JOHN F.  Great app for syncing notes and files between my iPod touch and my Mac. Was waiting for a great combo and have now finally found it! Syncing is good. Just open the iPhone app and it automatically syncs. App just sits in the menu bar on the Mac, so it's very unobtrusive. And the app looks great on iPod and on the Mac. The developer is friendly too!  
(Version 1.7)

JOHN F.  The Inspector is much too long. When you have an old Mac with 1024x768 screen, the underside of Inspector Window disppears under my Dock. And you can't collapse certain parts of the Inspector, like other apps do. While these old G4 Macs are not state-of-the-art, they are quite capable machines to do light graphic stuff. But the size of the Inspector Window just bugs me.  
(Version 1.4.5)

JOHN F.  I like the grid view in iTunes 8. It lets me listen to just an album without making a playlist first. In list view or coverflow, if you listen to an album, it would move to the next one when it finishes—unless you narrow the list using the search box. Now I can just pick an artist or an album by clicking on it and listen only to that one. iTunes 8 is pretty snappy too on my 1Ghz iBook G4. Album artwork seems to load faster. Also in the playlist, they've finally altered the folders to match Leopard folders! It's a small thing, but makes it more at home. It seems a pretty good update, maybe the best iTunes ever!  
(Version 8.0)

JOHN F.  I like the sidebar on the right much, much better. It let me change and add things much faster. I don't know, but my eyes are just used to go from left to right. And when in viewing lists, like recommendations, my eyes are used to go from top to bottom, scrolling down. Now with the bottom bar, I have to go from one column, to the other. And not only that, because the bottom bar is very narrow (at least on my screen), you have to constantly scroll down and back up for the next column. So now your eyes have to move top-down and left-right, constantly. You have to move your eyes a lot more in a chaotic sense. The previous layout was much more easy on the eyes. I just don't like narrow and wide bottom bars. I like long column views, like the previous sidebar. In essence, with the bottom bar you to scroll much more (or more chaotically), and you have less overview. And it is just too narrow on small screens. So from a usability standpoint, the new layout is bad in my opinion.  
(Version 2.0.2)

JOHN F.  Me too. All palettes and windows are white boxes at startup. Previous version was fine. I'm running on a G4 with Leopard.  
(Version 1.2)

JOHN F.  I didn't know it was going Leopard-only either. But TaskPaper going Leopard-only is not really what's bothering me, as I like the software as it is. I use the software for the features it has now. What I am worried about is that some persistent bugs will only be addressed with the 1.1 Leopard-only release. Letting TaskPaper going Leopard-only before the most stable and bug-free Tiger version is made, that's what I'm worried about. I hope this worry is unfounded.

I'm all for going forward and letting the developer go forward and let him use all the wonderful developer tools Leopard has to offer. But it is my strong opinion that the switch to Leopard-only should not be about bug-fixes. The switch to Leopard should be about added features. Sure Leopard makes it easier to address those bugs, but that doesn't help those who are stuck in Tiger with each their own valid reasons. Sure, a developer has to weigh-in which bugs he can fix before the switch. All I ask is that the developer addresses as many as possible before the switch. That's all I ask, that it's his attention to at least try his best to squash as many bugs for all the people stuck in Tiger before going Leopard-only.  
(Version 1.0.2)

JOHN F.  Very good app for GTD. Easy to set it all up with smart folders. Now I have an overview of everything I want and have to work on. Thanks! Right now, I'm a little broke, but I won't forget donating in the near future. I hope this app can help me to get some extra work done. :)  
(Version 2.5.2)

JOHN F.  I had almost given up, but here is Simon Bell coming to the rescue! It's not finished yet, but I hope it is really soon.

Now I can get information on and off my Newton with ease. Great for text processing. I don't have to use QuickPort, Sloup and minicom again--a workable solution, though.

I hope syncing is not far away. I am awaiting the final release. Thanks Simon!

