This is misinformation. They added the login requirement for their Generative AI and the actual notepad doesn’t require a login. But I guess we’re ragebaiting today.
After 40 years of being free Microsoft has added a paywall to Notepad
Submitted 1 month ago by nahostdeutschland@feddit.org to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
atrielienz@lemmy.world 1 month ago
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Upvoted for visibility.
I recommend Notepad++.
pineapplelover@lemm.ee 1 month ago
I use Kate on the windows work pc
LittleRatInALittleHat@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Is the Genevieve AI enabled by default?
After opening the notepad app does it ask you for that login?
Is your access to notepad restricted by the login?
atrielienz@lemmy.world 1 month ago
“But it turns out that, while this screenshot is indeed real, those eagle-eyed enough should already be able to tell that something isn’t quite lining up here. In fact, nearly any Windows 11 user could open up the fully updated Notepad without getting this pop-up at all, even if they aren’t already signed into a Microsoft account. So, what’s the deal here?”
“The key is in the exact wording, identifiable within the first sentence: “Sign in with your Microsoft account to use Rewrite and its features in Notepad.” This is a prompt that exists, yes, but one that’s exclusive to Copilot+ PCs and explicitly requires the user to trigger it by clicking the Rewrite button, as confirmed by our own testing.”
tomshardware.com/…/no-notepad-for-windows-11-does…
techradar.com/…/seen-those-complaints-online-abou…
Please read the article. No. My access to notepad is not restricted. I also don’t run any copilot features of any kind on windows 11. Yes, I believe Generative AI Copilot is enabled by default, but in this case the only time you get promoted to login is when you use a feature in notepad that directly needs copilot in order to work and you the user have to select that feature. Meaning you can use notepad without it entirely and never even see this prompt at all.
Gestrid@lemmy.ca 1 month ago
I turned off that AI stuff as soon as I saw it. Click the gear icon in Notepad in the upper right to open settings and turn it off.
atrielienz@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Oh, one of the first things I did was group policy edit anything to do with tracking, ads, or AI.
benjaminb@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
Yeah. Like, I get AI can be useful, but it’s fucking everywhere! Even a god damn fridge got AI! And I hate it to be so forced on me, like, I just wanna write text or code without Copilot annoying me all of the time.
MichaelScotch@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Fine. Notepad++ is better anyway
pycorax@lemmy.world 1 month ago
It’s a lot more feature filled and frankly not very nice looking if all you want is a simple replacement for Notepad. Notepads (with an s) is much better imo.
mr_jaaay@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
Thanks for mentioning Notepads, never heard of it but it looks interesting. I already use quite a few different note taking apps, but still often start with Notepad when I don’t know where the info will eventually end up…
tfowinder@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
I prefer Sublime
Eheran@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Is it though? I still always open notepad for random text stuff. What is better in ++?
towelie@lemm.ee 1 month ago
- Keeps your progress if you exit without saving
- Supports tabs so you don’t have 5 separate notepad windows open
- syntax highlighting for programming languages and markdown format
- plugin support
- can handle extremely large text files (I’ve opened 50gb text files and used ctrl+f to find terms and it worked fine)
- superb tools for manipulating text (e.g., use reg expressions). Super easy to make mass edits.
- dark mode support. That should be enough on its own lol
RustyShackleford@literature.cafe 1 month ago
Notepad++ isn’t trying to shoehorn in AI for starters. It’s clear Microsoft is praying the current gimmicky narrative of AI will let the masses not realize this is a privacy nightmare.
ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Yes, it objectively is. And so are various other text editor options that are out there.
But just speaking about Notepad++, you can scale it down to a very simple text editor (like Notepad), it you can easily ramp it up to a much more feature rich one. And for me, the ability to have a vertical list of files is a big plus. As is its ability to optionally show line numbers.
kusivittula@sopuli.xyz 1 month ago
the only thing I need it for is to select text vertically (by holding left alt). there are a few similar ones for linux but some crash and the rest don’t have a dark theme, so I still use it with wine.
