You know those mashups of what celebrities’ kids would look like? Well, Write is what Writeroom and Awesome Note’s offspring would look like, if apps could fornicate. Themes, Fonts, and Full Screen Write helps you get right to the writing. There’s a basic list view of all your notes (organized alphabetically), a set of previewable […]
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Review: Write for iPhone

Jun 14th 2010 by



You know those mashups of what celebrities’ kids would look like?

Well, Write is what Writeroom and Awesome Note’s offspring would look like, if apps could fornicate.



Themes, Fonts, and Full Screen

Write helps you get right to the writing. There’s a basic list view of all your notes (organized alphabetically), a set of previewable themes and font choices for the notes view, but the real meat of the application is the  automatic full-screen mode.

Automatic full screen writing

All you have to do is start typing away and Write’s interface will simply melt away. The only things you’ll see on-screen are your text, the iPhone’s keyboard, and a small arrow above the “p” key to minimize said keyboard.

The top bar is usually hidden, but you can call it back by hiding the keyboard and tapping on the top-right. This will reveal the save and e-mail options. The only issue I have with the UI is the icon choice for e-mail, which is actually the “compose new” button in other apps, like Mail. An envelope would have made far more sense to me.

I’ve only spent a handful of days with Write installed, but it may well be my favorite writing interface thus far. I love that I can choose from a variety of fonts and font sizes and launch myself into full-screen mode without any effort. I wrote this entire review within Write, and would use it as my main notepad in a heartbeat once the list view and sync issues are addressed.

List View

The List View mimics the look of crinkled paper, and lends a very nice texture to the app. The rest of this view could use some work, though. Notes are organized alphabetically only, with no option to sort by Last Modified, which is how I’ve viewed my notes in most every other iPhone app. I also think the in-line preview of each note disrupts the minimalist appearance of the app, since the preview seems to always show the first few words of every note, instead of simply showing the first line or two of text. Write’s approach to the list view works well enough for more complete notes that are written in complete sentences, but looks a little awkward when previewing lists.

The last thing to mention about this view is the lack of any kind of search. If you’re the kind of person who writes everything down to remember later, then stick to your old apps for now. Write really is currently focused on content-creation, and the lack of search and organizational functions really highlight this.

Syncing, or the lack thereof

Write doesn’t have any sync partner at the moment. The developers have told me that they are working on integrating some, but they don’t have an ETA at the moment. So, in the meantime, the only way to get text out of Write is to use copy and paste, e-mail, or your incredible photographic memory (if applicable).

Extras

The entire Write app can be protected by a four-digit PIN of your choosing. There’s also an option to enter a “fake PIN” should you ever open the app in a time of duress, although I’m really not sure why the feature exists. Write app is hardly the place to keep confidential information, and opening the app up in a “fake mode” with fake notes that can’t be saved simply doesn’t make much sense to me.

An extra feature that makes a little more sense is the set of portrait and landscape locks, toggled at the bottom of the in-app settings. I think these toggles are a little too hard to reach in their current position (and portrait lock will be available in iOS 4, anyway), but it’s good to know they’re there.

Does full screen writing really make a difference?

In a word, absofreakinglutely. Write simply makes it easier to concentrate on the text on screen and removes the clutter present in other note apps.

Although it still has a long way to go in terms of syncing, searching, and organizing what you’ve typed, I think Write is definitely usable as is. I knew I’d like the app based on the screenshot, but I’ve been surprised by how delightful the whole experience has been. There’s something about being able to see those few extra lines that makes all the difference when you want (or have to) write on the iPhone.

Theming and font customization aside, the way that Write’s UI just melts away and leaves you alone with your words makes it well worth the $2 asking price.

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Write is available for $1.99 in the App Store.

The app was provided by the developers (WriteApp AT Gmail dot com) for review on Just Another iPhone Blog. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.

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