I must admit to being intrigued the first time I saw an ad for WhiteSmoke software. The idea was simple – this was a piece of software that would improve your written work. Now, you all know how I feel about Microsoft Word – the spelling and grammar check just don’t cut it. so I wondered how this piece of software would compare. I didn’t think I’d get the chance though, as I didn’t want to lay out $100+ just to try it out. Instead, I signed up as an affiliate and persuaded my ad manager to let me try it so I could write my own review (they offered to provide stuff, but what kind of writer would I be if I let someone else do all the writing?)
Getting The Program
The software is available as a download and works with any program. You can paste text in and copy it out, or simply compose in the compose window. I tried the online demo, and there are some minor differences from the downloadable product. However, most of the main features are the same.
So, what does it look like? It’s a bit like Word, Google Docs and other word processing programs. It’s got a simple array of formatting buttons across the top for editing style, font and font size, followed by buttons for bold, italics, underline, creating coloured text and a few more. The second row has buttons for alignment, bullets and numbering, and cutting and pasting. A cool feature is that it will paste text from Word or plain text depending on the button you choose.
The top of the window has three tabs on the left (enrichment, dictionary and templates) plus two on the right for information. The templates window allows you to load one of 600 templates in the commercial, literary, medical or legal categories and customise them for your needs. The dictionary is a lookup window and the main window, where you write and edit text, is enrichment. At the bottom of a window is a WhiteSmoke button, as well as undo, redo and demo buttons. The bottom right allows you to select the type of writing you are doing (great for those interested in business and literary, less so for those of us who blog for a living) If you’re writing a speech, dissertation or letter, you’re covered too. On to the main window.
Error Checking
You can use WhiteSmoke with any application, since it works with cut and paste, and you can also set it to check as you type. When you paste some text in, and hit one of those two buttons you get some text underlined in different colours. The colour code is blue for enrichment/thesaurus, green for grammar and red for spelling, cleverly following MS Word conventions. Here is where it gets interesting. Click on or hover over an underlined word and you get suggestions for improvement. So, how did WhiteSmoke do? I used it to check three articles I was writing for a client.
It picked up well on spelling errors. I use UK English, so it tried to convert them to US English. It found no grammatical errors – I had to insert a deliberate mistake to test that. That’s a major improvement over Word, which always finds grammatical errors where there are none. For me, the winner was the enrichments popup menu. That’s in two parts. The left suggests adjectives and adverbs you can add to enrich your writing, while the right suggests synonyms. Just click to add your changes. I liked some of the suggestions and can see where this type of software would help people who struggle with writing.
There are several different WhiteSmoke products aimed respectively at general writing, business writing, creative writing, legal writing, medical writing and executive writing, as well as a language translator that offers instant translation into 20 languages. There are also pro versions with additional enhancements (currently on sale for $1 when you buy the main program).
The Verdict: This is a useful product, especially for people who are new to writing or who have English as a second language. Even experienced writers will find it useful on a day when the words just aren’t flowing the way you want.
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{ 28 comments }
Very interesting review. The enrichment piece sounds very helpful. I have been wondering about this product for a while as I see lots of people posting affiliate ads. Thanks for reviewing this, Sharon.
Good review. I think if you make a list of people how don’t know any spell as well grammar then i’ll be the first
hope this software can help me. I am going to check right now. Thanks for your post.
Great review, Sharon. I’ve seen a lot of different types of software for writers, but have not found one that works the way I’d like it to. Your review is very helpful, and I might give this a try. The features sound good.
Thanks, Shelly. I know what you mean. As writers we have high expectations of such a piece of software. I found WhiteSmoke easy to use and helpful.
Thanks for doing the review. I’ve seen the ads and wondered about this software, but never took the time to look further.
Ditto, Laura, which is why I asked to see it. It certainly had some advantages over Word.
An excellent review. I purchased Whitesmoke not too long ago and it certainly helps as I’m writing my drafts of a novel. And it’s simple to use too.
I found it really easy to use and thought it was an impressive product, Mirella.
I bought the product and guess how many grammar errors it found in the paragraph below? Zero.
I me think once good was Whitesmoke. But grammar found problems no can find. Whitesmoke said artificial intelligence it uses. Me think it intelligence most artificial. No can do it. Whitesmoke full of all smoke.
How they say grammar, they check me confused very.
I’ve been trying to get a refund for nearly a week now. They don’t respond. I’ve filed a dispute against them with my credit card company.
Shame you’ve had a bad experience, Sol. In my trials, it looked good and I know a few other people have found it useful.
Sharon,
Would you try the paragraph I posted in my last comment and let us know if WhiteSmoke finds any grammar errors for you.
Thanks.
