Well, here are some of the top choices available for Free! Should be something that will please just about anyone.
# http://akelpad.sourceforge.net/en/index.php
# http://bluefish.openoffice.nl/
# http://cryptedit.chat.ru/
# http://foxeditor.sourceforge.net/
# http://jsimlo.sk/notepad/
# http://members.lycos.nl/textshield/index.htm
# http://netpadd.com/
# http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/about.php
# http://plan9.bell-labs.com/sys/doc/acme.html
# http://purepistos.net/diakonos
# http://shadycrew.org/software/
# http://short.stop.home.att.net/index.htm#contact
# http://www.abisource.com/
# http://www.adelaida.net/hieroglyph/download.html
# http://www.angelicsoftware.com/en/angel-writer.html
# http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/LFWV/AtlantisNova.html
# http://www.aysoft.com/ledit.htm
# http://www.context.cx/
# http://www.crimsoneditor.com/
# http://www.davidpye.com/index.php?page=freeware
# http://www.editpadlite.com
# http://www.editpadpro.com/editpadlite.html
# http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html
# http://www.garybeene.com/free/gbtext.htmGedit
# http://www.gena01.com/win32pad/
# http://www.gridinsoft.com/downloads.php
# http://www.hushpage.com/Delphad/delphad.html
# http://www.jarte.com/features.html
# http://www.jedit.org/index.php
# http://www.jedsoft.org/jed/
# http://www.kobayashi.com/prolix.html
# http://www.laurenzvangaalen.nl/software/copywriter.htm
# http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/
# http://www.mytreedb.com/
# http://www.nedit.org/
# http://www.notetab.com/
# http://www.pnotepad.org/
# http://www.pspad.com/
# http://www.pspad.com/en/pspad-extensions.php
# http://www.rj-texted.se
# http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html
# http://www.softpanorama.org/OFM/Paradigm/Ch03/cn__connect.shtml
# http://www.softpedia.com/get/Office-tools/Text-editors/Microsoft-XML-Notepad.shtml
# http://www.softpedia.com/get/Programming/File-Editors/editra.shtml
# http://www.softpedia.com/get/Programming/File-Editors/nPad2-Source-Editor-Viewer.shtml
# http://www.sxsoftware.com/
# http://www.textpad.com/
# http://www.vim.org/
# http://www.wolosoft.com/en/superedi/
# http://www.woundedmoon.org/win32_freeware.html
# http://www.xtort.net/xtort/qjot.php
