In a world of Word and Google Docs it’s easy to overlook Notepad. Notepad sits quietly in Windows just waiting for some action. Every time that quick thought or copy/paste moment enters your brain, Notepad gets excited. Then feels bitter disappointment when you go to Word or some on-line app. It’s time to make Notepad happy.

Not just for geeks

I’m a developer geek so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I love notepad. And I’m not surprised if you already use Notepad on a daily basis. You’re smart…it’s everyone else we need to try and convert. There’s no reason NOT to use Notepad when you need a quick place to drop a link, throw down a thought, or even do some quick editing.

Notepad is always present in my Quick Launch menu but I probably run Notepad more often through the Windows button on the keyboard.

Just hit that Windows button, hit R, then type “notepad” and enter. Boom. Notepad is ready for action. I’m sure I can run three instances of Notepad, paste items, and save before your Word even gets done loading.

Not only is Notepad speedy and convenient, lets not forget it breaks the software barrier too. You don’t have to worry about versions with Notepad. You might have Word 10, but your friend has Word 9. No worries with Notepad - it’s just plain text and will work on every system imaginable.

Word and other desktop publishing clients are just that - for publishing. If you don’t need formatting or fancy styles, Notepad is all you need.

I’ve tried Notepad replacements in the past - like Notepad++ - but I always come back to good old Notepad. It’s just fast and dead simple.

So please, next time you have a quick note or link to share with your co-workers, do so with Notepad.
Don’t use Word.