Can't see a single function here that Scrivener doesn't do better. Much, much better.

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html

Sorry Bartas. You didn't listen when you had the opportunity. Bye Bye.

I liked Copywrite, I really did. However, after reported bugs went unfixed and suggestions were not implemented... not to speak of no update since May 2006, I started looking around... and found Scrivener! It has everything and more that is missing in Copywrite, starting with footnotes, outlines, structures, tables, and image support. Yet it is very simple. Sorry Bartas Technologies, but I've moved on.

I purchased CopyWrite about a week ago, and this rock-solid app makes it very simple to manage my writing projects. I don't normally post reviews of software, but this is that good. The user-interface is perfect for a creative; a simple interface with basic options. It is very easy to link source material, store notes (by document and project), and the versioning and backup features are the perfect answer to my neurotic fears my work might be lost. Because I rarely know where a story is going, the creative workflow once demanded I flip back and forth between finder windows and word processing app. Now I can store and categorize all material in one project file, and simply use a drop down menu to access the material I need. If you are a creative writer who just wants to sit down and write, this is the software to do it. It just stays out of your way, but gives you the peace of mind of project management and backups. Thanks for your great work guys!

I don't know what gradus has up his butt. I've used CW since its early stages and it has only gotten better with each update. The developer is great with responding to requests and that says a lot about the professionalism and commitment to their product; meaning that some of these interface changes were asked by the consumer. To say that it's a 'confusing mess' is completely absurd. What did you want? One button that asks you what you wanted to do and then have it do it immediately for you? Like gradus mentioned... it does have a full-screen editor. So if you don't like all the palettes, etc. then use the full-screen editor. You answered it yourself. By the way, I do agree that Ulysses is a great app but CW is a great app as well and the cost is nominal for CW; to me it's a no-brainer. And you know what? CW just keeps getting better.

To start on a positive note, you get a lot for your money with this program. It has many nice and interesting features (versioning, a goal meter and a full-screen view that lets you switch between documents, to name my favourite ones).

The weak point of this program is not its features but its interface. How any serious writer would be able to concentrate on his work with this confusing mess of palettes, buttons, levers, tabs and drawers is beyond me. The blurb above rightfully says that "any creative process is inherently messy", but the developer seems to have followed this truism too closely when he created the interface.

Judged by the comments here, CW seems to have many loyal fans. I don't want to question their rave reviews, but I suppose that this kind of program mainly appeals to technical writers, or to people who equate a crowded, unintuitive interface with professional software.

This is definitely not a program for writers who think that playing with ideas and words and plots is more rewarding than fiddling around with clumsily implemented software features. If you want a simple, straightforward program that stays out of your way but gives you all the flexibility you need for composing and rearranging your stuff, you will have to look elsewhere.

There are not many options, but you should check out Jer's Novel Writer, a program with a very, um, novel concept and very intriguing ideas about how a "creative writing" program should work. Another option, though a very expensive one, is Ulysses, arguably the most elegant and mature program in this niche. (It was the first to introduce full-screen mode, which says a lot about the inventiveness of its developers.)

None of these programs can "help you write better" (quote from the CW ad). No program could. But if you need proof that writers were better off if they still had to use quills and parchment, CopyWrite would be a great piece of evidence.