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Another Option For Controlling A Logitech Mouse
Ideal Text App.
Re: My Quest For The Ideal Text Application
Clean Behind Screen - iMac Intel Model
MacBook Air: Notebook Design Philosophy Bellwether Or Cube-esque Overreach?
Another Option For Controlling A Logitech Mouse
From Cathy
Hi Charles,
I was reading your comment about some problems you encountered with problems with yourLogitech V-550 Nano cordless mouse and wondered if you've tried the application SteerMouse? I use a Logitech VX Revolution cordless mouse with the SteerMouse driver, which enables the horizontal scrolling you mentioned. Logitech mice have always been my favorites because of their sensitivity and quick reaction. Much nicer than a Microsoft mouse that came with one keyboard I tried. It took a lot of effort to initiate the left and right clicks on that one andgenerallyhad a "heavier" feel to it.
However, Logitech's Mac support HASbeen problematic. You may remember the reports of their older drivers conflicting with Leopard when it was first released. I think that problem related to an Unsanity/Application Enhancer program that was embedded in the LCC Control Center software, which has since been removed from the latest drivers. Happily, Logitech seems to be releasing more Mac-friendly peripherals now, like thediNovo Edge Keyboard for Mac. If I ever have some extra money, I'd love to try that one. I have tried the Apple keyboards, the Logitech Wave keyboard and several others, but just haven't found one with the right amount of key travel and quiet operation. The Apple keyboards were nice and quiet, but the key action felt a little shallow for me. The Wave keyboard is OK, but not quiet enough and the key action isn't as soft as I like either.I'm really picky, I know. Maybe it's a writer thing.
Anyway, you may want to check out SteerMouse. It's Shareware, about $20, but can be downloaded and used free for a trial period to see if you like it. Here's the link: http://plentycom.jp/en/steermouse/download.html
Apple alsoprovidessome info and a download link here: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/drivers/steermouse.html
P.S. Icannot believe ANYONE still uses the old, one-button Apple mouse, even if they have an older Mac! Would you believe I work with a writer and editor who still use the one-button mice that came with their PPC iMacs? I was showing my editor something on his machine and he had no idea what I meant when I said right-click on a file to get a contextual menu. In fact, he'd never heard of Control-clicking, either.I guess, being a convert from Windows in which you MUST right-click to do things, I just assumed one did that on a Mac, too. That old one-button mouse just seems so limited, compared to the abilities of these new Logitech mice.
Cathy
Hi Cathy;
Thanks for the tip. I'll see about checking out Steermouse. Tom Bender also suggested that the venerable USB Overdrive might be a solution.
I also heard from Logitech's PR contact who said that their software department was "looking into" the issue after I mentioned it in an otherwise enthusiastically positive review of the V-550 Nano mouse last week. Hope that results in a fix at their end.
APE might indeed be a complicaing factor on my rig. I have it installed to support Unsanity's WindowShade X, which I consider mission critical and would not even entertain the idea of giving up.
The Logitech V-550 Nano mouse however is really superb. I don't usually have much use for wireless mice, but with this one they have the latency issue licked, and I find it amazngly comfortable to use, with a really precision feel. It's actually marketed with a bit of a gimmick - a clip-on dock to attach it to laptop computers for carrying around. That works OK, but diesn't interest me a whole lot, however the mouse itself may be the best I've ever used.
It works fine with the OS X drivers except that the scrolling speed isn't quite fast enough to suit my taste. Horizontal scrolling (with the Logitech Control Center installed) was cool, but not something I use a whole lot.
As for keyboards, if you like moderate key travel, then the Logitech DiNovo Edge would probably be right up your alley. Personally, I prefer a bit shorter travel, but not as short as the Apple MacBook and aluminum desktop keyboards. As you say, we writers tend to be picky, and I am ultra picky about keyboards and mice. My favorite freestanding keyblard is far and away the Kensington slimtype, which has a unique (quite short travel but very positive) key action and has the added advantage of being relatively cheap.
I haven't used one-button Apple mice since the mid-'90s. and don't know what I would do without right-click capability. Until the V-550 arived, my preferred mouse for the past few years has been the MacMice DangerMouse, an inexpensive unit with a very comfortanble feel, but the V-550 is better.
Charles
Ideal Text App.
From Laurence
Charles,
I've also found TE+ to be almost the ideal writing tool for the things I write: reviews, feature articles, interviews, journalists' stuff.
Fast, accurate, and the cleanup options are comprehensive.
But the following stand in my way - hope they can be addressed when Tom has time to work on the program again.
1. No way to move the cursor by paragraph
2. No way to open .doc files
3. No way to set saving as in RTF as the default
4. Services doesn't work; I asked Tom about this, and he answered, "There seems to be a new Services bug in 10.5 with certain apps. I will look into it."
