Ice Cream Code
Because we spend so much of our day hunched over a computer, moving a mouse around a screen, and pecking away at a keyboard all day it becomes imperative that we find the best software that lets us complete our tasks quickly and effectively so we can move and get on with the rest of our life.
But what if we wanted to enjoy the process along the way? Do we pick the first app we see in the search results or is it better to embark on a never-ending adventure in search of something better, of software that looks as good as it performs, whose elements and workflow comes together like a Dude Perfect trick shot?
Pecking away at a computer has become a part of everyday life. So, having a nice app to interface with the 1s and 0s is something many would find satisfying. Your days will seem brighter, your food sweeter, and your vacations more relaxing when you spend your days with good software. Trust me.
There are lot of different apps out there that do a lot of different things but in this post we look at iA Writer and what it can do for writing markdown.
What is iA Writer?
iA Writer is a text editor that lets you create and edit text (.txt) and markdown (.md) files without the distractions and overhead found in your typical word processors.
The app is known for its minimalist-design and ease of use. Simple and non-intrusive. These are things we as writers, developers, and designers appreciate. We don’t want crap getting in the way of our work. We want to sit down, focus, and get shit done. In this sense, iA Writer is liberating.
iA Writer is also highly popular. It won Apple’s App of the Year award several times and maintains a 4.8 out of 5 stars on the Mac App Store.
iA Writer creates a clean, simple and distraction-free writing environment for when you really need to focus on your words. The New York Times
Users of the software find it handy for writing copy, reports, blog and social media posts, and even drafts of email messages. Almost all product reviewers comment on how short-form writing can feel more productive and satisfying when it’s done in iA Writer.
How can a simple text editor receive so much love and attention?
The Interface
One of the most attractive features of iA Writer is its user interface. This is due, in large part, to how uncluttered it is. Everything is removed to help you focus on one simple task, writing.
The app places emphasis on creating a distraction-free writing environment. It’s just you and your words. The screenshot below showcases the app’s clean and practical design; a simple, off-white rectangle, a mono-spaced font, and a blinking blue cursor.
The typography of iA Writer is pleasing to work with. iA Writer uses custom Mono, Duo, and Quattro-spaced fonts designed by Information Architects. The clean and simple lines complement the app and can make it feel like you’re crafting an important piece of literature on a typewriter.
The Features
Some of criticized iA Writer’s lack of features. But what they don’t understand is the lack of features is a feature in itself.
iA Writer was built with a single purpose in mind, to write. The idea of asking it to do anything else is like asking Walter White to boil in a volumetric flask.
Since it was originally release in 2010 on iOS devices, iA Writer has seen few feature enhancements. The intent was to always keep things simple as possible. With that said, here are a few of its main features.
Markdown
Anyone who writes in Markdown, works with docs as code, or is a member of the Jamstack community will enjoy how elegantly iA Writer handles Markdown.
Markdown is a simple markup language that serves as a text-to-html conversion tool for web writers. But Markdown isn’t just for the tech savvy writer. People use it for writing documents, taking notes, books, email messages, technical documentation, and much more. The files can even be exported to PDF and MS Word documents.
In Markdown, text is marked up with symbols that act as formatting elements. Adding a number sign before a line indicates an H1 header, two number signs indicate an H2 header, and so on.
Check out the Markdown in iA Writer in the following screenshot:
Focus Mode
iA Writer offers a “focus mode” that keeps the current sentence or paragraph highlighted and grays out the background. The goal is to help keep you focused on one idea at a time.
The concept is interesting. We can become stuck in a never ending loop writing and rewriting what we’ve written that being corralled into one paragraph or one sentence can push us forward and into longer writing sessions.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Like all good software, iA Writer comes equipped with a set of keyboard shortcuts that let you stay focused, in the writing flow, with your fingers on the keyboard and your mind on that internal voice that guides your delightful prose.
The Competition
If you’re a web or software developer who works in Visual Studio Code, you might as well just update your README.md and documentation files right there in VS Code.
Or if you’re writing the next Great American novel, a more feature-packed app like Scrivener might let you manage big projects in a way that iA Writer cannot.
If you like having different writing apps open for different projects, another interesting app worth considering is Nova by Panic Inc. It’s also fast and lightweight, and it comes with a nice collection of themes.
However, if all you want to do is write Markdown, iA Writer should be your number one choice.
Where to Buy
iA Writer is available to purchase for several platforms on their corresponding app stores. Sorry Linux users. You’re not on the list.
Wishlist
While iA Writer is definitely the best Markdown editor in the world, it’s not quite perfect. It would be nice if some of the visuals were customizable.
One of the attractive features of modern code editors is syntax highlighting and the ability to customize color themes. VS Code has this and it would be so wonderful if iA Writer also came with that feature.
It would also be great to add film grain or paper textures to the background. These can help reduce eye strain by letting it grip on to something as it moves across the text.
There are also companies out there that sell electronic-ink displays, such as the Boox Mira series, and it would be great to have the ability to make adjustments to optimize the app for specific display size and resolutions.
Feature updates should focus on maximizing readability.
Summary
iA Writer was a “classic” since day one, and it’s software that many others have tried to copy. Look at iWriter, Bear, and Ulysses. They may be fine in their own way but nothing beats a classic. iA Writer is a lot like the iPhone in that respect. The developers got it right on the first try.
iA Writer is the benchmark for creating and editing Markdown. It’s a writing app that comes without the distractions found in your typical word processors and helps keep you focused on your work.
Whether you write in Markdown or not, iA Writer is a joy to use. Buy a copy of it today, or at least download the trial-version and give it a test drive yourself.
