iPad as a writing/research tool

Latte Other Software & Development
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Latest downloads and trials:

Tips & Tricks - iPad Edition ($2.99) intelligentipublishing.com/
Normally I would skip this app, but its tips are excellent and the app is a great example of digital publishing, especially for instructional purposes. The company, Intelligenti Publishing, has similar books for mobile phones, and they are developing a web-based tool for self-publishing books as apps. They offer an edition of DRACULA that includes background and font changes, but no links or multimedia elements.

Pulse News Reader ($3.99) alphonsolabs.com/
In the news because the NY Times wanted it killed, but it’s still in the App Store and you may set up any publication or site that has an RSS feed, especially if you use Google Reader. Pulse lets you skim the top stories by starting at an icon & headline level, then taps give you a quick view of text or the web site version. Tap on the Tools icon to set up your preferred sites, like Engadget or Gizmodo.

ESPN 2010 FIFA World Cup (free or $7.99 for Premier edition)
itunes.apple.com/us/app/espn-201 … 70555?mt=8
Let me be clear: the free app is crap. Each touch brings an ad for the Premier edition, so can you say SCAM? And it’s an iPhone app, not optimized for the iPad. Not worth downloading, phooey, ptui.

I bought myTexts but haven’t used it yet; will review soon.

If you want to discuss any iPad apps or tips/tricks, please do so here instead of scattering out into other threads. Thanks!

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myTexts for iPad ($2.99) createlivelove.com/applications/ … texts.html

Each of the writing apps for iPad seems to add one new feature, but lacks the features of its competitors. The result is that no single app is entirely satisfying, but perhaps that’s the nature of progress. :open_mouth:

myTexts for iPad is a stripped-down version of a Mac word processor, myTexts for Mac OSX, and if you already work in that venue, the iPad port will be a handy, if limited, tool.

Whether in Portrait or Landscape view, you see a Library of contents on the left, and Text/Notes on the right. Text is the main body of an entry, and Notes are comments on that entry. When you mail or export, you may send one or both of those elements. That may be handy, though I tend to type my notes inside brackets, [like this] and keep all together in one place.

Text is on white “paper” and Notes on yellow, both in the Georgia font. There’s a wood-grain frame, not really necessary. You may also write in a third view, full-screen with Courier font. That’s one new feature, which some users may like very much. (See below for more on fonts)

Typing and editing are standard, with auto-suggestion and correction available. The app works nicely with a wireless keyboard. If you must leave to use another app, your cursor stays at the same place.

Managing texts is limited. You can’t arrange the Library or join files except by copy-paste. An Info button on each text shows a live-count of its words, characters, and page count. (My Writing Nook displays that data as you type.)

Exporting is simple. You may send a Text or Text/Note via e-mail, share files via iTunes, edit it with a word processor, and return it via iTunes. Two formats are supported, .txt and .mytext. (myTexts for Mac OSX synchronizes with iDisk and DropBox).

Belatedly, I found that Portrait view displays a Preferences button, which gives choices for auto-save, writing direction, full-screen background (dark or light), appearance, and fonts. General settings are in the system Setting app. Although that claims you may turn on auto-cap for sentences, it didn’t work for me.

The developer is open to suggestions, and one I’d make is to enhance the Landscape view, since that’s preferable for most writers. You might check out the OS X version of myTexts; it has a Scrivener-like layout and exports .rtf and .doc files. The developer also distributes a free myRichTexts and mySlips, the latter an outliner, and sells his many apps in various bundles, starting at $39.

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Thank you for that great and detailed review druid!
I bet by now you must be one of the “iPad writing app geniuses” considering how many apps you have tried so far. Your effort is greatly appreciated.

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As the days go by, sales of the iPad rise and productivity apps are booming. Pages and GoodReader are now top sellers, and those two are all about writing and synching files.

Goodreader ($.99) now has a free update that makes it even more useful: you may view all the iWork files, plus HTML, PDF, and high-res images. Added are (1) a landscape view, showing two pages at a time; (2) pre-caching of pages, for faster page-flipping; and (3) VGA-output, if you want to show the files on a monitor or projector. goodiware.com/goodreader.html

SimpleNote (free) is still the best way to write plain-text notes and back them up instantly.
simplenoteapp.com/

Of the other writing apps I’ve reviewed so far, I’d currently rank them as follows:

  1. My Writing Nook
  2. Notably
  3. myTexts for Mac

I still want to take longer looks at Sundry Notes, Outliner for iPad, and Pages.

