Over the past few decades Microsoft Windows has gone through iteration after iteration, but one program has remained stubbornly the same – Paint. Images started leaking a few days ago of the new Paint, which Microsoft plan to issue for Windows 10.

I'm not exactly sure if it's officially the most used photo editing software, if one can even call it that, but it's certainly the most well known.

Microsoft have never pretended that Paint is a powerful piece of software, and this new version doesn't seem to be a Photoshop competitor. From the demonstration video we can see that it appears to be a Universal Windows app that is meant to be pen and touch-friendly. This physical element to the program should aid with 3D art creation, which the new Paint aims to make accessible and simple for anyone.

This probably means no layers, or anything that one would expect in a basic photo editing software, but Microsoft aren't intending to shake up the legacy program too much. Users will just be able to crop, insert text, draw using brushes and pencils, and add 2D and 3D models – albeit with a pen and your fingers.

Paint appears to have been leaked to Microsoft testers in May, and its supposed to be rolled out with a new Surface model on October 26th.

Like it has always been, Paint will be a basic program meant for even the most elementary user. But this version is meant to redefine the definition of what "basic" means. Perhaps the next generation of computer users will grow up being fully adept in 3D animation, thanks in large part due to an early education in this brave new Paint.

2016-10-11 03:00