Comments on: Typewriter-ish Computing for Writers http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/2010/03/24/typewriter-ish-writing-on-a-computer/ What You Wish You Knew Yesterday Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:01:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Siddharth Patil http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/2010/03/24/typewriter-ish-writing-on-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-12361 Siddharth Patil Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:01:46 +0000 http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/?p=803#comment-12361 Huh? Text editing is not an adequate reason by any measure to purchase a Mac. I personally use Linux, but seeing as OS X and Linux are both based on Unix systems, a lot of the Linux text editing tools will work in OS X (a lot of Linux tools in general will work in OS X, though you'll need to recompile it from source for OS X.) In fact, some tools are already included; run a Terminal in OS X and type in 'vim' (Vim is a very popular text editor.) My personal favorite text editor is Joe, which has an interface reminiscent of '80s DOS text editors. I don't really like those "typewriter"-style text editors, as they're just extra unnecessary software that don't provide you with a lot of functionality or extensibility. Just use a console text editor like Vim or Joe or even Emacs in a text TTY (if you're on Linux), and you get a similar effect (customizing a TTY is a bit more challenging though. Font and color settings aren't as straightforward.) That's my own perspective on it. Huh? Text editing is not an adequate reason by any measure to purchase a Mac. I personally use Linux, but seeing as OS X and Linux are both based on Unix systems, a lot of the Linux text editing tools will work in OS X (a lot of Linux tools in general will work in OS X, though you’ll need to recompile it from source for OS X.) In fact, some tools are already included; run a Terminal in OS X and type in ‘vim’ (Vim is a very popular text editor.) My personal favorite text editor is Joe, which has an interface reminiscent of ’80s DOS text editors. I don’t really like those “typewriter”-style text editors, as they’re just extra unnecessary software that don’t provide you with a lot of functionality or extensibility. Just use a console text editor like Vim or Joe or even Emacs in a text TTY (if you’re on Linux), and you get a similar effect (customizing a TTY is a bit more challenging though. Font and color settings aren’t as straightforward.) That’s my own perspective on it.

]]> By: Douglas Lucas http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/2010/03/24/typewriter-ish-writing-on-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-3237 Douglas Lucas Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:55:20 +0000 http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/?p=803#comment-3237 Good call, you two; I'm using a Mac these days. TextEdit!

Good call, you two; I’m using a Mac these days. TextEdit!

]]> By: Andy Goldstein http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/2010/03/24/typewriter-ish-writing-on-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-2894 Andy Goldstein Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:47:32 +0000 http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/?p=803#comment-2894 To add to Rae's comment, I agree to only use a Mac. However, if the graphic design element is suits your fancy, use iWork. Otherwise, TextEdit all the way. To add to Rae’s comment, I agree to only use a Mac. However, if the graphic design element is suits your fancy, use iWork. Otherwise, TextEdit all the way.

]]> By: Rae Macklyn http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/2010/03/24/typewriter-ish-writing-on-a-computer/comment-page-1/#comment-2892 Rae Macklyn Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:06:23 +0000 http://www.douglaslucas.com/blog/?p=803#comment-2892 My suggestion? Get a Mac if you are a writer...and use it. Unless you're adept enough to immerse yourself in a proper PC operating system that involves Linux and simply abandon yourself to the WinBlows stuff offered by Microsoft (which is pushed upon the masses and royally sucks...only there will you find the dancing paperclips and whatnot), you're screwed. There's no discernment between simple text editors or word processors in Mac systems unless you're a complete idiot to begin with...I only write using either a Mac or plain paper. Enough said! My suggestion? Get a Mac if you are a writer…and use it. Unless you’re adept enough to immerse yourself in a proper PC operating system that involves Linux and simply abandon yourself to the WinBlows stuff offered by Microsoft (which is pushed upon the masses and royally sucks…only there will you find the dancing paperclips and whatnot), you’re screwed. There’s no discernment between simple text editors or word processors in Mac systems unless you’re a complete idiot to begin with…I only write using either a Mac or plain paper. Enough said!

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