Sol Lederman’s last blog post..The Brain Integration Technique journey continues
Hi, I am really frustrated now, I think I just fell in to their buy and download trap. Yesterday I bought the General, Business Writing Version, and Extended License Service. After paying via PayPal, I was reverted to a whitesmoke link to download what I had purchased. I was also informed that I would soon receive an e-mail with download advice, purchase confirmation etc, generally what one expects after paying. However, after downloading I realized I had received a trail version, which constantly reminds me that I would have to purchase the license in seven days. I didn’t even receive a confirmation mail. Since then I’ve been trying to get hold of someone from their support team, and all I receive are mails telling me that someone will get in touch with me. I just can’t believe I fell for something like this, it looked and sounded serious, I had read articles about whitesmoke online, and it seemed like everything was fine. I Paid $93,00 and have received nothing.
What should I do?
Juliet, I will forward this comment to my contact there.
Thank-you, I really do hope things turn out better than they are at the moment.
Thanx in advance
I’ll keep you up to date with what happens.
Hi Sharon,
Just wanted to let you know that whitesmoke finally contacted me yesterday early evening ( my time Europe). Perhaps you notifying your contact really did bring a change in this matter, therefore thank-you very much.
I’m so glad that helped, Juliet.
Juliet,
I had to have my credit card company do a chargeback to get a refund because Whitesmoke jerked me around for over a month.
Sol
Sol Lederman’s last blog post..The Brain Integration Technique journey continues
Hi Sol,
sorry to hear that, but I really must admit, I think that Sharon passing on my complaint to whitesmoke made the difference. It is really a shame that such things happen with this company, because their software is really not bad.
Juliet
hi sharon,indeed I felt the same the first time i read the review for the software. i’ve the trial version and it’s not as fantastic as the reviews made it out to be. Besides, I believe the guys at Whitesmoke really need to to improve their services. My experience is quite similar to Juliet’s. My credit card was debited of $200+ for a product I ordered almost 2 months ago, and I still haven’t received anything. I’d thought they had played a fast one on me until i came across your blog today. Perhaps you could assist in facilitating my transaction with them too.
I want to commend you for your site, it’s educative.
Tayo,
Your case of non-responsiveness by WhiteSmoke isn’t isolated. As I wrote previously in a comment, I had to have my credit card company do a chargeback. The software is awful and when I began commenting on blogs about the poor quality and the lack of responsiveness by WhiteSmoke they offered me a free copy of the software and tried to justify that it was reasonable that their software didn’t catch a bunch of really basic grammar errors.
If enough people do charagebacks through their credit card companies maybe WhiteSmoke will lose their ability to take credit cards altogether.
Sol Lederman’s last blog post..The Brain Integration Technique journey continues
Really bad software even worse customer service:
I purchased the Creative Writing version on 10/5/2008. When I downloaded the program I got the general version. I contacted customer support and received an automated response that I would have someone contact me in three days. I received no email, no phone call, nothing. After four days of use the general program stopped working and would only throw up error messages. Again I contacted Customer Support. This time I didn’t even receive the automated response. So, I requested the refund via their guarantee. Company has completely ignored me. This really is a bad program and a sketchy company. I suggest you stay away. This program is a money pit.
Katherine,
Ask your credit card company to reverse the charge. They may have you wait for 30 days like mine did but I believe they’ll reverse the charge since Whitesmoke claims they’ll give you a refund if you don’t like the product.
Sol
Wow! I am sorry you have had such a bad experience. In chatting with other writers, I’ve found so many who have found it a useful product, but obviously it isn’t for everyone.
Hi Sol and Sharon,
Yeah, I was an idiot and used PayPal. No way to reverse charges there. I still haven’t heard from the company. It will be a month in a week.
As for the program. From what I understand, the 2007 program was far better than 2008. I can’t find anyone who is happy with 2009 other than the e-magazine reviewers. There are times that I’m absolutely shocked about the star level on their customer support. As far as I can tell, it is non-existent.
Katie
Another one bites the dust.
Purchased Whitesmoke this morning and was instructed to uninstall trial version then install purchased download. i did this and not 8 hours later I am getting error messages and not working. I thought…maybe uninstall ans reinstall…problem was i couldn’t get back the download site. So now I have nothing and no way of contacting Whitesmoke. Can somebody please help.
I have passed this on to my contact there. Hope it has a good result for you.
Hi Sharon,
I finally got through the maze and got a refund; however to do it I had to be sent a link to the refund form. After I got that they worked quickly to resolve the problem. I’m passing it on in hopes of helping others through the wasteland of Whitesmoke Customer Service.
If you use the link below and fill it out, they contact you and try to resolve your problem or refund your money provided you are within the refund policy.
Good Luck,
Katie
———————————————
Dear Katherine,
Thank you for contacting WhiteSmoke.
We are sorry that you have decided to cancel your WhiteSmoke subscription.
We thank you for taking the time to evaluate our software.
Please fill in our refund form at: http://www.whitesmoke.com/refund-form.html and a representative will contact you shortly regarding the refund process.
Thank you for your patience.
I think that’s my favourite part of the tool, Dana. I’m ok on spelling and grammar, but sometimes after I have written thousands of words on the same topic, I could do with a creativity top-up.
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