Macworld: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, ...

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8 Replies Last post: Feb 20, 2005 12:40 PM by JRB

JRB

68 posts since
Sep 3, 2001

Feb 6, 2005 11:21 AM

Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

Is anyone successfully using Ulysses or CopyWrite for writing duties? I'm currently using Word 2004 for overall writing of everything from short articles to books, and using Macjournal 2.6 as a semi-organizable repository for notes and snippets and ideas and chapter outlines and research cuts from ?Web pages and such. Macjournal's lack of nesting topics make it less agile for this than it might be, however, and with its new update to 3.0 it seems to be heading toward a tool inended primarily for Bloggers and less for conventional writers.

I'm curious to know what other writers are using for the constant accretion of data/brainstorming/organizing, etc. Word's outlining feature has always seemed to cumbersome to me, and the new Notebook feature I found too limited compared with the always-there handiness of Macjournal.

Brettcamp

322 posts since
Jan 3, 2003

1. Feb 6, 2005 12:39 PM

in response to: JRB

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

I tried CopyWrite, and iOrganize, and MacJournal, and ZWrite, and Parsnips, and StickyBrain, and OmniOutliner, and several others I can't remember now. Those listed were the best, but all had one drawback or another that didn't quite suit my diverse needs -- notetaking, database (so I could rearrange notes by keyword or subject), outlining, and basic word processing (find & replace, spellcheck, change line spacing and fonts, etc.). The best tool I had for this was Hypercard, but I got tired of going back into Classic (Apple quit supporting it years ago) and losing the various OSX goodies.

What I finally settled on, and highly recommend, is DevonNote , or its more expensive and extensive version, DevonThink . I use DN to grab info from web pages, emails, and various text docs (it works great with the Services menu), arrange and rearrange notes in nested folders, outline and even write articles that I then export to RTF or email. I haven't even skimmed the surface of its features yet, but for organizing and finding info, it's been the best thing I've used. I especially like the ability to set up links between documents and words and phrases within documents. It also has an excellent user community and responsive developers.

While you're at the site, check out the freeware tools like antiWord service etc. I did hear good things about Ulysses, but it's pretty pricey. I also would like to hear from anyone who's tried it, if only to see what functionality it could give me that DevonNote can't.

car1son

1,349 posts since
Aug 30, 2001

2. Feb 6, 2005 1:54 PM

in response to: JRB

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

I've been using DEVONthink as well. Not that I find it perfect (I wish it had slightly better features with material kept in other applications), but adequate. However, I haven't tried all of the packages you listed.

JRB

68 posts since
Sep 3, 2001

3. Feb 7, 2005 8:24 AM

in response to: Brettcamp

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

I tried ZWrite and didn't like it, and StickyBrain; OmniOutliner showed promise but was just too left-brain and clumsy. I use Circus Ponies Notebook intermittently, but its learning curve is steeper than I seem to have time to navigate, which is why I didn't really consider the various Devons. But the stripped-down DevonNote is new to me, and I might give that a try. From what I can glean from their Web page, it seems to occupy the territory I had hoped Macjournal would move toward before it decided to become a blogger device.
Thanks for the info.

Brettcamp

322 posts since
Jan 3, 2003

4. Feb 7, 2005 1:34 PM

in response to: JRB

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

Coincidentally, there's a long and informative review of DevonThink today at Low End Mac. Most of the features described appear in DevonNote, which I bought in a sale they had during MacWorld for users of other notetaking apps or .Mac users. Best $10 I ever spent, if you don't count that used CD of Kind of Blue. There's a fully functional demo that you can try; let us know what you think.

shades

341 posts since
Jun 28, 2002

5. Feb 7, 2005 4:01 PM

in response to: Brettcamp

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

Check out Ted Goranson's series of articles and reviews

Outliners, Task managers, and More

iamagenious

3 posts since
Feb 4, 2002

6. Feb 19, 2005 12:53 AM

in response to: JRB

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

My first post in here, I believe - hope I got it "placed" correctly (trying to respond to thread discussing Ulysses and CopyWrite with other "writing" apps brought into discussion).

I don't have much in the way of specifics to offer other than, after reading the complete series of articles mentioned in the post just prior to mine (Ted Goranson's articles, I think) I made the choice to buy DEVONThink over NoteBook and NoteTaker, a couple of others I was trying. It seems to be a pretty good "free-form" database/repository for just about ALL kinds of info culled from just about any source and makes it easy to get desired info into the application.

Also, has excellent search and good text-editing capabilities. Uses AI (or some form of it) to help user classify "incoming" docs and also to find what you want when you look for it.

I'm just getting around to trying out Copywrite, and tonight is the first night I've really ever tried to do anything with it - haven't quite figured it out yet, but I think I've got it; going to get back to it tomorrow but it looks like it will be nice once it becomes "second-nature" to use. Ulysses is also looking good, although I'll probably not use it if the tools I currently have suffice; I'm kind of learning what I need without really knowing all the features of all that I need or even all that I need period. Getting there, though.

Bottom line - DEVONThink, or even DEVONNote would be highly recommended by me - they seem to be more Mac-like than some of the other more powerful apps of that type (NoteBook and NoteTaker to be specific) and the folks who develop at DEVON are good people - one can just tell by seeing things they do and write.

shades

341 posts since
Jun 28, 2002

7. Feb 19, 2005 8:09 AM

in response to: iamagenious

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

For a writing tool to complement DevonNote, you might consider Mellel. I am using it on a 250+ page book, and the outlining feature works just the way i like. And the styles and auto-number, while both taking a while to get used to, are far superior to any other approach I have seen (I have used Word since 5.0, WriteNow, AppleWorks, Nisus Writer (Classic), Nisus Writer Express (OS X), etc. As NWE improves, that is my second choice because it "feels" better. But Mellel is tops right now.

JRB

68 posts since
Sep 3, 2001

8. Feb 20, 2005 12:40 PM

in response to: shades

Re: Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

I'll give Mellel a try. I've been using Word since, hmmmmm, Version 1.1? And although I use the outlining function a lot, it's never really worked the way it should--though, that being said, the current iteration is the least annoying so far.

Notebook reminds me a little too much of an old Lotus-produced notebook; I've tried to like it, but it just seems to apply layers of opacity to even the simplest task, and the ring-binder metaphor is a bit twee for me.

I did have a look at the new Macjournal 3.0, and although it's gone off the deep end toward Bloggery, it still seems pretty intuitive and streamlined, and it does have a new and possibly very entertaining feature: full-screen mode, with what seems to be complete color control of text and background (Ulysses has this too; I tried it in the trial version, and it took me right back to those old WordStar cp/m days). Black screen with green type anyone?

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Feb 6, 2005 11:21 AM

Writing Tools: Ulysses, CopyWrite, Macjournal

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