Maybe someone else wants to review WriteRoom. It’s not yet optimized for iPad, and personally I cannot write in the full-screen mode. I prefer having a window that’s page-sized, with black type on a white background.

I learned from TUAW tonight that myTexts is offering a free copy of its desktop version ($19.00) if you buy the iPad version ($2.99). But beware, the desktop version is full-screen only and on a very large iMac monitor, that’s difficult to use.

moapp.tumblr.com/post/642874530/ … x-for-free

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For those who have tossed their iPads aside, and long for a good old Remington typewriter (we’re talking about you, Kevin…), we now have on the market a USB typewriter for iPad.

tuaw.com/2010/06/15/usb-typewriter-for-ipad/

And congrats to all the new members of the Scrivener team.

Though I do think Kevin should let his little bro, Keith, also play. :unamused:

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Ha, that is very cool. Actually, I just bought an iPad for my Mom - she wouldn’t put it down when she was visiting (mainly I couldn’t get her off Igga Arcade). And this very week I’m working on Simplenote sync’ing…
All the best,
Keith

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This reminds me the 22 Pop Email Typewriter project that someone put together for their mother. Unfortunately the original website is now dead. All that is left of the project is a halo of blog posts.

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I’m wondering if anyone has tried using MyWiki as an iPad app for writing.

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I’d like some suggestions and ideas for using Scrivener in conjunction with writing on the iPad.

I’ve been away from Scrivener for about a year, preferring simpler tools for writing, but my brain is exploding with ideas for my novel, I want to write everything all out of order, and nothing beats Scrivener for that.

However, I also love to write on the iPad. I know that the Scrivener developer has no immediate plans to port to the iPad, and while that’s disappointing, I respect that. That’s not what I’m here to talk about.

I’m wondering if some of you might have some best practices for moving projects from Scrivener to the iPad and back again.

I did a search on “iPad” in the forums and didn’t come up with anything.

I initially posted a separate topic on this and was directed here – apologies to any of you encountering this message twice.

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I looked at it today. At present it’s an iPhone app only, and I don’t want to spend the $3.99 to test it.

I wrote to the company to ask if an iPad version is in the works. Will let you know.

Update: answer from developer:
“I am working on an iPad version. It will be released somewhere this fall.”
I believe he meant “sometime this fall.”

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By “projects,” I take it you don’t mean Scrivener projects, just files of writing.
In this thread, most of the reviews I’ve done so far mention synching.

The current method: Plug iPad to the dock-usb cable. Open iTunes, wait for iPad to mount.
Select Apps and scroll down. At the bottom, you’ll see File Sharing.
That pane lists the apps that allow transfer of documents.
Mine include GoodReader, iAnnotate PDF, Keynote, myTexts, Numbers, Pages, Stanza, Sundry Notes.
Select an app, and iTunes lists any files already on the iPad.
Click the Add button to add new files.
Click the Save to… button to save a file to your computer.
Many apps also synch files on the iPad to “cloud” servers.
Or you may e-mail files to yourself.

Apple should have included a USB port to allow direct transfer of files to flash or hard drives. But that would let us interact with the iPad as a computer, instead of a magical, revolutionary experience. :open_mouth:

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Thanks, Druid! I’m familiar with the mechanics of syncing documents between the iPad and desktop. I actually prefer DocsToGo, which allows syncing of Microsoft Word files over Dropbox and other online storage services, it’s much simpler than mucking about with iTunes and its convoluted methods of file transfer.

I was looking more along the line for best techniques for moving work from Scrivener to the iPad and back again.

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2.0 will have Simplenote sync (I’m halfway through the code right now), so for 2.0 you will will be able to use Simplenote to edit documents from projects on the iPad, sync’ing using a three-step wizard in Scrivener itself (Simplenote files are stored online). Bear in mind that the iPad is plain text, though, so any solution other than Pages or Office2 HD - the only programs likely to support rich text on the iPad for the next year or two, until Apple eventually introduce a proper text system - will likely lead to formatting loss.
Best,
Keith

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Keith, that’s outstanding news! 2.0 is the Holy Grail of Scrivening, a blessed event we all anticipate. Another nice aspect of SimpleNote is its integration with Notational Velocity: notes stored in one will auto-sync to the other.

mwagner, you’re asking a great question, about “best techniques for moving work from Scrivener to the iPad and back again,” but for now it’s haphazard, given that Keith has vowed “there. will. be. no. Scrivener. on. the. iPad.” :frowning:

Given that you work with MSWord, you’re best off with DocsToGo. You could try saving those docs in RTF, for easy splicing into Scrivener. My partner and I work with Pages, and its RFT export can be flaky, though we don’t write footnotes and such. This summer we will try Nisus Writer Pro, because others here have praised its RTF files and macro capabilities.

