Microsoft rolls out AI-enabled Notepad to Windows Insiders

Windows Insiders will soon get firsthand experience of Microsoft's AI ambitions for Paint and Notepad: the image editor is getting Generative Fill and Erase and the text editor is getting a Rewrite function. We'd been hearing since January that Microsoft Notepad would get an AI makeover – and yesterday it was confirmed …

[Steve Davies 3]

Meanwhile...

The developers of Notepad++ will be salivating

MS, please continue shooting yourself in the feet. Eventually enough of your customers (you know, the ones who pay you money) will get the hint that you as a company don't care two hoots about you and only want to slurp our data and sell it. That is clearly more profitable that licensing.

[may_i]

Re: Meanwhile...

The *developer*.

It's a one man band behind the excellent Notepad++. If you use it, have you donated to the author?

[Michael Strorm]

I tried running Notepad++ once...

...it just appeared to launch Notepad with no apparent difference.

Yet, strangely, the next time I ran Notepad itself it appeared to be slightly improved. As was Notepad++.

And then I noticed that every time I ran Notepad++, it caused improvements to both versions. Strange, but a positive development to be sure.

Unfortunately, it appears that an even greater number of people have been running its evil counterpart, Notepad--....

Anyway, that's why Notepad sucks now.

[Paul Herber]

Re: I tried running Notepad++ once...

Try using --Notepad++. You'll never see any improvements.

[Michael Strorm]

NEEEEEEERRRRRRRRDDDDDSSSSS!!!!

I wondered if this was legal in C- my gut reaction was that it wasn't. Turns out that was right, but as much due to luck on my part.

If I'm correct- and having checked the precedence rules- it's not legal because (a) the postfix operators (in this case, "++") have a higher precedence than the prefix ones (in this case "--") and are thus evaluated first and (b) the postfix operator returns the *old* value of "Notepad", which is an "rvalue" (doesn't refer to an assignable variable or storage), so it can't then be modified by the "--" operator.

AFAICT, it *would* have been legal *if* the precedence was the other way around, since "--Notepad" returns to the *new*, updated value of Notepad which is also an assignable "lvalue" that the ++ operator could then update.

[Michael Strorm]

Re: NEEEEEEERRRRRRRRDDDDDSSSSS!!!!

(Disclaimer: The "NEEEEEEERRRRRRRRDDDDDSSSSS!!!!" bit was aimed first and foremost at myself for posting such a nerdy overanalysis of an obviously-flippant comment...!)

[Simian Surprise]

Re: NEEEEEEERRRRRRRRDDDDDSSSSS!!!!

Sadly no for the AFAICT too :/

(https://en.cppreference.com/w/c/language/operator_incdec(

> Unlike C++ (and some implementations of C), the increment/decrement expressions are never themselves lvalues: &++a is invalid.

So they're all rvalues, irrespective of pre-/post-, unless you're using a C where they are. (Very useful.)

And as the quote says, ++x is an lvalue and x++ a prvalue in C++...

[captain veg]

Re: NEEEEEEERRRRRRRRDDDDDSSSSS!!!!

Either way, it's double-plus ungood.

Bob only knows what they've done to it that could even allow there to be 35%, let alone 55%, speedups. The old Notepad was about as minimal Windows program as it was possible to be, essentially just an Edit control and some menus to send it EM_ messages. Is this new one built in Electron by any chance?

-A.

[JimboSmith]

Re: Meanwhile...

Who in their right mind wanted this outside of Microsoft? Is this following the schtick “if you add AI to it they will come”? I bloody won’t!

On the last feedback for software I left when prompted I said in the comments, if you add AI you’ll lose me as a customer. I’ve asked our compliance department whether the use of AI is GDPR compliant in the hopes it can be removed and banned.

[PCScreenOnly]

Basic text editor

It is a basic text editor, you make quick notes in it and not much else FFS

I'd use one note, but I cannot get that bastard to run in just plain text mode, wants me to hand write into it (I can't read my hand writing), and fucks text on the apps by putting it where your finger pressed... No just add everything I write under the damn text above

Trying to make things too clever when more basic if the way to go

[elsergiovolador]

Re: Basic text editor

They could have added a side bar with search (they could hire external company that can actually code search properly) and maybe markdown support. Nothing else would be needed.

