For many who owned a Personal Computer in the era of Microsoft Paint, it was a personal joy to create and edit pictures and doodles on it. What we would do on the slate or with crayons had suddenly gone sci-fi with Microsoft. The boring Computer classes in school would become interesting and give vent to childhood creativity when kids would draw the same two mountains, a setting sun and one house along a river, but now do it on Paint.
This is the reason, loaded with nostalgia, behind the remorseful reactions when Microsoft announced that Paint will be one of the “features that are removed or deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update”.
From 1985 onwards, Paint was the basic graphics editing program. Beginning as a 1-bit monochrome licensed version of ZSoft’s PC Paintbrush, Paint could save in JPEG only with Windows 98.
Paint 3D, released in April, with Windows 10 Creator’s Update, featured 3D image making tools as well as some basic 2D image editing. Unfortunately, it is not an updated version of Paint, and neither does it behave like Paint, to which this generation is conditioned for doodling.
Paint has never been the epitome of efficiency among apps, but it was good to have it for a quick cut and paste job. Even the most recent version on Windows 7 was an underdog compared to other alternative graphic editing apps like Photoshop and Gimp.
When will Microsoft hit the delete button on Paint is still unclear as is the release date for the Windows 10 Autumn Creators Update. Whether the reaction will be celebratory or nostalgic, it will be a historical moment in the Windows history as it deprecates the longest-standing app on Microsoft.
Paint remains like the Rag Doll of our childhood. It is worn out and lost its shine. But yet, it is good to know that it is still there in the trunk with other childhood memories.
(Image credits- giphy)
