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Setting up a "Writing Mac"
I've got a basement full of Macs in various states of repair, which shouldn't surprise you. One of my hobbies is re-purposing those old machines. For instance, there's a G3 All-In-One on my workbench which runs iFixIt.com when I've got a project. Additionally, I use a G4 iMac as a Daylite server.I've also had a G5 iMac for a while, but nothing for it to do. Earlier this week, I gave it a fresh install of Mac OS 10.4 and thought I'd use it for blogging and other writing. No web browsing, Twitter, iPhoto or the like. Call it a "Writing Mac." Here's how I set it up.Reduce distractionsThe Dock and drives are hidden from the Finder. No Twitter clients are installed, and only a few bookmarks are in place. The home folder contains only the default items and there's no music in the iTunes library. In other words, there's nothing to compete for my attention.Streamlined for workI've populated the dock with apps that support writing and nothing more. I've moved it to the lower left-hand corner by choosing "Position on screen > Left" from the Dock preference pane and this little bit of command line editing from Shawn Blanc:defaults write com.apple.dock pinning -string endNow I can have the dock tiny yet accessible as I run my writing software. Speaking of which ...The softwareYou'll see a few icons in my Dock. After the Finder and Mail, is Scrivener. If you've got a large writing project to complete, Scrivener is the companion you'll want on your side. Research, outlining and organization is a pleasure with such a great application. I've also got Apple's Dictionary in the Dock because, believe it or not, 'ol Dave isn't so good with the spelling.Next is Yojimbo (I had to upgrade to 10.5.7 to get this to run. D'oh!). I only started using this app recently, but I can see the appeal. When running, it puts a small tab on the edge of the desktop. It's easy to drop bits of text, images or URL's in there to use as reference. The good stuff, once reviewed, gets moved into Scrivener. Finally is my beloved ImageWell for editing images for use here on TUAW. It runs on 10.4 and is just the tool for quick-and-dirty cropping and resizing. At last, iTunes streams Radio Paradise, my favorite Internet radio station.The best part is that there's almost nothing to back up (other than Scrivener projects, which I drop in my Dropbox). If this machine's HD croaked tomorrow, I'd be able to pick up where I left off with minimal fuss.So there you have it, my Writing Mac. Aren't legacy machines fun?
ImageWell 3.5 is available
I love XtraLean Software's ImageWell. In fact, nearly every image I post to TUAW has been edited with ImageWell (we've written about it several times). I think it's the perfect application for when something like Photoshop is overkill. That quick crop, resize, border, etc. can be done in a flash with ImageWell.Version 3.5 became available this week, with a slew of great new features, including New sharpness filter Two new shapes The return key now executes a crop (Yay!) Other minor fixes There's more, of course, and you can get the full run-down here. Among the recent influx of quick-and-dirty image manipulation software, ImageWell is a gem.ImageWell requires Mac OS 10.3.9. Note that version 3.5 will now cost you $19.95US for a single license. Previously, a free version was available as well as a moderately priced "Xtras Pack." This version includes all of the extras and is free for current paid users (A seven-day free trial is available for everyone else). As the day-to-day workhorse it has been for me over the years, twenty bucks is a bargain.
ImageWell receives big update
I'm a huge fan of ImageWell. In fact, I've used it to edit nearly every image I've posted to TUAW. If you're unfamiliar, it's a quick-and-dirty image editor that's perfect when Photoshop would be overkill. Crop or resize your image, add a watermark or upload to your server easily.Today, version 3.2 is available, and offers Flickr, SmugMug and ImageShack compatibility. Just click to send your image on its way. You can also annotate images with text, flip, rotate and more. Plus, ImageWell offers support for FTP, .Mac, SFTP and WebDAV. You can even designate a local folder for export.ImageWell is free. However, you can purchase the "Xtras pack" - which offers features in addition to those mentioned here - for $14.95US.
Quickly edit photos with Picturesque
Acqualia has released a new utility for quick-and-dirty image editing called Picturesque. It allows you to add those snazzy reflections that are all the rage these days, as well as crop, curve, glow effects and borders. It could be quite handy for when you want to quickly edit an image for the web, and feel like launching Photoshop would be overkill. Picturesque is universal, requires Mac OS 10.4 or later and costs $19.50 US. Alternatively, check out the free ImageWell for a similar type of no-fuss image editing.Thanks, Zac!
