What is Markdown?
Markdown exists so text stays readable as text. You write a hash for a heading and a dash for a bullet, and any tool that understands Markdown renders it nicely without locking the content into a format.
What matters here
- Plain text with light syntax
- Readable even without rendering
- Portable across almost every tool
- Easy to write without a toolbar
- Limited layout, which is usually a feature
Why plain text lasts
A Markdown file opens in twenty years. A proprietary document format depends on software that may not exist. For notes you intend to keep, that difference is the whole argument.
What it cannot do
Fine layout, columns, embedded spreadsheets. Markdown is for writing, and reaching for it when you need a report layout leads to frustration.
Learning it takes an hour
Headings, lists, links, bold, italics and code. That is nearly all of it, and the rest is rarely used. The syntax is small enough to memorise in one sitting.
Frequently asked questions
Keep reading
- Prysm Note for moving houseA move has dozens of small deadlines that all land in the same fortnight. Here is how to keep them visible without holding them in your head.
- Prysm Note for meeting notesMeeting notes that are worth rereading: decisions and actions, not a transcript. One note per meeting, two minutes of writing, and tasks that outlive the call.
- Audio notes you never transcribeRecording a thought is fast. Leaving it as audio is why it never becomes anything. Here is the honest cost of an untranscribed note.
Turn talk into a plan
Capture a thought in plain language and let Prysm Note shape it into tasks and a timeline.
Disclaimer
This page is general information, not professional, legal, financial or medical advice. It describes common ways of working and how Prysm Note approaches them. Software changes over time, so details may differ from what you see in the product. Any product, company or brand names that appear are the property of their respective owners and are used only for identification. We do not claim any endorsement or affiliation. Where we compare approaches, we aim to describe each one honestly, including where a different approach may suit you better. Try the tools that matter to you and judge for yourself.