Getting started with MacJournal

When you open MacJournal for the first time, one of the first things you notice is the simplicity of the layout. You see the main window on the right and the organizational structure on the left. That's it.

Each entry in MacJournal is placed into a journal, which you can customize in numerous ways, including tagging and labeling, or a smart journal, which works just like smart playlists in iTunes. MacJournal stores everything in these journals so you're never more than a click or two away from all your writing.

MacJournal allows users to insert images, PDFs and even YouTube videos into posts with a simple drag-and-drop. When you want to take a look at the "big picture," you can click over to MacJournal's full screen mode, which eliminates potential distractions with your text on a simple black background.

Blogging with MacJournal

MacJournal works with most major blog platforms, including Apple's own .Mac. In addition to the aforementioned images and YouTube videos, MacJournal also supports audio and video podcasting right from your desktop. MacJournal makes recording a snap with a one click option for both audio and video, though it's worth noting that you will need to export your recordings in order to edit them.

Once you've written a new blog post or recorded a new podcast, it's time to send your creation to your blog. MacJournal makes that easy, too.

Click on the "share" menu, then click "send to blog." The first time you do this, MacJournal will ask for information about your blog. Once everything is set up, all you have to do is click "send to blog" and MacJournal sends your post directly to your blog, complete with any tags and embedded media. You can even save your password in Mac OS X's Keychain to make the process even faster. Setting up MacJournal's blog integration couldn't be easier.

Dear MacJournal: MacJournal for the diarist

I've kept a daily journal for almost a year now. The original document is 103 pages in a word processor. It loads slowly. I've written almost exclusively in MacJournal over the last two weeks and no longer have to worry about load times. I don't spend time scrolling to find my place in MacJournal, I just create a new entry and begin typing right away. The program's tagging system also comes in handy when I'm trying to find a specific entry from several months ago.

I also don't have to worry about anyone reading my journal. I can lock MacJournal with a password or even AES-256 encrpytion to ensure that my files remain locked and out of sight.

MacJournal vs. a word processor

MacJournal is a good program in its own right but it shares a lot of features with your standard word processors. Any word processor can do what MacJournal does, to a certain extent.

So, why choose MacJournal over a word processor?

Mariner Software is asked this question so frequently that they address it right on their website.

"Could a word processing application give you two levels of security, one-click blogging (even to your .mac account), audio, .mac syncing, and nested, multiple journal capabilities?" the MacJournal website asks. They're absolutely right. MacJournal is a better option because it was designed specificall for its target audience. MacJournal makes blogging and journaling easy, for example with its distraction free fullscreen mode. That's the whole point.

Summary

MacJournal is software for a very specific market. It is not designed to replace a word processor. After two weeks of use, however, I must admit that MacJournal made my writing process that much easier. If you're a writer, you really can't ask for anything more.

For all the German and French readers there is a special treat. Mariner Software has a German/French distributor where you can get all of Mariner Software's products and much more in a localized version. Visit Application Systems Deutschland or Applications Systems France for more information.

Mariner Software has agreed to give away a copy of MacJournal to you, our readers. To get your free copy, please leave a worthwhile comment below and we will contact the winner in the next week.

This review was written by Brendan Wilhide

Author: Brendan Wilhide