Updated iA Writer Writes Off The Outdated Floppy Disk
May 25, 2012
Coming after the release of what can only be described as a shameless ripoff, a fresh update has been written into Information Architects' eponymous writing app.
My own writing app of choice, iA Writer is optimized for both iPhone and iPad. It prides itself on offering a noise-free writing environment, even going so far as to include a focus mode. In its default condition, the app already has an austerity of buttons, tabs, and whatnot, but it takes this austerity even further with focus mode. Focus mode blurs out everything on the screen save for the three lines of text you're currently working on. It's a boon to users who, like me, write on their iDevices on a daily basis. Beyond focus mode, an innovative keyboard extension and syncing via iCloud and Dropbox are also part of iA Writer's well-thought-out feature set.
The latest update to iA Writer serves to improve upon a few elements of its feature set. In the iPad version of the app, text has been sharpened further to support the new iPad's Retina display. In the iPhone version, the buttons along the top bar in landscape mode have been slightly reduced, perhaps for purely aesthetic reasons. In both versions, a handful of additional improvements have been applied. New documents are now saved in the last storage used, be it local, iCloud, or Dropbox. Full screen scrolling, text transitions, and VoiceOver support have been improved as well. And it's not mentioned in the update's release notes, but I noticed one more thing: the floppy disk icon for saving has been replaced with a syncing icon. It's a subtle change, and it's no doubt appropriate. Hasn't floppy disks gone the way of dodos?
Truly a first-rate universal app, iA Writer is available in the App Store for only $0.99. That's a lot of bang for your buck, maybe even something to write home about.