Many people like to use Notepad because of its speed, efficiency, and minimalist interface. However, there is a tool, also developed by Microsoft, that has all those benefits, etc. Here's why you should consider replacing Notepad with Visual Studio Code.
1. VS Code has a customizable user interface
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has a customizable interface that you can customize to fit your needs and workflow. This can help you use it more comfortably and improve your productivity. And if you're a fan of Notepad's minimalism, you can adjust the layout to be less distracting.
You can adjust the position of the sidebar, panel, and activity bar to create custom layouts, as well as show and hide them. To do that, click View > Appearancethen start transforming and repositioning UI elements in the menu.
For example, you can place the sidebar on the right by clicking View > Appearance > Move Primary Side Bar to the Right.

You can also change the theme to make the user interface easier on the eyes or switch to a darker theme to reduce eye strain. To do so, click Settings > Themes > Color Themes.

You can press the Up or Down arrow key to preview themes. When you find a theme you like, click it to switch to it.

Additionally, you can download more VS Code themes from the marketplace. To do this, open the theme selection menu again and click Browse Additional Color Themes. Then, click on the theme from the list to select it and click OK in the prompt to install that theme.
You can also change the theme for file and product icons in settings.
2. VS Code has a built-in File Explorer
If you're working on multiple text files in a folder, VS Code's File Explorer allows you to organize and access them without switching applications. You can open the folder in VS Code by clicking File > Open Folder and select that folder.
Files and folders will appear in the navigation pane on the left. You can click files to open them or drag and drop them into the editor. Each file you open will have its own tab in the editor instead of opening a completely new VS Code window.

You can also create files and folders in the navigation pane by right-clicking in an empty space and selecting New File or New Folder.

Additionally, File Explorer allows you to search for different files and their content. To do that, click Search – magnifying glass icon – in the sidebar and enter your query.

It also has advanced search features such as searching by file type, excluding specific folders, regular expressions, and matching or whole words.
3. VS Code has Markdown support
Unlike Notepad, VS Code has strong Markdown support that makes writing fun. For example, it has a syntax highlighting feature, where Markdown elements (e.g. headings, quotes, and code blocks) are automatically color-coded for easier identification. It also has Markdown snippets, which are predefined templates that insert common Markdown elements. These snippets save you time and reduce manual errors.
Syntax highlighting is automatic, but you have to press Ctrl + Space to open the Snippets menu. Then, click on the item you want to insert Markdown into the text.

You can also see what the Markdown will look like by clicking the button Open Preview to the Side (icon that looks like a bisected square with a magnifying glass) in the upper right corner. You can also press Control + Kthen V.

You can continue editing Markdown in the editor and changes will still be displayed live on the preview pane.

Another feature worth mentioning is File Explorer, which makes embedding images easy. You can drag and drop images into the editor. You can also insert images into Markdown this way from outside VS Code (e.g. Windows File Explorer).
Markdown is automatically added for you – no need to struggle with remembering syntax and file paths.
4. VS Code supports extensions
VS Code is extensible, meaning you can extend its functionality with extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace. You can install as many VS Code extensions as you like to help with text editing, such as spell checking, bookmarking for quick navigation, and automatically formatting text based on a specific style.
To install the extension, click Extensions – puzzle piece icon – in the sidebar, search for the extension you want and click Install.

Before installing an extension, you can click on it to see a description (you can also install from there). This can help you see if the extension has the features you need and instructions on how to use it.

5. VS Code provides multiple cursor selection feature
In addition to the find and replace feature (Notepad only has a find feature), VS Code also has a multiple cursor selection feature. This feature allows you to select multiple words and phrases in the editor and edit them at the same time.
To use the multiple pointer selection feature, tap Alt and highlight text. Then, enter the text you want and VS Code will replace the highlighted text at once. You can even use this feature to delete text.

You can also use this feature to insert new text in multiple locations at once. Just hold down the key Altclick where you want to insert (this will create multiple cursors), and start typing.
6. VS Code allows Split View editing
In VS Code, you can split the editor into different panels, creating multiple views in the same window. This has several productivity advantages. For example, you can use it to compare documents, edit related sections, or preserve references as you write text.
To split the editor, click View > Editor Layout and choose Split Up, Split Down, Split Left or Split Right. Any of those options will create another editor in the specified direction.

You can subdivide the editors further to create the layout you want. You can create a 1×2 grid, a 4×4 grid, or any layout that fits your workflow.

One thing to note is that each forked editor goes into its own editor group. Any additional files you open will appear in a specific group as tabs.
Remember that VS Code is often called a code editor, not a text editor. With features like syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging tools, version control, and extensions, you can also set up VS Code to act as an integrated development environment.
So, if you want to write code (HTML, Python, JavaScript, C#, GDScript, etc.) or edit something like a batch file or registry file, VS Code is a no-brainer.