While Wordpad received a refreshed user interface in Windows 7, including the now-ubiquitous ribbon, Notepad remained pretty much the same. If you’re an eccentric power user (like me), it’s great having a no-frills text editor with no splash screen or feature bloat at your command for those quick configuration file and web page edits. However, if you think Notepad needs to get with the times, you can always give
Notepad 7 a whirl.
In terms of functionality, it doesn’t add anything new to the Notepad experience, other than the Office-like navigation ribbon. In terms of pros, its presentation is slick and it’ll feel right at home with the Windows 7 versions of Wordpad and Paint.
Unfortunately, there are a few cons. It defaults to Segoe UI for the font, which is not a great thing seeing as mono-spaced fonts are a must for looking at code. It also eats 16MB after start-up, compared to Notepad’s 1MB. If I wanted to be extremely picky, the word “New” is spelt with an extra “o” in the File menu.
Still, if for some reason you really can’t stand Notepad’s plain look, it’s worth checking out. Of course, power users will find the versatile
Notepad++ 5.9.6.2 remains one of the best Notepad replacements, bringing considerably more than an overhauled interface to the party.
For another alternative
FluentNotepad: Notepad With Office 2010 Ribbon UI
Though the IT market is flourished with plenty of text editors,
FluentNotepad is one program that will not miss your eye. With a brilliant, yet appealingly simple interface, this writing tool offers everything you need to start working on your drafts, memos and notes.
I haven’t personally come across a more interesting text editor. It is one of those applications that capture your attention and set your mood right–any writer would know how important these can be, especially when you get down to serious work.
Truth be told, this program can only offer you the most basic text editing features, such as font and font color selection, text alignment, and a bottom status bar to offer simplistic statistics about the document. But coming to think of it, is this why someone accesses a notepad application–for the features it offers? I’m not too sure and I certainly can’t vouch for others, but the only times I used Windows Notepad was to jot down some points or to set my drafts straight. And for this, I need an application that calibrates with my mindset and encourages me to write–FluentNotepad did just that!
Compared with Windows Notepad, you get a handful of added features, such as font choice and text alignment and the option to minimize the top options bar. Another innovation seen in this product is the integration of a Ribbon UI into an otherwise ordinary notepad. The Ribbon UI also allows users to adjust the position of the Quick Access toolbar (above or below the ribbon).
It supports Windows 7 OS; testing was carried out on Windows 7, x86 system.
