I can do something similar with Microsoft Word as well.
But I also risk losing something in the process. Did I emphasize things with bold or italic in the editor? That will be lost when saving to plain text. In that sense Word and TextEdit are both correctly called rich text editors which just happen to have the ability to save to plain text.
Notepad, however, doesn't support the formatting... so you can't create something that you can't save. That's the difference.
I disagree. Go into the TextEdit settings (Cmd-,) and change the default format from "rich text" to "plain text". Next time you open TextEdit, all rich-text features are disabled (no formatting toolbars, no Cmd-B/Cmd-I keybindings, etc.), so the interface is to me indistinguishable from NotePad.
You cannot use bold or italics in plain text mode in TextEdit. It is truly a plain text mode. If you try to switch from rich text to plain text, and you utilize any rich text features in your document, it will warn you that you're going to lose that information.
Not to mention that tablets are way more versatile than Kindle-like e-readers. I'm slowly replacing an aging iPad for printed articles (easier on my eyes), but I'd be tempted to get the newer TCL's NXTPAPER tablet once it arrives where I live.
The extra versatility is a con in my opinion. I want a dedicated e-reader that does one thing and does it well. Every design decision should be made with the goal of improving the reading experience.
The (discontinued) Kindle Oasis is close to perfect IMHO.
It's unfortunate that Apple Notes doesn't handle plain text. I'd use it like this if possible.
Anyway, I use TextEdit in plain text and autocomplete, autocorrect and spellcheck all work just fine, as they work in every text box in macOS. That Windows' Notepad got some of that just in 2024[1] is bonkers…
I prefer TextEdit over Notepad. Its undo is way better, and it's overall a snappier app.
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