A Writer and His MacBook Air

I have written about the MacBook Air before, so why am I am doing so again? Because it’s the best laptop I‘ve ever owned, and as second computer for writing, it inspires me to write. But the focus of this article is not going be just about the MBA. By now there are several articles about Apple’s thinnest ever computer, including all the usual specs reviews that readers like to know about. My review on the other hand will focus on how I‘ve decked out my MacBook Air for writing purposes. Along the way I‘ll share which writing tools I use and how I deal with the challenges of working between computers and a few mobile devices.

The Air literally feels like a medium-sized paperback book. As someone who toted around one of those clunky Brother word processors back in the early ‘90s, it’s not too difficult to impress me with a small lightweight laptop. Then there’s the other extreme of those tiny notebooks in which not only are the keys and screens too small to comfortably work with on most models, but—as subjective as this may sound—they simply lack the cool design of a MacBook computer. Plus, they run on Windows, and well…you know….

So first off, the design and weight of the current MBA models appealed to me most. I attended the 2008 Macworld Conference when the first Macbook Air was announced. When I got my hands on it on the show floor, it felt like a laptop rather than a “notebook.” And needless to say, the expensive price tag of the earlier model was an immediate turn off, even though my old 17” Powerbook G4 was beginning to feel like an old spare tire back then. Apple, in my view, hit the sweet spot with the 11" Air model.

For awhile I thought I could get by with making my iPad a laptop for writing, but there are simply too many limitations inherent in the device for extensive writing purposes. The iPad is great for reading, web browsing and media consumption, but there are big differences between iOS and OS X. For the purposes of technical writing, running and accessing multiple applications is essential. This can’t be done in iOS. If I were doing purely fictional writing, the iPad might suffice, but I doubt it. For though I‘ve tried and use several, writing apps on the iPad, they all have significant limitations compared to the following programs I use on the Air and my Mac Pro.

Writing Applications

The three main writing applications I use for drafting purposes in the MBA are MarsEdit, Scrivener, and Evernote. I use Pages and Word for longer pieces of writing, such as PDF guides and chapter books.

MarsEdit

First off, MarsEdit is the best tool I know of for writing and publishing articles and blog entries to WordPress. You can easily write, tag, categorize, and add links and images to your posts in MarsEdit twice as fast as working in the online WordPress text editor. Adding images, for example, requires three or four fewer clicks than adding them in WordPress. It’s two fewer clicks for adding URL links, and you can preview your writing as it is being drafted. And though it may not sound like a big deal, the latest update of MarsEdit finally features the Word Count display in the status bar. The biggest missing feature of MarsEdit, however, especially for using it on smaller laptops like the Air, is a full-screen mode for writing. When activated, this feature hides everything else on your computer except for the window in which you’re writing. This is one of the best features of Scrivener.



Scrivener 
If you shuffle between several writing projects and drafts on a regular basis, Scrivener provides some of the best features for managing writing projects. I won’t even attempt to cover all its tools. In fact, some writers may be intimidated by all the things Scrivener provides. But if you just spend a weekend learning the program, you will see how it can easily benefit your writing process.

You can easily work with multiple drafts of writing, store all your notes, sources, and outlines, and export your work into various formats using Scrivener. There are several really good video tutorials for how to use the program, so don’t let its abundant features scare you away.

Evernote
When you use more than one computer and other devices, it’s essential to find ways to sync files between devices. I turned back to using Evernote for quickly dumping notes and clippings in one of a dozen or so notebooks I maintain in the program. Anything I add to Evernote almost instantly gets synced to my Evernote account, which I can access via Internet on any computer, my iPhone and iPad. I don’t find the user interface of Evernote easy to work with in the Air, for it would be nice if you could tuck away the two left columns of the program and focus only on the current note for reading and writing purposes. You can also send Twitter posts and emails directly to your Evernote account. It’s a powerful tool for any writer.

Other Applications
Other related applications I find essential for writing on the MacBook Air include Typinator, a text expansion program, Butler, an application launcher—among other things—, and BetterTouchTool, a trackpad gesture navigation application that puts Apple’s gesturing features to shame.

Finally, I chose the bottom line, 64gig flash storage MacBook Air mainly because I use Dropbox—an online file sharing application and service. With Dropbox and similar cloud computing services, I just don’t feel the need to have a large internal drive. Even after adding about 20 applications to my Air, I still over 25 gigs of space left.

I play music and watch videos on the device using iTunes Home Sharing and online streaming services like Rdio.com ($5.00 per month for unlimited access to music!) and Netflix.

Lastly I want to add PhotoSync and ClipboardSharing as useful applications for quickly transferring files and clipboard content between my desktop and my Air. Sure, OS X includes a Home Sharing feature but it’s cumbersome to use when compared to these two third-party applications.

Well, are their limitations two using the MacBook Air? Sure, there are a few but they are not significant. The 11.6” display sometimes feel limiting. When I need extra screen space, I use iPad as a second monitor with my Air, via Air Display, which works over the Wi-Fi.



However, even with a second screen, I would not recommend the Air as a primary computer. The 11” model makes if very difficult to view two or more open windows at a time, so working in applications like Photoshop, iMovie, and Keynote in which you need to access adjoining panels is not a great user experience in the Air. Full screen mode applications like Scrivener and iPhoto are a little more suitable for use on the Air.

While I‘m sure lots of money can be saved purchasing a non-Apple notebook, I would say that extra cash spent on the Air is well worth it. Its SSD drive will probably mean less memory problems than with other laptop computers, and if maintained properly the Air could easily be the only laptop you will need for five or more years. Of course, if you’re a Mac addict like I am, you know Apple has upgrades in the works that will make the current models seem old fashioned in a just a few years time. Who knows, Apple may even combine iOS and OS X into one device. Wouldn’t that be sweet?