When drafting, we stay in Scrivener as long as possible, since its ability to make large structural changes and display multiple drafts is superior to any word processor. We zip the project files and save them, working only on the latest versions.

If we need to share with a collaborator or editor, and that person only uses Word, then we use Track Changes to keep clear on what we wrote and the other person adds or changes. At that point, we don’t return the later versions to Scrivener; we just stay in Pages. See other forum threads on collaborating and tracking changes.

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Are you sure that is what he said? I thought it was a qualifier in there.

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I seem to remember the words “by me” and “in the foreseeable future” in there somewhere. Long experience of political journalism taught me to watch out for the prepositional phrases… :wink: (Only joking, Keith.)

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No, you’re right. What I actually said was that I have no plans to create an iPad version myself, and that any putative iPad version certainly wouldn’t be soon no matter what. Your political journalism has served you well. :slight_smile:

All the best,
Keith

P.S. I must be a dinosaur; my iPad has really made me appreciate my MacBook even more. I thought I’d use the iPad for IMDB searches or browsing, but I still reach for my MacBook for everything - I can do everything so much faster with a real keyboard. I hardly use my iPad at all (although my kids love it and my Mom is very excited about the iPad on the way to her, although mainly for Igga Arcade I fear). And I’m talking about when I’m sitting on the sofa here, too - times when you can’t plug in an external keyboard to the iPad as it doesn’t balance on the lap so well. I guess I’m a slouch-and-type kind of guy…

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We give ours a heavy workout during movies, looking up their histories, reception, actors, writers, etc. Plus we have severe summer storms, so a fast look at weather sites is helpful, along with OCD glances at e-mail, news, sports, and whatever else is going on. Far more convenient than balancing a laptop and putting up with its heat/weight. The iPad suits our frenetic, got-to-know natures. Neither of us plays games. For writing, I have to use a keyboard, so usually I’m sitting at table then. On trips we use it at Wi-Fi spots, so at least it doesn’t add to our phone bills. Hey, if I lived in Cornwall, I’d stare at nothing but the sea.

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We can’t see the sea from our house, sadly, and I don’t think we’ll be able to afford a sea view for a while. :slight_smile:

The thing for me is that I find it more comfortable to have my MacBook on my lap for quickly looking up things on IMDB than I do trying to enter what I want to look up on the iPad keyboard. So I actually find my laptop more convenient. I keep trying to use the iPad for that sort of stuff but I just prefer the laptop. And yes, I know I’m in the minority, but I’m not trying to be deliberately obtuse, I promise! I think the iPad is great, it’s just not something I can get as excited about as I can about my MacBook. And when I’m at a desk I’d never use the iPad as I’d much rather have the full power of Scrivener (or Xcode) and my main computer. So the iPad, like the iPhone - although not quite so much as the iPhone, as I dislike iPhones in general but quite like the iPad - leaves me rather cold, just because it doesn’t really fit in with anything I do. To me, pulling my MacBook onto my lap, flipping it open, clicking on Safari and typing away what I need to search for is far faster than grabbing the iPad and trying to type into its keyboard. I also do a lot of tabbed browsing - ctrl-click, open in new tab, refer to that tab in a minute as I finish the article I’m on. And while I’m sure that’s possible on the iPad it seems clumsier. And as for the heat and weight of the laptop, I find they are compensated for by the ease of typing and the speed with which I could do things.

Sometimes I look at the iPad and think, “Wow, it would be really cool if it had a keyboard and trackpad attached that could fold together with it…” But no netbook for us!

I know I seem rather negative about the iPad. I’m not really. I just don’t “get it”. It just doesn’t do anything for me at all other than look rather cool.

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Thanks for the tips, and that’s good news about Simplenote sync with Scrivener.

For me, I’m the opposite with regard to notebook computer vs. iPad – I really dislike using a notebook computer on my lap, and so the iPad is a much better tool for me. If I need to do lots of writing, I use the Apple Wireless Keyboard with my iPad, and balance the whole thing on a lap desk.

I don’t even currently have a laptop computer, just an iPad and iMac. I expect I’ll need to buy a MacBook Pro soon – although, truthfully, I’ve been saying that for six months now, and have managed to put it off all this time.