Microsoft Paint brushed aside

Microsoft on Monday announced the end of days for its pioneering Paint application as it focuses on software for 3-D drawing.

Paint drawing and image processing software that made its debut in 1985 with the Windows operating system was among the applications listed as "removed or deprecated" in a Windows 10 Fall Creators Update set for release later this year.

Features or functions on the list "are not in active development and might be removed in future releases," according to the US technology company.

For decades, Paint was among applications installed by default on Windows-powered personal computers and drew a strong following.

Fans of the application will be able to take solace in a Paint 3-D version launched early this year.