Scrivener for iPad Update

Still cooking.

Automator Service for Dropbox Sharing

Here is a clever AppleScript from Sebastian Wickenburg’s new blog to automate file sharing through Dropbox.

My Tandy WP-2 and the Future

Recent posts by Andy Ihnatko and Shawn Blanc about using an iPad as a laptop replacement got me thinking about my first laptop, my trusty Tandy WP-2. I bought this computer in 1990. I was a first year law student and I rocked this computer for three years.

The WP-2 probably explains my [fixation with text].[mwtext] With 32K of RAM and the luxurious 14 x 80 pixel display, I thought I had it all figured out. No apps. No Internet. It just wrote text files and ran for weeks on a couple AA batteries. You could plug it into a computer to pull down the text file or, in a pinch, save to cassette. That is right. I said cassette.

After lawschool, I could never bring myself to get rid of this old warhorse. When my kids were little, I gave it to them to play with and they thrashed it, as the pictures attest. It still worked. When I got it out for my 18 month old nephew last weekend, it didn’t power up and that made me a little sad but didn’t bother him in the least as he plopped it on his desk and started banging out his version of the next great American novel.

For a lot of people (but not all people), a mobile computer doesn’t need to be much. So long as it checks e-mail, gets on the web, and gives you a place to write, you can get a lot done. Looking wistfully at my WP-2, I’m pretty sure we are going to be seeing a lot more “the iPad is my laptop” stories.

MPU 83: Workflows with Yuvi Zalkow

Mac Power Users Episode 83, Workflows with Yuvi Zalko, is live. Yuvi fills us in on his writing workflow and how he makes those wonderful videos. Get the episode over at 5by5. Also, don’t forget to subscribe in iTunes.

Keyboard Deathmatch

I’ve written before about how much I love my Tactile Pro 3 keyboard. The clicky-clacky racket it makes continually annoys my family, Katie Floyd, and the MPU listeners. After listening to everyone talk about the daskeyboard, I decided to see if it could unseat my Tactile 3 in my own private keyboard deathmatch. Having used the daskeyboard now for about a month, I can report it is an excellent keyboard. As an aside, if timing is everything, I really screwed the pooch on this one since last week appears to have been the week for Internet keyboard porn, as evidenced by Shawn Blanc’s epic comparison post and Merlin’s shorter post about retiring his own beloved Tactile keyboard.

While the Tactile 3 uses the traditional ALPS switches dating back to Apple’s own legendary Apple Extended II keyboards, the daskeyboard uses Cherry MX Blue switches that give the keys a tactile “bump” when the key is about halfway depressed. There is a most excellent animation over at daskeyboard.com.

I’m not sure where the ALPS switch actually triggers the keypress and I guess that is the point. You don’t get that same feedback to your fingers that comes with the Cherry switch. They are both loud as hell but the ALPS switch has a little ring on the upstroke that never bothered me but made Shawn Blanc a little nuts.

I’d never used a Cherry switch keyboard before the daskeyboard arrived and I could immediately tell a difference. The Cherry switches are a bit firmer and the typing experience is, for lack of a better word, “tighter”. I don’t have the gear to test the amount of force required for a key press but it sure feels like the daskeyboard needs more force than that Tactile 3. However, the Cherry switch’s feedback really good. You can actually feel the switch engage with your fingers.

You really need to try both of these keyboards if this is a big deal for you but I’d categorize the Tactile Pro 3 ALPS switches as bit softer in feel than the Cherry switch daskeyboard. You’ll feel the difference immediately. Even though I’ve been using a Tactile Pro 3 Keyboard for some time, I prefer the Cherry switches.

Nevertheless I still sat on the fence about this daskeyboard. There are a lot of little things that the Tactile Pro 3 does better than the daskeyboard.

• The daskeyboard’s keyboard font is a mess. It is a blocky font that isn’t very easy to read. The Tactile Pro 3 keyboard uses a cleaner font and also includes a legend on each key for alternative key combinations.

• The Matias keys are laser etched on the keys for longevity. After using the daskeyboard for a month, the printing on the left command keyalready looks like it is wearing thin.

• I also prefer the Tactile 3’s USB port placement. The Tactile 3 includes three USB ports with one on each side and an additional one in back. The daskeyboard has two USB ports both on the right side.

I think when it comes to make a decision on a mechanical switch keyboard, it is really all about the switches and you’ll pick whichever keyboard has the best feel, no matter how ugly the keyboard font is.

