App thoughts – Ulysses

As someone who uses an iPad Pro but has an Android phone, I prefer my software to work cross-platform. Which is why I use Evernote, as it allows me to access my notes on my desktop, Android phone, laptop and iPad etc.
However, I seem to always have a problem with formatting when I paste my blog post over to Blogger from Evernote, and I end up taking longer to edit the formatting than writing the actual post.
I tried writing directly on blogger, but find myself easily distracted trying to format or insert pictures as I go.

As an alternative, I also tried Bear Notes. Bear’s interface is simplistic, well designed, with minimal distraction. Unfortunately, my brain just didn’t click with Bear’s organisation system (#soconfused).
In the end, the process of writing and publishing a post become more of a chore than an enjoyable hobby I’m trying to nurture.

Enter Ulysses, a writing app that has markdown capability and has multiple export formats from HTML, pdf, and even ebooks. If you have WordPress, Medium or Ghost, it let’s you publish your blog post directly once you have linked your accounts.
While Ulysses did come on my radar when I was researching about iPad apps, I haven’t tried it until now because it is subscription-based, which meant I needed to fork out money each month just to keep using it. While I’m a splurger most of the time, I’m surprisingly stingy when it comes to subscriptions. I think it’s because I’m in the old-school mindset of preferring to own things outright.

So after researching into Ulysses and getting brainwashed into how awesome it is, I took the plunge and signed up for a 14-day trial (which transitions into a yearly subscription after the trial ends)
Here are some of my thoughts after using it for 11 days

Things I like

• • Simple and beautiful interface
    • • I find myself more focused on writing rather than getting distracted every 2 minutes

  • Easy organisation system
    • I currently have two blogs going, and just filter the sheets by the English/Chinese keywords of Idea, Draft and Published.

• The ability to set daily goals
  • I’ve set a super low goal of writing 100 words/day to encourage myself to write daily. And so far I’ve been hitting that goal!
• A variety of different theme and styles available to cater to your needs

Things I don’t like

• • The app being subscription-based as mentioned before

• iOS only
  • Which is a bummer since I have a Samsung S20 phone.

I did however commandeer my sister’s old iPhone 6+ to try out how the app works on the iPhone. And like it’s iPad counterpart, it’s simplistic and a joy to write on. I can really see myself using the iPhone as a dedicated device for writing when I’m chilling on the sofa or in bed.

Verdict: After using the app for the past two weeks, I’ve actually written more for both of my blogs than I have for the past six months (lol).
At AUD$62 a year (about $5/month), I think it will be a worthy investment that will help me turn my iPad Pro into a more productive device. (Po is slightly concerned about my current Diner Dash addiction)
Guess I’ll balance it by continuing to bum off my bro-in-law’s Netflix subscription *smirk*