The New Year has started with the Notepad app update available to all Windows 11 Insiders users who can check out upcoming updates. Like Clock and Office 2021, Notepad also benefits from the Fluent Design Makeover, which brings rounded corners in windows, a smoother font for menu drop-downs, and support for dark mode.
The update has been available on the Windows 11 Insider Build development channel since December, where you can test features in development, but the company has decided to roll it out for users who are testing upcoming Windows 11 features on all platforms. canals.
This is the biggest update to Notepad in years, similar to the Paint update a few months ago, but don’t expect this simple text-editing app replacing Microsoft Word anytime soon.
Analysis: A unified effort
Microsoft is struggling to adapt its apps to the new look of Windows 11, and it’s overdue.
In earlier versions of Windows 8 and Windows Vista, some applications seemed out of place, such as B. Mail and Disk Management. However, the company is working together to ensure that these apps have a cohesive design where users don’t feel lost, while the apps and operating system look similar but modern.
These Microsoft efforts have encouraged us so far, and we believe there are other apps that should benefit as well. Other apps are also making a comeback in Windows 11, with the recent return of Windows Media Player to replace Groove Music.
But Notepad is an app that you use almost without thinking. It’s a reference app that you can use to write down lists or thoughts for the day to save for later. But it’s also a great example of an app that hasn’t received an update since 2001.
Something as small as dark mode and rounded corners are welcome here, along with a new preference option for switching between themes and font options. The appeal of Notepad, however, is its simplicity, which makes it a great alternative to Microsoft Word or other full-bodied (and overly complicated) Office apps.
Other apps that have been updated in design were included in a Windows update or are available for download from the Microsoft Store. We believe the updated Notepad will be part of a larger Windows 11 update soon, so you don’t need to be a Windows Insider member to test it.
