Whew! Microsoft Reverses Decision To Kill Paint

The much loved app will live on in the Windows Store.

Earlier this week, the internet expressed its collective outrage over an announcement by Microsoft. The news contained a list of programs that would either be killed off entirely or no longer receive updates and support with the rollout of the Windows 10 Creator system. The outcry came over an unlikely but beloved title: Paint.

Paint has been a mainstay of Windows basically since the first day the operating system was born. Sometime back in 1985, Paint was probably a massive selling point for those looking to get into this newfangled “computer age.” With nothing like it on the market at the time, it might be only slightly exaggerating to say that Paint probably served as a great number of artists’ first forays into digital.

We all <3 MS Paint! [pic credit: Microsoft]

Not much about the program has gotten complex since its birth. It’s still a basic yet functional tool that users of any interest and ability – from your toddler on Take Your Kid to Work Day sitting at your desktop to a blogger needing to resize an image for a post – can find use for.

The people have spoken

Fortunately, Microsoft heard the pleas of the people and (for once) did something about it. They’ve now announced that Paint is not only no longer on the chopping block, but that it will be available for free in the Windows store.

“Today, we’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint. If there’s anything we learned, it’s that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It’s been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app. Amidst today’s commentary around MS Paint we wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight, clear up some confusion and share some good news: 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.”

Great call, Microsoft

It’s awesome to see Microsoft actually acknowledge the role of user feedback in this decision. Too often, it feels like the real discussions are taking place solely on the forum boards rather than in boardrooms, so the tip of the hat to people who voiced their opinions is a welcome move. However, Microsoft took that love one step further with an additional announcement.

“Paint 3D, the new app for creativity, also available for free with the Windows 10 Creators Update, will continue to get new feature updates. In addition to the new 3D capabilities, many of the MS Paint features people know and love like photo editing, line and curve tools, and 2D creation are in Paint 3D.”