But marketing w⚓ want A-f***ing-I.

[elsergiovolador]

Hallucination

Imagine writing your diary and not being sure if you are hallucinating or the notepad...

[Neil Barnes]

Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

Would you like me to help you with that? Do you have a rope, a gun, poison?

[MachDiamond]

Re: Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

" Do you have a rope, a gun, poison?"

Helium! although Nitrogen is cheaper but they don't sell that at the local store.

[Neil Barnes]

Re: Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

I am led to believe that Argon doesn't trigger a cough reflex, and is heavier than air, which might be handy.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

"I am led to believe that Argon doesn't trigger a cough reflex, "

Welding supply shops have Argon/CO2 blends and you don't want the CO2 as that's what makes you feel like you are being suffocated. Perhaps they have pure Argon, but I've never needed it for the sorts of materials I weld.

[Gene Cash]

Re: Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

> Nitrogen is cheaper but they don't sell that at the local store.

Shoot, you can get N2 or even LN2 at the local welding supply by the cubic foot or gallon. When I was a spotty college nerd LN2 was cheap... it was the dewar that was expensive. We used it for the high-temperature superconductor & floating magnet tricks.

These shops don't advertise or make themselves known because everybody that needs them knows who they are and where they are.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

It was British Oxygen that supplied the liquid nitrogen for our lab.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Hi! It looks like you're trying to write a suicide note!

"Shoot, you can get N2 or even LN2 at the local welding supply by the cubic foot or gallon."

The welding supply shop is an hour away, but the local dollar store sometimes sells canisters of Helium to fill party balloons. There's a party supply store in town too, but I've never been in there.

[Rich 2]

FFS

See heading

[The Man Who Fell To Earth]

As for the generated text, Microsoft uses filtering to prevent problematic content being added.

So much for me getting it to help me rewrite my porn novel.

[simonlb]

Re: As for the generated text, Microsoft uses filtering to prevent problematic content being added.

Rewrite: "Microsoft, fuck off."

[Bitbeisser]

Re: As for the generated text, Microsoft uses filtering to prevent problematic content being added.

Rewrite: "Microsoft, fuck off."

I see you are using profanity here. Which of the following options do you want to use instead:

1) "Microsoft, buzz off"

2) "Microsoft, pop off"

3) "Microsoft, sod off"

[Inventor of the Marmite Laser]

Re: As for the generated text, Microsoft uses filtering to prevent problematic content being added.

The profanity IS Microsoft

[Inventor of the Marmite Laser]

Re: As for the generated text, Microsoft uses filtering to prevent problematic content being added.

Dear software creator and supplier*. Remove yourself from my presence, using a means of ambulation that involves repeated groin thrusts and exposed genitalia.

* Because "Microsoft" is deeply offensive to some.

[doublelayer]

In Notepad? Really?

So they've decided that this is a feature people want. I don't, but surely someone will, so why not throw it in. As demonstrated, my opinions are not important. However, why do they think the people who are likely to use this are using Notepad? It's not a very popular application. I know very few people who use it often. The nontechnical mostly use actual word processors that had such features as spell check*. Technical people often use a text editor that displays line numbers, uses the chosen characters for indentation, doesn't automatically stick .txt on the end of file names which you have to remove later, or can handle multiple kinds of line endings*. They and I sometimes use Notepad if it's someone else's computer and a small edit is needed, but that's still not very often. So who is going to use Notepad enough that this feature is going to sell many AI credits?

* Notepad actually can do the things with asterisks, but as of about three years ago. Most users decided what to run more than three years ago when it couldn't do them.

[PinchOfSalt]

Re: In Notepad? Really?

I'm not sure that the key here is that Notepad alone will cause you to need to buy more AI credits.

