We spoke about Notepad ++ being my favorite notepad replacement tool a few days ago. I used it to search and replace some text and code in thousands of HTML files. It was great, it was free but - it left me clicking on each file I needed to modify so I could run the “Replace In All” open tabs command.

This was a little tedious to say the least. I was so happy with not having to manually change all the files that this did not hit me until I had opened my 1,000th file. Don’t get me wrong I got pretty good at it but this was not how I wanted to waste my time.
I have been using Notepad ++ for years as my Windows Notepad replacement.
It does highlighting and line numbers, these were my first reasons for using it. Notepad ++ has been my best friend for writing scripts and HTML files.
Now I had a new challenge and my buddy Mike told me that Notepad ++ would be my easiest and FREE solution.
September has just begun and, in my part of the world, it brings with it the first autumn winds and the grumblings of students as they head back to school. For my part though I can’t help you with your exams or your math homework (I’m only one humble blogger after all).
I can however introduce you to a few programs that may ease your burden and make those hours of studying a little easier. First on the agenda is a nifty little Linux note-taking program for KDE called BasKet Note Pads.
If you’ve got an iPod Touch or iPhone, you’ve got to give this neat little app a try. Its called “Writing Pad” and it’s free.
It may look like your average textpad or notepad, but it’s far from it. You can type the old fashioned way by tapping on individual keys, or you can type the new fashioned way, by sliding your finger across the soft keyboard.
Instead of tapping, you slide or drag your finger across your iPhone’s soft keyboard, making a continuous line from one letter to another. It’s shape writing technology from ShapeWriter.
If you’re into programming then you’ll know how much easier it is to use a text editor that has syntax highlighting so that you can see if you left a bracket open, curly bracket open or mistyped something. In this article I will review 3 lightweight free text editors for programmers on Windows.
If you’re prepared to pay for a text editor with a free trial option, there is Dreamweaver and Aptana, Aptana has three software packages Aptana Studio, Aptana Cloud and Aptana Jaxer.
If you don’t want to pay for a text editor and would prefer a free option, read on…

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.
SourceForge is an incredible and possibly the ultimate source for Open Source (which means free) software. The main reason SourceForge is so great is that they are a centralized resource for hosting Open Source projects… According to the website they are now over 100,000 projects.
Below are some of my favorites which I use on a semi-daily basis. Of course, since MakeUseOf is a free applications directory there have been several projects already discussed. These will be linked accordingly.
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