4 ms·

Looking at Different Writing Tools for Macs

14 points by showngo 16y ago

jipumarino 16y ago
Where is MacVim?
- moe 16y ago
  Where is console Vim?
  - allwein 16y ago
    Where is ed?
program 16y ago
Where is GNU/Emacs?
padillac 16y ago
Where is ed?
sdz 16y ago
Most of the home pages for these writing tools are missing the most important thing: a full screenshot of the app! Why all the tiny crops, screencasts, and written descriptions?
DTrejo 16y ago
He also forgot internettypewriter, which I love (make sure to fullscreen it). http://internettypewriter.com/ http://internettypewriter.com/
prs 16y ago
TextEdit not only tackles *.txt files as the author implies. In fact, TextEdit is far more powerful than some people think. Read this post at MinimalMac for some insights: http://minimalmac.com/post/150121510/textedit-heres-the-thing-most-people-think-they http://minimalmac.com/post/150121510/textedit-heres-the-thin...
lukeschlather 16y ago
>I love InDesign and if you want to make documents look really good this is the tool you need, that said, don’t write in it just copy and paste. LaTeX + Emacs does a decent job in coordination with Inkscape for images. It's a little bit of a technical solution, but InDesign doesn't exactly have an easy learning curve. I've also thrown Scribus at some of the users on my network in lieu of shelling out for an InDesign license and they seem to be enjoying it pretty well. In a lot of ways Scribus seems like a good, user-friendly editor, sort of the Inkscape to InDesign's Illustrator.
jasonlotito 16y ago
His hatred of Word seems odd. It can do exactly what other programs he likes does, but can also do a lot more. If you like typing without distractions, it can do that. If you need some minimal formatting features, it has you covered. If you need the full power of Word, well, there you go. Here's a screenshot of the minimal full screen with minor formatting features, for example: http://sircram.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/word-for-mac-2011-fullscreen-view/ http://sircram.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/word-for-mac-2011-fu... The best part is, the toolbar at the top hides away, and the background color can be changed to different hi-res textures.
- phren0logy 16y ago
  I would suggest that it does those things, but not as well, not by default, and for a lot more money than many other options. That said, if it works for you, go for it. It certainly gets the job done.
  - jasonlotito 16y ago
    Actually, having used it, I enjoy the way they handle full screen mode. It handles it extremely well. By default it doesn't load up into that mode, but it's one button click to get to that mode. I'm not suggesting that Word is for everyone. Rather, to dismiss Word is silly. It does a lot, it does a lot really, really well, and while it costs more than the other options in the list, it's only because you are buying other applications alongside it.
- ugh 16y ago
  Word for Mac has improved a lot in the last years. They are getting closer and closer to really fitting the Mac. It has finally become at least somewhat hard to find places where Word is still decidedly no fitting the platform. (One example would be that they still litter the Applications folder with crap.) I really recommend anyone to give the newest version of Office a shot.

14 points by showngo 16y ago

jipumarino 16y ago

Where is MacVim?

moe 16y ago
Where is console Vim?
- allwein 16y ago
  Where is ed?

program 16y ago

Where is GNU/Emacs?

padillac 16y ago

Where is ed?

sdz 16y ago

Most of the home pages for these writing tools are missing the most important thing: a full screenshot of the app! Why all the tiny crops, screencasts, and written descriptions?

DTrejo 16y ago

He also forgot internettypewriter, which I love (make sure to fullscreen it). http://internettypewriter.com/ http://internettypewriter.com/

prs 16y ago

TextEdit not only tackles *.txt files as the author implies. In fact, TextEdit is far more powerful than some people think. Read this post at MinimalMac for some insights: http://minimalmac.com/post/150121510/textedit-heres-the-thing-most-people-think-they http://minimalmac.com/post/150121510/textedit-heres-the-thin...

lukeschlather 16y ago

>I love InDesign and if you want to make documents look really good this is the tool you need, that said, don’t write in it just copy and paste. LaTeX + Emacs does a decent job in coordination with Inkscape for images. It's a little bit of a technical solution, but InDesign doesn't exactly have an easy learning curve. I've also thrown Scribus at some of the users on my network in lieu of shelling out for an InDesign license and they seem to be enjoying it pretty well. In a lot of ways Scribus seems like a good, user-friendly editor, sort of the Inkscape to InDesign's Illustrator.

jasonlotito 16y ago

His hatred of Word seems odd. It can do exactly what other programs he likes does, but can also do a lot more. If you like typing without distractions, it can do that. If you need some minimal formatting features, it has you covered. If you need the full power of Word, well, there you go. Here's a screenshot of the minimal full screen with minor formatting features, for example: http://sircram.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/word-for-mac-2011-fullscreen-view/ http://sircram.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/word-for-mac-2011-fu... The best part is, the toolbar at the top hides away, and the background color can be changed to different hi-res textures.

phren0logy 16y ago
I would suggest that it does those things, but not as well, not by default, and for a lot more money than many other options. That said, if it works for you, go for it. It certainly gets the job done.
- jasonlotito 16y ago
  Actually, having used it, I enjoy the way they handle full screen mode. It handles it extremely well. By default it doesn't load up into that mode, but it's one button click to get to that mode. I'm not suggesting that Word is for everyone. Rather, to dismiss Word is silly. It does a lot, it does a lot really, really well, and while it costs more than the other options in the list, it's only because you are buying other applications alongside it.
ugh 16y ago
Word for Mac has improved a lot in the last years. They are getting closer and closer to really fitting the Mac. It has finally become at least somewhat hard to find places where Word is still decidedly no fitting the platform. (One example would be that they still litter the Applications folder with crap.) I really recommend anyone to give the newest version of Office a shot.