Features
Everything Palimpsa does.
We build for the small set of people who write seriously — academics, graduate students, journalists, technical authors. Below is the whole list. If it isn't here, it isn't there.
01A serious editor
Built on TipTap (ProseMirror). Headings, lists, tables, task lists, blockquotes, code blocks, horizontal rules, image embeds, text alignment, highlight, links, hard breaks. Keyboard shortcuts that match what you're used to from every other word processor.
02KaTeX maths, inline and block
Type $$ for inline, three colons for block. Real LaTeX rendering, not an image. Selecting an equation reopens the editor where you left it.
03Tables that don't fight you
Click in, type. Tab moves columns; arrow keys move cells. Add or remove rows from a single menu. No three-step modal dialogues.
04Real-time collaboration
Built on Yjs CRDTs over WebRTC. Two people editing the same paragraph at the same time both see each other's caret, in colour, with a name flag. No save conflicts; no merge UI you have to learn.
05Offline-first by default
Your local IndexedDB is the canonical copy. Type on a plane; your edits are there when you reconnect. The Firestore snapshot is a debounced safety net, not the source of truth.
06Research panel, side-by-side
Federated search across arXiv, OpenAlex, and CrossRef from a single input. Open a result's PDF and search inside it without leaving the page. Insert a citation, or pull a snippet straight into the prose.
07Exports that work
PDF (browser print, optimised CSS), Markdown (with maths preserved as $…$), HTML, plain text. Pick what you need; download what you got.
08Sharing with intent
Per-document roles — viewer, commenter, editor, owner. Public links if you want them, off by default. Firestore rules enforce the role; the UI just reflects it.
09Calm by default
No urgency timers, no auto-opening modals, no reminders to upgrade. The toolbar disappears in focus mode. Errors explain themselves.
How real-time collaboration actually works
Each open document creates a Yjs Y.Doc in your browser. Edits become CRDT operations that merge automatically whoever applies them in whatever order. The document is shared with peers over WebRTC; no server is in the path of every keystroke.
A debounced (1.5s) snapshot is sent to Firestore so the authoritative copy survives a browser crash, a closed tab, or a peer leaving. When you reopen the document, the snapshot loads, IndexedDB merges in any local edits you made since, and the peers reconnect.
The signaling servers we use today are public defaults — fine for MVP traffic. We'll self-host them when the volume justifies.