Microsoft is studying killing the iconic Paint software after nearly 32 years

Microsoft is studying removing the iconic Paint application from an upcoming update of Windows 10 after nearly 32 years in existence.

In a list released by Microsoft, Paint has been labeled “deprecated”, meaning it could be removed when the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is released later this year.

Paint was introduced with the first version of Windows, called Windows 1.0 in November 1985. It was originally a licensed version of PC Paintbrush which was made by ZSoft Corporation.

In the beginning, it supported 1-bit monochrome graphics, and it wasn’t until Windows 98 that users could save images in the well-known JPEG file format.

Last year, Microsoft unveiled Paint 3D, a new version of the classic software. It is much more advanced, allowing users to create three-dimensional images.

Other features going from the next Windows 10 update include Outlook Express and the reader app, which Microsoft said will be integrated into its Edge browser.

Paint holds a certain nostalgia with many Windows users despite never really having huge functionality versus other apps such as Adobe’s Photoshop. But the simplicity was perhaps what made it so popular.

The Fall update of Windows 10 does not have a release date yet, and it’s not completely confirmed whether Paint will be axed. But the prospect of the death of Paint is already getting some users upset on social media.

Source: CNBC