A Downloadable Feast? A Review of Hemingway's Desktop App

Hemingway Desktop App: Is it worth buying?

Hemingway Desktop App, based on Ernest Hemingway's writing style, provides an improved writing experience with its unique readability aids, grammar suggestions, and real-time preview pane. However, it also has some shortcomings, such as counting URL code as text, providing tooltips for not every example, and not being able to ignore them.

This $4.99 Hemingway desktop version allows offline editing and saving/opening of Markdown and text files, but lacks automatic save and real-time previewing is slow. It doesn't offer significant advantages over the free online version, and the authors suggest that improvements need to be made before it becomes a worthwhile product.

FAQ section emphasizes that the Hemingway desktop app is designed to improve writing clarity and influence, can be used offline, supports multiple file formats, and provides a user-friendly, intuitive interface. However, it does not support cloud synchronization and may not always fit the complex sentence patterns used in academic writing.

Hemingway started out as an online-only text editor that provides a unique way to improve people’s writing, based on writer Ernest Hemingway, known for its short sentences and concise language. . Recently, the team behind the app launched a desktop version (for Windows and Mac) that allows files to be opened and saved. The online version can't do this, so now you don't need to use a second app just for this task. It also comes with a live preview pane that appears next to your editing screen.

I usually write articles using Draft, then use StackEdit to proofread and export to Markdown (.md) files. Since I've been looking for "an app that can do all the tasks", I've only written this article in Hemingway to see if I like it.

The Hemingway Editor Desktop App is a downloaded version of Mac and PC for $4.99. While that's not much, it competes with many free online tools, including its own free online version.

First of all, I will cover some features that make Hemingway a popular tool among writers. I'll then introduce the extra features the app offers.

Readability aids

Hemingway is known for its clever small counters that help keep articles readable. There are a number of ways you can check your writing:

### Level

Hemingway developers have created a rating rating for your writing. They say you should strive to get a rating of 10 or lower to make sure as many people can read it. While this is a perfect measure, there is a major drawback: it counts URL code as text. This means inserting a long URL can severely lower your overall rating. Furthermore, the longer the article, the less impact each sentence has on the overall score. This means your post may contain several sentences that are too long but can still get an acceptable rating.

Counter

The app continuously calculates your paragraphs, sentences, words, and characters. The only number that really matters here is the word counter, but the other numbers certainly don't hurt either.

Grammar Suggestions

Your sentences will be analyzed and when Hemingway finds opportunities to improve them, the application will notify you with color highlights. You will receive suggestions on sentence length, adverbs, use of simpler words and passive voice. I'll use their own example "in excess of" to make this paragraph contain all possible colors, and I purposely make this particular sentence extremely long to trigger a "very hard to read" color (as you can see, it's red of).

Now let's see what it would look like if I try to correct all of these "errors":

Grammar Suggestions

Although it looks less color, there are still some tips.

As an adverb, "very" should be omitted, but in this case it is referenced, so I won't change it. The last hint given is for the phrase "is red". The app thinks I should change the sentence because it thinks I refer to the red object in the passive voice. This shows that Hemingway does not understand the context of each sentence, which is why you should be cautious when accepting its suggestions.

Therefore, the system is not perfect. Hemingway uses tooltips to help you correct articles, but even these tooltips are flawed. Not every example provides tooltips, so you need to hover over each colored box to see if there is any suggestion. I found this very distracting and even annoying.

What's even more annoying is that you can't ignore the prompts you disagree with by canceling its color. Every time the word "very" is used, the word is marked to remind you that it is an adverb that should be removed, even if I sometimes want to use this word when I find something very irritating.

That's all I can say about grammar. This is a great tool to help you write, but don't rely too much on it. You can always choose to use the "No Interference" writing mode, where the prompts disappear. It also removes the word counter, which I personally want to keep next to it, but that might just be my personal thought.

Advantages of desktop version

You can also find the above features in the online version, so let's see what the desktop app brings.

Offline editing

They use it as one of the main selling points, but I wrote this paragraph in the online editor with the connection closed. It still works, but the documentation is not saved until my connection is restored. The desktop version does allow you to save files locally, but unlike the online version, it won't save automatically. Therefore, if you save from time to time, you may still lose the document.

