Carousel v1.0 released!

It's here! Carousel early access and beta testing has ended, and Carousel 1.0 has arrived! To celebrate, the price has been cut in half. I hope you enjoy this project, which has truly been a labor of love. And a big thanks to my early-access testers for supporting this project during its development.

I've made a limited quantity of KEY files available as a special gift to the first to purchase Carousel. They unlock a toy and thank-you message that you can view in the Carnival Prizes page. Be sure to grab one before they're gone!

Inspiration

Carousel is a program for creative note-taking inspired by the TV typewriter, a hobbyist word processor that connects to a television set and predates the home computer revolution of the mid-1970s. These designs were made obsolete by manufactured computers but today offer an exciting glance at an alternate timeline of handmade, homegrown computing.

The idea to create my own version of the TV typewriter came out of frustration with my scattered note-taking strategies. Previously, I used notebooks, mobile apps, and even an electric typewriter, whose constraints I came to appreciate. (No cut and paste!) I wondered: how could I bring the immediacy and simplicity of my electric typewriter into a smaller, more sustainable, and more fun package? And how could I use the magic of computers to organize my writing by date and topic? Thus, Carousel was born. I began using Carousel while I was developing it, and I've been hooked ever since. I use Carousel to write about my various projects and to keep daily logs. And I  use it nearly every day.

The Carousel rotation

One unique feature in Carousel is that there's really no file management to deal with; you just launch straight into a blank page every day. You're also able to write on several different topics simultaneously with a feature known as the rotation. Think of it like a stack of notebooks, one for each hobby or project area. To learn more about how the rotation works, check out this post all about it.

Key features

• Small: Less than 150KB.
• Cyberdeck and retrocomputing optimized: Does not require a sound card or mouse. Extremely constrained design feels right at home on bespoke computers running MS-DOS or a DOS emulator.
• Frictionless: Files are automatically saved, dated, and organized by topic as you write. No additional export step required.
• Easy: Operate with a handful of keystrokes. Comes with manual and in-software tutorial.
• Creative: Set up multiple topics and switch between them to capture off-topic ideas before you forget them. Customize topics with provided colors or provide your own.
• Secure: Your content, stored on your device. Carousel never uses an internet connection and never "phones home" with your data. 
• Lots of possibilities: Use the "Advanced settings" menu to select Markdown format, and use Carousel to write blog posts or other Markdown content. Connect networked folders, printers, or something else for even more capability.
• Fun: A whimsical carnival theme to delight you, complete with a carnival prize booth.