RedIce25@lemmy.world 1 month ago
actaastron@reddthat.com 1 month ago
I usually use my work laptop for personal bits and bobs which is Ubuntu but I turned on my personal Microsoft PC recently to do some stuff and couldn’t believe all the pop-ups and noise! I promptly moved all my data onto a external drive and did a fresh install of Ubuntu.
But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 1 month ago
All the Linux posts and Linux loving Lemmy users are what keep me away from Linux.
They’re like the Rick and Morty fans of PC software
the_doktor@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
Not our fault you won’t listen to common sense and reason. Enjoy your bloated fascist spyware just because you think Linux users are creepy or whatever the fuck you think.
Geodad@lemm.ee 1 month ago
If you must use windows, Notepad++ is the way to go.
IronSightOS@lemmy.world 1 month ago
amon@lemmy.world 1 month ago
GNU Emacs is the same everywhere you go (if you don’t mind the TUI)
MaxHardwood@lemmy.ca 1 month ago
VSCode is better than np++ in every way
IHawkMike@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I heavily use both and this is objectively untrue.
zeropublix@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
Those are 2 different t use case pieces of software
ExFed@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Clearly this is a controversial statement. I’m team “use what’s available and preference tools that get the job done quickly.”
I work in several different languages. VSCode has TreeSitter and a bevy slick plug-ins. NP++ does not. I can use VSCode on both Windows and Linux. I will hands down pick VSCode over NP++ every time.
MangoCats@feddit.it 1 month ago
Install time? Startup time? Useless bloat?
DeaDvey@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
ed is better
spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
Fucking click bait garbage article, but thankfully the article has a tldr that basically contradicts the headline
TL;DR: Microsoft has introduced a paywall for Notepad, requiring a Microsoft 365 subscription to access new features like the AI-powered Rewrite tool.
Better headline: Microsoft forces you to pay to suffer through using their AI tool that no one asked for, application otherwise unchanged.
MorningThunder@lemm.ee 1 month ago
This seems like something that should be kept local. What’s the point of all these NPUs otherwise
__nobodynowhere@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
lLMs in general is a tool no in one asked for
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 1 month ago
So… who wants to bet that the new version of Notepad is not constantly scraping anything you type into it and feeding it into the AI, regardless of whether you’re paying for this feature or not?
brokenlcd@feddit.it 1 month ago
Tbf, they already control the os itself. They already have access to all of the keystrokes. Implementing it just in notepad feels like a rube goldbergy way of scraping user data.
tfowinder@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
Sublime text ftw
Valmond@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Notepad++ on windows is kind of the GOAT IMO.
Confused_Emus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
Are people just going to keep reposting this misleading shit headline of a post until no one reads the article and just goes along with it?
Are the people constantly reposting this even reading the article and realizing how illiterate they look?
snuglylimes@lemm.ee 1 month ago
The click bait will never die my friend.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
We should never tire of pointing it out though.
wowwoweowza@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Linux
End of conversation.
OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
I think that’s the start of the conversation. Which Desktop Environment?
EarlGrey@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
I want a clean, advanced, well designed desktop and Im okay with redoing my work flow
Use Gnome
Gnome is cool but can it be slightly more Windows?
Use Cosmic (PopOS)
I want lots of customization, advanced features, and a traditional windows desktop metaphor
Use KDE
I want Windows and don’t really care about customization
Use Cinnamon
Dude the Windows 9x look was fucking dope
Use Mate
Im installing this on a potato
Use XFCE
JaddedFauceet@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I really like my KDE plasma
mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.world 1 month ago
IMO:
-
want to show off? i3wm with gaps and rofi for menu launcher. Add it some transparency effects too.
-
want the MacOS style? Gnome. Default on a lot of distros.
-
want something stable? XFCE. Install and forget.
