A hallowed bit of software history is headed for the chopping block according to the latest Windows 10 update notes: it's finally time to say goodbye to Microsoft Paint.
Millions worldwide have used the staple PC program for everything from from silly scrawls to emergency office cut-and-paste jobs for decades, but the basic art software, it seems, is no longer part of Microsoft's vision for Windows.
The first version of MS Paint was released some 32 years go, shipping back in 1985 with Windows 1.0 when you couldn't even save your hasty creations as JPEGs; that feature didn't arrive until Windows 98.
Since then the program has remained pretty barebones despite periodic updates, 'and the result is that the once refreshingly simple drawing app has started to seem more and more out of step with more modern web-based alternatives.
Microsoft introduced Paint 3D in April, which has three-dimensional image-making tools as well as rudimentary 2D ones, but it is a separate program entirely and its survival will be a cold comfort to die-hard MS Paint fans.
While Microsoft has signaled in notes for the Autumn Creators Update for Windows 10 that Paint is "not in active development and might be removed in future releases," it's unclear when the program will actually disappear. It does seem inevitable, however.
