Hanx Writer Review
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Hanx Writer Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on August 21st, 2014
Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: NOSTALGIC WRITING
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Miss writing on a typewriter? Hanx Writer replicates that experience pretty well on your iPad.

Developer: Hitcents.com
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.0.2
Device Reviewed On: iPad Mini Retina

iPhone Integration Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Re-use Value Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Oscar winning actor, all-around Hollywood nice guy, and now app creator? Is there anything that Tom Hanks can't do?

It appears not.

Hanx Writer taps into the actor's love of old-fashioned typewriters and attempts to bring the nostalgia to your humble iPad. It's a pretty cool typing app too, even if it's not going to replace more modern fare.

Replicating the typewriting experience, you're given a form of typewriter for free with more available via in-app purchases. It brings with it the right noises for when you're typing, as well as the choice to remove the delete key for the true authentic experience. After so many years of not hearing the 'proper' noise of keys being hit on a keyboard, it's kind of cool to hear Hanx Writer replicate those noises from years gone by.

Hanx Writer removes all hint of auto-correct or capitalizing things automatically too, which will take a bit of adjustment for the ham-fisted typists amongst us but is pretty refreshing to see. It certainly lends itself to free writing.

Besides the free typewriter that's available, you can also choose to buy the Hanx 707 or the Hanx Golden Touch, each offering a slightly different font style much like a real typewriter. You can always test them out first too, before opting to make a purchase. It's also possible to buy more text alignment options, colors, and pictures. None of it is essential, but for the nostalgia fans out there it's going to be quite tempting. I'd have appreciated the ability to have journals of writing as it seems like something that would fit into the Hanx Writer style of doing things, but that's a relatively minor gripe.

Of course, Hanx Writer is never going to replace more advanced fare like iA Writer, but it's not meant to be. It's meant to give you a nostalgic feeling as you type. I found it most satisfying to use when writing fiction, somehow feeling more inspiring than the cold feeling of a regular writing app. It turns out that Tom Hanks really can do no wrong, even in the field of apps.

iPhone Screenshots

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iPad Screenshots

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Hanx Writer screenshot 6 Hanx Writer screenshot 7 Hanx Writer screenshot 8 Hanx Writer screenshot 9 Hanx Writer screenshot 10
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