39 text editors and counting
Here is a list of all of the iPad text editors/word processors/note taking programs that I own:
- CleanWriter $1
- Daedalus Touch $3
- Droptext $1
- Edito $5
- Elements $5
- Essay (purchased by Evernote)
- HelvetiNote $5
- iA Writer $2
- iWriter $4
- MarkdownMail $3
- MarkdownNote $4
- My Writing $5
- Nebulous $4
- NimbusPlus $6
- Nocs $0
- Notability $1
- Note & Share $4
- Notebooks $9
- Notefile $5
- Noteless $4
- Notely $4
- Notes plus $5
- Noteshelf $5
- Notesy $5
- PaperPort Notes $0 {formerly Noterize}
- Paragraft $1
- Pear Note $5
- Penultimate $1
- Phraseology $4
- PlainText $0
- Side by Side+ $2
- Simplenote $0, ad-supported
- SoundNote $5
- Springpad $0
- Textforce $4
- WriteRoom $5
- WriteUp $4
- Writing Kit $1
- Writings $5
39 of them. I have used them all, but didn't "love" any of them. I like some functionality from many of them, but haven't found the right combination.
Other Applications
These apps are different than the ones above, but they are other options for writing/note taking on the iPad.
- Pages $10
- Day One $2
- Index Card $5
- DraftPad $0
- Evernote $0, ad-supported
- Textastic $10 (code editor)
The Problem
That is not to suggest that these apps are all comparable. Most of them don't even attempt to compete with one another. For example, MarkdownMail is specifically designed for writing HTML email from Markdown text, but it has a great Markdown preview feature. Comparing that to an app like WriteRoom, which is designed to be a general purpose text editor with Dropbox syncing, would not be helpful.
However, in between those two extremes, most of the apps in that list tend towards the WriteRoom side of things: generalized text editor for the iPad. Under that umbrella are all sorts of variations. Most of the apps here support TextExpander, which I consider vital for any app I am going to use for writing on the iPad.
Similarly, most of them "support" Dropbox… but "supporting" Dropbox means a wide variety of things, depending on the app. Some apps can write to Dropbox, but can't read from Dropbox. Some can only export to Dropbox, which is even less useful. Some applications sync to Dropbox seamlessly and automatically. Some can only read from one Dropbox folder, which can't be changed. Some can read/write to any Dropbox folder. Most can read/write to one Dropbox folder, but you can't change it without un-linking the app to Dropbox and then re-linking to a different directory.
Others don't have Dropbox support, but have other features. Some apps try to accept handwriting as input. Some record sound and tie that to your notes.
What I really need is some sort of list of iPad text editors/word processors/note taking apps, explaining what features they have in clear but simple terms.
Either that or I'm going to have to make one.
Spoiler alert: I'm going to have to make one.
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 9:51PM