While basic, Microsoft's Notepad app is much beloved, but it's still fairly old hat in 2017. A good, alternative lightweight text editor is still desirable, and Appy Text might just be the best alternative yet for Windows 10. It's free to download, handles Markdown as well as plain text, and has a bunch of neat features for premium users if you're prepared to throw a few bucks the developer's way.

The main user interface is bare-bones, exactly as a good text editor should be. Distractions are your enemy and Appy Text hides them out of the way. By default, you get a small menu bar on the screen, which you can either move to the bottom or just have it disappear into the hamburger menu. This menu handles simple things like saving and printing as well as more advanced features like focus mode and time travel. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more Focus mode makes everything disappear. No tabs, no hamburger, no icon to preview your Markdown code. Just a box and your words. Time travel is an interesting addition since besides a basic undo function, it also allows you to revert to the original version of your work with a single click. Not necessarily useful for everyone, but someone out there will love it.