Because even a program as anecdotal as Notepad can be at the heart of Microsoft's attention.
If it is often replaced by "++" versions and lacks some of the most obvious functionalities, Windows Notepad is what we can call an emblematic tool of Windows. Simple and light, it is a great tool for many users and Microsoft intends to make it evolve very soon. Thus, the deployment of the Windows 10 update in the second half of 2021 - the famous Sun Valley - should be the occasion for some notable updates to Notepad. It will then become a "detached" application available via the Windows Store and will no longer be tucked away in the Windows "accessories" folder.
As Mayank Parmar explains for Windows Latest, moving Notepad to the Windows Store will allow Microsoft to bring more regular updates to this little piece of software, which is currently "stuck" with the twice-yearly Windows updates, one in the spring and the other in the fall. As if to prove its good intentions, Microsoft is already explaining that a notification system will take place on the Notepad. The idea, quite simple, is to tell users that they are not using the most recent version of the software, that an update is available, as you can see on the screenshot above.
Mayank Parmar points out that this notification gives the possibility to launch the new version and that Notepad is now able to communicate directly with the Windows Store. In fact, it can alert the user that a new version is available for download/installation. On the other hand, it seems essential to restart the application after updating and Notepad will then notify its users that it is necessary to save their work. Windows Latest confirms that we will have to wait for the Sun Valley Update in the fall of 2021 to benefit from these changes on the Notepad side. On the other hand, members of the Windows Insiders program can already take advantage of them via the various builds made available by Microsoft.
