outlining app for phone AND desktop?

[JimmyTheSaint]

I frequently use outlines, and I've been tied to Microsoft Word for years because
1) it's the only one that allows decent formatting options

AND

2)there are Android apps (DocsToGo and OfficeSuitePro) that can do an acceptable job of reading and editing in outline mode.

I like Word fine for this function, but it sucks to be tied to such a full-featured app to get a much more basic functionality. Yet Word offers me completely seamless integration of desktop and phone: the exact same file opens on both platforms without the need for any cumbersome conversion app. But on the Android side, the apps OfficeSuitePro and DocsTogo are much more painful for outlining because they have to cover a lot of other functionality.

So I want to ask: is there a dedicated outlining app that offers basic formatting options as well as seemless integration with that same app's desktop version?

 

[jefboyardee]

It might be not exactly what you’re looking for in terms of outlining, but GoTasks does a great job of syncing with the Tasks pane of Google Calendar.

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

Thanks, but yeah, that's not quite what I need. I'd like to find something that will leave me with standalone, launchable files on the Windows side as well as the Android side. I'd rather not depend on any cloud services.

 

[electricpete]

For Android phone:
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=outliner

compatible with Bonsai:
Bonsai - CNET Download.com
(when you install anything from Cnet, read the screens carefully to make sure you do not accept extra junk to be installed)

But it's all a little clunky. Not as easy to use as word.

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

Yeah, I checked for outliners on AppBrain before posting, but it's kind of hard to tell which will offer the smoothest transitions from desktop to phone and back. I'll give Bonsai a try. I find two apps compatible with Bonsai, NoteLynX and Outliner. Continued suggestions are welcome.

I swear, these apps (including Word) are such overkill. If I could find something ultra-simple that would produce outlines as txt files with tabbed paragraphs to indicate the level of nesting, that might be best. I could sacrifice formatting as long as there were standard functions to increase/decrease the level of nesting, and cut and paste entire blocks without losing the nesting structure. Emacs is almost good enough on the Windows side, but emacs is unusable on Android without a keyboard, so it's not really for phones.

 

[peteroutlineword]

#1. I am looking for a way to edit Microsoft Word outlines on my Android phone. JimmyTheSaint said, below, "there are Android apps (DocsToGo and OfficeSuitePro) that can do an acceptable job of reading and editing in outline mode." But I just tried OfficeSuite Pro 7, and don't see any outline mode or way to edit outlines. Am I missing something? What did you mean by "reading and editing in outline mode"? Should I look at DocsToGo?

#2. Assuming that there is in fact no way to edit MS Word outlines in Android, then how did things turn out with trying to find other outlining applications that could work together across both Windows & Android? How did things work out with Bonsai and NoteLynX/Outliner?

#3. A suggestion: If you are considering using Emacs, you could get a bluetooth keyboard for your phone. I have also seriously considered using Emacs.

 

[NQuateman]

I'm a Bonsai fan. The closest I've seen to a Windows and Android matching is the paid version of Outliner. It can sync with Bonsai via Dropbox.

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

As a longtime emacs user, I love that suggestion, but no way I'm carrying a keyboard. OfficeSuite and DocsToGo allow editing existing outlines while maintaining paragraph format and allowing changing the indent level. Each app is functional, but has glitches, so you have to try them yourself.