Some of the stuff that caught my attention this week:
Should Microsoft Word go the way of the dinosaur? Based on the title, I think the writer of this article would say, YES:
Microsoft Word is Cumbersome, Inefficient and Obsolete: It is Time for it to Die (via my friend Jim)
No Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year – what’s up Pulitzer People?
And one of the most beautiful essays I read this week:
This is why I avoid reading the books I’ve written. Why, when I must, I approach the book as a stranger, and pretend the sentences were written by someone else.
My Life’s Sentences (via Jason McCarty)
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Link of the week:
“Poets and Writers” database of literary journals and magazines.
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What do you use for word processing other than Microsoft Word?
Word is the worst. And it goes hand in hand with PowerPoint. Oh, and not to mention Windows Media Player.
Is there any standard system software from Microsoft that isn’t a diabolical nightmare?
Sincerely,
Unabashed Mac Snob
I would take Windows Media Player ANY DAY over iTunes. Mac is awesome, but iTunes is the worst bit of software in the history of the universe. Absolutely wretched.
I should have clarified – my mind was in bubble-mode and I was thinking more of a Quicktime > Windows Media Player for videos, not music.
I agree iTunes isn’t the greatest thing on the planet. I’ve run iTunes from a PC, and I don’t know why it seemed different but it was a horrible mess most of the time.
Word is all I know. Does that make me a dinosaur, too? =)
Did you notice that Sara Ganim and members of the Harrisburg Patriot News got the Pulitzer for Local Reporting? My husband is a member of that staff!!!
I really like Pages on my mac for more involved pieces. Recently I’ve been using something called Byword that is just a simple text edit for website writing. I like writing other stuff on it too because it is just really simple and you can write in full screen mode, leaving out all distraction. You can do the same in Pages. For you writers, there is also some other good mac software called Mariner and they have several types of programs for writers. I stopped using Word like a year ago.
I write using Scrivener for my Mac. I still use MS Word too, but not so much. I’m also getting into Pages for more graphic type designs.
Interesting question…
I like Pages. I’m not sure why though. Probably because it is a Mac product and my brain has been wired to like Mac products regardless of how good they are.
OneNote is the way to go. I know it’s still Microsoft, but it’s a lot less clunky than Word and loads a LOT better and freezes a LOT less.
Also, I have to agree with prior commenters about how ridiculous iTunes is. Apple can make the iPod Touch/iPhone run as smooth as butter, but they’re foundational program for it all it a big ol’ piece of horse dung. I wouldn’t have it if I didn’t have to.
Microsoft Word . . I like the 2010 version, only has one strange thing. It is odd to choose to print in color or black & white you have too many steps! It is almost hidden. Never used Mac programs so really can’t compare.
Now iTunes is a whole other ball game! I abhor it! It has progressively become less user friendly & has literally stalled our internet!
However, they have redeemed themselves for me. I have an iPad & an iPhone. With the cloud & now iTunes Music Match I NEVER sync to iTunes! My over 4000 (this includes all CD’s I put in iTunes) song, movies, etc are saved in the cloud. I can stream them through the Internet at home, or download just the music or movies I want without placing them all on one device taking up all my storage space at one time! This is the best thing they ever came up with! I love love love iTunes match! On my phone I can download anywhere & on my iPad I can download anywhere I have wifi. O & with the app Downcast I can stream or download all my favorite podcast audio & video, and it syncs between the two devices! Soooo! I no longer fiddle with hooking my devices to my computer to update them! Praise the Lord for cloud abilities!