Microsoft has announced veteran graphics program Paint will be retired after 32 years as a default part of Windows, dismaying users.
Paint was introduced with the first version of the Windows operating system, Windows 1.0, in November 1985 as a licensed version of ZSoft Corporation's PC Paintbrush.
It has survived with occasional upgrades in every version of Windows since, but on July 24, Microsoft announced it would be no longer be supported after the Windows 10 Fall Creator's Update.
It is not yet being killed off completely: Microsoft has provided a long list of programs to be removed but Paint is in the column marked "deprecated", meaning "not in active development and might be removed in future releases".
It will still be available through the Windows Store, making rumours of its death exaggerated for now: It might still hang around for another decade.
Microsoft also note Paint's functionality has been integrated into the brand new Paint 3D, so a program able to annotate memes, make cartoons and crop unloved people out of photographs will still be easily available.
Other programs on the chopping block include free email program Outlook Express and a collection of system tools, many of which are being replaced by updated versions of themselves, are described as "legacy code" or even, in the case of Syskey.exe, as a "nonsecure security feature".
Users have been sharing their dismay at the news on social media — although others claimed to be surprised it even still existed.
"A whole generation of kids will never know the infuriating joy of trying to make anything on it," Artist Annie Dornan-Smith said.
Others used the hashtag #RIPChildhood.
"Of all the things that might have survived the Trump Era, I figured Microsoft Paint would have definitely been one," Canadian political scientist Paul Fairie said.
But Paint is "a bastion of the past," Carr Nyuli replied: "We need new and better image editors to create new and better memes in this political climate."
However, the "new and better" replacement for Paint, Paint 3D, has not been greeted with universal approval.
"Paint 3D uses a black background, is hard to use, isn't disability friendly, and is NOT a substitute," Jenny Kay wrote.
Along with the nostalgia has come recognition of what is possible in a program as basic as Paint, with serious art joining the parade of self-mocking crude drawings.
Many shared their best efforts, or showed the evolution of their own skills in an appeal to Microsoft to not deny the opportunity to others.
Boston-based illustrator Pat Hines, widely regarded as one of the most talented artists using Paint (his Twitter feed, @CaptainRedBlood, showcases his talent), said Paint's limitations make it a great training ground.
"A little kid isn't going to start using Photoshop right off the bat," he told pop culture website Inverse.
"It's just a nice, charming little program that you can make quick stuff in, silly pictures.
"Or, if you put the time and effort in, you can create — I think — pretty good pieces."
Time will tell where the next generation of digital artists gets its start.
