Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Did you know that Reedsy Studio has an installable web app for your computer? Instead of opening a new browser tab to work on your manuscript, you can do so right from your computer’s desktop. But is it something you’ll get any real use out of?
Essentially, these progressive web apps use the same resources as your browser and work the same exact way as they do in a browser tab. So, what’s all the hub-bub about these apps, and is the Reedsy Studio web app worth adding to your desktop?
I suppose it comes down to personal preference. Some people like the idea of a standalone app over a browser tab. But how much of it is a “standalone app” if it still uses Google Chrome’s memory and processes?
What Is the Installed Web App for Reedsy Studio?
Progressive web apps are essentially bits of software you install onto your computer that use a similar programming language to websites. This includes HTML, Java, CSS, and even PHP in some cases. Essentially, web apps are duplicates of their browser-based counterparts that sit on your computer.
In this case, you can install Reedsy Studio to run on your desktop, allowing you to access your manuscripts without launching your browser. The program can be easily pinned to your taskbar for quick access.
From the Reedsy Studio web app, you can access your bookshelf and all of the manuscripts in a distraction-free setting. In other words, you don’t have your browser’s address bar, bookmarks, and other elements getting in the way of your writing.
To install the Reedsy Studio web app, just click the “Install” button that appears in the address bar when accessing your online bookshelf. It’s a quick process, and the app doesn’t take up a lot of space on your computer.
7 Pros and Cons of the Reedsy Studio Desktop App
PROS
- Distraction Free Writing*
- Uses Browsers Extensions
- Access All Reedsy Studio Functions
- Organization and Multitasking*
- Seems to Load Faster
CONS
- No Offline Mode
- No Local Save Option
Distraction Free Writing
One of the benefits of using progressive web apps is that it offers distraction free writing compared to a web browser. However, that’s a bit misleading.
Using the Reedsy Studio app does provide a bit of a professional appearance, but hitting F11 on your keyboard turns Google Chrome into a distraction-free platform as well. In fact, I would wager that the F11 function is superior, as it also removes the bottom taskbar of your computer.
In fact, I use the F11 function an awful lot while working in WordPress from a browser tab.
So, the idea of installed web apps offering a clean appearance is ultimately defeated by the F11 key. Don’t get me wrong, the layout for the Reedsy Studio app is clean and organized. But I don’t think “distraction-free” is a good argument for any progressive web apps.
Uses Browser’s Extensions
One of the highlights of using the Reedsy Studio web app is how it uses your browser’s extensions. Since it technically is governed by your browser, you should have access to all of the things you installed.
In my case, I only have the Grammarly Chrome extension scanning for misspelled words. I’ve also tested a few dark mode plugins that seemed to work relatively well with Reedsy if you don’t have the premium version available.
Nonetheless, most of the browser extensions you use in Reedsy Studio should work the same in the web app. This is a helpful feature, especially if there are a few extensions you’ve grown accustomed to using for writing your manuscripts. This includes any that add tools to your mouse’s right-click process.
Access All Reedsy Studio Functions
The Reedsy Studio web app has all of the functions it has in its browser-based counterpart. This is everything from the writing tool itself to exporting your book as a PDF or ePub file.
However, opening links to anything other than the Reedsy Studio app will launch in a browser tab. For instance, if you click on the Reedsy Learning center, your Internet browser of choice will launch the link.
You can write, manage, delete, and maintain your manuscript from within the Reedsy Studio web app.
Organization and Multitasking Benefits
Experts speculate that using progressive web apps helps with organization and multitasking. Instead of trying to find certain browser tabs to access what you need, you can launch the app from your toolbar or desktop.
Personally, the Chrome browser has more than 30 tabs open all at once. However, it’s still relatively easy to find Reedsy among them as I organize the tabs according to purpose. So, the idea of the app saving me time and improving organization doesn’t impress me much.
On the other side of the coin, I can see how some people might have an easier time finding Reedsy while writing. I know at any given time, I had dozens of tabs open while researching Shadows of Atlantic City.
I’m just not sure about Reedsy Studio’s web app and its benefit to me in terms of organization and multitasking.
Seems to Load Faster
After a few test loads of my manuscripts, the web app seems to load them a bit faster than when directly using Google Chrome. Even though Google is currently chewing up a lot of memory due to all of the open tabs, the web app popped up all of my longer manuscripts quickly.
I’m not 100% sure whether the faster load times are the result of the web app itself or that my Internet connection is having a good day. Nonetheless, all of the tests I ran showed load times were roughly cut in half.
In this instance, the Reedsy Studio web app performed better than it did through a browser tab.
No Offline Mode
The Reedsy Studio web app does not have an offline mode. That means it pulls the interface for the entire app directly from Reedsy’s website. If you don’t have Internet access, the app is useless.
This is a bit of a lost opportunity, really. Instead of programming an offline interface identical to the web-based version, Reedsy just gives an error that you’re not online.
Perhaps Reedsy will implement an offline mode in the future. Since Reedsy Studio is constantly in development, I wouldn’t put it past the developers to release something soon along those lines.
It seems every time I make a video or a blog post about a missing feature, they make me write or record updates because they release it soonafter.
No Local Save Option
Another flaw I found in the Reedsy Studio web app is the lack of a local save option. How much of a bother would it be to have both an online and an offline bookshelf of your manuscripts? Offline writing and local saving were two of the reasons why I bought Scrivener 3.
Since the Reedsy Studio web app does not have an offline function, you have no access to manuscripts. And as there are no local save options, as I said, the app is useless if you lose Internet connection – something that happens often if you use Comcast as an Internet service provider.
Xfinity speeds, my ass.
Will I Use the Reedsy Studio App Going Forward?
I am on the fence about whether I will continue to use the Reedsy Studio web app. While it may be more convenient for some, I’ve grown accustomed to simply having it on my web browser. It’s more of a personal preference, really.
I’m sure I would probably get accustomed to using it from the desktop if I gave it some time. So, I’m going to keep trying to train myself to use the web app instead of the browser.
I do have to say that it’s easier to find from the taskbar than it is to sift through all of the tabs I have open.
My biggest issues with the Reedsy Studio web app are the fact that there is no Offline Mode and that you can’t save files locally. Even the ability to write and save locally and then synchronize once the Internet is detected would be preferable to just a message that you’re not online.
As I said, though, this may be a feature coming down the road. Reedsy is actively updated, and it is a completely different tool from when I started using it several years ago.
One thing I’d like to point out is that when Chrome crashes, so does Reedsy Studio. One of the highlights of using web apps is that they are supposed to isolate the app from the browser to prevent this from happening. That’s not the case here, as I just watched Reedy Studio crash along with Chrome due to a browser issue.
Anyway, I’ll continue to use the web app for the moment and see if it becomes as much of a habit as loading up a browser tab.
What Is Your Favorite Writing App?
There are a lot of great writing apps out there, and the best one is the app that fulfills the most of your needs. In my case, Reedsy Studio has been a champ. Even its free version had all of the necessary tools I needed to write and publish Kingmaker.
Sure, there are a few things I would change, such as more formatting options. However, it’s helped me produce several books that are currently published. Although I’m not a huge fan of web apps, I’ll give it some time to see if it becomes habitual rather than opening yet another tab.
Now, if Reedsy adds offline modes and local bookshelves, that would be damn near perfect.
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