Why you should stop using Notepad

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Since in today’s world many people have quite a busy schedule, it becomes necessary to write everything down. Sometimes it’s just a necessity. This program is designed for working with text. Notepad is one of the easiest word processing programs. However, it’s worth taking a closer look at whether or not you need Notepad. If your goal isn’t occasional notes or light editing of text files.

What are the reasons you should stop using Notepad

Notepad is a free text file editor that has been part of Microsoft Windows operating systems since Windows 1.0 came out in 1985. Notepad is one of the simplest word processing programs. Its task is quite simple, is to quickly view, create and edit text files. In it, you can only enter text and edit it.

Users cannot change the font or the size of individual characters, that is, perform text formatting, in this program as well. The Notepad app for Windows 10 attracted a lot of attention in 2020. The fact that Microsoft has updated it, adding several new features. New updates to Notepad will be automatically installed through the Microsoft Store.

For some users, this program does everything they need, for them, the extra features just mean an extra burden that they’d rather not deal with. Still, it’s worth delving deeper into this issue and trying to understand the programs that support more complex formatting. As well as data structuring or cloud-based synchronization between platforms.

What are the main reasons that make Notepad difficult to use

Notepad does have pluses, but it also has minuses that can be difficult to work with. Its simplicity can be considered both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that it’s simple and fast, which makes it easy to use. At the same time, however, it’s a disadvantage because it’s incomplete in other areas, especially when organizing notes.

One of the main disadvantages of Notepad is that it has no internal organization. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to edit several notes at once. You’ll need to manually organize them using folders. If you want to get them structured. That is, you’ll have several windows open in your working window.

For many users, it will be critical to be able to access a Notepad document using different devices. However, unfortunately, this program cannot offer this to its users. The lack of cloud backup is a huge disadvantage of this program. This can subsequently lead to lost documents if you don’t save Notepad text files to cloud file services such as OneDrive or Dropbox.

The significant and important disadvantages also include the fact that the text files of Notepad aren’t encrypted. It’s not protected in any way. That is, by default, the program doesn’t protect your information in any way. In spite of this, it’s possible to independently secure the information you store in Notepad. To do that, you’ll have to store them in an encrypted file partition using a tool like BitLocker.

It’s also not possible to use the search function. When you don’t have the ability to structure information in your notebook and you have the need to find the text you want among many text files. You’ll not be able to do this in the program. There is a way out, but it’s not very convenient. You have to use the built-in Windows search function.

What other programs are more comfortable to use

Fortunately, users who don’t want to use the Notepad program have a lot to choose from. They’re actually a lot of options. To choose one, you need to decide which disadvantage of the Notepad program you’re most unhappy with. Accordingly, then find the program that will only work for you. One of the most popular programs used by many users on the windows system are:

  • Notepad++

Notepad++ is one of those programs that have a very clear target audience. It’s a free and open-source text editor for Windows, with syntax highlighting for a large number of programming and markup languages.

  • OneNote

OneNote allows you to create an unlimited number of notebooks, which, in turn, can be broken down into pages and sections. It supports handwriting and drawing, and you can embed videos from the web and screenshots. You can also record audio notes, and add Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.

  • Keep

Notes organizer, the main advantages of which – high speed of work, optimal functionality. Information in the program is recorded on separate note-stickers, which can be colored in different colors and tagged for easy retrieval. Since this is a Google development, you’ll be able to access your notes from different devices.

  • TED Notepad

TED Notepad is another alternative to Notepad that provides many useful features. It’s a great option for regular users who need advanced features that make writing text easier. The lightweight text editor is popular because of its many functions, such as including line numbering and modifying external files. It also automatically saves and restores, as well as cancels or repeats several actions.

To choose a program for creating quick notes and organizing personal information, you need to determine what your scenario of use will be. For each user, each program will be more convenient than the previous one.