You were also kind enough to address the Services issue in an email earlier this year, and I hope you don't mind my quoting you:
"Tex Edit Plus for OS X is a Carbon port from the Mac OS Classic application that dates back to the mid-'90s, and not written in OS X Cocoa, which is required for default Services support. Tom was able to tweak TE+ to support exports to Services-savvy applications (as well as supporting the built-in OS X spell checker), but receiving data via Services was not possible evidently."
Currently, I use Scrivener for structuring, Nisus Writer Pro for its stunning beauty and wide range of features, and occasionally the delightful Mr. Bean which is an impressive blend of power and simplicity.
One other tool worth mentioning also comes from the Scrivener stable ( literatureandlatte.com ): Called MyColumn, it displays text in columns like Tofu ( amarsagoo.info/tofu/ ); but adds some basic text editing capability. It allows me to see and be able to read legibly an enormous amount of text at one time. I wouldn't leave home without it! (And it's free). And Tofu itself has just been upgraded to 2.0.
As they say, I have no commercial interest in any of these products.
And, of course, thank you Charles for all your hard work and insatiable curiosity. Perhaps some day Canada will recognize your contributions by installing broadband in your neighborhood.
Laurence
Hi Laurence;
Thank you for your commentary and sharing your experiences with text applications. I don't doubt that you've found the ideal suite of programs for your needs from among what's available. Like me, you've ended up using several rather than just one.
For me, as I noted in the article, Tex Edit Plus comes closest to the ideal for what I need it to do, but of course that may not be true for other users with diffrerent sets of circumstances and task requirements. I work almost entirely in plain text and HTML.
However, I can see Tex Edit Plus's being stioll a Carbon app. being an incresingly limiting factor. I think Tom has done a wonderful job of making it compatible with OS X technologies, but as noted, he's been preoccupied with other things for over a year now. Hopefully, when he gets back to focusing on TE+ more after year-end, some of the accumulating issues will be addressed, and I hope that someday there will be a Cocoa TE+.
Breifly addressing your list of issues:
1. No way to move the cursor by paragraph
I actually wasn't aware of that. I rarely use keyboard commands for navigation other than Home and End.
2. No way to open .doc files
True, but on a Mac running OS X Leopard TextEdit is always there to open those pesky Word files.
3. No way to set saving as in RTF as the default
For RTF users, I'm sure that's an annoyance. I rarely save anything in RTF, so it's not been a problem for me.
4. Services doesn't work; I asked Tom about this, and he answered, "There seems to be a new Services bug in 10.5 with certain apps. I will look into it."
I expect he will in the fullness of time.
Thanks again for your comments.
Charles
Re: My Quest For The Ideal Text Application
From James
I hope Tom Bender uploads the new TE+ onto his website.
The error dialog drive's me nuts as well.
It seems to occur with possibly any Logitech device.
Hi James;
Unfortunately the modded copy of TE+ didn't cure the problem.
With the help of Tom Bender I've been able to establish that the issue is with Logitech Control Center. I've uninstalled LCC (properly thins time using the LCC uninstaller), and the error sheets have stopped appearing. THe basic mouse functions work fine with the default OS X drivers, although I've lost the advanced features like horizontal scrolling and the Applications Button.
Please check my update to the article for the full details.
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/my_quest_for_the_ideal_text_application/
Charles
Clean Behind Screen - iMac Intel Model
From Kevin Shaffer
Hi there:
If you or someone you know has one of these newer iMac computers with aluminum housing and black border around the display in front, this may be handy.
Should you find specs of dust, small insects or other curious spots on the display in a newer iMac with Intel processor, which won't wipe off, you may have to take a look at this video to see how to take the front hard surface off the display & clean behind there.
Seems, the screen face glass may be carefully removed:
"New iMac Screen Cleaning Behind Glass - Safely"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9gVDH-7d34
{This small video is about 2:42 in duration.}
Regards,
Kevin
Thanks for the tip, Kevin
Charles
MacBook Air: Notebook Design Philosophy Bellwether Or Cube-esque Overreach?
From timada
I have a problem with these new line of <a href="http://www.tipsformoms.net/super-warehouse-is-your-businesss-best-technology-partner/">ultra-thin apple laptops</a>. Basically I don?t see the need for them to be that thin, it seems like your taking away some features just to make it thinner so it can be used as a selling point. Why people think a thin laptop is any better then a standard one I don?t know.
Hi timada;
I agree 100 percent. I'm hoping that Apple doesn't make the MacBook and MacBook Pro. which are already absurdly thin, any thinner with the next revision and further compromise functionality for a styling gimmick.
Charles
***
Charles W. Moore
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