Tom Hanks; Hollywood actor, celebrity and typewriter enthusiast has just released a version of Hanx Writer on the iPhone.
Previously only available on the iPad, Hanx Writer allows a choice of typewriter model for each document. The standard one, Hanx Prime, is free. There are two others available called the Hanx 707 and Golden Touch for $2.99/£1.99 each or $4.99/£2.99 for both.
The document settings allow for the ‘modern delete’ function to be disabled; putting an ‘x’ through individual characters with backspace. Modern luxuries, like the genuine deletion of words and sentences, would be laughed at by veterans of typewriters. The sound, animation and cursor can be disabled individually as well.
It fills a similar gap in the market occupied by Type Nine. It provides a fun and authentic toy for enthusiasts to play with. Though this sounds like the ultimate tool to annoy people in coffee shops. However, it stresses that it is “not a toy”, and that all documents created within Hanx Writer can be emailed, printed and shared. Documents can be exported to iBooks at the touch of a button as well.
The App Store page says it’s designed to recreate “the experience of a manual typewriter, but with the ease and speed of an iPad.