Initially, I was pretty sure I’d be buying the daskeyboard rather than returning the review unit. As much as the Tactile Pro 3 gets right, I prefer the feel of the daskeyboard switches.

However, in the name of science I took alternating weeks on the daskeyboard, Tactile Pro 3, and my Apple Bluetooth Wireless keyboard. I didn’t run a typing test but Shawn Blanc’s increased spead on the mechanical switch keyboards doesn’t suprise me. I don’t however find that a compelling reason to switch to a mechanical keyboard because I rarely type from a sheet of paper and the bottleneck for most things I write is in my brain, not my fingers.

The big suprise in this review process was the discovery that when using my Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard, my RSI aggravations were almost non-existent. This got me thinking about my own experiences with RSI and, upon reflection, I often get cramps in my fingers when working from my iMac but not nearly so often from my MacBook Air with its little chicklet keys. In working through this, I had my own little eureka moment as I realized that keyboards with less travel are not as hard on my RSI as keyboards with more travel. (This is obvious in hindsight.)

So at the conclusion of this process, I realized that in my case I’m not using either of these beloved noisy mechanical keyboards but instead sticking with this tiny Apple keyboard. That’s right. The keyboard deathmatch was not won by any of the heavyweight contenders, but a sneaky flyweight. My own inadequacies aside, if I were not contending with RSI, I’d be writing a check to buy this daskeyboard. Despite its imperfections, I prefer the Cherry switches.

Fiction Find: Catharsis

A friend of mine, Aaron Black, recently self-published his first fiction book, Catharsis. The story is set in the 41st century and concerns a teenage Monk in India. I haven't got to the end yet but so far I'm really digging it. It's just $3 for your Kindle (or iPad Kindle app). Check it out.

Federico's Writing Workflow

Federico goes deep on his writing workflow. There are some great tips in this article. While the iPad’s current lack of robust RTF support is, in several ways, a limitation. I don’t see myself moving off plain text any time soon.

Home Screens - Robert Lloyd Lewis

This week’s home screen features Robert Lloyd Lewis (Twitter), producer of Dexter, the most loveable serial killer in the history of television. Robert, among many talents, produces a popular television show, builds apps, and loves his Apple technology. So Robert, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Air Dictate, which let’s me use Siri to dictate to my Mac. Unfortunately Apple yanked it, but I’ve still got it! I also love FaceDialer, which allows me to create one-touch-dial apps with a photo as the icon. I also like YouMail, which emails me my voicemails.

What is your favorite app?

OmniFocus. Yes, it has a learning curve (and thanks David for your invaluable screencasts), but my life would be chaos without it. It also has the most reliable cloud syncing of anything out there, including iCloud. OF’s cloud syncing…just works.

On my iPad:

I love Pear Note, which records audio while I’m taking notes and associates the two. That way I can easily find any part of the audio by clicking on the text I was typing at that moment.

I also can’t live without iAnnotate, which is better than Good Reader. I’ve got all my Dexter scripts with annotated notes, highlights and scribbles on it.

My browser of choice is ‘Grazing Web Browser’. Much better than Safari.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

My own app, of course! Vowel Movement is a word game in the vein of Scramble and Scrabble. Shameless plug!

What is the app you are still missing?

A reliable way to add todo’s into Omnifocus through voice/transcription. The OF workaround is unreliable. So, my most useful app is not an app at all. It’s on my home screen as ‘Quick Entry’. It’s a trick that opens a text-ready inbox todo in OmniFocus with one touch. Find it here.

I still haven’t found the perfect headset. I’ve tried tons. My current fave is the Jabra Stone 2.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

Whenever I’m not by my Mac, my iPhone/iPad batteries are draining.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

My iPhone let’s me carry my whole world on my hip. Since it’s always with me, I have every piece of data I ever need at my finger tips. Also, a good idea never slips into the ether since I have a place to store it quickly.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

I would add a drop down with which I could easily toggle on/off bluetooth, location services, airplane mode, and wifi all in one page without drilling down endlessly. (I think Android has this feature). I also wish I could restrict Siri to the iPhone mic. It connects to my car’s built-in bluetooth mic and doesn’t understand a word I say. Frustrating!

Anything else you’d like to share?

Thanks David, for your awesome blog, and keep those screencasts coming!

Thanks Robert.

For more home screens clicky here.

Subtle Papers II Retina iPad Wallpaper

I wish I remembered who gave me this link but I sure dig this subtle wallpaper from Chris Herbert for my fancy new iPad.

Create a Dropbox Download Link from the Finder

Nifty.