Hands-On Windows 125: Notepad

Podcast Information:

• Title: Hands-On Windows 125: Notepad
• Host: Paul Throt
• Release Date: January 30, 2025
• Description: Leo Laporte brings some of the most interesting personalities in technology together to talk about the most important issues. Fun, relaxed, informative and always entertaining, count on TWiT for the best tech podcasts in the world.

Introduction to Notepad

Paul Throt opens the episode by highlighting the enduring presence and evolution of Notepad, Microsoft's quintessential text editor. He emphasizes its simplicity and foundational role in the Windows operating system:

“Notepad's a pretty special app. So, yes, plain text. Some of the changes that have occurred under the covers over the years... it literally just works with .txt files.”
(00:22)

Throt reflects on Notepad's origins, tracing its lineage back to Windows 1.0 in 1985 and its precursor, Multi Tool Notepad from 1983. He notes the app's minimalistic design focused on plain text, which has remained its core strength over decades.

Evolution and Modern Enhancements

The discussion delves into the significant improvements Notepad has undergone, particularly in recent years. Throt mentions the addition of tabbed browsing, modern UI enhancements, and support for dark and light modes:

“So, it's pretty sophisticated... It supports dark and light mode. So I'm in dark mode here in the system.”
(04:15)

He elaborates on the introduction of Unicode support around the late 1990s, enabling Notepad to handle multiple languages seamlessly. More recently, the editor has incorporated support for Unix and macOS-style line endings, enhancing its compatibility across different operating systems.

Advanced Features and User Experience

Throt showcases several advanced features that have modernized Notepad, making it more than just a basic text editor:

• Tab-Based Interface: Users can open multiple documents in a single window with tabs, improving multitasking.

• Font Customization: Options to select different fonts, with the default font having changed multiple times to keep up with design trends.

  “They gave you the option to actually choose the font that you use. The default font has changed at least three or four times over the years.”
  (04:15)

• Find and Replace: An enhanced find-and-replace tool that floats and expands, providing a more interactive experience.

• Spell Checking and Autocorrect: Integrated spell check and autocorrect features, although Throt notes occasional inconsistencies.

“It has spell checking... it has autocorrect, right?... It will autocorrect from time to time as well.”
(04:15)

Session State Management

A notable modern feature is session state management, which preserves unsaved documents between sessions. Throt points out the convenience and potential confusion this might cause:

“It's like, did I lose that? No, because it saves the session state by default. It just brings it back.”
(04:15)

He personally prefers to disable this feature to avoid clutter and ensure documents are explicitly saved, but acknowledges its utility for many users.

AI Integration with Copilot

One of the most groundbreaking updates discussed is the integration of Copilot, an AI-powered tool embedded within Notepad. This feature leverages AI to assist users in rewriting and formatting text:

“This is a copilot-based AI tool that will look at the text that you have in a document or that you've selected and then allow you to do different things with it.”
(04:15)

Capabilities of Copilot:

• Rewrite Text: Users can instruct Copilot to rewrite text in various styles, such as making it shorter, longer, or changing the tone to formal, casual, inspirational, or humorous.

  “I can replace the text so you can see what the difference is. It's just rewritten. It's not dramatically different, but it is a little shorter.”
  (04:15)

• Creative Transformations: An example provided includes transforming a business statement into a poem, showcasing the AI's flexibility and creativity.

  “It's kind of fun... it's like a Dr. Seuss book.”
  (04:15)

Access and Limitations: Copilot operates on a credit system, allowing users a limited number of free uses before requiring a subscription for extended access.

“That's the little upsell. So this gives everyone an opportunity to see something that previously might have required Microsoft Word.”
(04:15)

Throt anticipates broader availability, stating that users can expect this feature to roll out to more regions and languages in the coming months.

Practical Tips and Customization

Throt shares personal tips for maximizing Notepad's efficiency:

• Pinning Documents: By pinning frequently used documents to the taskbar, users can quickly access them even if they're not listed in recent documents.

  “You can pin this. This isn't a Notepad feature, but it's particularly useful for me with Notepad because I use it all the time.”
  (04:15)

• Managing Windows and Tabs: Users can toggle between opening new documents in tabs or new windows, depending on their workflow preferences. The shortcut Ctrl + Shift + N opens a new window, providing flexibility.

  “If you want to leave it on the tab interface, it does consume less resources. If you use a lot of documents at one time, you can still have a new window if you want it and just do the shortcut.”
  (04:15)

• Accessing Legacy Versions: For those who prefer the classic Notepad experience, Throt explains how to access the older version by navigating to the System32 folder and disabling execution aliases. This allows users to run the original, pre-modernization Notepad with its simpler interface.

  “If you were horrified by what you saw, the old version of Notepad's still in there. You know, it's kind of incredible.”
  (04:15)

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Paul Throt concludes by reflecting on Notepad's transformation from a basic text editor to a modern, feature-rich application integrated with AI capabilities. He underscores its enduring relevance and adaptability:

“Notepad. It's not your father's Notepad, I guess your grandfather's Notepad anymore. It's a completely new app.”
(04:15)

He encourages listeners to explore Notepad's new features and consider how these enhancements can fit into their daily workflows, all while maintaining the app's foundational simplicity.

Notable Quotes:

• Paul Throt (00:22): "Notepad's a pretty special app. So, yes, plain text... it literally just works with .txt files."
• Paul Throt (04:15): "It supports dark and light mode. So I'm in dark mode here in the system."
• Paul Throt (04:15): "This is a copilot-based AI tool that will look at the text that you have in a document or that you've selected and then allow you to do different things with it."
• Paul Throt (04:15): "It's like a Dr. Seuss book. It's pretty good. It's not Shakespeare, but it's not bad."

Final Notes: This episode of "Hands-On Windows" offers an in-depth exploration of Notepad's evolution, highlighting its balance between simplicity and advanced functionality. From supporting global languages to integrating AI-driven tools, Notepad continues to adapt to modern user needs while retaining its essential purpose as a reliable text editor.

Listeners can look forward to future episodes every Thursday on TWiT, diving deeper into the latest in Windows and technology.