P.S. How did you do what nobody could in all these years? We'll just call it magic and we'll call you the wizard.  
(Version 1.0)

JOHN F.  Simply a dream app. I've been longing for this app to come out since moving to Mac OS X in 2002. And here you are. An app for writers and written by a writer - who knows the meaning of Mac aestheticism.  
(Version 1.03)

JOHN F.  Yes, still very buggy. Crashes every so often. It is all designed very nicely to very high standards. Now if only the code was any good. I think, when the developer irons out the bugs, people will find this app a joy to use. But it's not there yet. I hope soon the app will be less crash-prone. And I will buy the app in a heartbeat.  
(Version 1.1)

JOHN F.  Is there any way of letting the DVD player of my iBook spin more quietly during playback of DVDs thru VLC? Apple's own DVD Player software spins down the DVD drive, it seems. Is there any software that lets me do this? VLC is nice but with the high spinning noise, it's no fun.  
(Version 0.8.6a)

JOHN F.  What's with these guys giving these one-star ratings without really digging into an app? It's everywhere. Most don't even really explain why. Sometimes people give one-star ratings because an app won't start on their computer. Hello, when you find a bug, report it to the developer who can help you out! Instead of doing this, they give one-star ratings! If something doesn't work because you don't know how, dig into the manual, or ask the developer for help! Giving a one-star rating because you are lazy is simply lame. Making it a comment is okay, of course. I wonder why these people even bother putting in a "review" on Macupdate.  
(Version 2.0.1)

JOHN F.  I get what you're saying, Jesse. But to me, the beast was in the whole concept: the environment with the hassle-free "non-document" model. That was so refreshing to see and this "non-document" model, I really see as a fundamental part of the writing environment, not just the distraction-free full-screen mode of writing. To me, these two things come together. It was the whole concept that I like. It was what excited me.

Maybe I came over a bit too strong, but I have very strong views on these kind of things, and I express them maybe overly strong just to make a point. In my view, the nature of the beast has changed immensely. That is my point of view. I do see that from your perspective, it isn't really so, because the distraction-free writing environment still lies at its core.  
(Version 2.0b)

JOHN F.  I get what you're saying. But to me, the beast was in the whole concept: the environment with the hassle-free "non-document" model. That was so refreshing to see and this "non-document" model, I really see as a fundamental part of the writing environment, not just the distraction-free full-screen mode of writing. To me, these two things come together. It was the whole concept that I like. It was what excited me.

Maybe I came over a bit too strong, but I have very strong views on these kind of things, and I express them maybe overly strong. In my view, the nature of the beast has changed immensely. That is my point of view. I do see that from your perspective, it isn't really so, because the distraction-free writing environment still lies at its core.  
(Version 2.0b)

JOHN F.  WriteRoom is evolving. Evolving into something which isn't true to the original idea and philosophy. Version 2 is a totally different beast from version 1. The developers have reassured everyone that version 1 is here to stay for those who like it, and version 2 is simply something more advanced and different. Talk about confusing! I am sad, though, that the developer Jesse couldn't just decide to bring WriteRoom to the market and stick with his original vision of what it is - and very slowly and carefully polish it.

This is what made the original WriteRoom unique (something I have written before on the Hog Bay forum): It is an app that doesn't concern itself with loose scattered documents on your HD, or even with the idea of documents. Its metaphor is more powerful: It is not about docs, it is about pieces of text you are working on and nothing else. It's about focus. The app presents you windows where you can write your text, in the window or full screen, and you don't have to think about anything else because what you see is what you get. I believe moving away from the documents metaphor is a great idea for writers that need focus: I open the app, create a new window, and when I close and reopen the app, the same windows return! I don't have to save the documents to a specific place on the hard drive at all, and I don't have to name them. It's what I would expect, but no other app except for WriteRoom 1 does! This is where computing should be: Moving away from complexity (a complex thinking in metaphors and managing things) to a place of transparency. WriteRoom is very pure in its idea and execution. Until version 2 came along.

Version 2 will find it's audience. And I am not saying that it isn't useful for many people. Far from it. It's just that it's a bit confusing to have a higher version number available, while version 1 is still being actively supported. To me, it feels like the switch from Hog Bay Notebook version 2 to version 3 all over again - but with a little twist.  
(Version 2.0b)

JOHN F.  I opened the trial version a while ago to give it a peak, but didn't really use it. Now my trial period is up. Is there any way to give the trial another go?  
(Version 1.2.5)

