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. Ulysses III on the Mac more than lives up to its namesake’s lofty pedigree. With full support for Yosemite and an overall refining of the paneled interface, its eloquence is only trumped by its flexibility. 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. IPhone, $1) has evolved and matured into the premier writing experience on the Mac. 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. And while mine may certainly differ from yours, here are my picks for the best ones: Best: Ulysses III

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. Simply put, the essence of a great text editor is more than the sum of its fonts or keyboard bars. Also, a pure writing space is nice, but menus and sidebars aren’t an immediate turnoff. 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. It’s hard to say definitively what makes a good cross-platform writing app, but I instantly know when I’ve found one.

Handwriting notepad for mac