Handpicked Software

Sometimes less really is more. CopyWrite is a lightweight editor designed for writers. Most writers will find CopyWrite friendlier for writing rough drafts than a full-fledged word processor (like Word) and will appreciate CopyWrite’s special features (like version control) that are missing from most text editors.

A CopyWrite file is a project that can include any number of documents. CopyWrite makes it easy to keep your documents organized and manage your progress. Documents can be assigned categories and status (there are default categories and status settings, but everything is easily customizable). A Notes Drawer lets you keep miscellaneous notes for your project and for each individual document, and to add links to Web sites that might be useful in your research. A Project Binder lists documents above the document window, and you can search within documents and notes, or filter documents by category.

If you write for publication, you know how important it is to keep within your word count. CopyWrite displays statistics in the Status Bar and in a Project Info palette. You can also set a word count goal and a Goal Meter in the Project Info palette will show your progress (you can exclude individual documents if you don’t want them to be counted).

CopyWrite has a simple version control system that lets you save multiple versions of each document. A Global Replace feature lets you make changes to the documents and/or notes in your entire project, and you can choose whether to include previous versions.

When you’re ready to put the finishing touches on your project, you can export individual documents or the entire project to Rich Text file format, which can be opened in any word processor.

CopyWrite’s strengths come from not suffering from feature bloat, but there are a few additional features I’d like to see. The ability to zoom would be easier on a tired writer’s eyes, and smart quotes would save clean up time after exporting to Word. It would also be useful to be able to set goals for individual documents or categories, and to quickly get a word count for a selection. The notes drawer is handy for keeping To Do items, but the ability to add action item check boxes to the Notes drawer would make these easier to manage.

Bottom Line: CopyWrite has the features most writers need for composing rough drafts and managing writing projects, without the clutter of more powerful word processors.If you don’t want your software to distract you from the creative process, CopyWrite may be the ideal lightweight editor.
From: Bartas Technologies
Price: $29.95