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Everyone was so angry about Microsoft killing Paint that they've decided to save it

Power to the people!

Everyone was so angry about Microsoft killing Paint that they've decided to save it
Tom Victor
25 July 2017

When Joni Mitchell sang that famous line “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” we can only assume she was prophesying the future of Microsoft Paint.

The news that Microsoft was seemingly about to sunset its iconic program was greeted with dismay by people who still regularly use it, people who don’t use it much but still have fond memories of it, and folks who traded in their Windows laptop for a Mac about seven years ago but enjoy remembering things.

But wait, we may have spoken too soon.

Microsoft has set the record straight, explaining in a blog post that Paint is not quite as dead as some thought.

“Amidst today’s commentary around MS Paint we wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight, clear up some confusion and share some good news,” the post reads.

“MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free.”

We’ll also be getting Paint 3D, the new app which some thought would mark the end of our old friend, but the most important thing is that the original and best version is sticking around for those of us who prefer to do things the old-fashioned way.

It doesn’t matter whether this was always the plan, or whether this was Microsoft were testing the waters by letting news of Paint’s apparent demise leak out. What’s important is that our trusty picture-editing mate is going nowhere.

(Images: Pat Hines)