We have received a fair amount of email asking us if our applications will be ready for the new Apple Silicon based Macs. The answer to this is that we will be ready when the first of the new machines are released near the end of 2020. Personally I am excited to see what the future will bring with these new Macs.
We also receive quite a bit of email regarding macOS Big Sur and compatibility with Nisus apps. We have done some testing and so far it seems, apart from cosmetic issues, our apps are compatible with Big Sur, pending the final release of the new macOS.
For the latest news on both of these issues, please keep your eyes on this blog and, if you haven’t already, subscribe to our newsletter.
Nisus Writer Pro offers an ideal writing environment and great features for academics, like:
Footnotes and endnotes.
Bibliography management with Bookends integration.
Comments and tracked changes for collaborating.
Bookmarks and cross-references.
Table of contents (TOC) and indexing.
Did you know that we offer a discount for students, teachers, or anyone who works at an academic institution?
All you need to do is write to us and provide proof like a photo of your student ID, or write from your school’s email address (.edu, for example). Once we receive your email we’ll send you a link to purchase.
Did you know you could hide the menu bar on your Mac? You can! Open System Preferences > General and checkmark “Automatically hide and show the menu bar”.
Bonus tip: you can customize the order of icons on the right side of the menu bar. Hold down the command key as you click an icon to start dragging it. If you drag the icon off the menu you can eliminate it altogether.
As a Mac based word processor, Nisus Writer seems like a solid investment if you want a feature rich writing tool that can also perform most of the formatting and page layout functions you need to publish. It’s not as potent as Scrivener for research or plotting out a story, but Nisus Writer’s focus on being a writing tool shows.
Thank you Paul@Lulu for your thorough review of Nisus Writer Pro.
Spring is gone, and I don’t think many of us will miss it. It’s now summer, a time of warm weather, lounging around (socially distanced of course), and SummerFest savings!
SummerFest is a collection of independent software developers who are creating great tools for organizing, writing, and delivering your thoughts and ideas. These are tools created with care, and refined by experience. This is high quality software, on sale now for a limited time.
As part of SummerFest, you can save 25% on InfoClick and the newly updated Nisus Writer Express and Nisus Writer Pro by using the coupon SUMMERFEST2020 at checkout in our store. You can also save at least 25% on the other apps in this year’s SummerFest by using the same coupon. There is a great collection of software this year, and the official SummerFest page has all the details.
Nisus Writer Pro 3.1 is available now and is a free update to all users of Nisus Writer Pro 3. You can update from within the app using the menu Nisus Writer Pro > Check for Updates, or download from our Nisus Writer Pro update page. Mac App Store users can download the update directly from the Mac App Store app.
For those who have not purchased the upgrade to Nisus Writer Pro 3, you can do so from our store for only $45. Users of Nisus Writer Pro versions 1 and 2 are eligible for upgrade pricing. A full version is available for $65, or $55 for academic users.
Upgrade pricing is not supported on the Mac App Store. If you would like to upgrade a previous Mac App Store purchase you can do so using these instructions.
Nisus Writer Pro 3.1 requires macOS 10.11 or later.
There are times, for whatever reason, that you need to find the license for your Nisus app. For example, you would like to upgrade to the latest version of Nisus Writer Express or Nisus Writer Pro. Perhaps you’re moving to a new computer and you need to install a fresh copy of InfoClick. How do you find your license?
Our Nisus License Lookup Tool, located on our main support page, will allow you to find your license and have it emailed to you. You just need the email address you used when you purchased your Nisus application and you will receive an email containing your license.
I guess I’m an old timer because as long as I’ve been a Mac user (almost 30 years now) I’ve known about TidBITS. However, there is plenty I did not know, and Adam Engst’s appearance on The Talk Show podcast fills in quite a few of those gaps.
Congratulations to Adam and Tonya Engst for 30 years of TidBITS.
Lorem ipsum is the standard text placeholder that typesetters, web designers, and other weirdos use to test text layout. It dates from the 1500s, when an unknown typesetter jumbled pieces of Cicero’s De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum (“On the Extremes of Good and Evil”) to use in a type specimen book. Things didn’t work out so well for Cicero, but lorem ipsum has survived for several centuries.
Lorem ipsum is fine for general use. If you are a Nisus Writer Pro user we offer a macro that will let you produce all the scrambled Latin your heart desires. However, if you’d like to add some zip to your ipsum, there are several variations to spice things up a bit.
