For when you really need to write something on the iPad

So many times when we need to write a post, presentation, speech or even a book… we get wrapped up in the features of the writing tools. Do we need to make that bold? Do we need to double space between paragraphs?

When we really need to get some writing done, we have several apps on our desktops that zap away all the features and clutter of robust text editors. Instead, they present us with a clean page to work from and a few navigation assistants.

We found an app that is really helping us get through the act of creative writing by keeping the process about the thoughts going to the page in text. Information Architects have created Writer for the iPad. If you go by the long list of well known writers, praising the app, you will wonder how it has been missed for so long.

The app presents you with a full screen writing area where what your typing (on screen or bluetooth keyboard) is always centered. Only the three most recent lines of text are clear so your attention is kept to where your at. The font, text size, column width and contrast are all preset for maximum experience.

While the feature list is short, it includes the usual new documents creation, lists of work, renaming of documents, saving to Dropbox and sharing via email. A full content page ‘copy’ is a nice extra. Beyond that, Writer for the iPad is all about getting text onto the page.

The on-screen keyboard has a couple extra buttons for quick punctuation, word forward/back for moving quickly through the document to edit and arrow keys.

An interesting twist is the lack of page numbers. The are a “physical frameset” which only applies to books that you can touch. Instead, Writer for the iPad provides you with the ‘overall reading time’ and the time in the document that the cursor is at. Think of the app as more of a writing app than a text editor.

A walkthrough/how-to for iA Writer for iPad.
By the way, great feature video but we aren’t hot on the hypnotic audio track. Just watch it with your speakers off and you will see how to use the features.

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