Windows Notepad Transformed into a Powerful Writing Tool with New AI Enhancement

Microsoft’s Notepad, historically known for its simplicity, is undergoing a significant transformation. With the integration of Copilot AI, users can now leverage advanced writing assistance alongside their usual text editing tasks.

Transforming Notepad into an AI-Assisted Writing Tool

The newest update for Windows Insiders, specifically build version 26120.4161, introduces Copilot AI features to Notepad. These enhancements provide users with a series of new options accessible right from the Notepad context menu:

Rewrite: Quickly restructure or rephrase selected text to improve clarity or style.
Customized Rewrite: Tailor your text length and tone to fit different contexts, with customizable options that let you set the text to be longer or shorter.
Summarize: Generate concise summaries of lengthy documents to capture essential information efficiently.

As highlighted in TechRadar, an intriguing Write feature allows for the generation and editing of text based on user inputs—akin to using AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini. Users can review, adjust, and finalize the text according to their preferences.

Notepad showcasing Copilot AI functionality

The Customized Rewrite option offers flexibility, allowing adjustments in text length while also providing multiple tonal variations and formatting layouts—five tones and six formats. Furthermore, the Summarize feature serves as an efficient mechanism for condensing extensive texts into more manageable summaries.

The Copilot icon, conveniently positioned in the top right corner near the settings gear, consolidates these new functionalities into a single drop-down menu for easy access. However, users may find some discrepancies in feature availability; for instance, Rewrite and Write appear to offer similar capabilities, raising questions about their future coexistence.

Nevertheless, enthusiasts eager to enhance their Notepad experience might face a significant hurdle. Accessing the AI features necessitates AI credits, which are only available through a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription—meaning users won’t be able to utilize these capabilities for free. Currently, Microsoft has not disclosed how many tokens will be needed, transforming an otherwise promising enhancement into a financial consideration. Notably, users will also appreciate having the option to disable Copilot through Notepad settings, allowing for a return to the app’s original charm when desired.

Are AI Features Necessary in Notepad?

Notepad isn’t alone in adopting AI; other Windows applications are also receiving AI-infused upgrades. For example, Paint is gaining an AI sticker generator and object-select tool akin to those found in Photoshop, while the Snipping Tool can now intelligently crop and resize screenshots based on selected focus areas. Furthermore, Windows Search has received one of its most substantial enhancements in years, albeit with some limitations attached.

While these new features certainly offer added functionality, their relevance is debatable. For Notepad users—especially those like myself who rely on its straightforward design for daily tasks—these AI tools could be beneficial if they were more accessible. Unfortunately, the requirement of Microsoft 365 credits limits their utility, forcing many to resort to free online alternatives that often outperform Notepad’s new offerings.

Ultimately, one must consider if these AI integrations align with Notepad’s core value of simplicity. The app thrives on its straightforward, no-frills approach, and introducing subscription-based features could undermine its appeal to users who cherish that simplicity.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access the new AI features in Microsoft Notepad?

To access the new AI features in Microsoft Notepad, you need to have Windows Insiders build version 26120.4161, and a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription is required to utilize these Copilot features.

2. What kind of tasks can I perform with the Notepad AI tools?

With the AI features, you can rewrite existing text, customize rewrites according to tone and length, and also summarize lengthy documents, making it a more powerful writing tool than before.

3. Can I use Notepad’s AI features without a subscription?

No, the AI features in Notepad are locked behind a subscription to Microsoft 365, which means you cannot access them for free, even if you have a Microsoft account.

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