The popular Manuskript open source software has released its 0.9 version. It seems the best free option for writers who want a Windows equivalent of Scrivener 3.x, the latter at present being Mac-only (until the too-long-awaited Windows release eventually appears, perhaps in 2019).

As I wrote here last December of Manuskript…

The first thing you’ll want to do in Manuskript, when trying it, is change the tiny squished font in the main writer. Font settings are not easy to find initially, but are down in: Edit | Settings | Views | Text Editor | Font. You can also change padding, line-spacing, background colour and more. The full-screen view has its own font and background controls, also found by digging into the same Settings panel. Don’t accept the clunky defaults, and figure on spending about 30 minutes setting up the UI and fonts. With Pandoc installed Manuskript can import more file formats than it supports ‘out of the box’.

It lacks predictive and autocomplete text, but that can be sorted with the paid SumitSoft Typing Assistant 8.x or its free equivalent Smart Type Assistant, both of which can work with any software on a Windows PC.

If all you need is a predictive Notepad equivalent, take a look at the free LightKeyPad, although be suitably wary re: privacy and security.