-
kava@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Gnome is an opinionated desktop environment and that turns some people off. But it’s bold enough to make some design decisions and have a limited scope. KDE tries to be another Windows alternative.
Of course, you could go with a tiling window manager but my vote goes to Gnome. I’ve had a very smooth experience on Gnome for the last couple years.
wowwoweowza@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Well… it just removes so much toxicity from the outset
MarkalAlvarez@lemmy.world 1 month ago
It should be noted that you can still use Notepad without a Microsoft account, and users can go as far as removing the Rewrite icon completely from Notepad. Despite the ability to still use the software without an account, Microsoft has received some criticism for implementing what is most definitely a paywall/advertisement for a built-in piece of Windows software.
Matriks404@lemmy.world 1 month ago
People at Microsoft doesn’t understand what people use Notepad for.
If they wanted to add AI features, they should have added it to WordPad, and make it more modern.
Hudell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
They killed wordpad.
Matriks404@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Can’t wait for them to remove Calculator, since you can ask AI to calculate stuff, you know.
forgotaboutlaye@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Add it to OneNote then?
ryper@lemmy.ca 1 month ago
CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
Yeah but no one uses wordpad. They put it in notepad for the exact reason you’re saying: because people use it.
Matriks404@lemmy.world 1 month ago
If they made it more useful, people would use it. Making support for modern formats, maybe even Markdown could have been added and it would already be 5x more useful.
EuCaue@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
Thanks god that I’m not using windows for 4 years now, and at least notepad++ exists.
catloaf@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Why would a bot be using notepad?
sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 month ago
It’s like they want people to use npp instead
Shardikprime@lemmy.world 1 month ago
It should be noted that you can still use Notepad without a Microsoft account,
Despite the ability to still use the software without an account
Are we not doing context anymore?
What is this? Just outrage for the sake of outrage?
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
Exactly. The issue is that it’s a freemium model, where they advertise a product with additional features in Notepad. But Notepad itself is still free.
That’s still bad, but so is the title.
Nosavingthrow@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s hard for me to contain my incredulity: have you been asleep for the last decade? Has a very obvious pattern of enshitification has not been constantly proven as a rule on the tech sector? And an article is… outrage?
andallthat@lemmy.world 1 month ago
the news is more that they are trying to shoehorn AI in effing Notepad to make sure even those little snippets of text can be used for training
illi@lemm.ee 1 month ago
The age of Notepad having a paywall has arrived, with the simple writing software now prompting users to sign into a Microsoft account to access new tools such as Rewrite, a new feature that uses artificial intelligence to rewrite highlighted text.
It should be noted that you can still use Notepad without a Microsoft account, and users can go as far as removing the Rewrite icon completely from Notepad.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 1 month ago
So notepad isn’t behind a paywall, AI features nobody was asking for is behind a paywall, and this headline is bullshit.
That’s my takeaway.
HipsterTenZero@dormi.zone 1 month ago
lol fuck that
Shady_Shiroe@lemmy.world 1 month ago
My understanding of the different operating systems
MacOS: One time hardware payment for their service (plus for every other device)
Linux: Free as in price free and freedom
Windows: 30+ subscriptions to edit 1 file, then cooldown till next day or upgrade subscriptions to enterpise version for a kidney/per user/per month.
Title
ChomeOS: Communism for the children, supported by the Education System
shortrounddev@lemmy.world 1 month ago
MacOS
And you get the privilege of making that one-time $2000 purchase every 2-3 years when Apple eventually nerfs their hardware with bad firmware updates
Lifter@discuss.tchncs.de 1 month ago
CheomeOS: Let Google silently start tracking your kids until they are old enough to sell all of that accumulated data.
SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 1 month ago
It’s so stupid that they’re making these additions to notepad. There is a need to have a basic text editor on an OS that isn’t going to try to “help” by giving recommendations, automatically backs up files or whatever other shit they’re trying to jam into it.
