.
To each their own for sure, but the takeaway here is that there are definitely better notepads than Notepad by now, especially since having AI baked into your plain text editor isn't something that anyone ever asked for.
At this rate you may a well use a slab of some granite and a chisel, or maybe even vim.
Sublime Text
In my opinion, Sublime Text is a little bit better for coding based applications, specifically with like HTML and CSS, even though Notepad++ is great for it too, but just for overall drag and drop replace, works with everything, wonderful, free and open source software, it is very, very difficult to beat Notepad++.
Fair, I just don't like how cluttered Notepad++ feels.
I've never heard of notepad++ being referred to as cluttered before. It's fairly spartan in my opinion.
Cluttered compared to Notepad or Sublime Text.
Price wise sublime text isn't that great unless you are coding with it.
This is literally not an example of enshittification and the article is intentionally misleading.
First of all, all of the original Notepad functions are unchanged and still free.
Literally nothing got shittier.
Which is why describing Notepad as getting a paywall is quite frankly flat out disingenuous.
They are adding new, cloud running, AI features to Notepad that are locked behind a paywall. You can not like that for whatever reason, but that's not an example of enshittification. That's an example of them charging for new functionality.
That's like how enshittification starts, "oh we're just going to paywall these features, don't worry all the old ones will be free!" And then the old parts start getting replaced by "New and improved!" Parts that also somehow need to be on the cloud and paywalled.
The old parts are literally just a basic wrapper around the most basic WPF text control. Notepad is literally the kind of app used as a tutorial for intro to coding that you can crank out in half a day.
There is no risk of it becoming proprietary or locked behind paywalls.
This is a junk, click bait, article designed to drive up hysteria cause it gets engagement. Supporting trash misinformation outlets like this is far more corrosive then adding new paid features to an existing application.
The popup is shittier, also takes a lot longer to open than it used to, but yeah, the article is definitely misleading clickbait.
It's particular ironic how previously the big uproar was about adding these features in the first place. First it was "nobody wants this! Keep AI out of Notepad!" And now it's "how dare you prevent me from using AI in Notepad!"
Linux baby
Feels good
Are you actually joking
I switched to Linux recently, you can too. It's easy and works well now. No more of this bullshit from Microsoft.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAA
HA
HA
HA
AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAHA
It boggles the mind the things MS does to their OS without any apparent shame.
I use linux but I just checked on my windows 11 vm, the paywall is for AI copilot stuff not the core functionality of the app at all.
Wow what an overdramatic headline then, I mean at this level it's not even clickbait it's straight up lies.
Can't wait for the task manager to get forced AI support that terminates processes automatically, so that they can paywall it, too...
I have been a Notepad ++ user for years. I sometimes forget that the Microsoft Notepad even exists.
LOL that's like peak enshittification right there.
It's the AI features.
At this point anyone that voluntary uses windows is just braindead. I love Linux but if you don't wanna use that then even Mac is better than that... For now
Next step: add IA to minesweeper and solitaire under a paywall
Fuck this article. Title is insanely misleading. The paywall is for 1 specific AI feature, not the Notepad program itself.
This is why they got rid of WordPad.
And no, I don't want AI crap in my basic note-taking app.
The first thing I do when setting up new Windows environments (for work) is to install Notepad++. Fuck Microsoft.
And this is why Windows is always the laughing stock. Use Notepad++ for Windows, or literally anything you want (including a fork of N++ called "Notepad qq") on Linux.
The article says it's to enable some AI rewrite shit. So basically if you want normal functionality, everything is normal. If you want something they are investing billions of dollars into for reasons unknown to modify your text, you have to pay them.
It actually sounds reasonable. Want this expensive shit? Pay for it. No? Don't.
Fuck Microsoft. Why bringing Notepad to Microsoft 365 service in the first place? OneNote isn't good?
It has never been free since you bought it together with the windows license :^)
Now it's another micro transaction on top of the product you already paid for.
who asked for this, I get the article sucks. but like.... it's just supposed to be a simple text editor and I think I'm right to worry about what will happen to the features that don't make the money. the people saying.. just don't pay for it if you don't wanna use it.. didn't change the fact that this is just additional bloat added to something that doesn't even need it....
they literally already have vscode, which is fantastic.. why not just push that a little harder and add features like these over there and not into flipping notepad xD
the tabbing functionality is a godsend and requested. this just feels weird imo
The phenomenon of online platforms gradually degrading the quality of their services, often by promoting advertisements and sponsored content, in order to increase profits. (Cory Doctorow, 2022, extracted from Wikitionary) source
We discuss how predatory big tech platforms live and die by luring people in and then decaying for profit.
We also discuss how naturally open technologies like the Fediverse can be susceptible to corporate takeovers, rugpulls and subsequent enshittification.
