I’m one of those people that says “if it works, it works.” As such, I’ve been using Kung-Log for ages and never got around to seeing Ecto since it’s first release. It’s come far. Today, I found the reasons I bought this little app on a whim last week:

1. Built-in Textile support. Not just the simple stuff, but the fun stuff like: !>)(/images/animage.gif 10x10 (alt)! (right float, 1pc on each side, height and width are 10px, alt text is “alt”; yes, it’s still easier than HTML)
2. Edit your template code in the preview window just enough to include your website’s CSS file and use your entry format. 100% perfect live preview of what it will look like, down to any classes you use.

1. Use del.icio.us to flag links you see during the week. Hit Command-U in Ecto and connect to del.icio.us to fetch your latest links and then write about them.

Those three features are priceless. That and I’m typing on the left half of my screen and watching the preview on the right. It’s just insane.

Just remember to turn off the brushed metal in preferences before you judge it.