Tim Brown

I used to keep all of my notes in Backpack. Then I got an iPhone, and began using Simplenote and Notational Velocity for their excellent sync capabilities. Jot some notes at my desk, close the laptop, step outside for a walk, and the notes I just typed are already in my hand. It’s like magic. I still savor the experience of using Backpack, but these other two apps are faster and easier for day-to-day stuff like notes, to-do lists, random ideas, and groups of links/thoughts on a particular topic.

Then, there’s writing. Composing text.

When I used to use Backpack, integrated Writeboards were where I not only kept versions of a text but *composed* text (a strategy not without its problems; more than once, browser/OS crashes robbed me of a morning’s work). When I switched to Simplenote/NV, I wrote whole texts within those apps. I would just create a new note, collect relevant ideas from their random places in my collection of notes, and compose. This strategy also had problems — some sync actions, and some app crashes, have erased notes on me. (Because I point Simplenote/NV to a Dropbox folder, everything’s versioned and backed up, so I haven’t lost anything. But it’s annoying.)

In addition, there were subtleties about the Simplenote/NV strategy that didn’t suit my preferences for composing text. For one thing, NV doesn’t have a full-screen mode. So when I’m writing on my Mac, I can see the menu bar, desktop icons, dock, etc. Simplenote, on my iPhone and my wife’s iPad, only does black text on a white background, which is too bright when I’m trying to write in the dark. I appreciate these constraints, mind you — I wouldn’t want these options in those apps, because the strengths of Simplenote/NV are their simplicity.

But for composing text, I have a new strategy, including new apps. Ommwriter on my Mac, and Elements on the iPhone/iPad. I’m using the free Ommwriter Dana I right now, but considering upgrading to Dana II just so that I’m aware of updates via the Mac App Store. It’s a super-simple, full-screen editor that blocks Growl notifications and hides its own interface when I’m typing. And I love the keystroke sound effects. The app’s typesetting preferences could use some help.

Elements has been great, too. Very straightforward, and I haven’t had the syncing problems I’ve experienced with Simplenote. I think Simplenote gets wonky with notes full of very long texts.

So now, when I’m ready to write, I gather related notes from Simplenote/NV and move them to a new text file in my Dropbox/Elements directory. Both Ommwriter and Elements look there, so I’m synced, solid, and writing comfortably.