Mac OS X
Still write on a traditional computer, and is it a Mac? No worries, because we’ve got that covered, in both Mac and Windows apps below, starting with the best of the best on the Apple OS.
TextEdit
Price: Free
It’s not much to look at, but Apple’s TextEdit is the cheapest writing application you’ll ever find on Mac, because it comes with the operating system. Mountain Lion (10.8) users can even save to the iCloud, so everything is backed up nicely.
Clean Writer Pro
Price: $0.99
We’re fans of not paying much, and Clean Writer Pro offers a fullscreen minimalistic writing experience for a buck. The app is pretty basic, while it may not be as pretty as iA Writer, we like how the lines we’re not working on are greyed out as we keep writing.
OmmWriter Dana
Price: $4.99; Older version available for free
One of the more unique writing experiences you can have, OmmWriter has you type on a screen with a minimalist wallpaper, playing a similarly minimalist ambient relaxing soundtrack behind it all. Good for getting yourself in the mood to write when you’re itching to clear your head.
iA Writer
Price: $9.99
As clean as its iPad equivalent, iA Writer is one of the best options out there on Mac OS to write. The app is about as simple as it gets, and your entire screen will go to a slightly off-white, allowing you to immerse yourself in your writing and only your writing.
Write Room
Price: $9.99; Free option available
Another clean writing app, this one features an iOS version too (iPad, iPhone) that can use Dropbox and sync the apps together, not only allowing you to read what you’ve written at home on your iMac with your phone or tablet, but edit it too.
Scrivener
Price: $45; 30-day free trial available
Probably one of the best solutions for writing and putting together a book, Scrivener is more than just a writing application. It throws in a corkboard for ideas, ways of throwing in pictures and keeping your thoughts together, and even making it possible to export your book as an ePub so friends can read it on an iPad or eReader.
