Being a writer that pumps out at least half a dozen articles a day, I have gradually developed a fondness for the Editor / Notepad application in Windows XP. In fact I prefer it a lot more than Microsoft Word due to the fact that a) it opens virtually instantaneously and b) it is easy to use. You just open it and start typing right away. It’s also perfect for making lists and writing simple HTML. But although I enjoy Notepad’s no-frills approach, there are times when I wish there were at least some other features available.
Enter NoteTab Light.
There are many Notepad replacements on the market but I was particularly taken by NoteTab Light because of the tabs. Being also a Firefox addict, I like my tabs and with NoteTab Light, you can open multiple notes in the same window by having them open in tabs, just like opening up new internet windows in the Fox. Since I often have LOTS of Notepad windows open with article drafts, lists and such like, the idea of consolidating them all into one note window, but in different tabs, appeals to me from a neatness point of view.
Another cool feature is the ability to drag and drop text around the page. Say you are writing an article and you decide that a sentence you have just written deserves to be in the previous paragraph. Just highlight the sentence, click on it with the mouse and drag it to where you want it to go.
As well as some great text features, there are also some conversion tools (see screenshot) and quite a lot of useful HTML formatting tools.
If NoteTab is not to your liking, here are some other noteworthy Notepad replacements :
Notepad ++
Win32Pad
TED Notepad
BDV Notepad
A freeware list of Notepad replacements
Is there an Editor / Notepad replacement that you like which has not been included here? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Filed Under: Cool Software Apps ¦ Lists of tools ¦ Windows
Tags: better alternatives, notepad, notes, office, productivity, tabs, windows tips
Notepad++ for the win! I use it for everything.
Never tried myself, but heard lots of good things about it.
Quick question: In their feature list, they mention something like “Multi-Document View/Edit”. Does it refer to tabs functionality, or something else?
indeed, Notepad++ is a tabbed application.
You guys gave a skip to editplus… the leader in alternative to notepad!!!
alas! it is not free..
As Mow3 stated: “it’s not free”
yep, editplus is the best..
can’t use my comp now without a text editor with tabs support, easy right-click menu access and massive database of code coloring templates
Gvim for windows - works great: http://www.vim.org/
As already noted in the comments and the article, Notepad++ is good. I particularly like the portable version, as I work on a company owned laptop on which I am not allowed to install applications but am allowed to run portable apps from my USB key. Tabbed interface, portability, and reasonable size all work together to make this my preferred replacement.
Also check out PSPad at
http://www.pspad.com/
Thanks, will check it out.
also Geany is worth checking, as it is both free and crossplatform (just in case of the unlikely event of switching away from Windows
). It has tabs, too (check the screenshots section).
http://geany.uvena.de/