2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
iA Writer is a fairly well-known program among those who work a lot with texts. Journalists, bloggers, and people who are just passionate about writing have always appreciated iA Writer for its ascetic design and creative work environment. And last week the developers of iA Writer presented a new version of their application - Writer Pro. I have been using iA Writer for a long time and with pleasure, so I just could not pass by the new Writer Pro, so I hasten to share with you my impressions of this application.
Information Architects was faced with a rather difficult task. They had ideas for introducing new features. But how can they fit into the ascetic interface that has become the benchmark so that the program can still be considered “minimalistic”?
Despite the "Pro" prefix in the name of the application, when you start Writer Pro, you immediately recognize the good old iA Writer. Adherents of minimalist text editors need not worry - despite the new features, the application still looks calm and simple. No distracting interface elements - just text and you. So where are the innovations?
The developers of the application decided to split the entire writing process into 4 work zones: Note, Write, Edit, Read. I think that this is quite logical, because usually everything starts with ideas and sketches for the material, and only then, on their basis, the article is written, edited and proofread.
Each work area has its own typeface and cursor color. This is what Note mode looks like in Writer Pro, so the primary part of the writing process is sketching ideas.
The font is not as "strict" as in other modes, the cursor color is green, which subconsciously gives you a "green light" for any of your ideas. Here you can simply leave any keywords, sentences, paragraphs, excerpts, quotes that may be useful to you for the material.
After the "collection of material" ends, we are transferred to the next mode - Write. It looks exactly like iA Writer - the blue cursor, the same typeface. This is the main work area where we spend most of our time. Here the sketches are transformed into a solid material.
The next working mode is Edit, that is, editing. This is the place where we rule our existing material, remove unnecessary things, grind the details, hone the wording. The typeface is Georgia, the cursor is red, which, in my opinion, is very relevant. It is here that our text becomes whole and complete, frees itself from unnecessary things.
The last mode is Read, proofreading. It is logical that you cannot edit the text here, you can only read it. This is the final chord before the text goes to print.
In addition, regardless of the working area, a toolbar appeared on the right.
The first is the "workflow" slider, which changes the work area in which we work. The second is text structuring. There are 6 heading text options to choose from, plain text, and numbered and bulleted lists.
The third is Syntaxwhich in Writer Pro replaces Focus Mode from the “regular” iA Writer. There are several modes - Sentence allows you to focus on the current sentence and paragraph, Adjectivies - displays adjectives, Nouns - nouns, Adverbs - adverbs, Verbs - verbs, Prepositions - prepositions and Conjuctions - conjunctions. Unfortunately, all modes except Sentence only work with Latin characters.
Sentence Mode
Adjectivies
Nouns
Adverbs
Verbs
Prepositions
Conjuctions
The last in the toolbar is your text statistics, which displays the required time to read your article, the number of characters, words and paragraphs. Each toolbar item can be hidden by simply clicking hide.
The tricks of Writer Pro definitely worked for the program: on the one hand, the application has an excellent working environment that encourages writing, for which people working with texts love it so much, and on the other hand, the new features really make working with text more productive. The main highlight is the division into 4 work zones, which greatly simplify the process, making it more logical. Of course, Writer Pro supports iCloud sync, full screen mode, and Retina support.
Frankly, I really liked Writer Pro and I am happy to recommend this application to everyone who works with text, and the fact that I wrote this review in Writer Pro eloquently confirms my words. In my opinion, the capabilities of Writer Pro make this application the best in its class.
Application not found
Recommended:
Review of Notion - the all-in-one productivity tool for work and life
Notion can easily replace Google Docs, Evernote, Trello and a dozen other programs. Having mastered the capabilities of the service, you most likely will not want to abandon it
Best Productivity Articles in 2020 on Lifehacker
Collected the best articles on how to be more productive: tips from a neuroscientist, fighting procrastination, and effective lists and tricks
Which is the best for productivity: kaizen versus creative mess
Kaizen system or creative mess? We will tell you how to better organize your workplace in order to increase work productivity
Lifehacker's Best iOS Productivity Apps of 2016
Scrivener, Doo, Alto, One Big Thing App and other productivity apps for iPhone and iPad that gave us 2016
Best Writing Apps for Mac: Byword, iA Writer, WriteRoom and More
One of the first tasks that mankind put on the "shoulders of machines" after the massive proliferation of personal computers was typing. Writers, journalists and other people who often had to fiddle with texts for a long time just breathed a sigh of relief.