A Lot of Buzz about ConnectedText, but what about Mac users?
Started by Nhaps
on 11/1/2013
Dr Andus
11/6/2013 12:46 pm
Hugh wrote:
I don't have a Mac, but it's interesting to compare VoodooPad and CT. While CT does have a lot of specialised functions that VP doesn't seem to have (CT's various analytical and search tools), at least on the basis of their website (I don't know how well these work in practice), VP seems to be ahead in the area of sharing (Dropbox and built-in web server), export (save as MS Word and RTF), and native Markdown editing.
I especially miss the last one in CT. Markdown has turned into a huge thing the last few years, became pretty much a standard for certain writing tasks. I'm doing my writing in WriteMonkey and Gingko in Markdown, and it would be nice to be able to just use copy and paste into CT.
Alternatively, it may be worth considering VoodooPad:
http://flyingmeat.com/voodoopad/
I don't have a Mac, but it's interesting to compare VoodooPad and CT. While CT does have a lot of specialised functions that VP doesn't seem to have (CT's various analytical and search tools), at least on the basis of their website (I don't know how well these work in practice), VP seems to be ahead in the area of sharing (Dropbox and built-in web server), export (save as MS Word and RTF), and native Markdown editing.
I especially miss the last one in CT. Markdown has turned into a huge thing the last few years, became pretty much a standard for certain writing tasks. I'm doing my writing in WriteMonkey and Gingko in Markdown, and it would be nice to be able to just use copy and paste into CT.
Dr Andus
11/6/2013 1:04 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
Though I realise that it's a bit difficult to talk about Markdown as a "standard," considering the proliferation of different varieties and lack of leadership in the arena. But I only use the very basics which are common to all anyway.
I especially miss the last one in CT. Markdown has turned into a huge
thing the last few years, became pretty much a standard for certain
writing tasks. I'm doing my writing in WriteMonkey and Gingko in
Markdown, and it would be nice to be able to just use copy and paste
into CT.
Though I realise that it's a bit difficult to talk about Markdown as a "standard," considering the proliferation of different varieties and lack of leadership in the arena. But I only use the very basics which are common to all anyway.
Dr Andus
11/7/2013 1:36 pm
Hugh wrote:
Incidentally, VoodooPad has just been bought by another company:
https://plausible.coop/
Alternatively, it may be worth considering VoodooPad:
http://flyingmeat.com/voodoopad/
Incidentally, VoodooPad has just been bought by another company:
https://plausible.coop/
Dr Andus
11/7/2013 1:44 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
Looks like the new developer also likes Markdown:
"With the release of VoodooPad 5, it gained support for the Markdown syntax. By a wonderful coincidence, my blog uses the Markdown syntax. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to move away from a painful system of text files and scripts and streamline the process of writing my articles. I wrote a small script that sends an article to my blog server, and now I do all of my writing from within my master VoodooPad document. It’s not built as a blogging platform, but the power and flexibility of the system lets me mold it to my needs."
https://www.plausible.coop/blog/?p=184
Incidentally, VoodooPad has just been bought by another company:
https://plausible.coop/
Looks like the new developer also likes Markdown:
"With the release of VoodooPad 5, it gained support for the Markdown syntax. By a wonderful coincidence, my blog uses the Markdown syntax. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to move away from a painful system of text files and scripts and streamline the process of writing my articles. I wrote a small script that sends an article to my blog server, and now I do all of my writing from within my master VoodooPad document. It’s not built as a blogging platform, but the power and flexibility of the system lets me mold it to my needs."
https://www.plausible.coop/blog/?p=184
Stephen Zeoli
11/7/2013 3:52 pm
Well, that solves one of my reservations about VoodooPad, which is that it is hard to take seriously a developer called "Flying Meat."
The history of one developer acquiring an app from the original developer has not been promising: I'm thinking of Mori and Brainstorm, specifically. Though we could very well go back in time to when ECCO was acquired by Symantec. The original developer is usually the one with the passion for the app, and it subsequently languishes. But I am at least heartened by the enthusiasm from the new developer of VP. One of the first things I wish they would do is give the interface a makeover. It is so drab and boring now that it actually discourages me from using the software.
Steve Z.
The history of one developer acquiring an app from the original developer has not been promising: I'm thinking of Mori and Brainstorm, specifically. Though we could very well go back in time to when ECCO was acquired by Symantec. The original developer is usually the one with the passion for the app, and it subsequently languishes. But I am at least heartened by the enthusiasm from the new developer of VP. One of the first things I wish they would do is give the interface a makeover. It is so drab and boring now that it actually discourages me from using the software.
Steve Z.
Stephen Zeoli
11/8/2013 11:19 am
I suddenly realized that I made an error here. Symantec acquired GrandView and NetManage acquired ECCO. Just want to keep the record straight!
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
The history of one developer acquiring an app from the original
developer has not been promising: I'm thinking of Mori and Brainstorm,
specifically. Though we could very well go back in time to when ECCO was
acquired by Symantec. The original developer is usually the one with the
passion for the app, and it subsequently languishes. But I am at least
heartened by the enthusiasm from the new developer of VP. One of the
first things I wish they would do is give the interface a makeover. It
is so drab and boring now that it actually discourages me from using the
software.
Steve Z.
Prion
11/8/2013 3:30 pm
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
Well, that solves one of my reservations about VoodooPad, which is that
it is hard to take seriously a developer called "Flying Meat."
I believe that the developer just happens to be fond of rock climbing:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Missouri/Central_Missouri/Andromeda/Andromeda_Buttress/Flying_Meat_50764.html
Whether or not it is a good moniker for a company is a different question, of course.
The history of one developer acquiring an app from the originalReally? The interface hasn't bothered me so much. This is not to say that it could not be improved but there are worse examples.
developer has not been promising: I'm thinking of Mori and Brainstorm,
specifically. Though we could very well go back in time to when ECCO was
acquired by Symantec. The original developer is usually the one with the
passion for the app, and it subsequently languishes. But I am at least
heartened by the enthusiasm from the new developer of VP. One of the
first things I wish they would do is give the interface a makeover. It
is so drab and boring now that it actually discourages me from using the
software.
The visual presentation of *Markdown* in Voodoopad, however, does qualify as one such example.
It is very ugly indeed and what is worse, there is no way of *typing* a link in plain text, or is there? In my opinion, this is a combination of the weakest aspects of two concepts. One should be able to type a [[link like this]] in which case it could be made to work on the ipad as well.
But sadly, Voodoopad just acts as a repository of Markdown with some barebones formatting. Visually and functionally it is far far behind almost every Markdown editor everyone suddenly seems to love.
Oh well.
Prion
Steve Z.
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