Are you kidding? This one is great. All the bacony goodness you can stand. Here is a sample: “Bacon ipsum dolor amet drumstick filet mignon jowl, shoulder corned beef brisket ground round beef ham ball tip andouille flank tenderloin.“
Since I chose one with meat it’s only fair I chose one for vegetarians: “Veggies es bonus vobis, proinde vos postulo essum magis kohlrabi welsh onion daikon amaranth tatsoi tomatillo melon azuki bean garlic.“
Hipsters. They really do exist. They even have their own ipsum generator: “Etsy truffaut yr sartorial, ramps cray pour-over farm-to-table cred authentic meh retro salvia put a bird on it artisan. “
Pretty straightforward here. Everything you have ever heard in every meeting ever. Try to stay awake while reading this: “Cloud strategy market-facing message the initiative or player-coach nor can you champion this that jerk from finance really threw me under the bus.“
If you have a cat, you know this is what they are thinking when you think they are being adorable: “Lay on arms while you’re using the keyboard spread kitty litter all over house cats woo paw at your fat belly hunt by meowing loudly at 5am next to human slave food dispenser.“
Legal gibberish, just like the End User Agreements we never read: “To make sure the software is provided in the code itself as the Maintenance section of LPPL to apply to the terms and conditions of Section 2.1 with respect to a third party.“
This is another favorite. Choose between seven different classic literature passages: “They now walked on in silence, each of them deep in thought. Elizabeth was not comfortable; that was impossible; but she was flattered and pleased. His wish of introducing his sister to her was a compliment of the highest kind.“
Monocale ipsum is… well, just look at it: “Monocle ipsum dolor sit amet winkreative sleepy exquisite international Fast Lane Melbourne first-class quality of life cosy.“
Now we are talking. All the cheese with none of the crackers: “Cream cheese stilton macaroni cheese. Cheesecake pecorino taleggio cauliflower cheese fondue cauliflower cheese pecorino croque monsieur.“
Yet another favorite of mine. Yes, it’s silly, but it’s Chuck Norris! “Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants. There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live. The quickest way to a man’s heart is with Chuck Norris’ fist.“
This is just a small sample of the many interesting takes on lorem ipsum. If you have any favorites please leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.
Are you having trouble figuring out what day of the week it is? I know this sounds like a joke, but with the days all seemingly the same it really is hard to tell.
We have a solution for that. Our helpful What Day Is It page will correctly tell you what day it is. No more guess work, just the correct day of the week.
InfoClick is a great tool for searching and finding email in Apple Mail. However, to get the most out of InfoClick you need to have it analyze and index your email constantly. Also, I’m impatient and I want things when I want them. The best way to do that is to have InfoClick launch at startup so that it can index new emails in the background.
To do this, go to your InfoClick preferences and check “Open InfoClick automatically when you log in.”
Once you do that InfoClick will launch at startup and will be ready to go when you need it.
While we are settling in to the new normal, there is going to be quite a bit of advice, both good and bad. Our friends at Take Control Books are attempting to cut through the noise by releasing a new book, Take Control of Working from Home Temporarily.
The book is completely free (one per customer, please) and there is plenty of good, solid advice. If you have never worked from home, this is all new and the book will help you navigate the current situation.
I understand that perhaps the book was written and edited in a certain word processor (Nisus Writer Pro). I’ll work to confirm this TidBIT.
Apple needs to fix those keyboards. They are impossible to write on — they’ve gotten worse. It makes me want to go back to PCs. Because PC keyboards, the bounce-back for your fingers is way better. Hands up who still uses a PC? You know what I’m talking about. It’s a way better keyboard. Those Apple keyboards are horrendous.
Taika Waititi speaking to the press after winning an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
A few weeks ago Catalina, or macOS 10.15 was released. Since then, it seems like mayhem has followed. Catalina breaks from the past in significant ways. Speaking of breaking, it also breaks some apps. Security has been tightened. There is quite a bit going on here that users should know. Since this is on a Nisus blog, we’ll start with Nisus apps.
Nisus Writer and Catalina
Nisus Writer Express 4 and Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.3 and above are compatible with Catalina. All previous versions of Nisus Writer are not compatible with Catalina and will not be updated. If you are planning on upgrading your Mac to Catalina, you will need to update and purchase a new license.
