MacJournal 5

MacJournal - Additional Features

MacJournal’s Inspector is a floating palette that allows you to view the attributes of the current journal and entry, as well as assign attributes to it.

You can use the Inspector to set the background color or specify a background image. You can also specify sorting order, encryption (if any), and any necessary parameters for uploading to your favorite blogging service. The Inspector uses a hierarchical approach, so the parameters you assign to the current document will flow down to each journal and journal entry, unless you choose to override them in a specific journal or entry. This hierarchy makes it easy to set up MacJournal, because most individuals will want to use the same parameters for all journals and entries. Instead of specifying them every time you create a journal or entry, you only need to specify them once. On the other hand, if you want a journal or entry to have different settings, you can quickly and easily overrule the inherited behavior.

The Inspector is also the place for tweaking individual journal entries, to add tags and annotation. You can specify a status for each entry, such as Underway, Needs Review, or Complete. You can also specify a priority for each entry, to help you manage your time, as well as add a star rating.

The Inspector is one of my favorite MacJournal features because it puts all of the typically hidden parameters in one handy location that I can keep accessible in a separate window while I work.

MacJournal's podcasting abilities are basic in nature. For a more satisfying podcasting experience, Apple's GarageBand or other third-party software might be a better choice. But if you're not creating podcasts on a regular basis, or you just want to add audio or video to a journal entry, then MacJournal has the basics covered.

MacJournal uses a Recording Bar, accessible via the View menu, to capture audio, video, or both. The Recording Bar can work with almost any audio or video device your Mac recognizes, including the Apple iSight and many third-party web cams. The Recording Bar provides basic record, pause, stop, and play buttons, as well as a level meter and time duration. Video displays live as it's captured, although there's no preview, so you can't do a last-minute check to make sure your hair's not a mess before you start recording.

Editing functions are limited to erasing or appending existing audio captures; there are no video editing functions. You can export audio and video podcasts from a journal entry and upload them to a podcast service.

MacJournal is a natural front end for almost any blogging application. Setting up MacJournal to upload journal entries to a blog is surprisingly simple. In fact, Mariner Software deserves extra points for making it so easy.

MacJournal works with most popular blogging software, including LiveJournal, Movable Type, WordPress, and TypePad. All you need to set up the connection to your blog is its URL and your user name and password. Armed with this information, MacJournal can automatically set up the rest of the connection parameters. In the rare instance where MacJournal is unsuccessful at making a connection, you can manually provide the necessary parameters.

The real advantage of using MacJournal as a blogging front end is that you don't have to switch gears and put yourself in the mindset necessary for working with a web-based blogging application. You can even work on your blog when web access isn't available, and upload it later when you have access. You also get to enjoy MacJournal's user interface, which lets you concentrate on writing rather than waste time wondering if your HTML is correct.

MacJournal 5 is one of the best journaling and diary applications available for the Mac. It merits a 4-star Focus on Macs rating because of its core journaling features. It has a superior organizational system that lets you keep track of multiple journals and journal entries in a truly intuitive way.

Even better, when you want to focus on writing, MacJournal gets out of your way, providing a simple, clean interface. You can hide any distracting user interface elements, or if you're a tool junky, keep them all at your fingertips. This flexibility permeates all of MacJournal, making it a great choice for a wide range of users.

MacJournal's main focus is writing and organization, but it also makes a very good front end for web blogging. In fact, if used appropriately, MacJournal can not only automatically post entries to your blog but also provide a master backup on your computer of all of your blog entries.

MacJournal does have a few rough edges, particularly when it tries to stretch beyond its core foundation. Audio and video podcasting features are very basic. If you will be creating more than one or two podcasts, then another application for that purpose may be a better bet.

MacJournal - Retail edition: $39.95
Mariner Software: http://www.marinersoftware.com

System Requirements

• Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
• Quicktime 7 or higher for audio/video features