Microsoft is bringing a significant upgrade to Notepad for owners of its new CoPilot Plus PC computers. The AI writing features within the app will soon be processed directly on the device, eliminating the need for an active internet connection or a paid subscription. Previously, access to Notepad’s summarize, rewrite, and compose tools required a monthly CoPilot Pro or Microsoft 365 subscription. This change means that users who have invested in a CoPilot Plus PC, which features a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), will get these AI capabilities for free. For subscribers who also own one of these new AI PCs, the update introduces a choice between generating text locally on the device for potentially greater speed and privacy, or using the cloud-based service. The new local AI feature for Notepad is currently being distributed to testers in the Windows Insider Program. It is initially available only for English text, with support for additional languages likely to follow in the future. In other Windows update news, the classic Paint application is receiving new functionality. A highly requested project save feature is being added, allowing users to save their work in progress and return to it later, similar to how professional Adobe applications operate. Users can select File and then Save as project to create a .paint file. Additionally, Paint is gaining a new opacity slider for its pencil and brush tools. This gives users more control over the transparency of their strokes, a basic feature found in more advanced image editors. While still a simple application, Paint has been the focus of several recent upgrades from Microsoft, including the integration of an AI-powered image generator last year. Finally, the Snipping Tool is getting a minor but useful update. Windows Insiders will find a new quick markup option available directly in the capture toolbar immediately after taking a screenshot. This allows for instant doodling or annotation on the snip before saving or sharing the image. All of these features are available now for testing in the Windows Insider Canary and Dev channels. Users can sign up for the Insider program for free with a Microsoft account to try them out. Microsoft occasionally decides not to release a beta feature to the general public, though this is not a common occurrence. These updates represent Microsoft’s continued effort to enhance its core applications with both AI and practical, user-requested tools.
