7 OS X Apps for Bloggers

Friday 9 February 2007 - Filed under apple + blog

If you’re blogging on a mac but not using these apps you’re missing out!

These tools range from your typical blogging app and news reader to stuff to track your blog’s performance. I depend on all these tools on a daily basis.

The one thing most of these tools have in common is that you can easily do it online. Why do I use desktop applications then? They’re not only faster (no browser refreshes or server outages) but feature-packed. The beauty of web applications is that they can be accessed from anywhere and they bring together other people. Other than that, there’s really not much to it. For blogs and related activities it’s just you and your content so it’s all the more reason to find desktop apps that make you more efficient. It’s also easier to switch between various applications for a smoother work flow.

Without further ado here is my list:

Blog Posting: MarsEdit

I log into my blog mainly for admin tasks like spam and also check who visited my site via MyBlogLog. MarsEdit takes the email approach to posting. Since most of my posts are mainly text, I like this style better. You can insert images and edit existing posts as well. It supports most if not all of the major blogging platforms out there. However, it is not WYSIWYG. For an alternative with more features check out ecto.

This lets me keep drafts and post to multiple blogs from one interface and doesn’t depend on a server so I don’t have to worry about my browser crashing in the middle of writing or navigating through menus to get to the writing section.

News: NetNewsWire

My news reader is where I get the inspiration and links of the day to see what’s hot on the web. There are great web services like Google Reader or Bloglines which work for most people. I like a desktop client because it can be fast when you have lots of feeds and it has all kinds of features that speed up the workflow. The good thing about OS X feed readers is that they usually have browsers built in. My favorite is NetNewsWire because it’s actively developed (soon to be upgraded) and has nice features like syncing between computers (I want a desktop application that can be used all over).

Bookmarks: Pukka

This little gem helps me post to del.icio.us with the help of Javascript bookmarklet. It helps when you’re posting to multiple accounts (I keep a separate account for my daily link blog). It has tag completion and duplicate checking as well as easy access to your bookmarks through the dock icon. Again, you could do all this from the web using a Firefox extension but this is way faster and easier.

Images: Image Tricks — reveal the hidden power of your images

Image editing needs for a blogger is usually limited. Mostly I need something for resizing and touchups. Surprisingly, this is one area where there aren’t that many known utilities. Apple has a bunch of great frameworks that can be leveraged by anyone for free so you actually don’t have a program like MS Paint for quick image editing when Photoshop is overkill.

There’s also ImageWell which has stuff like speech bubbles.

Passwords & Forms: Mac OS X”>1Passwd

This is one of those apps that you never realized you needed until you use it. It gives you extra security while managing all your identities and passwords for you. The great thing about 1Passwd is that you can use the same data across all browsers and import identities from Firefox along with the password.

Another feature that’s great for bloggers is the form filler. How many times have you visited a blog that you wanted to leave a comment on but passed because you didn’t feel like filling in your name, email, and homepage for the millionth time? Well, this program has a form filler so you can do it in one click. Saves you time and lets you post comments conveniently by liberating you from boring repetition.

Earnings: Stats for AdSense

Need to keep track of your meager earnings? Well, this handy widget will give you the latest figures at a glance. Allows you to jump to your account page with a click as well.

The beauty of these widgets is that they save you a visit to the respective homepage and deliver the data right to your screen without any additional legwork.

Stats: Dashalytics: A Google Analytics Widget For Your OSX Dashboard

Who doesn’t like checking up on their blog’s stats? This handy widget and a Google analytics account will give you your stats at a glance. You can see all your sites from your dashboard and jump to your account page by clicking the widget. Nicely designed too.

Basically, all these tools put information and functions for blogging at your fingertips right on your computer. By saving yourself a trip to the various websites it’ll save you time loading the pages or clicking through the interface not to mention a quicker response. I use all of these tools everyday and it certainly makes me more efficient.

Now all I need is a program to write an intersting post for me>

2007-02-09  »  baron