I was fond of DOS Edit for writing code, before I discovered emacs (and *nix systems). DOS Edit, unlike most MS products, won't try to append extensions onto files, play with line endings, waste load time with macro or syntax highlighting support, and runs slower than dirt when your code gets too long, warning you to take a different approach. The 80x24 window makes you conscious about code clarity, too.

Go ahead. Ask me if I'm joking. Still, today it's emacs at home, Ultra Edit at work, and I remember the good old days fondly, without succumbing to their ridiculous limitations today.