The goal will be to get as many ways into the ecosystem to burn credits that it becomes impossible to control in any sensible manner. This shifts them to having stable revenues via subscriptions and then nice, high margin additional spend that procurement and management can't easily constrain.

[Michael Strorm]

Re: In Notepad? Really?

> So they've decided that this is a feature people want.

No, this is what *Microsoft* want.

Or rather, what they want people to use for MS's own self-serving benefit. Even if that means shoving it down their throat.

And if that fails, they'll just move on- as MS always does- to the next thing and start shoving *that* down their throats instead.

Remember, unless you're a *very* large corporate customer, MS doesn't care- or *need* to care- about what you want. You'll take what you're given.

[PinchOfSalt]

What's going on with it needing to load more quickly?

What on earth has happened that a text editor on a modern computer takes enough time to load that anyone could ask for it to be quicker??

Seriously, how can that be possible?

A text editor 20 years ago took about a second. How can it be possible that with all the improvements in both I/O bandwidth and processing power that it's not able to do this faster than you can blink?

[Michael Strorm]

Re: What's going on with it needing to load more quickly?

> Seriously, how can that be possible?

Because they're shoving endless bloat and crap like- to pick an example *purely* at random- generative AI into it.

That's how.

[Mentat74]

Re: What's going on with it needing to load more quickly?

Answer : Telemetry... and software bloat...

[CrazyOldCatMan]

Re: What's going on with it needing to load more quickly?

A text editor 20 years ago took about a second.

Mine takes less than that..

vi /etc/resolv.conf

.. is pretty instant.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: What's going on with it needing to load more quickly?

"A text editor 20 years ago took about a second."

As long as that?

[MachDiamond]

K.I.S.S.

I use TextEdit on the Mac often which is equivalent and Notepad on the PC from time to time. The reason I use them is because they are simple and very uncomplicated. If I need to grab some text, strip out the formatting so I can copy/paste it someplace else, those are great tools for that. There's no need for AI, auto-formatting and all that jazz. I have other tools for that.

[Who-me]

Somebody please tell me there's going to be a bloody off switch for that.

[Anonymous Coward]

Off switch?

According to TFA, just log out of your MS account.

Or, you know, never log in with one in the first place. MS AI is like a 419 email: designed to only catch the unfortunates ignorant enough that they won't notice the bad grammar or won't install Windows with only a local account.

[Doctor Syntax]

"criteria that reflect Microsoft's values and standards"

As bad as that?

[Doctor Syntax]

I think I'll just stick with Kate and/or KWrite.

Oh dear, they've done the FOSS thing of giving you a choice while being very largely the same thing under the hood.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

My feeling of smugness about using Linux increases exponentially whenever I read about the latest stupid shit that Microsoft are shovelling out the door.

[Phil O'Sophical]

And then you remember systemd...

[CrazyOldCatMan]

And then you remember systemd...

Which is why I use Devuan..

(Or, for non-Linux, FreeBSD)

[Terry 6]

They're meant to be simple, that's the point

There are tons of highly functional tools out there for doing complicated things with pictures or words.

Notepad and Paint are built-in , ubiquitous tools that are there for basic, simple and purely functional and minimalist functions With no significant overhead cognitively or computationally.

If people use them they use them exactly for that. Notepad works as a useful little scratchpad for a few simple words or phrases, possibly to copy and paste, or just as a place to put a quick reminder during a more complicated task.. Or to pass a note to another user account on the same PC or across a network share.

Paint similarly, to paste, save, open or share a simple graphic.

There is actually a need, a real use case for those tools, as they were first implemented.

What they do not need is complication.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: They're meant to be simple, that's the point

Its right there in you comment "Notepad and Paint are built-in". Microsoft use their OS as a way to generate revenue for Azure, that has been the goal for Satya since he took over (Azure is his baby). He doesn't care one bit (well didn't, until he realised he needed a platform to push it, like with mobile he no longer has) about Windows, only what it can do to get people using Azure features, getting a revenue stream.