JOHN F.  I think Ulysses is really a top notch writing environment. No distraction, focus, just right. When I move away from this app, to try out writing in other apps, I get blocked. I have licenses for many apps (OmniOutliner, Hog Bay Mori, DevonThink Pro, Circus Ponies Notebook, and more), but this app is really the stuff for me. It just instantly gets me flowing. Words just start pouring. I don't know what it is about Ulysses that does the trick. I only know that it does. I still use OmniOutliner Pro for notes and outlines, but I do the writing in Ulysses. I think OmniOutliner Pro and Ulysses have become my favorite apps. They both are simple and simply do the trick. I think the transparency is what I love most about Ulysses. What you see is what you get. Nothing too fancy, nothing really hidden. Just focus and overview. For some people, Ulysses will really get you going. It is clearly not for everybody, but choice is good. It's good to know that there's an app for everybody right here on the Mac platform. I am also very happy that the developers didn't change any of the app's philosophy along the way. For the people who depend on this app, it's really reassuring. I choose to use this app because of the philosophy it introduces. I've seen so many apps that get added with a zillion features along the way that I don't recognize the app I fell in love with any more. Not so with Ulysses. Features do get added over time, but the app feels the same. And it is one of few apps which dares to make a bold statement and is made to cater for a specific audience, instead of searching for an audience.  
(Version 1.2.2r2)

JOHN F.  A bit silly icon, putting the full name of the app in it. The name of the app is displayed twice now (in the icon and the text below). Oh well.  
(Version 1.2.2)

JOHN F.  Doesn't seem to be multi-language aware. So if I startup Safari in Dutch, the View menu (which is the Weergave menu in Dutch) doesn't show me the menu option to enable or disable Cooliris Previews.  
(Version 1.2b)

JOHN F.  Competition is always hard to describe, because all these apps work on different levels.

DevonThink is a database app, which can consolidate PDF's, QuickTime movies, webpages, text files and folders. All your files in one app/place. I had some problems with the database loosing my pdfs and pictures, though, and have since moved away. That's just my personal experience. DevonThink is one of few apps that handles all kinds of docs in one place.

OmniOutliner has always been my premier thought app on Mac OS X. Officially it's an outliner, but I also use it as a database for my writing and thoughts. You can add files to the outline (to open in other apps) and even see PDF and pictures inline. But it's not really a database app, but an organizer, letting you structure ideas with ease and make lists. It also handles OPML import/export.

Mori is more like a database app for text files. These text files can also contain pictures or PDFs and media files, but always contained within a text file. If you export data, it becomes RTFD files. Mori is a very clean app, with very clean concept and interface. It's a great organiser of the files and folders metaphor kind. Mori lets you export your notebook into files and folders, or OPML, so moving to other apps is made easy.

Another to consider is MacJournal. Like it says, its' a journal app, which handles it's documents like journals and entries. It was a long time that I used it, so I cannot really comment on how it has evolved. It's also a blog app, so you can publish from within the app.

Now Circus Ponies. It can be an outliner or listmaker like OmniOutliner. It lets you set action items and hooks up with iCal. You can clip pictures and media onto pages. If you like the idea of a notebook/binder on your screen, well that's Circus Ponies Notebook. I think Notebook is one of the more visually oriented of the apps. It's like having a writing notebook / digital clippings book. And for sharing on the web, you can publish your complete notebook with pictures, outlines, actions as html. If you want to see what that's like, here's a link to a video on the website.

http://www.circusponies.com/store/index.php?main_page=videotour&sub=sharing

This publishing feature make it pretty versatile for sharing purposes, which some other apps lack.

There are more apps out there, some even free. To see what suits your needs, you have to simply try them out. That's what the trial is for! Make use of it!  
(Version 2.1 (v247))

JOHN F.  Yeah, not everyone has a high resolution display. I have to struggle too on my iBook for space. One day, I get myself a widescreen notebook or iMac. But even then, that doesn't mean that the app has to waste precious screen space.  
(Version 12.5.5)

JOHN F.  I know some other project managers are equally priced high, but I hoped that OmniGroup would introduce a more affordable one. The app looks good, and if you do spent the money, maybe you'll say it was worth it. But after having spent the same kind of money on OmniGraffle Pro, and a fair amount on OmniOutliner Pro (which remains the most affordable Omni app) some people would probably say: Thanks, but no thanks. I need a project manager, but this simply is not within my budget.  
(Version 1.0 beta 2)

JOHN F.  Same here. This sucks.  
(Version 1.2 b3)

JOHN F.  Maybe you can try to comment somewhere on his company blog?

http://www.mishimo.com/blog

Worth a try if the email is really not working.  
(Version 1.2.1)

JOHN F.  I haven't had any of your problems. I'm curious, do you have an Intel Mac or PPC? If it doesn't behave correctly, I suggest contacting the developer on the forum. The developer is really great.

