Turn Your iPad Into Typewriter with Hanx Writer App
Turn Your iPad Into Typewriter with Hanx Writer App.
While perusing the iTunes app store, I came across this cool iPad app called Hanx Writer. The app is featured as an Editor’s Choice in the iTunes app store and the current version has over 700 ratings (as of this writing) with a 4.5 star average. The app was created by Movie star Tom Hanks, that’s right people, THE Tom Hanks! He partnered with the game development studio, Hitcents to create his unique version of an iPad typewriter app. Hitcents is also the studio behind the Award winning game Draw a Stickman:Epic.
“It was Tom’s energy and enthusiasm that made an impression on me. He was bold, personable, and when he spoke about the Hanx Writer he was having fun. I wanted to capture that spirit with this app. Nostalgic…yes! But also a tool that composes well and is enjoyable to use more than once,” said Stuart Westphal who’s the current VP of games at Hitcents.
Hanks has a true passion for old fashioned typewriters, and now he’s sharing that passion with the iPad users of today, most of which have probably never even used a real typewriter.
His new app, Hanx Writer allows you to turn your iPad into a virtual typewriter, including realistic sounds and paper that moves as it would using the actual typewriter!
Hanks told USA TODAY that “Hanx Writer is just my little gift to the future Luddite hipsters of the world.” He said that at one time, he even owned 200 typewriters and still uses one everyday for various notes and such.
Hanks says “with the Hanx Writer, you’ll hear the rhythm of your work with SHOOK SHOOK or FITT-FITT”.
I’m using the Hanx Writer app to type this review and it’s really easy to use and I kind of like the fact that I can envision myself creating a work of art at my desk….ok, back to reality! The only problem I had was using my cursor, sorry but I like my luxuries of today, including the ability to delete something, which is also an option in this app, although not as easy as it is on my Macbook. With that being said, I think it’s a cool iPad app that I will keep. I’m not sure if I’ll use it daily, but I think it’s well worth downloading just for the nostalgia alone!
You can use the Hanx Writer app with your iPad keyboard or a wireless keyboard and once you’re done with your “masterpiece”, you can even share it via email and messages. It goes out as a PDF file and looks like you actually used a typewriter to type it!
The app is currently Free in the app store and has in-app purchases available that include upgrades like multiple documents, ribbon colors, background colors and two more typewriters including the Hanx 707 and the Hanx Golden Touch. The in-app purchases are $2.99 each or $4.99 for the Writer’s Bundle which includes everything.