MacJournal is a bloggers dream app

 

Every writer keeps a journal. That’s not to say that everyone who keeps a journal is a writer. My journal, started in November 1993 on a Mac Classic using Word for Mac v2.x. Since then, I have kept it mostly in word with a brief conversion to Microsoft One Note. However, with my resurrection an being a born a “Macintoshish” person, I have been looking for an app that can record my thoughts and days, as well as post to my three blogs, possibly keep my manuscript and whatever else my busy fingers can type. Lastly, I want it to epitomize customizability as well as offering seamless syncing with mobile (iOS) devices. MacJournal does all these things and more. It is an easy, intuitive and feature rich app.

The versions tested included;

Mac version 6 on OSx Mountain Lion

iOS 6 on an iPhone 4

iOS 5.1 on an iPad 2

Download and install on all three devices was flawless and un-eventful. It took less than 3 minutes to download and install MacJournal on all the aforementioned devices. Once setup was complete, The sync capability was tested. Again, like the install and setup; Flawless. Throughout testing, I kept syncing and have all the same data on all three devices. This feature is HUGE, as I may not always have my MacBook air with me, but my iPhone never leaves my side.

Video: MacJournal

The basic stepping-stones of MacJournal are the journals and entries Imagine the actual journals are books you have written. The entries are much like pages within a book. Organization is a strong suit here, as you have a full glance of whatever writing project you are on at any given moment.

You could not pick an easier app to start your journaling. Each new document opens with one blank entry. All you need to do now is select it and start typing. The info bar directly above the text shows the “topic”, which in essence is really the title. The default is to show the date and time, but that is easily changed. So now, you have speed written your Pulitzer prize winning piece. Now, SAVE. At this point, you now have created your first entry.

Much like with potato chips (as in you can’t eat just one), it is doubtful though, that you will stick with just one journal. If that is the case, MacJournal is still excellent, but overkill. Journal/Blog management should be MacJournal’s middle name. You can keep on creating to your hearts content. Some great ideas for dividing your written thoughts include creating journals for;

Home Life

Personal Diaries

Work Life

Children(s) progression

Recipes

What ever you would have written on paper

There is no (advertised) upper limit on how many journals you can create. You are limited by your thoughts and potential.

Personally, I’ve created a total of five journals so far. I have also added the two major WordPress blogs that I write for. (see the pic which is a screen shot of my actual app)

This is just a small sample of what could be included in a MacJournal document.

MacJournal is not just a text based app. In addition to text, you can also import graphics, audio, video, and Web pages. All of these elements retain full functionality within MacJournal.

Sometimes the bells and whistles get in the way. This is why MacJournal has incorporated the “Focused Editing” mode, which is a terminal-style text-only interface. To access it, simply click the Enter Focused Editing button on the top toolbar or look under the view menu, and start typing. Once your writing is done, “esc” brings you back to the real world.

There are other ideas that also make MacJournal valuable. While the ideas I have come up with fit my lifestyle and business (personal and professional) MacJournal is not a black and white cookie cutter software. It is so customizable, so individual, that it is an invaluable piece of software that should be on every Mac and every iOS device. Learn more at Mariner Software, or get it from the App Store.