Something new I found for writers

[amhran_comhrac]

For those of us with an app-using iWhatever.

PlainText (will open in iTunes).

It’s… dun dun dun… a plain text editor. That syncs automatically with your dropbox account.
(if you don’t have dropbox… go… now! Seriously. Free cloud based storage that syncs files between all your computers and devices. Start a chapter on your desktop, finish on your laptop. Or ipad. Iphone. Work computer. The telegraph in your favorite dirigible. Your campfire. The Overmind Brain Interface. Whatever.)

The interface is gorgeous. Supremely minimalistic and, with the no-adds feature, distraction free. How good is it? So good I did the first 2700 words to the next chapter of AOA while on the subway and bus this morning. On my phone.

I did a bit of the Stone and Sky chapter I put up yesterday on my commute home. By the time I sat at my computer it had been synced and a text file was ready and waiting online for me to paste into Word.

Granted, it is exactly what it claims to be: plain text. You can’t do fancy formatting or anything like that. You can type. Do work count. Edit a bit… and, well, that’s about all. But for just banging out the basics while you’re on the go, with full knowledge that it’ll need at least a once-over when you get to a real computer, I don’t think I’ve found anything better.

Of course… now I’m even more anxious to get an iPad.

Comments

[zute]

I love Dropbox, but I use openoffice writer for my stories. I'm still using my phone just for phone calls. :D

Still, if I had a mobile device a nice plain text editor would be good. Perhaps something other than vi... which I love.

[amhran_comhrac]

When I'm actually at a computer I use word. (07, I think. Maybe 10. can't recall).
But, on my iphone this is a nice alternative. It’s not a word processor, or even a word processor alternative. But given how much doing-nothing time I have on my commute it’s something functional to use on my phone when a fully featured WP wouldn't be realistic.

[elysium_fic]

I've never wanted an iWhatever before.

This? Makes me want one.

[amhran_comhrac]

I love my iPhone so fucking much it's pathetic.
And I'm on my third. (1st gen, 3g, and now 3GS.)

I was never a mac person, never. But this phone is the best thing ever. I don't care if my android-loving roommate scoffs at me. If you can think of a need, someone has created an app for it. And frankly, after working on server terminal programs all day, I'm just fine with pressing the colorful pictures to make things happen.

How much do I love my iphone? I decided to hold off on getting a car until winter so I could get an ipad instead.

[zevgirl]

Seconded on absolute love of iPhone I'm using right now.

[zevgirl]

And, thanks for this!

[llamasam]

Hahah, well this is interesting! But I just use my Google account for all my writing needs. It has documents, notebooks, blogs, I can even save files on it. But I guess if internet isn't available, I'm screwed...

[amhran_comhrac]

This isn't a word processing program- it's an app for use on an iphone, ipod touch, or ipad.

[llamasam]

Oh. Well exactly why I rely on google for everything - I'm technology challenged. >_> Forgive my confusion...Heh

[ambientwhispers]

I don't have an iwhatever, but... Thank you for informing me about Dropbox. I'm so scared I'll accidentally explode all my kmeme prompts I'm writing if I have to remove my Windows partition again, so I will go make an account now and back everything up.

Seriously, thank you.

[braigwen]

This is awesome! Also because I get to share documents between computers and if my parents need me to print something for them they can just shoot it to me using drop box. Awesome stuff.

And I am never going to get any sleep ever again with PlainText on my iPod Touch. Just so you know.

[miri1984]

I am such a cyborg. I love my iphone beyond all reason. If there was a way to legally marry it, I would.

[analect]

Oooh, shiny! I'm actually neolithic enough to use a notepad and pen when I'm not in front of the PC (amazing how much I get down longhand in hospital waiting rooms. My life is so fun.), but I seriously wish I'd had this a few years ago, when I was doing a five-hour thrice weekly commute.

[sierralie]

Oh, so -that's- what dropbox is! My sister-in-law sent a link to some photos of her little girl a while ago, and for some reason I just assumed that it was a photo storage/sharing site. That's a great strategy for fic writing/editing! I do my kmeme prompts on google docs, but the mobile version is awkward. I'll have to see if there's a version/comparable program for Android.