Second of all, I suggest that you don't rate an app before you can get it to work properly on your system. While you can grade something for it not working as it should on your system, it doesn't really tell that much. Like, I'm running it on an iBook with Tiger without any trouble and the app is really wonderful, even in beta. I think the previous people haven't rated yet just for this reason. I'm waiting with the rating after I have given it a thorough and fair run - more so because it is public beta. You have to cancel out that it not behaving correctly may be specific to your system. And you should also give the developer a bit of a chance to correct things.  
(Version 1.0b2)

JOHN F.  You have OmniOutliner in the list of sources, but you fail to add OmniOutliner Professional. ;-)  
(Version 1.0b5)

JOHN F.  This is like a real life notebook, but digitally. It has tabs, pages, indexes, etc. You can outline on those pages, stick on pictures and stickers. You can also highlight text with colorful markers. For people who like this idea of having something like a real life notebook on the computer screen, NoteBook is powerful. I think students will love the new Cornell Note Taking system. And you can easily publish the notebook you made online, and the page will look and behave exactly like the notebook document in the app itself. Personally, I like notebooks with files and folders better, like Hog Bay Mori or DevonThink. But Circus Ponies Notebook has its audience and it is regurlarly updated with new features. What I find most enjoyable is the responsive developer. If you file a bug, the app is quickly updated. And Circus Ponies has a community forum, so there are always people to share tips with. Notebook has many great stuff under the hood, despite its simple appearance. You can always demo for 30 days. I think that is enough for anyone to see if they like it. Price is reasonable.  
(Version 2.1 (v246))

JOHN F.  Classic Mac fun and ease. You can do great stuff with this app, when you are really ready give it a try. It has a good clean and clear interface, and the developers are also very responsive. There are only a few good Mac drawing apps in this price range. I highly recommend this app. One minus point is that Intaglio has no real trial mode that lets you save files. You must keep your app and window open in demo mode to not loose your work. Because I got hooked the instant I tried to design stuff with this app, I bought a license and the app let me enter the license code in demo mode. So I got to save my work.

Also give the app Lineform a look. That one can do artistic vector brush strokes. And that app has a real trial mode.  
(Version 2.8b1)

JOHN F.  I keep seperate databases of PDFs, pictures, text files, and internet files. This app keeps everything, and mostly my head, organized. Before DevonThink, my HD was just a mess. I hate the Finder, DevonThink is the way I think. This app is very cool. And what's best is that you can export all your databases as files and folders to your external backup disk. No worry about currupted databases here.  
(Version 1.1.1)

JOHN F.  Fun and easy single database notebook for keeping all your text snippets and ideas in one place. Easy export of all files and folders. Import is per folder only. Very nicely designed with the idea of keeping it simple and pleasing to the eyes. I've tried many notebook apps, and this one is a keeper! You just instantly get it! And the automatic naming of new files is awesome. I think many developers can learn from this developer on how to make a very user friendly app with an interface that doesn't distract. Great concept + good aesthetic sense = Mac at its best!  
(Version 1.1.1)

JOHN F.  I like pages. It has a clean interface that doesn't distract. The stylesheets is one of the easiest to use I have ever come across. Entering all the layout parameters is a breeze. All the functions feel natural to me. I simply like the uncluttered interface, like the single inspector window. Masking pics and letting text flow is good. Pages is a good app for the price. And it runs pretty fast on my 1 GHz iBook. You also get Keynote, which has matured well. You can design beautiful presentations with it. There are some persistent bugs in Pages which I have send in but haven't been corrected yet, so that's a bit of a negative there. But overall, two solid classy apps that are a joy to work with for an unbeatable price.  
(Version 2.0.1v2)

JOHN F.  Why do I keep hearing that FCP won't work on the MacBook? It will run just fine. It's Apple Motion that won't install or will run too slow without dedicated graphics chip. But FCP, Soundtrack, LiveType, DVD Studio Pro should install just fine. I run FCP 4.5 on an 1 GHz iBook. It only displays low res smoothly, but it runs. A better chip will mean that FCP will open up more features, like real-time effects stuff. FCP and FCE should install fine on all current Macs. FCP requires at least a 867 MHz G4, or 1 GHz for HDV. FCE has lower requirements: about 550 MHz G4, or again 1 GHz G4 for HDV. Almost every Apple Mac of the last couple of years supports Quartz Extreme. And if it comes to Core Image, Intel GMA950 does support it too, although probably not blistering fast.  
(Version 3.5)

