Show HN: Lighting fast writing app on Mac with powerful table functions
org-notes-mac.netlify.app
I am sharing with you Org Notes, a native macOS writing application designed to address two key limitations I consistently encountered in existing writing and note-taking tools.
Over the years, I tried many popular editors, including iA Writer, Obsidian, and others. They all do certain things well, but I kept running into two recurring problems.
The first problem was table editing.
I frequently use tables to organize research, compare options, track projects, and structure information. Yet in many Markdown-based editors, tables are treated as plain text with no formatting rules. I had to manually add spaces to make them readable in the editor. Moreover, simple operations such as adding columns, moving data around, or reorganizing content often become tedious.
The table editing experience stands on the shoulders of Emacs, particularly the ideas pioneered by Org-mode. Decades ago, the Emacs community demonstrated that structured text and spreadsheet-like workflows could coexist elegantly inside a writing environment. Org Notes borrows heavily from that philosophy while keeping the app simple and easy to learn. I also included basic spreadsheet functions from Emacs in Org Notes and am exploring ways to improve its user experience.
The second problem was performance.
Ideas come in a flash. Many of the existing apps take too long to launch, in my opinion. Performance was a primary goal from the beginning. That's the reason I decided to build the writing app using the GPUI framework from Zed. The Rust-based UI framework leverages the GPU to render UI elements on screen - making startingup almost instantaneous.
Some highlights:
* Native macOS application * Built with Rust and GPUI * Hierarchical document organization * Spreadsheet-like table editing inspired by Emacs Org Mode * Fast navigation through large documents * Keyboard-first workflow * Distraction-free writing experience * A presentation mode (still WIP)
Org Notes has become my primary tool for writing, planning, note-taking, and organizing information.
Website: https://org-notes-mac.netlify.app
I'd love feedback from writers, note-takers, Emacs users, Rust developers, and anyone interested in building high-performance desktop applications.
Thank you for your time in advance.
Best, Frank