First released with the very first version of Windows 1.0 in 1985, Paint in its various guises would be one of the first graphics editors used by many and became a core part of Windows. Starting life as a 1-bit monochrome licensed version of ZSoft’s PC Paintbrush, it wasn’t until Windows 98 that Paint could save in JPEG.
With the Windows 10 Creators Update, released in April, Microsoft introduced the new Paint 3D, which is installed alongside traditional Paint and features 3D image making tools as well as some basic 2D image editing. But it is not an update to original Paint and doesn’t behave like it.
Now Microsoft has announced that, alongside Outlook Express, Reader app and Reading list, Microsoft Paint has been signalled for death having been added to the “features that are removed or deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update” list.
Falling under the deprecated column for apps that are “not in active development and might be removed in future releases”, Microsoft Paint’s ticket has been called and now it’s only a matter of time before it is removed like your favourite piece of old furniture from your childhood home.
Paint was never one of the most capable apps, and was limited to the bitmap (BMP) and PCX formats until 1998, but if you wanted to scribble something out using your mouse or make a quick cut and paste job, Paint was always there, even on work computers.
The most recent version of Paint for Windows 7 and later was much improved, but still considered feature poor compared to other free alternatives such as the third-party Paint.NET.
When Microsoft Paint will officially be removed from Windows has yet to be confirmed, while a precise date for the release of the Windows 10 Autumn Creators Update is equally up in the air. Whether, like Clippy, Windows users will celebrate or decry Paint’s removal, it will be a moment in the history of Windows as one of its longest-standing apps is put out to pasture.
UPDATE!! 7/25/2017
Microsoft Paint saved after outpouring of love – sort of
Microsoft says that it will put 32-year-old program on the Windows Store, but that won’t help office workers pining for some impromptu creative sessions
Microsoft Paint to be placed in the Windows Store instead of being killed off.
Samuel Gibbs (The Guardian)
Tuesday 25 July 2017 10.04 BST
After the tremendous outpouring of love across the internet for arguably the greatest Windows program ever, Microsoft has announced that it will save MS Paint by putting it on the Windows Store.
Following the company’s announcement that the 32-year-old Paint is deprecated, meaning that it is “not in active development and might be removed in future releases”, Microsoft put out a blogpostin response to the anguished outcry at the potential removal of an old friend.
Megan Saunders, Microsoft’s general manager of the 3D for Everyone initiative, said: “MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free.
“Today, we’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint. If there’s anything we learned, it’s that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It’s been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app.”
Saunders also took the opportunity to push Paint 3D, which came with the Windows 10 Creators Update, is also in the Windows Store and Microsoft hopes you will you use instead.
Saving Microsoft Paint by putting it into the Windows Store instead of being a default part of Windows going forward is good, but it’s quite not the same as actually maintaining it in its current state as a core part of Windows like Notepad or Snipping Tool. The biggest difference is that Paint will no longer be installed by default with Windows and on work and enterprise machines, it is unlikely that system administrators will allow employees to install apps from the Windows Store in most situations.
So while home users will be free to download Microsoft Paint from the Windows Store and put it back where it belongs, office workers around the world will be deprived of their impromptu creative sessions once Paint is severed from Windows as standard.
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