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Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Apr 17, 2008 at 01:06 PM
Okay, I too have now joined those who have made the move to Mac. I just ordered a MacBook, and I am eagerly awaiting all the fresh CRIMPing I can do on the new machine.
I know there has been plenty of discussion of Mac software here in the recent past, but I wanted to throw out these questions to Mac users out there. What is the best word processor available for Mac? What is the best outliner? What is the best general all-purpose PIM?
(BTW, I remain a staunch Zooter, because I’ll continue to use Zoot at work where it is indispensible to me.)
Thanks!
Steve Z.
Posted by Franz Grieser
Apr 17, 2008 at 03:57 PM
Hi Stephen.
>Okay, I too have now joined those who have made the move to Mac. I just ordered a MacBook,
>and I am eagerly awaiting all the fresh CRIMPing I can do on the new machine.
Congrats.
>What is the best word processor available for Mac?
>What is the best outliner?
>What is the best general all-purpose PIM?
I cannot tell you which is THE BEST word processor/outliner/PIM. I can only tell you what I use:
My writing tools:
- Scrivener for writing
- NeoOffice for exchanging files with my customers and publishers (and off course for calculations and presentations)
My outlining tools:
- Xmind for brainstorming and creating the first sketches of an outline
- Scrivener for expanding and modifying the outline while writing
My PIM tools:
- iCal, Mail and Address Book in combination with
- Taskpaper (though I am also just looking at Things)
>(BTW, I remain a staunch Zooter, because I’ll continue to use Zoot
>at work where it is indispensible to me.)
You surely know you can use Parallels or VMware to install Windows and Zoot on your Mac. Dragging notes or text snippets from Zoot to a Mac application (or the other way round) works. I think there was a thread on using Zoot on the Mac on the Zoot mailing list.
Franz
Posted by David Dunham
Apr 17, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>What is the best word
>processor available for Mac? What is the best outliner? What is the best general
>all-purpose PIM?
You expect agreement on “best” from this forum?
I use Word when compatibility is important, Pages when formatting is important.
I naturally use Opal for outlining, and will give you a discount if you decide to buy it. (Do download the 30 day trial!)
I keep my contacts and appointments in Address Book and iCal so I can synchronize them with my iPhone. Is that a PIM?
Posted by Hugh
Apr 17, 2008 at 04:26 PM
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>Okay, I too have now joined those who have made the move to Mac. I just ordered a MacBook,
>and I am eagerly awaiting all the fresh CRIMPing I can do on the new machine.
>
>I know
>there has been plenty of discussion of Mac software here in the recent past, but I
>wanted to throw out these questions to Mac users out there. What is the best word
>processor available for Mac?
The answers to all these questions depend to some extent on what you want to do, Stephen.
On word processors, are your requirements academic (in which case Mellel might be the best bet), short-form with layout (Pages, Nisus Writer Express or MS Word 2008), long-form (Nisus Writer Pro 3.0, now with comments), fiction (Jer’s, StoryMill or Storyist), MS-avoiding (obvious answers) or drafting for all of the above (Scrivener, of course, still gaining adherents)? And others I know I’ve missed.
What is the best outliner? Again, for what purpose? OmniOutliner Pro or TAO are often regarded as the most comprehensively functional, but Tinderbox is also very clever (if expensive). And of course Opal is good.
What is the best general
>all-purpose PIM? Yet again, it depends what you want it for. The Mac world doesn’t work quite as the Windows world does. Because of the work the OS already does, both under the hood under Leopard, and above it with iCal, Mail and Address Book, Mac PIM software tends to focus on task applications; you’ll have read praise here for Things, and discussion of OmniFocus. There are many many others. But if you want comprehensive-ish apps comparable to those for Windows, there are Daylite, Contactizer and of course MS Entourage. If you mean something slightly different - organizable datastores for example, along the lines of Zoot and its rivals - there are Eaglefiler, DevonThink Pro, Yojimbo, NoteTaker, Circus Ponies’ Notebook and (I’m assuming your MacBook will be new, equipped with Leopard) Together. And others still! Welcome to a new world of CRIMPing…
>
>(BTW, I remain a staunch Zooter, because I’ll continue to use Zoot
>at work where it is indispensible to me.)
>
>Thanks!
>
>Steve Z.
Posted by Derek Cornish
Apr 17, 2008 at 04:53 PM
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
>Okay, I too have now joined those who have made the move to Mac. I just ordered a MacBook,
>and I am eagerly awaiting all the fresh CRIMPing I can do on the new machine.
>
et tu, Steve? This is getting serious!
>
>(BTW, I remain a staunch Zooter, because I’ll continue to use Zoot
>at work where it is indispensible to me.)
>
I’ll be interested to know if you end up using a substitute for Zoot on the Mac, given its ongoing lack of rtf, and various other limitations (number of folders, size of items) - although, like you, I currently find it essential. I’d also be interested in your assessment of the much-praised scrivener, and the various outliners available on the Mac.
I’m also a bit confused about the relative merits of the different Mac models (let’s assume all using Leopard). What models are people using, and why?
Derek