Beta Beat: WriteRoom 2.0

Thanks for answering my question, Jesse. Another thing I just noticed about this app: You can save your documents in Word format as well as Word XML format, meaning it should work with the upcoming version of MS Office. Great stuff.

WriteRoom is wonderful - Kudos to Hog Bay Software and Jesse Grosjean for producing a brilliant distraction free writing environment app!

For those that insist on "free," there's version 1.0, and for those that need (or want) the "extras" provided by version 2.0 (beta), $15 is very reasonable, and a nice price break, in my opinion - or one could wait for the general release and whatever price tag comes with it.

A lot of time, energy and effort are expended on apps such as this. I'm thinking ISV's (Independent Software Vendor's) should be compensated for this as it stimulates competition and development in a field that really needs it, which is good for all of us?

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on the subject.

I've been using WriteRoom for a few months, and most of the "features" are EXACTLY the kinds of things I've been hoping for. Word count? Check. Scroll bar on the edge of the screen? Check. Able to bold and italicize text? Check. Able to save files in a neutral form (RTF)? Check. I even get to save them where I want them.

I will happily pay for this beta software.

"Eh, just another case of paying for feature bloat."

"I´m with Dan here. What´s the point, after all?"

Feature bloat is the one thing I'm trying to avoid with WriteRoom so that hurts. Ouch! So why add RTF support to WriteRoom?

1. First it doesn't break the distraction free aspect of WriteRoom. RTF is off by default and unless you explicitly go turn it on for a document you never even need to think about it.

2. Second RTF support was a huge request from many WriteRoom 1.0 users. I completely understand that it's not a necessary part of everyone's Writing process (I don't use it), but for many people the ability to bold and underline their writing is very important. So that's really why I added it, it doesn't hurt people who don't want it, and it really helps out people who do.

"Now, if writeroom could send with a simple keystroke my finished text to one of those programs i mentioned, THAT would be a nice - and really useful - feature i´d like to see."

I'm glad you asked this, because it's another really important reason to support RTF. WriteRoom 2.0 does add the exact feature that you're requesting here. If you go into preference you can install an "Edit in WriteRoom" plugin that allows you to edit text from most cocoa based programs in WriteRoom with a single keystroke.

The original reason that I created WriteRoom was because Mori users (another application of mine) wanted a full screen editing mode. Instead of adding a new mode to Mori I decided to make it a new program (WriteRoom), but an important goal was the ability to tightly integrate with Mori. That wasn't really possible with WriteRoom 1.0 because WriteRoom only supported plain text, so if you wanted to edit your Mori text (which is RTF) in WriteRoom you would lose all formatting (including things like links, pictures).

But now that WriteRoom supports RTF it makes it possible to round trip text, from Mori and many other applications, into and out of WriteRoom without losing information in the process.

Last bit of crazy developer rant... WriteRoom 2.0 isn't just about adding RTF support. Here's a few details that I think are major improvements over WriteRoom 1.0 and for me at least make WriteRoom a much better tool.

1. WriteRoom now (optionally again, you can change it back if you wish) supports a block cursor. For me it's a lot easier to quickly find on the screen and just plain fun to see. It's a small detail, but something that I really like.

2. The scroll bar has been moved to border edge of screen. For me that make things a lot nicer. WriteRoom 1.0 had it right next to your text and when it was in auto fade mode it was hard to find quickly. Now it's always easy to grab, and easy to ignore.

3. WriteRoom now supports typerwriter scrolling mode while in full screen. That keeps the line of text that's being edited centered vertically on your screen. Yes that's another small thing, but for me it makes a big difference and is another big improvement over WriteRoom 1.0.

"but where's the word count feature?"

4. In full screen mode move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen. The document title along with word count should pop up. You can then go back to typing and see a live update, or if you move your mouse away from the bottom of the screen that info will be hidden again. This is another place where yes I've added a new feature because it was important for many people, but I've worked hard to make it completely ignorable for people who don't need it.

I´m with Dan here. What´s the point, after all? The only reason i use writeroom is the total lack of features except the capability to write. If i want to format my text, then i would go to Pages, Word or TextEdit for that.

Now, if writeroom could send with a simple keystroke my finished text to one of those programs i mentioned, THAT would be a nice - and really useful - feature i´d like to see.

i really think this post should be updated to reflect the fact that you're not being charged to USE the beta. you're being given an opportunity to purchase it at a discounted price before the final version is released. like someone noted above, this isn't any different from what parallels did.

$15!!!! I'd pay 5, maybe even 7, but not $15 for this. It's a great program, and does what it says, but the developer is asking for too much money. I'll be sticking with version 1.0, thank you.

There's nothing wrong with making it shareware. You don't have to pay for it, so quit complaining folks. This program is really great, but where's the word count feature? I'm not seeing it in the preferences or menus, and that's really what I was excited about.

I thought the point of the original writeroom was its total simplicity and *lack* of features to encourage distraction-free writing; one of those being the lack of RT formatting options. Word count could prove useful but you aren't usually concerned about it until *after* you've written something, at which point you're editing and that could be just as well done in TextEdit. This is just a fullscreen, fancy-green-type TextEdit with wordcount.

Eh, just another case of paying for feature bloat.

Charging for beta would imply that you need to pay to use this beta. I have visited HogbaySoftware.com and that is simply not true.

Hog Bay is simply giving users who like the app an opportunity to pre-order the final app at a discounted price. This is similar to what Parallels did before Desktop reached 1.0. Incidentally I did pre-order Parallels Desktop while it was in beta and am glad I did and saved some money.