The Sync Debate

Wednesday and I’ve find myself caught in a shit situation that shouldn’t exist. My writing tools are normal. I thought. I use Apple gear (MacBook Air, iPhone) and a Chromebook.

Oops.

That last one? Causes me problems. Not because there’s any real reason for it to. But because the walled gardens (Apple, Google) don’t like sharing with each other.

But I’m a persistent bugger, me. I figured there had to be a way to sort the problem. And there was. But not quite in the way I was expecting.

I know, right? What’s with the Chromebook? I’m all Apple. Yeah, but I’m not a fan boy, either. Happy to try other hardware. I acquired the Chromebook because Mary (my wife) didn’t need it for work anymore.

I’ve figured out a way to use it as an extra writing tool. it’s funny. But it gives me a blip. A creative boost. Changing the hardware I’m using.

But then the sync issue kicks in. For example, I’m writing this using my Chromebook. But unless I was using a Google Doc, getting to it on my Mac would be a bloody nightmare. I’d have to stick it in DropBox and go from there.

That’s fine. It works. But I don’t want to use DropBox. It’s free allowance fills up fast. And I’m not paying for more storage. I use Google for my AI tool. Meaning I pay for Gemini Pro.

That gives me a load of space on Google Drive. And, as you’d expect, my Chromebook is well happy with that.

BUT…

If I use Ulysses on my Mac or iPhone? It hates Google Drive. Then, IA Writer uses iCloud. There’s a few cloud-based markdown tools but I’ve never found one that helps me stay organised.

Which leaves me with: Google Docs. I mean, I like it well enough. But I prefer to write with Markdown. I have bloody hundreds of Markdown files.

The answer? Obsidian. It’s the only tool I’ve found that ticks all the boxes. It works everywhere, supports Markdown and doesn’t cost a fortune.

It does annoy me that, in 2026, we have to jump through hoops to find a way to work that doesn’t get blocked by walled garden politics.

Still, thanks to Obsidian, I now have a way to work. I don’t like faff. Simple is good.