Save/Open Markdown and text files

By default, your document will be saved as a .txt file, but you can also save as a .md file. This preserves the Markdown format.

Real-time preview

I like to use live previews when viewing and editing articles, especially when using Markdown. The desktop app comes with a live preview option, but I just used it for a few minutes before turning it off? Why? It will make your text editor very slow.

My computer is powerful, so this should not be the reason. When using live preview, your editing slows down, causing you to type in the dark because it takes nearly a second to catch up. The live preview itself is even slower and takes a few seconds to finally show what you are typing. It's not a problem in itself (you won't keep looking at it), but combined with slower editing, it's getting very annoying again.

The desktop application also has an error that the online version does not have: in some cases, colored sentences will overlap, resulting in double lines.

Neither the online version nor the desktop version has any Markdown shortcuts that StackEdit has. I think this should be easy to implement and should be an additional advantage of the paid version. Now you waste time adding formats yourself.

Sync to Google Drive or Dropbox. If the free online version offers this feature, there is no problem, but why not add it to this paid version?

Will I use the Hemingway desktop version?

At present, I don't see a real advantage over the online version. Live preview still needs improvement, offline editing doesn't really work for me if I still need to save manually. I'm used to autosave now. Just paying $4.99 just to be able to save my files is a little too much. I still used StackEdit to finalize this post...

If they resolve these failures, I will try again, and its potential certainly exists.

FAQs for Hemingway Desktop Applications

How does the Hemingway desktop application improve my writing?

Hemingway desktop app is designed to make your writing clearer and more impactful. It uses unique algorithms to identify common problems that may make your writing difficult to read, such as complex sentences, excessive adverbs, and passive voice. By highlighting these issues, the app allows you to make targeted improvements to your writing, resulting in a more engaging and easier to read final product.

Can I use the Hemingway desktop application offline?

Yes, one of the main advantages of the Hemingway desktop application over the online version is that it can be used offline. This makes it a great tool for writers who want to improve their writing but may not always have a reliable internet connection.

Is Hemingway desktop app suitable for academic writing?

While the Hemingway desktop app can certainly be used to improve academic writing, it is important to note that the app is designed to promote a clear and concise writing style. This may not always match the more complex sentence structures often used in academic writing. However, it can still be a useful tool for identifying areas in writing that may be overly complex or difficult to understand.

How does Hemingway desktop application compare to other writing tools?

Hemingway desktop application is unique in its focus on readability improvements. While other writing tools may focus on grammar and spelling, Hemingway goes a step further by highlighting areas of writing that can simplify or make it more direct. This can be a valuable tool for writers who want to make their work more engaging and easier to understand.

Can I use the Hemingway desktop application on multiple devices?

The Hemingway desktop application is currently available for Windows and Mac, and your license allows you to use the application on multiple devices. However, it is important to note that the app currently does not support cloud synchronization, so your work will not be automatically available on all devices.

Does Hemingway desktop applications support different file formats?

Yes, the Hemingway desktop application supports a variety of file formats, including .txt, .md, and .html. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used with a variety of writing projects.

Is the Hemingway desktop application easy to use?

Hemingway desktop app is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Its concise minimalist interface allows you to focus on writing, while the color highlighting system allows you to easily identify areas that need improvement.

Can the Hemingway desktop application help SEO?

While the Hemingway desktop application is not designed specifically for SEO, it certainly helps to achieve better SEO results. By increasing the readability of content, the app can help increase user engagement and reduce bounce rates, both of which are positive signals in search engine rankings.

Does the Hemingway desktop application provide any additional features?

In addition to its core features, the Hemingway desktop application also offers many additional features, such as the ability to switch between writing and editing modes, a free writing environment, and the ability to publish directly to Medium and WordPress.

Is the Hemingway desktop app worth buying?

Hemingway desktop app offers a one-time purchase price, including all future updates. Given the range of features it offers and the potential improvements it can bring to your writing, many users think the app is great value for money. But, like any tool, be sure to consider your personal needs and circumstances before purchasing.

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