IOS devices have completely changed the way we write. Not only has iOS given us the flexibility to quickly jot down our thoughts wherever and whenever they strike, it's fundamentally flipped our expectations of the humble text editor. In an effort to maximize every pixel of screen real estate, developers rethought what was necessary for productivity and efficiency on our mobile devices, from the size of the canvas to the way we interact with buttons, bars and ribbons. The result left us with minimal, distraction-free environments where the only things that matter are our words. And as formatting bars and font menus became obsolete on our iPhones and iPads, a funny thing happened: They became less important on our Macs, too. From iAWriter to Pages and even Microsoft Word, the streamlining of the word processor has created a world of smart, lightweight interfaces built to adapt to whatever device we happen to be using. As someone constantly switching between my Mac, iPad, and iPhone, the seamless experience has become an indispensable part of my workflow.
So you can view a photo from last week or last year no matter where you are. ICloud Photos keeps every photo and video you take all in one place, and you can access them from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac, on iCloud.com, and even with your PC. Looking for the best iPhone apps or best iPad apps to journal with? There's something beautiful, almost magically analog about a crumpled old note pad, a key-locked journal, a well worn moleskin, and the ink and graphite that fill. Best journaling apps for iPhone and iPad: Day One, Momento, Askt, and more! It supports both iPhone.
My writing sessions are no longer tethered to a desk, but it's not just the freedom I enjoy—the cross-platform congruity has become just as important to my productivity, letting me literally pick up where I left off without losing any momentum my train of thought may have. But even more than that, the tailored interfaces help maintain my focus no matter the size of the screen I'm working on. Having a digital notepad within constant arm’s reach is one thing, but staying in a writing groove is quite another—the feature and font familiarity across my Mac and iOS devices keeps my eyes and concentration from wandering. When I come across a new writing app in either the iOS or Mac App Store, the first thing I do is check the other to see if a companion is available. It’s hard to say definitively what makes a good cross-platform writing app, but I instantly know when I’ve found one. A good use of fonts is important, but a wide selection isn't necessary—for example, Vesper doesn't let you stray very far from Ideal Sans, but it absolutely would be on this list if a Mac component were available. Also, a pure writing space is nice, but menus and sidebars aren't an immediate turnoff.
Simply put, the essence of a great text editor is more than the sum of its fonts or keyboard bars. The bottom line is focus. The best cross-platform apps know what to leave behind when switching from a 21-inch-screen to a 9.7-inch one, and they do it without trampling over any of our individual writing styles and preferences. And while mine may certainly differ from yours, here are my picks for the best ones: Best: Ulysses III Long before the minimalist trend, Ulysses put a heavy focus on writing rather than formatting, giving authors the tools they needed to brainstorm, organize, and create their projects with ease. Today, (, $45;, $20;, $1) has evolved and matured into the premier writing experience on the Mac.
The recent release of a major version 2.0 upgrade has raised the bar so high it’s hard to imagine a better experience on any platform. With full support for Yosemite and an overall refining of the paneled interface, its eloquence is only trumped by its flexibility. Ulysses III on the Mac more than lives up to its namesake's lofty pedigree. Ulysses may be a simple Markdown text editor at heart, but an array of carefully crafted features makes it a true multipurpose utility for writers. All of your documents are stored right within the app's attractive sidebar, allowing you to search and organize your projects with ease. A slide-out panel stores notes and images related to the document you're working on, while typewriter scrolling keeps your eyes from losing their focus. And unlike many of the other text editors I’ve used, didn’t water down its vision for iOS.
On the iPad, you’ll find a full version of Ulysses formatted to fit the smaller screen and reimagined for multitouch. Everything from its minimal interface to its professional features has been brought to the iPad, but nothing about it feels cramped or crowded. Everything that's great about Ulysses on the Mac is even better on the iPad. As you switch between Ulysses for Mac and Ulysses for iPad, iCloud keeps your documents safe and synced, but it's the uniform experience that will keep your words flowing. Fonts and themes match across both devices, and many of the things that make Ulysses great in OS X, such as attachments, exporting, and picture-perfect previews, all make an appearance.
And of course there are some features that only make sense on the iPad. Slide your finger over the keyboard to control the cursor. Tap the extra row above the keyboard to bring up things like word and character count (including within selections), Markup styles (and an excellent set of punctuation shortcuts if Markdown isn’t your thing). Swipe a document name to move, copy, or export. It's all extremely simple and intuitive, and The Soulmen has gone to considerable lengths to create a smooth transition between the two apps. On the iPhone, there's Daedalus Touch, a unique, extraordinary text editor in its own right, but it doesn’t follow the Ulysses aesthetic, at least not yet.
Instead of panels there’s a system of stacks and sheets that mirror the ones in your OS X sidebar. However, since it syncs only with the Mac and not the iPad, working across all three devices isn’t exactly seamless.
