Microsoft caused a minor media storm a day back when it announced that it will kill off its longtime legacy application MS Paint. The software had been part of Windows Operating systems for close to three decades now. Microsoft’s decision had to do with moving on to a new and updated version of Paint called Paint 3D that is expected to ship with the much awaited Windows 10 Creators Update this fall.
After Microsoft made the announcement, there was a huge outcry over losing the nostalgic Paint. This wasn’t merely Microsoft ceasing to support the app as it does with its Office products; the app would be gone from Windows entirely. And while the 32-year app honestly didn’t have many capabilities, people were certainly attached to it and habituated to using it to copy paste screenshots and parts and bits of images for quick edits.
Turns out that Microsoft listened and, in a blog post confirmed that the app will be here to stay. While it will still be gone from the default Windows installations, it will be kept alive in the Windows Store as a free download.
MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free
– Megan Saunders, General Manager, Windows Experiences.
Although this means that Paint will be alive, it won’t be quite the same as a default installation with Windows. Plenty of systems come with restricted rights controlled by system administrators that don’t really allow apps to be installed from the store. And for all those countless individuals running counterfeit copies, this move still means they’ll be losing out on the good ole’ Paint. In fact, there’s a strong possibility that this move could backfire on Microsoft and may actually discourage some people from upgrading Windows altogether.
Fortunately, the good thing about the new Microsoft under Satya Nadella is that it’s so far been quite open and receptive to audience feedback, open enough to bring SQL to Linux. If we could get this blog post confirming Paint’s existence less than 24 hours after the outrage on it being dropped off, there still exists a possibility that Microsoft may bring back Paint in the default installation somehow if it sees that the number of people refraining from upgrading systems makes up a significant chunk.
For now, this is as bittersweet a resolution to the Paint drama that could be.