Catalina and Other Applications
Another issue is that we are now living in a 64 bit world and much like bell bottoms, 32 bit applications are out of fashion. To be fair, Apple has been warning users for years that 32 bit apps weren’t long for this world. Now it is a reality and these older apps either need to be updated or you need to find others apps that work similarly. I can say that all of our apps are 64 bit and have been for quite a while. If you need help with this, there is a great utility called Go64 from St. Clair Software that scans your app folder to find these 32 bit applications.
If you are an Adobe user you may want to read this first and take the appropriate steps.
In any event, you may want to check with developers of apps you rely on and make sure they will work with Catalina before you upgrade. It will save you quite a bit of work.
Security
Lastly, there is a big focus on security in Catalina. It’s a different world now and the security changes are welcome. Here is an article that explains some of the new security features. Basically, Catalina is more secure by default. However, these new features are either helpful or annoying, depending on your point of view.
Look Before You Leap
These a just a few of the changes. You should also keep in mind that point zero releases of a new operating system can be buggy. Recently there was a supplemental update to Catalina that fixed a few issues. Since then there was a new release of the supplemental update. I’m not giving advice here, but I normally wait a release or two before I upgrade. By then most of the major bugs have been fixed. Let’s hope that is the case with Catalina.
All of this prose is to say that with Catalina you need to look before you leap. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before you upgrade. There are plenty of great Catalina reviewsoutthere. Read a few and then decide.
A question that comes up in support quite a bit is how do you change the default window size?
First, a bit of an explanation. Whenever you create a new document in Nisus Writer a template file is loaded. The settings in the template file are used for the new document. This template is called the “Nisus New File”. To control the default window dimensions and placement you’ll want to edit the Nisus New File template so the window appears how you’d like.
Open your Nisus Writer preferences.
Switch to the “New File” pane.
Click the “Advanced” tab.
Under “Template File” where you see “Nisus New File”, click the button “Open For Editing”:
The new file template will open as a normal Nisus Writer document.
Make any desired changes, eg: resize and reposition the window on screen.
Save the changes to disk, eg: using the menu File > Save.
Close the template document.
Once you’ve edited the template all new files will load your updated settings from that template. This includes not only the window size and placement, but all other settings like styles, default view, etc.
We hope this tip is helpful. If you have a tip of your own to share, or any suggestions or comments, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
macOS 10.15, or Catalina, has been released. For Nisus Writer users, this means Nisus Writer Express 4 and Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.3 and above are compatible. However, all previous versions of Nisus Writer are not compatible with Catalina and will not be updated.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
We are very happy to announce the release and immediate availability of Nisus Writer Express 4. There are over 200 new features, fixes, and enhancements in this new version. Among the new features are:
A redesigned UI and palette system.
A significantly updated full screen view.
Focus mode for the active line or paragraph.
Typewriter scrolling.
Cloud sync for almost all settings.
Icons updated for Retina displays.
Plus much more…
There is a long list of all the changes available on the Nisus Writer Express release notes page.
If you are coming from a previous version of Nisus Writer Express, the new features and enhancements make this an even more flexible, powerful writing app.
Nisus Writer Express 4 is $26 USD. For those upgrading from any previous version of Express, the cost is $20. If you are upgrading, you will need your previous Express license. This can be found by using our license lookup tool, which is located on our main support page.
On a personal note, Express is my writing tool of choice. I’ve been using it for years. As someone who wrote quite a bit recently in Nisus Writer Express 4 in Full Screen Minimal view with Focus mode I can attest to its strengths. It is my writing tool of choice.
If you would like to learn more about Nisus Writer Express 4, please visit the Nisus Writer Express product page. You can download the demo and give it a 15 non-consecutive day trial. You’ll see why this is the writing app I use happily.
Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.4 is available now and is a free update to all users of Nisus Writer Pro 3. You can update from within the app (Nisus Writer Pro > Check for Updates), or download from our Nisus Writer Pro download page. Mac App Store users can download the update directly from the Mac App Store app.
For those who have not purchased the upgrade to Nisus Writer Pro 3, you can do so from our store for only $45. Users of Nisus Writer Pro versions 1 and 2 are eligible for upgrade pricing. An academic version is available for $55, and the full version is $65.
At this point upgrade pricing is not supported on the Mac App Store. If you would like to upgrade a previous Mac App Store purchase you can do so using these instructions.
Nisus Writer Pro 3.0.4 requires macOS 10.11 and is Catalina compatible, pending the final release of Apple’s latest operating system.
