So you love Mac OS X. We love Mac OS X. But you don't have the money to pony up for Office 200whatever, or maybe you don't even like it. Microsoft Office is overkill for most people who just need a simple word processor. We've used Open Office, but it's probably too much to play around with if all you want to do is write a document.
We've mentioned Bean before, along with other Mac "toolkit software", but a new version came out late in April (version 1.2.0)l, so we felt it deserved another look.
First there was WriteRoom, which gave Mac users a very simple black interface in which to write. No distractions, just a black screen with glowing green letters, which probably appeals particularly to people that have been working with computers long enough to remember monochromatic terminals.
And it was a very cool idea, but there was nothing similar for Windows. Until Dark Room came along. Dark Room basically emulates WriteRoom's functionality on Windows.
So what's missing? A web-based version, of course.
Now, normally I'd say that doing a web-based version of a text editor when very strong versions offering identical functionality already exist on both Windows and Mac would not be worthwhile. But as much as Writer, the web based version, is simply replicated the functionality of these other applications, it still stands on its own merits.
Two things about it make it worth having in your bookmarks. The first is that you can use it anywhere. No memory key to carry around, no worrying about what OS you're using. It just works, wherever you are. The second is that if you create an account, all of your documents also follow you around.
So if you like the look and feel of Dark Room or WriteRoom, check out Writer.
PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices generally come with basic document viewing and editing software. You an create and edit simple spreadsheets and text documents. But if you want advanced features like editing footnotes or on-the-fly spell checking, you need to look elsewhere.
In the last month, two of the biggest names in handheld office suites have released updates. DataViz Documents To Go for PalmOS is up to version 9, and SoftMaker Office 2006 final edition for Pocket PC was released this week.
Some of the new features:
Documents To Go
View and edit footnotes and endnotes in word processing files
View and edit comments in word processing files
Added new zoom levels for pictures and presentations
Added an integrated file explorer
There's no longer support for Word 95, Wordperfect, WordPro, RTF, Palm Doc, Excel 95, Word 6 for Mac files.
There's also no longer support for Palm's Tungsten T, T2, Zire 21, Zire 31, Zire 71, or for what looks like pretty much Sony's entire line of PalmOS PDAs. For a complete list of changes, click the read link.
SoftMaker Office 2006
Import OpenOffice.org and OpenDocument files
Track changes to your document
Improved filters for Microsoft Word and RT documents
Split and Merge table cells
Bibliography support
Documents To Go is available for $30 for the standard edition (just a word processor and spreadsheet), or $50 for the premium edition, (with support for PDF files, presentations, spell-checking, and other advanced features). Upgrades from an earlier version are $30
SoftMaker Office is available for $70. Or you can pick up just the spreadsheet or word processing software for $50 each. For $100 you can get the whole bundle plus versions of the software for Windows. Upgrade options are available as well. Both programs offer 30 day free trials of their software.
Zoho offers a complete line of powerful office suite and productivity tools, all through the use of a browser.
The Zoho toolset includes:
Zoho Show - online presentation
Zoho Writer - word processor
Zoho Sheet - spreadsheet application
Zoho Virtual Office - email, document and calendar
Zoho CRM - CRM
Zoho Creator - create web applications
Zoho Planner - Online organizer
Zoho Chat - chat
Zoho also has a set of online utilities including website monitoring software, and online poll solutions.
Online applications that run in the browser is part of this whole Web 2.0 social software era, and it looks like Zoho is in the forefront with a great complete application list. They have almost any application you would require to run your business directly from your browser. And Free! Zoho produces pretty much all of their applications with a $0 price tag.
They do give access to demo versions before you decide to signup and try their browser based tools. So check them out, they look really good!
On Friday I linked to a little app for OS X called WriteRoom, which is a minimalist word processor for writers. A few of the commenters didn't quite "get" it (sorry, folks, but maximizing Word and changing the colors isn't remotely equivalent to a distraction-free writing environment*), but a lot of writers certainly do, including one developer who missed it so much when he had to use Windows that he just built a Windows version. Dark Room is a WriteRoom clone for Windows that's just as minimal and just as free.
*Though one commenter suggested installing Word 5.5 for DOS, which is closer.
So you love Mac OS X. We love Mac OS X. But you don't have the money to pony up for Office 200whatever, or maybe you don't even like it. Microsoft Office is overkill for most people who just need a simple word processor. We've used Open Office, but it's probably too much to play around with if all you want to do is write a document.
First there was WriteRoom, which gave Mac users a very simple black interface in which to write. No distractions, just a black screen with glowing green letters, which probably appeals particularly to people that have been working with computers long enough to remember monochromatic terminals.