They had wordpad and if they wanted to add additional features into that, that’s completely fine. There are use cases for something that does a bit more than a simple text editor like notepad can do.
My guess is that they tracked that people used notepad more often than wordpad so they removed wordpad. Then started making notepad more like wordpad without considering why people used notepad more frequently.
amon@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Telemetry was a mistake
Emerald@lemmy.world 1 month ago
It is batshit crazy. Notepad was never meant to be what they are making it into. Not even WordPad should have AI nonsense. It’s just not for that.
the_doktor@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
How much shit are people going to endure before realizing Windows isn’t for them any more?
Dump the damn thing and use Linux. Yes, Linux is friendly, easy to use, you can play most games, you don’t need your proprietary programs because there are Free alternatives that are just as good that might take you a moment to adjust to (don’t cry about how it’s different, that’s Baby Duck Syndrome), and so on.
And Microsoft facilitates fascism and government spyware and all sorts of evil crap. So does Apple. And Google. Throw away your phone, use Linux on your PCs, free yourself.
Xanza@lemm.ee 1 month ago
The year of the Linux desktop has arrived.
ToadOfHypnosis@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Could MS suck any worse? It’s like they want people to not use their products. Capitalism is the ouroboros.
RejZoR@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
Fuck Ai. I just want Notepad to edit the most basic text. Why the fuck would I need fucking Ai bullshit in it? To rewrite what? INI game files? Hosts file?
Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Microsoft what the fuck are you doing.
You fucking idiot’s.
Nosavingthrow@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Oh god, how will replace a completely basic word processor? Surely there are not numerous replacements?
Psythik@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Notepad++ FTW
werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Used only in cases where everything else is not readily available… Pencil, pen, blood, boogers etc. But the most easily replaceable piece of software. Literally you could just paste into a browser’s URL box to do the same job. Lol. There must be some dumb fuck heading Microsoft right now.
lengau@midwest.social 1 month ago
Notepad has long been a testbed for new technology in Windows. This isn’t just a sign of enshittification, it’s a warning that they want to do more.
v4ld1z@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
Finally, I can proudly proclaim that I’m no longer bound Microsoft’s bullshit. Been a rocky start, but I’ve been happily using Kubuntu on my Surface for a while now, and it’s going awesome
TrojanRoomCoffeePot@lemmy.world 1 month ago
So, turns out that they final push that convinced me to start learning Linux is the ol’ Text Document.txt of all things. Swear to God, I thought that it would be the automatic updates nuking my unsaved work (again), but here we are…
nadram@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Clickbait. Notepad is still free. If you want to use Rewrite, then you pay for that.
yggdar@lemmy.world 1 month ago
The title is quite sensational compared to the content. They only added an AI Rewrite feature for notepad that requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. Considering the cost of AI, and the fact that it will very probably run in the cloud, it is very reasonable that it isn’t free. Everything else about notepad remains free / included with the price you paid for the OS.
Noedel@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I agree, but the idea of adding AI to notepad is quite insane in its own right
LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
Adding layers to MS paint was what surprised me
null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
I think the idea is that you can use it for reformatting small sets of data I guess.
“make all the dates in this CSV iso-8601”
mr_jaaay@lemmy.ml 1 month ago
Why? I mean, one of the main features of generative AI systems is to generate text (the quality of which I won’t get into), why not add this to something like Notepad. I agree that Notepad should be thought of as a lightweight, well, notepad, but still might be useful as a quicker alternative to Word.
The fact that Microsoft is trying to shove Copilot down our throats at every possible step is idiotic, I agree, but having an AI as part of a notes app doesn’t seem too weird.
Halliphax@lemmy.world 1 month ago
They give Copilot out for free so it’s weird that they’re charging for the Notepad AI feature.
Hell, just copy and paste the content into Copilot and ask it to rewrite it, I bet it’ll just be doing the same thing but for free.