The plan is, as Microsoft is going all in on 'AI', to augment every part they can in Windows with it. They have no other platform (except XBOX, which well isn't going to survive now they are dumping all their exclusives) that they can push their 'AI' investment on, as Satya killed off their mobile division. So to attempt to recoup the billions they have invested and will continue to do so in 'AI' they need to bloat out Windows even more with 'AI' features in the hope that people start using it and then start wanting to pay for it. The mobile platforms, the platform that people use most, especially the current generation, Microsoft has no foot in anymore. They need to try an get people associate 'AI' with Microsoft and thus want it from them, to be able to dictate what and how it can be used on other platforms.

Satya screwed up big time not doubling down on windows phone when he took over, he knows he did, now he is desperately throwing shit at the Windows OS fan in the hope that some of it sticks and gets people to associate features they want with Microsoft.

[Terry 6]

Re: They're meant to be simple, that's the point

If it is he's missed the boat.

[Phil Kingston]

Notepad is not for that. If they want to dick about with that kind of thing, that's what WordPad was for.

Notepad is for pasting passwords out of KeePass to see if it's an l or 1.

Or reading conf files.

And similar note-y activities.

Put down the pipe MS

[stiine]

Or, more importantly, updating config files.

[Kistelek]

or removing the formatting from text before putting it back into Word.

[Doctor Syntax]

or removing the formatting from text before putting it back into LibreOffice Writer

FTFY

[Inventor of the Marmite Laser]

What's wrong with Words "Paste text only" option?

[Denarius]

Advancing backwards

Vi looks better and runs faster every couple of years. Yes, even in DOS days there was a version or two such as Elvis. Then Cygwin etc. M$ just get better and better at being worse.

[Bebu sa Ware]

Re: Advancing backwards

At least the Duke of Plazo-Toro could lead the retreat but U could trust the clowns running the Microsoft oily cart to do even that competently.

[Bebu sa Ware]

Nano or Pico

might be preferable. There is at least one statically linked version of gnu nano (built under msys.)

Vim or the graphical gvim works as expected under Windows.

Just the thought of editing an [ini] file with a hallucinating AI sabotaged editor ought to be the stuff of nightmares.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Nano or Pico

I see you've replaced all Microsoft IP addresses with 129.0.0.0 I can fix that.

[navarac]

Another Intern Job?

About time Nadella got rid of the kids and Interns, and got the adults back, especially in Marketing. Oh, wait! Microshit has no adults left in the company! Or perhaps the whole joint is run by AI?

[Michael Strorm]

Re: Another Intern Job?

On the contrary, as someone noted elsewhere in the thread, the drive towards shoving AI in everything because it suits MS's current business model- regardless of whether it suits their customers'- to do so is likely driven from the top down.

[navarac]

Re: Another Intern Job?

BUT.... it is from Nadella down that directs the "interns/kids". Nadella is like a child grabbing a new toy. Hololens - failure mostly, is an example, and I cannot see AI being generally useful/against cost, in the long run. The "interns" are only doing what they are told to do by, ultimately, Nadella.

[TheMaskedMan]

"the function takes a text selection and rewrites it based on the user's selections of tone, format, and length. So if, for example, a user has text that they think is too wordy or casual, Rewrite will provide three variations they can pick from."

In Notepad?!?! Who the fuck needs that in Notepad?!?! Who the fuck needs it anyway, but I could at least imagine that, in a word processor, someone, somewhere might actually use it. Wordpad might have been a good place, if only it hadn't been retired.

The world is going nuttier by the day.

[Homo.Sapien.Floridanus]

Name it Wifepad…

I don’t need Notepad finishing my sentences, telling me what I should be thinking or filtering my words. That’s why I have the Wife app.

[Pirate Peter]

AI infection is turning into pandemic

AI to me is like Alexa or google home

great for a few minutes of fun, then you get bored as not really useful

I have yet to see a real use case for it that makes the cost justifiable

[Kane]

...all Windows 11 PCs...Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs.

Whew!! Dodged a bullet there!

[richardcox13]

Notepad is an especially familiar favorite for many techies

That's a definition of "favorite" that I was not previously aware of.