Windows only 
There are all kinds of Notepad replacements out there, and it makes perfect sense why. Notepad is one of those apps that people use because it starts fast, is lightweight, and for most purposes it does what you need it to. And then there are other solutions out there like Notepad++, Notepad2, and many others. For some people even those can be overkill though.
That’s where Metapad comes in. This app just celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary, which means it’s been around the block and back again. It’s withstood the test of time, and yet there are still all kinds of people who swear by this app… and rightfully so. Metapad isn’t meant to be some all-powerful Notepad replacement. Instead its focus remained on staying small in size, but adding features that could be incredibly useful in daily use. This includes things like:
- Persistent window placement
- Dirty file notification
- Intelligent Find and Replace
- External viewer support (e.g. web browser)
- Usable accelerator keys (Ctrl+S, Ctrl+N, etc.)
- Dual customizable font support
- Optional Quick Exit (Esc key)
- Configurable tab stop setting
- Auto-indent mode
- Go to Line/Column
- Seamless UNIX text file support
- Block indent and unindent (Tab, Shift+Tab)
- Recent files list
- No file size limit! (under Win9x)
- Hyperlink support
So how small is this app? The executable weighs in under 100KB, which is pretty incredible. You have to keep in mind though that this app was developed before broadband had started to take off, and so it had to be quick to download over a modem. With that being said if you’re looking for a VERY light Notepad replacement you should definitely give this a shot.
Metapad Homepage (free; Windows only)
I used Metapad for years until I discovered Jujuedit [jujusoft.com]
I liked Metapad mainly due to it’s fast startup time, and jujuedit is as fast if not faster, although at these speeds it’s almost irrelevant.
It has practically all of the features of metapad plus syntax highlighting, regex, and binary viewer.
Give it a try, it will be worth it.
Also try the authors driving simulator Drivey.
Thank you for suggesting Jujuedit. You are right on all counts.
This article talks about Notepad replacements; well how about Metapad replacements? TED Notepad [jsimlo.sk] is one example worth trying.
I have used both Metapad (loved it for years!:) and then TED Notepad. Although switching from one to another might involve changing a few habits, the latter offers much more features and settings. And I have never come across Metapad’s feature that would not be included in TED Notepad.
I have been using Metapad for ten years — Hey! Happy Anniversary, Metapad!
I don’t need anything more complicated, but I love that I can have as many instances of it open as I need to.
TED is nice because it is portable, and I use it on my USB stick. If Metapad was portable, I’d replace TED in a minute.
Yes, well, text editor is like a tooth brush. You don’t change it often, if ever..
I’m sticking with Notepad++.
I’m a big fan of Notepad++ as well, but this is something that’s even simpler. I’d say that Notepad++ is a Notepad replacement on steroids. MetaPad is a bit easier to adapt to in my eyes.