Mac classics: Why BBEdit rules: But the real reason for BBEdit’s endurance is that it has the one crucial characteristic shared by every truly great creative work: It has a purpose beyond the way it articulates its immediate function. Casablanca is a black-and-white movie displayed in the wrong aspect ratio with mono sound, starring people who are long dead and who are portraying characters under threat from a war that ended nearly 70 years ago.
And yet it still feels relevant. At its core, the story is about human relationships, sacrifice, and understanding. The sets and the dialogue are just ways of expressing that simple core. It’s about something universal and permanent.
Great apps are no different. They’re great because they’re about something. Every decision that Bare Bones Software has made about BBEdit since 1991 has been informed by that singled-mindedness, which is why it remains an important tool for any task that involves pressing buttons labeled with letters and numbers.