Thankfully, an iPhone version of Ulysses is already in the works, so these continuity issues shouldn't last too long. Besides, the Mac-iPad Ulysses tandem is so tight, it's not a deal-breaker in the slightest. Runner-up: Byword A canvas free of icons, menus, and other distractions has become a staple of the modern text editor, but (, $12;, $6) takes it to a whole new level. Starting a new document is a lot like opening Apple’s classic TextEdit app: The only identifying marking you’ll find is a word counter at the bottom of the window. (And even that can be turned off.) Whether all that extra space makes you a better writer is debatable, but Byword’s mission is to keep you focused, and in that it succeeds admirably. Byword's barely-there Mac interface puts the mini in minimal.
Just because there aren't any font menus or icons in your line of sight doesn't mean there aren't any options. Whether you’re using the full-screen mode or a floating window, an excellent implementation of customizable text widths (which can be set to narrow, medium, or wide) will help you set up your perfect workspace. Byword also includes several typing modes designed to help you write and edit with ease; a pair of “focus” modes dim any excess words around the paragraph or line you’re working on, and small touches like paragraph indents and insert-able lists make outlines and quick notes simple and elegant. Byword's minimal approach to writing feels right at home on the iPhone's small screen. Byword excels as a Markdown editor, but if you're not proficient in the language, you can also write using rich text, just like you would in Microsoft Word. Having another option is a nice touch; unfortunately it's not one that extends beyond the Mac.
Only plain text documents will sync with iOS, so if you want to use bolding and italicizing across your devices, you'll need to get comfortable with asterisks and underscores. But it'll be worth it. Byword's iOS offerings are gorgeous exercises in style and restraint, delivering an experience that isn’t just minimal for minimal’s sake.
While the iPhone and iPad versions offer identical interfaces and features, each of the two apps take advantage of the screen they’re presented with; for example, the iPad app presents your documents in a sidebar that isn’t feasible on the iPhone, but both utilize the same simple gestures to navigate between files. And you're not stuck with iCloud—Byword also lets you store files in your Dropbox folder for easier sharing between other apps. Byword on iOS includes many of the same excellent exporting options that the Mac version does, including PDF, HTML, and rich-text email. Also like the desktop version, a separate $5 in-app purchase lets you publish to WordPress, Tumblr, and Blogger, or upload to Scriptogr.am and Evernote, but it's even more useful on iOS, where cutting and pasting text between apps is much more tedious. But even if you just use it as a plain text editor, Byword will give your words a fantastic home, whether they’re traveling on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Best for Word stalwarts who don’t have an Office 365 subscription: TinyWord/Microsoft Word Back in the day, Microsoft Word was the go-to app for writers.
Powerful and feature-rich, it offered something for everyone, whether you were writing the great American novel or adding footnotes to a lengthy research paper. But over the years, Microsoft surrendered its foothold, and now that it’s tied to a monthly subscription, many people are understandably reluctant to make the commitment. But you can still get a cross-platform Word experience without the rolling fees.
On the Mac side, there are numerous apps that claim Word kinship, but they don't all deliver what they promise. TinyWord (, $2) does.
As its name suggests, it's not exactly overloaded with features, but Word users will certainly notice a distinct similarity in the interface. It can handle all of your.doc and.docx files with ease, and there are more than enough text and exporting options to keep your files looking their best. Tiny Word is just like Word, but tinier. And when you need to transfer a document to iOS, just save it to your OneDrive and open it up in the free. TinyWord will maintain any formatted tables and fonts to keep things from getting messy, and you’ll be able to edit and save in the mobile Word app without needing a subscription. Microsoft has done an admirable job with the Word interface on iOS, adhering to the clean iOS aesthetic while still offering the features Word users crave.
Office 365 users will get a few extra formatting and layout options, but even without a subscription, Word on iOS still feels very much like a premium universal app. Microsoft Word on iOS might actually be better than the Windows Phone app. Best for writers who spent all of their money on new Apple stuff: Pages If you’re looking for a completely free way to write and edit on whatever Apple device happens to be at your disposal (and it’s been purchased within the past year and a half), you won’t find an app anywhere that beats ( and, free).
Apple took its iWork suite in a new direction with its iOS 7 redesign, removing many of its professional features along with the price of admission. But even without things like mail merging, linked text boxes, and mailing labels, Pages is a fine tool for writers looking to quickly get to work. If you bought a Mac last year and didn’t download your free copy of Pages, go get it now. No matter which platform you’re using, there’s a clear focus on simplicity, with a sparse interface and a well-stocked library of templates. There’s no Markdown support, but headers, footers, and margins are all adjustable, and rich-text support maintains desktop-class uniformity across all of your devices. Pages makes the most of every pixel. But writers working in a standard template will be pleased with Pages' responsive layout and exporting options, which includes.doc as well as ePub and PDF.
Documents are neatly formatted for each screen, and there's even a web component that lets you work on Windows PCs and collaborate with up to 100 other writers. And if you work alone, you can still utilize Pages' excellent annotations by inserting comments, monitoring changes, and highlighting parts you need to work on later. Pages has taken its lumps over the years—and it’s probably not worth the $30 price Apple charges for older devices—but you'll be hard-pressed to find a free writing app with more features in either the Mac or iOS App Stores, let alone both. Best for keeping a writing journal: Day One Any of the apps here can double as a writing journal, but none of them let you personalize and simplify it like (, $10;, $5) does.
