| Version | 1.101 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Bad Wolf Software |
| Release date | Nov 25, 2013 |
| Date added | Nov 25, 2013 |
| Os requirements | Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows, Windows 7, Windows XP |
| Requirements | None |
| Total downloads | 11,136 |
| Downloads per week | 5 |
| Price | Free |
Description
At its heart, Judoom is a word processor combined with a file tree. This sort of layout is common across many applications. Everyone knows what a word processor is and how they work; most people know what a file tree is and how they work.
By bringing the two together into a single interface, Judoom makes it possible to jump quickly from your documents to your work-in-progress. The addition of the tabs to the word processor--allowing you to keep multiple documents open at the same time--as well as the user-defined projects in the file trees, makes it very easy to set up a project structure that streamlines your work.
Judoom is aimed at creative writers--novelists and short story writers in particular--and contains none of the extra functionality that bloats the larger word processors. It's aim is to prevent distractions and to allow the writer to focus on writing.
Review
Judoom is a free word processor supposedly aimed at creative writers from Bad Wolf Software. Its chief feature is a basic but useful concept; an easy-to-use word processor combined with a file tree for quick access to documents. You can create and display Projects in the sidebar tree view, too. While it's an attractive tool and essentially a good performer, it doesn't seem to have any kind of spelling or grammar check. Maybe that's where the "creative" part comes in, since apart from the useful option to configure Project tree views, we're not sure how Judoom is supposed to help the creative process.
Judoom has an Office-style theme with a Ribbon toolbar and the aforementioned sidebar, which is tabbed for Files and Documents. Judoom has many of the features we expect in a word processor, such as insert, find-and-replace, font and paragraph options, and page formatting. But when we started typing into a document, we noticed Judoom wasn't tracking our errors. That's when we learned that Judoom lacked a spell checker. For our needs, a spell checker is essential. Apparently you can download something called SmartEdit, but the lack of a built-in spelling and grammar tool might be a show-stopper for many users.
Compared to full-featured (and expensive) word processors like Microsoft Word, Judoom is easier to configure yet still delivers most of the essentials. But better free word processors are available, including some programs specifically designed to help creative writers with chapters, plot, character development -- and spelling.