InstantShot! - Menubar Screenshots
As you might expect, we take a lot of screenshots here at TUAW, so I'm always interested in ways of making it easier. Most of the time I either use ImageWell or one of the built-in keyboard shortcuts. Nonetheless, InstantShot! looks like a convenient alternative for folks who prefer using the mouse. This little menubar utility waits quietly until you need to make a screenshot and is only a mouse-click away. It offers most of the same options as OS X's built-in Grab application, but is a bit more configurable as to file format. You can also use it to take multiple shots (like on a digital camera) every so many seconds (configurable in the Preferences). There's also an option to hide your desktop with a solid color, but it's not quite as nice-looking as Backdrop.InstantShot! is Universal Binary and a free download from Digital Waters.
Beta Beat: ImageWell 3 updated to Version 3.0b5 - brings back old skool cropping
There's nothing more satisfying than knowing that someone is listening to you - and hearing you - when you're unhappy about something. Well, you spoke and the folks at XtraLean listened. When the ImageWell 3 beta was released in the wild a few days ago, the most common complaint was that image cropping was no longer as easy or intuitive as it had been in version 2.1. It even had me stumped initially, although I, admittedly, didn't mind it all that much once I figured out where the crop tool was hiding. Instead of ignoring their user base, as many freeware, shareware and even major commercial software developers do (I'm talking to you, Adobe), XtraLean quickly went to work to bring cropping, as we previously knew and loved it, back from the dead.A note from the developer says: "We've had some great feedback so far - bug reports, suggestions and complaints. The number one complaint was the cropping feature was too complicated in ImageWell 3. We are happy to announce that we reworked the UI to make image cropping more like it was in ImageWell 2.1. A new build with this better (at least we hope it's better) cropping can be downloaded here. During this beta/release candidate cycle we'll be putting out a new build every two days. Be sure to submit your feedback, bug reports and complaints - so we can try to make ImageWell the best we can. Again, thanks for your support."Thanks you, XtraLean, for caring enough to listen to your users instead of ignoring them. You are a shining example of what the Mac community is all about.
Beta Beat: ImageWell v3 beta
ImageWell calls itself the "the free and lean image editor" and it is, indeed, both free and lean. It's one of those apps that "just works" and doesn't try to do more than it should. We're fans of ImageWell here at TUAW. It makes our jobs easier. Recently I noticed that the ImageWell 3 beta was available for download and I jumped on it like a rabid dog. Guess what? It "just works" even better.ImageWell rocks for quick and easy edits to images. Just drag an image onto the well, make your adjustments (like cropping, rotating, watermarking and/or resizing) and send the file to the local folder, FTP server or iDisk of your choice. It supports .Mac, WebDAV, FTP and SFTP for uploads. A few simple clicks is all it takes and you'll generally be done with what you needed to do in about the same amount of time it would take for Photoshop to even launch. You can even add text, shapes, thought clouds and balloons with ease without having to launch another app to dress up your pic.Although the basic application is free, ImageWell now also offers a registered version that includes some additional bells and whistles, like more shapes, styles, gradients, and batch resizing. You can upgrade to the registered version for $9.95 during the v3 beta, but the regular price will be $14.95.The interface on ImageWell 3 is a bit different than version 2.x. (no more drawers!) and I was a tad confused by that when I launched it - I'm quite the creature of habit. But once I figured out where things had moved to I felt at ease again. The online help and documentation is very good. though, so if you're confused too, just fire up the help pages and you'll be all set. ImageWell 3 requires OS X 10.3.9 or greater, and is a Universal Binary. If you're looking for a lean and mean image editor, give it a try.
AppZapper updated to version 1.5
AppZapper is one of my favorite utilities. As you can see from the screenshot at right, it's one of only two applications to earn the honor of a spot in my Finder windows' toolbar (ImageWell is the other). For the uninitiated, AppZapper lets you easily uninstall software. Just drop your target app's icon onto AppZapper and it searches your Mac for all related files. One click and they're all sent to the trash. Nice and easy.Today, version 1.5 has been made available. Changes include: Several bug fixes Resized QuickZap icons Reworked window resizing There's more, of course, including the coolest new feature, ZapGenie. This lets you sort your applications by the last time they were used. Quickly find and eliminate those apps you downloaded, tried once and then abandoned months ago! AppZapper requires Tiger and a one-time fee of $12.95US includes free upgrades for life.
ImageWell goes universal
xtralean's ImageWell has gone universal. I can't say enough good things about this simple little application. In fact, every image I post to TUAW has been edited with ImageWell. If you need to do some quick-and-dirty image editing, like a resize, reshape, crop, stroke or watermark (basically any task for which Photoshop would be overkill), look no further than ImageWell. You can even FTP your image to .Mac or the FTP or WebDAV server of your choice, directly from ImageWell. Plus, it's free.Other changes in version 2.1 include: Dutch localization "Send to folder" option Command-S keyboard shortcut for "Save" (YES! This has been Command-Shift-S for too long!) ImageWell requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later. I love it. Check it out.
