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From: Ben Collver <bencollver@tilde.pink>
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Microsoft notepad.exe paywall
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:51:19 -0000 (UTC)
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After 40 years of being free Microsoft has added a paywall to Notepad
=====================================================================
<https://static.tweaktown.com/news/1/0/103367_213332_microsoft-just-
put-this-controversial-notepad-feature-behind-paywall.png>

If you want full access to Notepad, Microsoft now requires users to
pay, with the new changes to 40-year-old software adopting the
'freemium' model.

TL;DR: Microsoft has introduced a paywall for Notepad, requiring a
Microsoft 365 subscription to access new features like the AI-powered
Rewrite tool.

Notepad has been around for more than 40 years, and throughout that
time, Microsoft made simple software free, but that time has now come
to an end, or at least if you want full access to Notepad.

<https://static.tweaktown.com/news/1/0/103367_156651156_microsoft-
just-put-this-controversial-notepad-feature-behind-paywall.jpg>

After 40 years of being free Microsoft has added a paywall to Notepad

The age of Notepad having a paywall has arrived, with the simple
writing software now prompting users to sign into a Microsoft account
to access new tools such as Rewrite, a new feature that uses
artificial intelligence to rewrite highlighted text. Users attempting
to use the new feature will be prompted with a Microsoft account
sign-in page, and if the account doesn't have an active Microsoft 365
membership, the user will be required to sign up. This is the
paywall.

It should be noted that you can still use Notepad without a Microsoft
account, and users can go as far as removing the Rewrite icon
completely from Notepad. Despite the ability to still use the
software without an account, Microsoft has received some criticism
for implementing what is most definitely a paywall/advertisement for
a built-in piece of Windows software.

This criticism comes after Microsoft slowly started baking in
advertisements for its other services within the Windows 11 operating
system, such as ads for Game Pass within the Settings app, various
ads within the Start Menu, and even File Explorer. As explained by
Windows Central, Microsoft has adopted the "freemium" model for
Notepad, which, for those who don't know, means the initial software
is free to use but has specific features are locked behind paywalls.

From: <https://www.tweaktown.com/news/103367/after-40-years-of-being-
free-microsoft-has-added-paywall-to-notepad/>