Blogging with a Mac Part 1 – MarsEdit

Well, as many of you know, I accepted a new position with Bright House Networks. I was blessed with a new MacBook Pro and it is hands down the most powerful, versatile laptop that I have ever used or owned.

It is a big challenge getting used to a Mac again. Having owned one for a couple of years, one would think that I’d have it down. Well, the wife stole it for her business and I haven’t touched it since.

So, I really wanted to start blogging about some of my projects and things that I have been working on. A couple years ago I started using Microsoft’s Live Writer and loved it. So recently I have been looking for an equivalent editor for the Mac.

My first attempt was an app called Qumana. I won’t spend much time on this because it simply didn’t work. At least not with WordPress so I moved on. Maybe I’ll try it again another time.

This blog entry is written using MarsEdit from Red Sweater Software. My first impression is that it’s simple. Not in a bad way, it’s just simple to use. Adding my WordPress account was painless. Including graphics was a snap. Click the media menu item, drag your picture into the target area, and publish. Shake and bake.

The editor is pretty simple too. Not much mark up to start with and definitely not an in-line WYSIWYG editor but there is a preview window that pops um next to the editor to get that job done. Adding markup is easy to do for both the novice and expert alike. The only thing that could be an issue for the uninitiated would be that when formatting the text or adding a graphic, the markup is added right into the edit and might cause some confusion but not a problem for me. Adding Categories is easy. You just type the name of the category and click the Add button. It’s also easy to save drafts and publish the blog.

Finally, updating a published blog was easy. Also, once I registered my blog, all my existing posts populated in the main window along with date and categories.

A few things that cause me to keep looking. If this app were free, it would probably be fine. However, for an application that costs $29.95, I’m a little disappointed. It’s not a lot of money but there are plenty of Blog editors out there that do more for less (some for free).

If you are comfortable with working with HTML and prefer working in a text-based editor, you might find this app right up your alley. However, if you prefer to have an integrated WYSIWYG editor or you enjoy keeping your money in your pocket (or used to buy Mountain Dew), then you might want to check back for my next review — Blogo by BrainJuice