One of the first things we used to do — and still do — when boredom struck with the installed games or the internet connection dropped was to open Paint and start drawing. Some people out there have turned the unforgettable editor into a true canvas where they create fabulous works of art, but if there is one thing we should highlight about Paint, it is that it was not always called that, nor did it have that appearance. The Paint adventure on our computers began as Microsoft Paintbrush...
The Surprising History of Paintbrush
We should actually say "it began," because if there is a fact that surprises users today, it is that Paintbrush was not an original creation of Microsoft. History teaches us that the first digital drawing program compatible with IBM PC systems was PCPaint, developed by John Bridges and Doug Wolfgram at the beginning of the 80s. The people at Mouse Systems — one of the pioneers that introduced the mouse to the IBM PC ecosystem — obtained a special license that allowed them to deliver a copy of PCPaint with each mouse sold, turning that program into one of the most popular on the market. In an attempt to offer a direct alternative to PCPaint, ZSoft Corporation presented the PC Paintbrush in 1984. This is where Microsoft enters the equation, distributing PC Paintbrush in a similar way to Mouse Systems, that is, a copy of the program with each mouse sold. Those copies bore the name Microsoft Paintbrush.
From PC Paintbrush to Windows Paint
The integration of Paintbrush into the Windows environment — under license — took place in November 1985 with the release of Windows 1.0 (technically 1.01). Its name was changed to Paint, and it was essentially an edition with reduced features, since it only supported a 1-bit palette (despite the 16 colors that Windows could process), and it used the proprietary MSP format. Beyond its potential, critics agree that Windows 1.0 was a commercial failure, and Paint could not do much to change that. Meanwhile, the development of the original PC Paintbrush extended until 1993, and even had a version compatible with Windows 3.0, PC Paintbrush for Windows 1.0. Where did ZSoft end up? First it passed through the hands of Mediagenic (today Activision), and later came under the wing of WordStar. SoftKey bought WordStar, and The Learning Company bought SoftKey.
Test It Online
In short, Microsoft Paintbrush proves that even a simple piece of software can have a very interesting history behind it, and the good news is that we can try its versions online, directly in the browser, without downloading anything. On one hand we have version 4.0 of Microsoft Paintbrush (courtesy of ClassicReload, which offers more than 5,000 games), and on the other, the entire Windows 1.01 with Paint integrated. Enjoy!
