Introducing Let.ter

Email's the original and — in many ways — best way to privately communicate with anyone online. It just works, no matter what email service your friends use, something you can't say for social networks. There's no way to Twitter DM your Facebook friends, but email works whether you're using Gmail or Yahoo! or Exchange or your own SMTP server. For all the talk of replacing email, it's really still good, and there's no reason to get rid of it.

But that doesn't mean it isn't a mess, because it is. Inboxes need cleaned, junk emails need deleted, and the constant dings and notifications are only slightly better than Aol.'s old "You've got mail!" alerts. It's distracting. If all you want to do is write an email to a colleague, opening your email app is asking to get distracted by all the inbox chores you need to do. Plus, most email apps aren't really focused on writing — they feel more like a text box form online with small text and dated formatting options.

That's why I so often switch over to my favorite writing apps to compose an email with Markdown and no distractions, then copy the formatted message to my email app and send.

And yet, there should be something better, and soon there will be. I've been working with Mutahhir Ali Hayat, a developer that's worked with HogBay Software on FoldingText and more, on a brand new app to make writing emails as nice as writing in your favorite writing app. The app is Let.ter, and it's coming to an App Store near you very soon.

Let.ter's a clean writing slate for your emails that lets you just focus on what you're saying, then send a formatted email directly from the app without having to open your full email program and get bugged by your inbox notifications. It's lightweight, simple, and we happen to think it's beautiful.

It's not ready just yet, but I'm pretty excited about it. If you love minimalistic apps, I think you'll like Let.ter. Be sure to signup for our email updates at theletterapp.com to be the first to hear when it launches, and I'll have more to share soon about Let.ter and the work we've put into it.

Thoughts? @reply me on Twitter.