Mac-happy bloggers often use either Ecto or by Mars Edit as their desktop blogging client. Given that those two products are pretty close to perfection, we are unlikely to switch to another client. Windows PC users, on the other hand have had to choose from w.Bloggar, Qumana or some similar tool. And they all keep searching for a better one.
Today they got one: Microsoft Windows Writer, a WYSIWYG tool that only after a few minutes of use (thanks to this new set-up) seems to be pretty good. (Was this part of the Onfolio acquisition?) Mike is admonishing Microsoft for not supporting Mac – he is right. They could be a lot more inclusive, or perhaps the WWDC kitty-cat jokes got to them.
Live Writer has the look and feel of Office 2007. ( Folks commenting on the post say that the interface is Onfolio like.) It is very clean interface, and still retains some of the “Microsoft Word” features that would make it attractive to a larger mainstream audience. (My Macy-Microsoft analogy still works!) It supports quite a few blogging platforms, and also offers newbie users an option to sign for Live Spaces.
Writer has all the usual bells and whistles, but the one which impressed me the most: easy way to add Maps in your posts. (Sure they are Microsoft Maps, but who cares.) There is some strange CSS stuff that is inserted along with Maps, but not that big a deal. I did some photo drag and drop, and crafted this post for my WordPress.com blog.
It is not often, I say good things about Microsoft products, but with this free-blogging tool, I have to say: write on! And just to set the record straight, the current post was written in Ecto.
Just discovered, thanks to a helping IM: the software actually lets you use your blog styles for editing, has ability to add plugins, and has an SDK to extend the functionality of the program. You can also swap out聽 Microsoft Maps for say Google Maps. There is great stuff on this blog.
Hey Om,
It was part of the Onfolio buyout. One of the Allaire brothers is project lead on it.
Microsoft doens’t need to port it to mac any more than ecto or mars edit need a windows port
Om
The UI is not office 2007. It is infact Office 2003 interface. Office2007 has no menus.
Actually it’s not Office 2003 interface, it’s Onfolio interface… for now.
Um, ecto has a windows version (http://ecto.kung-foo.tv/).
Seth,
I am aware about the WIndows version of Ecto and I hope I did not get the wrong impression. It is part of our poll as well.
The Windows Live Writer folks did a nice job. Also check out RocketPost, http://www.anconia.com/rocketpost. It’s far more advanced than Writer, and there’s a free version. (I designed it.)
Om,
Blogdesk (for Windows) is still a pile better than the rest.
Not sure about Blogdesk, since I have not used it. But you have to admit, for a free tool, Writer is pretty sweet.
I think there will be better and perhaps superior quality tools that may come to market, I am still quite impressed. Quite an improvement over some of the existing ones. I liked w.Bloggar but it hasn’t really evolved.
Are there any blog editor for Linux?
Are you forgetting that Flock has a built-in blog editor?
Om,
Does this support the blogger platform ?
Mark,
there is Drivel http://www.dropline.net/drivel/
Amit, Flock has a blog editor but it doesn’t work at all with Movable Type 3.2+ (including 3.31) and they don’t seem to be in a hurry to fix it.
w.blogger site is giving a note: “This Account Has Been Suspended” “Please contact the billing/support department as soon as possible”
How does she compare to the blogging functionality built into Word 2007?
For my money I’d still go for Qumana … oh right it’s free! Hee hee.
Om, I’d really like to know what you think of Q for the Mac vs Ecto.
I am happy with Performancing for firefox, let’s me do everything I need except create new categories. For that I have to go to the WP admin.
Tris,
I have to say the Windows version of Quamana is better than the Mac one, which seems to wheeze a little. And that is on one of the newer Macbook Pros. I think Q has a lot of potential
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I was unable to find this tool yet.