With an impressive system of tags, reminders, and hashtags, Day One is versatile enough to be more than a digital diary—with a little creativity, it can become one of your indispensable writing tools, especially if you’re already accustomed to using Evernote or OneNote to record your thoughts throughout the day. Day One doesn’t just have to be for selfies and food shots—it can also be a tool for organizing your thoughts.
Got yourself the 2018 MacBook Pro? We have now got a list of the best apps for the laptop that will allow you to maximize your productivity and get the most out of the device. Apple’s sudden unveiling of the took everyone by surprise since rumors pointed to the lineup getting a refresh in September. Nonetheless, the important thing here is that the over its predecessors. Apple has truly catered to its ‘pro’ audience with the 2018 MacBook Pro refresh. The 13-inch MacBook Pro now comes with a quad-core chip which makes it almost 2x times faster than its previous iteration, while the 15-inch variant comes with a 6-core chip which provides up to 70 percent performance boost.
A pro user is definitely going to appreciate all the horsepower offered by the 2018 MacBook Pro. A pro laptop also needs an equally good set of apps though. After all, without decent apps, your new MacBook Pro is not going to be of much use. So, if the MacBook Pro is your first pro laptop and you are looking for equally good apps to complement it, check out our list below.
And even if you are a longtime Mac user, you should still check out the list of apps below as you might just find something useful. Best 2018 MacBook Pro Apps BetterSnapTool Window management in macOS High Sierra leaves a lot to be desired. Apple has not made much improvement in this regard in macOS Mojave as well. If like me, you are someone who works with a lot of applications and windows, the poor window management capabilities of macOS is going to be an issue.
To solve all your window management issues though, there’s BetterSnapTool. Install and enable the app and your Mac will then have the same window management capabilities as Windows 10. This means you can drag an app to the top bar to expand it to the very maximum or to a corner to run it in a small window mode.
If you are switching to a Mac after years of using Windows PCs, BetterSnapTool is going to be an absolute must-have app for you. At $2.99, BetterSnapTool is a no-brainer in my opinion. Download: iStat Menus If you want to keep a tab on the system usage and resources of your MacBook Pro, give iStat Menus a try. The app makes the menu bar on your Mac more useful by displaying useful system stats.
This includes the CPU, GPU and network usage, storage drive and RAM use, network activity, and more. This is a great tool for advanced users who will frequently put their new MacBook Pro under a lot of stress and run a lot of applications at the same time. Using iStats Menu, you can check and kill rogue apps in the background which occupy precious resources and unnecessarily drain more battery. Given reports of the Core i9 variant of the, iStat Menus is going to come in extremely handy in your day-to-day use. Download: Airmail The stock Mail client in macOS is pretty good, but if you have multiple email accounts and receive hundreds of emails every single day, you will soon find Apple’s mail app to be pretty limited. This is where Airmail comes in. It is easily the best mail app for Mac out there.
The easy to use UI makes it a breeze to handle multiple email accounts, and there’s also plenty of customization options on offer so that you can set the app up just the way you want it. The app even won the Apple Design Award in 2017 which shows just how good it is. Some notable features of Airmail include integration with popular services like Todoist, Slack, Things 3, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, and more. Other features include universal search, Unified VIPs, ability to Snooze emails, iCloud account sync, Handoff support, Quick Look preview, and more. If you end up liking Airmail on your Mac, make sure to try out its iOS version as well.
Airmail is free to download and use but the full version of the app will cost you $9.99. Download: Station If you rely on a number of web apps for your day to day tasks, it can get pretty irritating to have multiple apps open. Apart from taking precious space on your screen, they do little to help your productivity in any meaningful way. Station aims to solve this problem by being the only app for all your web apps. It works with a slew of services like Google Drive, Slack, Todoist, Dropbox, Evernote, WhatsApp, and more.
In fact, the app boasts of integration with over 400+ apps and services. To use Station, you need to first login with your Google account. The app will then automatically import the Google apps and services you use like Gmail, Calendar, and Drive, and provide you with the option of adding other apps as well. The best part about Station is that you get a unified notification view along with the ability to completely disable them or enable Do Not Disturb when you solely want to focus on your work. Station might not seem like a useful app at first but once you start using it, there’s no going back.
The best part about Station is that despite the immense amount of functionality it offers, it is completely free to download and use. Download: Bartender The menu bar on your Mac might get cluttered with irrelevant app icons within a few weeks of use. Plus, you don’t always need the Eject button or the Bluetooth status icon to show up on the menu bar.
This is where Bartender comes in. It allows you to hide irrelevant icons from your menu bar permanently or behind its own icon. If you select the latter, one click on the Bartender icon and all the hidden icons will once again show up on the menu bar. Another click and they are all hidden! You can even set up hotkeys in Bartender to search for menu bar items in just a few keystrokes.
If you want a minimalistic menu bar on your new MacBook Pro, definitely get Bartender. Download: There are plenty of other apps that you should definitely check out on your 2018 MacBook Pro.
Make sure to go through our for some great suggestions. And if you have some app recommendations of your own, drop a comment and let us know.