FocusWriter uses an intriguing concept that makes you wonder why other word-processing tools do not offer the same hide-away tool panels to eliminate distractions. It offers a set of writing tools with the ease and speed of unencumbered text editors. Focuswriter is a full-screen writing program. It has no option to resize or minimize. Its user interface lacks the traditional windows-control icons to minimize, maximize or close the window. This may require some personal workflow adjustments if you multitask or use numerous virtual workspaces on the Linux desktop.
I realize this is an old article, but feel the need to comment. The author misses the point. The review of FocusWriter appears to me to be from the standpoint of the needs of a journalist, not a fiction writer. FocusWriter's so-called "superfluous" features are of great value to a fiction writer. Things like live word count, alarms, and daily targets are really important to, say, a novelist.
The comments about use of full-screen real-estate, and about looking for the minimize button so that multi-tasking is possible, also miss the point. The idea of a distraction-free environment is to NOT multi-task. If screen real estate is left blank, that's hardly an issue; the idea is to focus on writing, not on all the other things that you can "multi-task" to do.
I judge (and use) FocusWriter for its ability to allow me to produce fiction. If I'm doing blog posts or other things that may resemble journalism, I use different tools.
And by the way, I like that old-fashioned typewriter sound. To me it's an audible indicator that says "I'm getting work done." (If you use it, just be sure to use headphones or earbuds. Others around you probably don't want to hear it!)
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FocusWriter Rich in Features, Poor in Some Important Ones
Posted by: Jack M. Germain November 28, 2012 05:00 AMFocusWriter uses an intriguing concept that makes you wonder why other word-processing tools do not offer the same hide-away tool panels to eliminate distractions. It offers a set of writing tools with the ease and speed of unencumbered text editors. Focuswriter is a full-screen writing program. It has no option to resize or minimize. Its user interface lacks the traditional windows-control icons to minimize, maximize or close the window. This may require some personal workflow adjustments if you multitask or use numerous virtual workspaces on the Linux desktop.
The comments about use of full-screen real-estate, and about looking for the minimize button so that multi-tasking is possible, also miss the point. The idea of a distraction-free environment is to NOT multi-task. If screen real estate is left blank, that's hardly an issue; the idea is to focus on writing, not on all the other things that you can "multi-task" to do.
I judge (and use) FocusWriter for its ability to allow me to produce fiction. If I'm doing blog posts or other things that may resemble journalism, I use different tools.
And by the way, I like that old-fashioned typewriter sound. To me it's an audible indicator that says "I'm getting work done." (If you use it, just be sure to use headphones or earbuds. Others around you probably don't want to hear it!)