Microsoft set to axe Paint software from Windows 10 after three decades

Microsoft is preparing to kill off the iconic Paint application after it released a list of apps on Monday, which it considers removing from an upcoming update of Windows 10 after nearly 32 years in existence. 

In a list released by Microsoft, the iconic graphics editing app has been labeled "deprecated", meaning it could be removed when the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is released later this year.

MS Paint which was introduced with the first version of Windows called Windows 1.0 and has been bundled with every version of the Windows OS since November 1985 has been placed under the “deprecated” column, meaning it might be removed from future releases.

It was originally a licensed version of PC Paintbrush which was made by ZSoft Corporation.

Microsoft said the list is “intended to help customers consider these removals and deprecations for their own planning.”

They did also state that the list is subject to change, and may not include every deprecated feature or functionality.

Long time users and fans of the Windows OS will be disappointed with Microsoft’s decision, as a lot of people grew up using paint.

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.