Its not OK...

Im a great fan of low overhead, "get out of your way" word-processors and note-takers. I even used VoodooPad for Mac to author a 348 page book and a shorter work (220 pages) on the grandparent of zero footprint, "MyTexts" from Germanys MoApp Foundry.

That said, small, nimble, and transparent programs like these do not usually take "getting out of the writers way" to mean leaving the premises altogether. Regrettably, thats precisely what the developer of DraftPad seems to have done. Even the most routine of writing tasks require the user to exit the writing page, then to peruse a long menu of sometimes arcanely named functions (to give the developer credit, it is possible to re-name these functions).

It really feels so odd- a bit like two code warriors staying up till the wee hours in one of those punch-drunk caffeine fuelled discussions about how to make a "completely different" writing tool. One woke up the next morning and forgot all about it. The other, regrettably, remained enamoured with the idea, hoping to make big bucks on the App Store. Like many a caffeine dream (can you tell Ive had a few?), this program makes up in bull-headed clumsiness for what it lacks in simplicity and elegance. Sorry, its just clunky.

A suggestion to the developer - how about putting all those options on a configureable heads-up display, invoked by a simple hot key?

Im giving DraftPad 2 stars only because I reserve 1star status to programs that solicit in-app purchases. 2 thumbs down, and erased form my iPad.

Panegyrist about DraftPad, v1.6.2