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.