Forum Posts Feed
WriteMapper 4 is out for Mac and Windows
< Next Topic | Back to topic list | Previous Topic >
Posted by MadaboutDana
Dec 11, 2023 at 09:40 AM
This is a very interesting piece of software. It looks like the developer has rewritten it completely, dealing with the weaknesses of the previous version. It has a whole bunch of interesting features, including mindmapping (this has been substantially expanded, it appears), the ability to edit multiple sections/subsections simultaneously (like Ulysses), and a plethora of output formats. Apparently the search function has also been enhanced (formerly something of a weakness),.
I’m certainly going to take a closer look!
Cheers,
Bill
Posted by satis
Dec 12, 2023 at 01:37 AM
https://writemapper.com/whats-new/
Looks interesting. Like all new writing apps, an AI ‘assistant’ is integrated into it too.
A couple of years ago you said you’d written the developer to point out missing writing features that were surprisingly absent in a writing app:
https://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/9440/5
Do you know if these issues have since been addressed?
Posted by MadaboutDana
Dec 12, 2023 at 08:58 AM
Good one – I haven’t had a chance to give it a really good kicking yet, but I’ve immediately noticed that it still doesn’t have “smart” punctuation (i.e. curly quotes/apostrophes etc.). That’s a shame.
Thanks for drawing my attention back to that post – I’ll use it as a benchmark!
Posted by Dormouse
Dec 12, 2023 at 02:57 PM
One of the relatively few writing apps I hadn’t tried.
Won’t give it a good kicking, but might nudge it a bit.
Looks to be a PWA prog, primarily a markdown notes editor with outline and mindmap attached. Instant dark mode was good.
But not usable for me - the mindmap is so much less intuitive and easy than Mindomo (the far fewer features could even be an advantage). Might be better on the Mac. And I use Mindomo for all sorts of playing around with ideas, not just outlining a doc.
I also don’t see any advantages - and a number of disadvantages - over other markdown editors. The mindmap integration really is the USP.
I also looked at the producthunt page.
Roughly speaking, it looks okay, maybe usable. I wouldn’t reject it out of hand.
But I’d expect to find multiple niggles - expected features absent, accessing them unintuitive, and some things not working.
And that’s an issue for a writing app, which needs to be slick and predictable and not get in the way of the writing.
And then there’s the issue of pricing and sustainability.
V1 users get free upgrade to V4. V2 and 3 users get a 50% discount. $65 is more expensive than Scrivener, though less than subscription progs like Dabble. From the ProductHunt discussion, I’m not convinced that the developer has a business strategy that is producing sufficient income.
And is it really better than Obsidian + one of its mindmap plugins? I suppose yes, given that you’d also have to add Longform to reorder docs.
Posted by Dormouse
Dec 12, 2023 at 10:37 PM
I’ve looked at it a bit more and think I’ve underestimated it. For anyone who has straightforward/simple mindmap/outline/editor needs, Writemapper is a pretty neat was of switching from one mode to another. And the import/export options are good enough to support a to-and-fro workflow for times when something extra is needed. I can see a value in that.
But then I looked at the pricing in detail, and it started to feel like extortion. I appreciate that it won’t have the volume of Scrivener, and that the developer needs an income, but I just can’t see the possibility of growing customer volume with this setup:
Writemapper free trial - 7 days. Can be extended on request by a further 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 days for 28 days in total. Money back promise lasts 14 days.
Scrivener free trial lasts 30 days, only days of use counting. Money back promise covers next 30 days.
Writemapper launched 2017. Versions 2, 3, 4 have launched since then.
Scrivener 3 launched 2017. Still the current version so no upgrade fees since then.