And Scrivener is the only app that every made me really want a Mac.

That said, every time I get my hands on these kinds of “do everything you need to do for work activity X” kind of applications I find myself becoming quickly frustrated at their lack of flexibility at key points.

Last year, while looking for a richer writing tool to replace MS-Word I had to dump a bunch of applications because they hadn’t bothered to include any kind of non-print related zoom functionality.

That, combined with the fact that there are more and more useful applications available directly through the browser, should make the switch much less painful.

I’ve stopped using my MacBook Pro’s keyboard for the sake of carpal tunnel, switching over to a slim aluminum USB Apple keyboard. It’s not a solution for on-the-go work, but at the desk, it’s the best keyboard I’ve ever used.

The Eastman School of Music runs Ubuntu! As a linux user, a student, and a musician, I couldn’t be more relieved: it’s about the only thing the administration does well here. There’s hope yet.

i’ve been a Mac user for over 10 years and i’m in total agreement about Scrivener. it makes writing and organizing a book (or any large, multifaceted document) so easy. nothing else i’ve tried makes things easier (Quicksilver? Bah!), although Growl is nice for getting a heads up about anything new or updated.

I’ve been experimenting with several; linux distros for my daily machine for a few years now (IBM thinkpad X40). I’m currently using ubuntu 8.04. My thought process was that since F/OSS is dependent on a community of developers and ubuntu is one of the most popular distros – it will be one of the most active variants.

Example. Time Machine came out on Leopard. Really cool app. F/OSS community recognizes that the core features for a comparable app are already there. Poof. Out comes Time Vault. Yeah, it doesn’t have the eye candy that Time Machine does, but it does the job.

Really, I’m not a hard core geek. I can do a little in the command line but it all comes from lurking on boards and searching Google. For me, learning how to use Linux has been a great experiment, not only in info tech but also in freedom of speech and expression.

It’s my belief that F/OSS will be critical for the future of human freedom.

btw. Check out Zim. I’ve been looking for some kind of personal wiki/journal/non linear writing tool and I think it might work.
http://www.linux.com/feature/118404

- D.

it’s actually a way better keyboard douglas — i have an external apple usb keyboard, which uses the same layout, at home and work and i’m quite happy with its performance.

and ubuntu’s nice and all but i’d be useless in this world without photoshop and final cut. none of the freeware apps, because of the lack of incentive for developers, will ever match the power of adobe and apple software products.

another happy scrivener user here! I’m using it for the book I’m writing.

Scrivener – now there’s a program I’ve been looking for!

Always a great blog.

can i have your scrivener license?

Are you serious? I would give it a try first. Doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, and I agree with Mobius, as far as desk work goes, the new Apple keyboards are great.

Wow, thanks for Scrivener. Just in time for my first National Novel Writing Month

@mobius: if we were clever enough to collectively fund development of features we needed, we could put more money into actual software development than goes to closed source applications. We don’t have a free rider problem yet, this is still a basic coordination problem.

Thanks for the mention of Scrivener. Been looking for something non-MS to use to write with. I actually use a MBP closed (w/ext monitor) and a wireless Microsoft 7000 ergonomic set but also when mobile sans monitor. Not quite as portable, I know, but prevents having to retrain due to the whims of the designer.