by Classic Note doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the world of iPhone text editors, but as a magazine with “Mac” in our name, we couldn’t ignore it. Basically, it’s an homage to the early days of the Mac System Software, with monochrome accents, bitmapped corners, and crude springy animations. There’s a delightful simplicity to its interface that harkens back to a time when docks were still control bars and dogcows roamed our screens, and anyone who fondly remembers extensions and longs for the original Chicago typeface will adore it.
The designers did a fantastic job with the interface; it’s not quite a pixel-for-pixel representation of Simple Text, but its menus and windows are instantly recognizable. Giant cancel and save buttons add to the old-school desktop feel, and even the modern mobile keyboard has a pixely background. Other than the main function of the app, Classic Note also includes Calculator – which appears to be included out of a sense of nostalgia, but is actually quite useful – and Wrangler, a seemingly unwinnable game that challenges you to catch Clarus the Dogcow as she bounces around the screen.
The retro-fabulous approach will certainly appeal to die-hards who have a Performa collecting dust in their basements, but newer Apple converts might not get the joke. Beyond its interface, Classic Note doesn’t add a whole lot more functionality than Apple’s own Notes app and lacks syncing features. As if to drive the point home, it’s actually listed as an entertainment app; and after a short while, the retro charm starts to wear thin. We also were hoping to hear some of the clanks, clicks, and blips we miss from our old Macs, but sadly Classic Note is a silent tribute.
The bottom line. Classic Note transports your iPhone back to the blocky ’80s, but it’s more of a fun riff on Notes than a stellar text editor.
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