ChemWriter 2 Preview

ChemWriter 2 was recently introduced as a plugin-free chemical structure editor for the Web and touch devices. So far the only people to see the new ChemWriter in action have been those I've spoken with at in-person events (seen via my iPad) and the ChemWriter developers.

To create ChemWriter 2, we've abandoned Java, applets, and browser plugins altogether. ChemWriter 2 is made of the same stuff that the Web itself is made of: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We're targeting ChemWriter toward the most popular browsers in use today: Firefox; Internet Explorer 7/8/9; Safari; and Chrome. Finally, we want the ChemWriter 2 user interface on touch devices to take full advantage of what these exciting new computing platforms have to offer.

We haven't reached all of our goals yet, but we're well on our way. How we're getting there is a story with many twists, something I plan to shed more light on as ChemWriter 2 progresses.

A critical part of making ChemWriter 1 successful was early feedback from prospective customers and those interested in using the Web as a platform to advance the business and science of chemistry.

In that spirit, I'm happy to announce that we will soon be offering an online, private preview of ChemWriter 2. Leave your email address to join our list and get the full details.

I'm looking forward to gradually unveiling more and more ChemWriter 2 functionality over the coming weeks. If you share my enthusiasm for the possibilities ChemWriter 2, HTML5, and touch devices represent, I'd like to hear from you.