"... we will talk about the obsolete Notepad which has ran its course."
-Blog entry dated: June 20th 2007
Obsolete? Or is it?
If you would kindly refer back to the entry stated above, I was talking about the PowerPoint programme, and the next installment of this series was slated to be about the Notepad. And indeed, this entry log IS about the notepad.
Most, if not all of us, are still using the default Notepad software included with both the Windows XP and Vista operating system (OS). This was just the most unused programme in any OS because we all have the Microsoft Word programme, so there is hardly any need for the notepad. Everybody can testify to it being almost redundant and taking up hard disk space in the computer, well, at most the programme is used for really minute recording or blogskin HTML coding.
However, with the release of the Windows 7 OS, a new and improved version of the Notepad will also be released: Wordpad 2008.
As of this point of time, the Windows 7 OS is still being tested for programme bugs and anomalies, thus the Beta version was only released last year. Oh, and 'Beta' programmes mean that it is not the real programme yet, any Beta versions are usually used for testing and feedback from people who download and try out these new softwares. Alright, so back to the new Wordpad: it's very simiar to the current Notepad, but with a few improvements. The new version is just a simplified version of Word 2007. All the ribbons (buttons) look very similar to the Word layout, and it is essentially just like Word 07 as well.
Well, why come up with Wordpad 2008? It is kind of like the poor man's Word 07, because some people cannot really afford to own the real Word 07, so Wordpad 2008 is a free software for people, and still maintains the basic functionalities of Word 07. Well, the fonts, colours, justification, etc are all the same as the current Word 07, so there isn't much of a quantum leap in user-interface (UI), but it is simply because of the similar UI that makes it easier and faster to get the hang of this new programme, and for all new programmes for that matter.
Below are the two programmes side by side. The first is the ever-familiar Notepad, while the next is the newer Wordpad 2008. It is quite a big change in UI, from a bleak and boring white layout to a more familiar UI similar to that of Word 07.
So has the Notepad ran its course? Indeed it has, but it paved the way for a newer version of itself, a much more user-friendly and engaging UI for people who just want to record things easily. Well, the operationally-ready Windows 7 OS is not out yet, of course, but when it does, I would suggest NOT to get it right off the shelf right away, because there will still be bugs and errors present, so maybe wait about 3-4 years before committing yourself to get the new OS.
Well, this brings us to the end of this mini-series of computer software updates from me. Till next time!
~your resident tech geek out~