My review will look at WriteRoom as a writing tool. WriteRoom is a Word processor for Mac and iOS devices and calls itself "distraction free writing." It is an alternative to Microsoft Word and costs $10. I will look at its visual arrangement, its effectiveness as a writing tool, and the flexibility it provides for users.
Visual Arrangement
WriteRoom's most appealing feature is its full screen mode, in which the entire screen turns black while the text you type is grey (or whatever color you choose, if you wish to customize it). All you can see in this mode is what you type. When you put it in full screen, all of the clutter at the bottom of your screen (email alerts, open browsers, etc) go away. Here is a screenshot of WriteRoom:
It is simple, unlike Microsoft Word, which underlines any typo and autocorrects most of what you type. Here is a screenshot of Microsoft Word:
Notice all the squiggly red lines, in addition to all of the clutter on the dock at the bottom of the screen. WriteRoom doesn't do any of this. If you make a typo, you won't know until you choose to run spellcheck. WriteRoom centers your text to the middle of the screen, so when you finish typing a line the text moves up. I find this draws focus onto what is presently being typed. The user has no choice but to focus on what he or she is typing because all of the distractions are gone.
Effectiveness as a wrtiting tool
I find it highly effective as a writing tool. When using it, I find it causes me to focus on my writing. I'm currently writing this review on WriteRoom and I do not feel the temptation to open an internet browser and explore the web, like I often do when using Word. I imagine this is the kind of focus that using a typewriter would provide a writer. It's a good way to get all of your ideas down and not judge yourself by your page count or word count.
Flexibility for writers
Most of the features it provides are customizable. The text and background colors can be changed. The font size and automatic saving features can also be changed. What's nice about WriteRoom is that all of those features are hidden away in the file menu, which you cannot see unless you move your curser to the top of the screen. When you are writing you do not need to see the file menu or anything else that may divert your attention from the text.
Conclusion
I find WriteRoom to be a very good online Writing tool. It borrows from the simplicity of the past where all a writer had in front of them was the text which they were writing. That's how writers have written for centuries and it seems that many "distraction free" writing tools are available now, which implies that writers are looking for programs that help them focus. WriteRoom seems geared toward creative writers. If you are writing a five page essay for school it may not be the best since it does not have a page count. The black screen as the background is very easy on the eyes too, which counters Microsoft Word's blinding white screen. WriteRoom's purpose is to provide the user with a writing tool that allows him or her to be alone with their ideas with no distractions and I think it accomplishes this.
