Microsoft Phases Out WordPad in Future Windows Release, Recommends Microsoft Word for Text Documents

Microsoft is taking the significant step of discontinuing WordPad, the venerable basic word processing application that has been bundled with Windows for generations. The rationale behind this decision is the stagnation in WordPad's development, with the application no longer receiving updates or substantial enhancements. Instead, Microsoft is steering users towards the versatile Microsoft Word for creating and editing rich text documents, offering an array of powerful features. 

Meanwhile, for straightforward plain text tasks, Windows Notepad is being presented as the go-to option. The sunsetting of WordPad symbolizes the conclusion of an era for this unadorned text editing tool, with its role being passed on to the more feature-rich Microsoft Word for users who require robust document processing capabilities. 

This transition is anticipated to be instituted with the release of Windows 12 in 2024, underscoring Microsoft's commitment to delivering modern and efficient tools for users' word processing requirements.