I’m looking for Scrivener on the iPad. (Woohoo!) I don’t care about having an iPhone version. I will use it for new composition, revision of existing prose, and creating/editing/viewing of “metadata”: research, lists of characters, places, etc., all in the context of the binder. Serious restructuring, production of output formats, and such like, I would do on my desktop machine.
Here’s what I’d want to see:
Rich text editing.
Display and editing of any text item in the binder. (I use IndexCard with Scrivener, and while it works the limitations are annoying.)
The ability to rearrange things in the binder (and add new items, of course).
If the binder can actually display a tree view (rather than being a list with folders that you have to drill down into) that would be outstanding.
Index card view and regular text view. In particular, I want to be able to edit both the summary on the index card and also the main body of the text.
Superlative sync’ing with the Mac version of Scrivener. If possible, I would prefer that this be done through Dropbox rather than through iTunes file sharing; it’s comforting after a writing session out and about to save my text to Dropbox and know that it’s been backed up and doesn’t only exist on my iPad. I don’t want to have to wait and sync my iPad when I get home.
A clean minimal appearance for serious composition and revision of document test. I currently use Nebulous Notes for that purpose; it does a pretty good job of it.
For the iPad version, I don’t care about:
Creating, adding to, or (for that matter) viewing collections.
Setting keywords or other metadata.
“Scrivenings”. If I can edit individual items, that’s good enough.
Ideally, it would be an invisible process. Just start up on the desktop machine or iPad and the latest version of the current file is there.
For the time being, I can’t conceive of my iPad being my main writing machine - but I can see it as something that will allow me to work when away form the desk for a few days - especially for polishing, editing etc. I really like the way that iCloud keeps everything in sync on my Mac, iPad and iPhone, or that the Kindle app on my iPhone knows where I got to in my last iPad session.
As far as usage is concerned, just give us the binder (swipe right to reveal perhaps), a good full screen no-distractions mode for getting words down, and seamless sync, and I’ll be first in the queue.
Sync is critical, but it would be nice to have options other than DropBox. iCloud, iTunes, WiFi… No need to support all of them, but I’d rather Scrivener To Go wasn’t tied to a single provider.
I see myself mostly using iPad Scrivener for outlining, synopses, and generally playing with the structure of a work. I’m unlikely to do any serious writing or editing on the iPad. That goes double for an iPhone version.
In general, as similar as possible to Scrivener for Mac. I understand that split screen on iPad is tricky and on iPhone is almost insane, but who knows, perhaps some users can manage. Having the option does not mean you HAVE to use it. Of course I understand there are limitations,the hardware ain’t the same.
iCloud integration for sync with the Desktop version for Mac! That way if you’re out with your iPhone or iPad, you can insert a new idea into Scrivener and have it synced to your project at home! On the iPhone 4S you could even dictate your new idea!!!
Wow! I’ve been waiting for this news since I got the iPad! Finally!
I use my iPad mostly for on-the-go working, or when I just want to jot stuff down, make changes or additions that pop into my head while I am wandering around… But yes, I would love to see my fav features from Scrivener into the iPad version.
Here is what I would like to see in my Ideal vision of Scrivener for the iPad:
The screen is split into two parts:
The right hand side is for the writing bit, which can become a full screen if you want to.
The left hand side could be like a quick look panel - where one can choose what one wants to see - a cork board with the index cards, or another file from which one needs to refer from, or an image or even an audio file. 8)
And of course, if you could add syncing via iCloud, then it would be marvelous!
I hope you can have these feature in the iPad version - it would make life so much wonderful!
Meanwhile, I would also like to take the opportunity to wish your iPad dev team all the best of luck!
You certainly could, and Siri is pretty good (not 100% but good), I’ve been using it to add Christmas tasks things to the reminders app.
Siri did create a reminder to “Buy rucksack” which was strange as I didn’t make a note to do this and as already about twenty rucksacks* which means I’ll be in real trouble at home if I buy any more!
It was “Buy Christmas Crackers” I’d said.
