Textbox.io – Tools for Online Writing

Real writing doesn’t just occur within the confines of a traditional word processor. It’s becoming more and more common for writers to do their best work on the fly, usually in cloud-based apps like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Tumblr. Textbox.io is a web-app that saves people time and helps decrease the errors that can occur when they write online.

Textbox.io is only available on Chrome browsers for the time being, although a Firefox extension will be available at some point in the future. Sign up for a beta account, and head to your new Textbox.io dashboard to begin using the app. There, you’ll find the Chrome extension you need in order for Textbox.io to work. Once you’ve got the extension set up, head back to your favorite platform — Textbox.io was designed to work on Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Tumblr — and wait for the app to load. An orange icon will appear in the address bar any time you visit a supported website. When you enable Textbox.io’s features, you can use markdown formatting and rely on the application’s autocorrecting capabilities to catch any misspelled words before clicking “send” or “post.”

To save time and minimize distractions, you can open up Textbox.io in full-screen mode. You can also use the application’s “snippets” feature to re-post the work you’ve done before (like form letters, for example) in a few short keystrokes. In the coming months, Textbox.io plans to release anAPI for developers, as well.

Practical Uses:

• Minimize distractions when writing articles on deadline
• Save time by using Snippets to re-call frequently used email responses
• Format text for HTML without relying on any extra editing tools
• Spell check the posts you write on Tumblr

Insider Tips:

• Textbox.io currently works on Chrome
• Create keyboard shortcuts to re-call things you’ve written in the past
• An orange box appears in the address bar of any website that supports Textbox.io
• An API for developers will be released in the coming months

What we liked:

• Textbox.io saves people time when they’re working online
• Full-screen mode helps eliminate distractions
• Textbox.io gives people the space necessary to actually put together well-written emails

What we didn’t like:

• Textbox.io will become more useful as the application’s developers offer integrations with more popular web-apps
• Textbox.io doesn’t currently offer an extension for Firefox users

Alternatives:

• notepad – http://notepad.cc

Company Info:

• Launched: October 2012
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
• Web site: https://textbox.io

Costs:

• Free