Caret with Chrome for cross-platform work with plain text files

Posted by Dr Andus
Jan 24, 2016 at 12:24 AM

jaslar wrote:
Is there any particular advantage to this over just using another
>Cloud-based up, such as SimpleNote? It would still be available on
>multiple devices, have a tested sync strategy, and support markdown,
>word count, etc.

I’m not familiar with SimpleNote, but I guess I could use the example of Workflowy instead as a similar cloud-based system.

The advantages of using Caret would be more for those who are already invested in the Chrome ecosystem, and work across Windows, OSX, Linux, and Chrome OS using mainly devices with keyboards (desktops, laptops, convertibles). I don’t use touch interfaces (mobile phones or tablets) for writing or text editing, so I don’t need a solution for Android or iOS.

With the above in mind, the particular advantages to me are the following:

1) The Caret app—with the last open files—open automatically when I boot my Chromebooks, reminding me to carry on with those tasks (such as write diary entry).

2) The app provides me with the exact same customised interface (with the chosen theme) in all those devices and it allows me to increase font size with CTRL+ on all devices, which is important when screen resolutions are different. This e.g. doesn’t work in WorkFlowy’s offline Chrome app on Windows, the font is too small on my hi res monitor.

3) Caret is a reasonaby sophisticated text editor (emulating Sublime Text), so it might offer some features not available on cloud-based services, such as the “project directory”, i.e. an explorer pane for viewing and managing the multiple text files within a folder or associated with a project. And there is the customisability (choose your font, background colour and lots of other things).

4) Caret works offline. You can choose whether to save the files locally on the hard drive or in the cloud (no such option with WorkFlowy app, for instance).

5) Besides the project window, it also shows multiple open files in tabs, so it’s easy to work with multiple files.

But also I just like the simplicity of writing in a plain text editor.