*My handbag is a rucksack. I have small rucksacks and bigger rucksacks; rucksacks for running short runs, running long runs, short walks, long walks and very long walks; rainproof rucksacks and waterproof rucksacks; rucksacks for climbing at the gyn, climbing real mountains and climbing even bigger mountains; for using on my bike and for using when I’m out with my twins (No rucksack is ever quite big enough for that task!).
I even have rucksacks for carrying rucksacks**
**Actually I don’t, but I suspect if they made one I’d queue up for it.
I currently use Nebulous Notes as my iPad remote Scrivener, and using that as a starting point I’d be happy with just two additional features on top of it, for Scrivener iPad:
Nebulous is currently closely tied to Dropbox. Keep the Dropbox sync, of course, but where Nebulous currently has just a hierarchical list of “Local Files,” I want to see my Binder.
RTF editing. Currently, having to go back and check to see if there’s any formatting that’s been lost in the sync is a PITA.
I haven’t done any iPad development, but it’s my understanding that designing an app to do RTF editing is a chore. Apple doesn’t have any built-in RTF API on iOS. That’s why there aren’t any iPad apps which do it. So you could easily spend all your dev time just trying to get RTF to work.
Perhaps if you supported just a subset of RTF. Boldface, italics, comments and footnotes would be enough for me.
Cobbling together what I have read and adding my own bits I see this:
A hierarchy that can be re-arranged somehow (by folder or tag?) and viewed
The ability to compile these as far as the order of the documents
Both the Draft and Research folders
Notecards
Preservation of any formatting
*Seamless integration with the desktop
Comments, annotations, footnotes available somehow, maybe as separate folders or parts of the app
It would be cool if these were as flexible as documents in Scrivener
Hi,
The same level of support for right to left lenguages that is found on the Mac version would be a great feature, especially since there is, currently, no program that offers adequate support for writing in these languages.
Thanks,
Noory
Great news about the iOS version for Scrivener. I predict I would use it routinely on the iPad. I have three suggestions:
I want to second the suggestion to ensure use of footnotes (and comments). For academics in the Scrivener fan club, these features are indispensable.
I use iThoughtsHD on my iPad, and then I export the mind maps out as opml files into Scrivener. It would be cool to be able to import opml files into the iOS version of Scrivener as well. Then we can see the transfer from mind map to text-based (or index card) Scrivenings without switching devices.
As with many other comments so far, my vote is for tidy and clear use of a sync feature. I use Dropbox already for all my Scrivener files, so that I can work between laptop and desktop without worry. To bring this seamless sync security to an iPad would be wonderful.
Good luck! Please give us routine updates, via Twitter and/or facebook.
The only reason why I don’t already have an iPad is because Scrivener was not available for it. Thanks a lot, now I’m out $500. (Kidding, of course, this was the best news I’ve heard all month.)
Knowing how hard it is to have RTF text editing in iOS, I feel like the task I’m about to ask of you is Herculean. But the most desired feature, for me, after auto-syncing, is Scriptwriting mode.
I know Scriptwriting has always been a more secondary feature of Scrivener, but myself and most of the people I know use it for Script and Playwriting.
Please include Scriptwriting mode. It would be the best.
Number one: [blockquote] Bullet proof sync! I have tried all the sync options I could find for use with my (aging) iPod touch and they all had one thing in common: the sync process could easily wipe out a file or a project. Special file names or headers are poison; if they are needed, they should be invisible to the user and fail-proof.
Sure, I may be an ignoramus, but as soon as a program wipes out something I am working on, it goes in the trash bin. I don’t need a fourth career as a Scrivener hacker.
As far as what I need (using an iPod Touch) is note taking, either as separate new files or appending to existing files[/blockquote]
Number two:[blockquote]
Record audio notes? Add photos?
Think of it as crazy free form research.
I kind of try to do this with Evernote already.
[/blockquote]
I second the request for a Scriptiwriting mode. Writing scripts is a highly collaborative task, and the iPad would be great for collective writing sessions.
Make sure to enable landscape (as well as portrait) mode. Apple’s refusal to make landscape available in Pages (for the iPhone) makes it virtually useless. Please don’t make the same mistake.
The best christmaspresent I could get. I’m an IPad user, but had thoughts of buying a MacBook Air. Just because I missed Scriv on my mobile device.
You saved me a lot off money.
