Best Simple Word Processors for Mac OS
I was checking out the word processing applications in the NYT via 43Folders and took the time to reflect upon my own word processing use.
As of now, I prefer Pages over Microsoft Word (at least until they release Word 2007). I like WriteRoom a lot, but I also like the very simple and clean Bean (not mentioned in the 43Folders review). For straight-up text, I like TextWrangler. Unlike the also-nice TextEdit, it disposes of *all* text formatting so there’s no sloppiness in a cut-and-paste.
- Pages. Very Mac-friendly interface, elegant and clean. Takes a bit to get used to the keyboard shortcuts if you’re switching over from Word, but once you get used to them, I think they make more sense.
- WriteRoom. Full-screen, black background, simple text, sparse formatting. You feel more zen-like and clear from distraction when you enter the WriteRoom. If you’re not willing to shell out the $25 for registering, you can use an on-line version called Writer at BigHugeLabs.
- Bean. Again, very simple, very clean, not too many bells and whistles—but therefore nothing to distract you, nothing to fiddle around with. And it saves files in .bean or .rtfd format for compatibility. Free and open source.
- TextWrangler. Simple, text-only editor, but also very powerful for programming. Also known as a dumbed-down BBEdit. But free.
- Emacs. If you really want to get down to business, then emacs in the *NIX environment is the way to go. Fast and powerful. You can also install jed (a more user-friendly emacs) if you have your XCode developer tools installed as well.
And if you do a lot of work at night, it’s worth it to check out Nocturne. Nocturne switches your screen to an inverted black/white theme (or a tinted, inverted theme) that makes everything easier on your eyes when it’s dark. If you think about it, working in the dark is like flashing lights in your eyes at (literally) blinding speeds. Make work easier by toning everything down with Nocturne.