JOHN F.  Great app for a bargain price. You can have lots of fun and do amazing stuff. Nice clean interface, unlike Painter. (Okay, the two don't really compare, but I hate Painter's bloated pallets interface.) The other sketch app, SketchBook Pro, costs 10 times as much. For sketching and painting on my Mac, ArtRage offers plenty of tools and really responsive developers. This app needs more Mac exposure. We really need more apps like these. Thanks for the continuing Mac support!  
(Version 2.1)

JOHN F.  Not great. As somebody mentioned before, scene navigator doesn't navigate anymore. You double click on a scene header, and nothing. Only seems to work when you have a split window view. But moving from different views within one window is much time consuming. You have to delve into menus, split window, resize windows and views, etc. I don't want to work in one window, except when it's worked out thoughtfully. Version 7 experience isn't good. Version 6 simply presented you your script, and you had a seperate window for your outline and index cards. It works much better. Also, the index cards don't navigate anymore, so no more shuffling and double clicking to move to a scene in the script. Version 6 was much, much better. Aarggh, it seems that Final Draft isn't designed to meet the needs of writers.

I really hope that Mariner Software Montage will make a better app and, for once, listen to the needs of the writer. But it will cost $150 and that's not cheap either. Well, if it's better than this software, it might be worth it.  
(Version 7.1.1)

JOHN F.  Inspiration is unique software because it is intuitive. You start using it for brainstorming, diagrams, charts, planning, whatever and it simply flows. Oh, and this package offers outlining and diagramming in one package. That's right, it's just one click away and you can switch between them, unlike the OmniOutliner/OmniGraffle combo. This is very convenient. Okay, the packages don't really compare in features - I have them all - but for numerous outlining and diagramming stuff, Inspiration works beautifully. The functions are good, with excellent printing facilities, such as page breaks and user definable header and footer. This is one of few software packages that to me feels and breaths Mac. Yes it has its own interface, and has a bit of nostalgic Mac feeling to it, but it really works. You know, I love OmniGraffle for its graphics and some of its powerful feautures, but it is also cluttered by pallets and drawers and functions that lie more than a click away. Inspiration is simply there with a very clear setup that doesn't require numerous pallets. Just click and start typing for a new item to appear. Just drag a connection from one block to the other for a connection. No switching of tools required. Inspiration is meant for rapid entry and thought flow - check out features like rapidfire and such. So Inspiration might not present you with cutting-edge Mac OS X graphics, but it is a productive tool made for your brain.

I don't know if the new version is worth the upgrade. At least they've finally added live scrolling. The auto-arrange function seems to work great. As the previous reviewer stated, it's a bit of missed opportunity. Still, I'm happy that they've not totally altered the productive interface for a more regular Mac OS X interface. I highly recommend this tool, especially for students. If you need a good outliner and diagram package to help you visualize and structure ideas and stories at a reasonable price, this is it. Try it out extensively before you buy.  
(Version 8.0)

JOHN F.  Can be as simple or powerful as you want it to be. Easy selection of which folders/files to copy and not to copy. Pretty good app, although can be a bit slow at times. GUI is clean and seems good to me. I use it for quick weekly backups to a FireWire drive of my most important files. As long as it does its job when restoring, I'm happy.   
(Version 3.0.1)

JOHN F.  Can sometimes be a little slow to follow my stroke at high resolutions. Okay, I only have a 1 GHz G4. This is still a great app and needs to be kept alive on the Mac platform. There aren't any good and simple, let alone cheap, natural media painting apps for the Mac. So even if I won't be using it that much, I will give the developers my $19.95, just for keeping the Mac version alive. This app needs better exposure in the media. I will review the full version at a later time.  
(Version 2.0)

JOHN F.  How do I get a new window after I close it? Only way, it seems, is to close the app and relaunch it. (Using Tiger 10.4.4)  
(Version 1.0)

JOHN F.  Works fine without a hiccup. Windows Media Player for Mac was always a pesk. It was slow in streaming video and would many times stop in the middle of running a video. This is a nice solution. Still funny, though, Windows Media inside QuickTime. What's next? RealMedia inside QuickTime? Would probably run better too!  
(Version 2.0.1)

JOHN F.  I don't know why, but everytime I enable Textpander, it interferes with the keyboard shortcut for showing/hiding the Dock. Doesn't matter which key I assign to it, it only shows (or hides) while the keys are being pressed, but then when I let go, the Dock hides (or shows) again. This happens only when Textpander is enabled. I run Tiger (10.4.4).  
(Version 1.2.1)