Microsoft seems to be integrating its AI into every possible product. Be it the Office suite, Snipping Tool, or even Notepad. However, Notepad is one of those apps that might not actually need an AI upgrade. For years, Notepad has been a go-to tool for taking quick text notes and saving information you might need later.
Notepad as a tool was never meant to compete with other Microsoft products like Microsoft Word. Instead, it was designed for jotting down quick notes or to-do lists, viewing/editing plain-text files (logs, configs, batch scripts), or writing small amounts of code. But with AI, Microsoft is now changing how we use Notepad—and we strongly believe that Notepad doesn’t need an AI upgrade. Here’s why:
1. We like it simple
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that one of Notepad’s key strengths is its simplicity. It is lightweight, launches instantly, and is free from distractions. You could rely on Notepad for capturing your thoughts, writing down phone numbers, or creating a shopping or to-do list, without any distractions. While it lacked advanced features like those in a word processor, it always got the job done.
However, by adding AI features to it, Microsoft is turning it into a more feature-heavy tool, which makes it less simple to use. While we personally like the newly added formatting tools that help with creating a to-do list.
2. Power users have alternatives
Power users who need to edit text, write code, or require writing assistance might already be using better apps than Notepad. For instance, for writing code, you have VS Code or Cursor, which auto-completes your code as you type with the help of AI.
If you want to create a to-do list or a shopping list, you could use Microsoft To Do or other alternatives like Obsidian or Notion. For writing assistance, you could always use Microsoft Word, which now comes with AI integration, or rely on various online AI chatbot tools.
Integrating additional AI-powered features into Notepad isn’t necessary, especially when the actual power user might not even consider using the tool.
3. Low resource usage
Notepad is a lightweight app—it uses almost no RAM or CPU. It doesn’t spike your system resource usage, making it perfect for older systems or multitasking environments.
However, by integrating AI features into it, Notepad will use more memory and system resources, which could slow down older systems or PCs with lower-end hardware.
4. Unnecessary complexity
Anyone simply looking for a basic way to type text might find Notepad with AI features less appealing. AI features like content generation, summarization, or rewriting might not be needed for most users, as Notepad was never meant to compete with word processors.
In the end, the beauty of Notepad is that it does one thing exceptionally well. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated or feature-heavy. Instead, it can just be an app that lets you edit text, jot down quick notes, or act as a copy-paste assistant.
