This is the first review and giveaway I’ve ever done! I’m very excited!
I mentioned several days ago that I started using a blog writing/editing program for Mac that allows me to type up blog posts and save them, without having to be online. Well, that’s what this review is all about!
MarsEdit, from the App Store description:
“…is the #1 desktop blog editor for the Mac. The best way to write, preview, and publish your blog. Works with WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Squarespace, TypePad, Moveable Type and dozens more through standard MetaWeblog and AtomPub interfaces. If you’re serious about your blog, you need a desktop blog editor. If you’re lucky enough to have a Mac, nothing is more powerful or more elegant than MarsEdit. Coming to the Mac from Windows? MarsEdit is similar to Live Writer, the popular Windows blog editor.”
Personally, I am having a lot of fun with MarsEdit. It truly is great to be able to create blog posts easily, without having to be online. The initial set-up between MarsEdit and my blog was very simple and quick, and all my categories from my site are listed in MarsEdit for me to choose from. I can create a post and either save it as a local draft on my computer, save it as a draft on my blog site, or publish it immediately. (So far I haven’t found a way to schedule a post to be uploaded, but I’m still searching!)
Adding pictures, etc. has proven to be pretty simple as well. The Media Manager links to iPhoto and other programs to allow you to pull pictures from your computer, and I have even been able to just drag and drop a picture or graphic from other places on my computer directly into my post. I had to learn a little about re-sizing, but I got it figured out. The Format drop-down menu gives plenty of options for making text interesting and unique and allows for providing links, quotes, lists, etc. I have done some working with the Format options, and I’m still learning about the many possibilities available.
There are a couple of ways to use the Preview option. For a while I just used MarsEdit’s standard template, which really didn’t look anything like my blog. Then I went through a tutorial on Red Sweater’s (the developer) website and got my Preview to look just like my blog. It takes a little bit of time and effort, but if this not-so-tech-savvy girl can do it, you probably could too!
There are other things I could probably tell you about MarsEdit, but how about I give you a chance to find out for yourself?! Red Sweater has graciously given me a promo code for a free copy of this app for one of my readers! If you would like to be entered in this giveaway, simply leave me a comment. That’s it! (Well, you should be a Mac user too, otherwise it really wouldn’t make much sense.) I suppose if you told others about the giveaway and came back and commented about THAT, then that would be extra chances for you. I will leave this open until Tuesday, April 19 and then announce the winner on Wednesday, April 20.
Have fun!
(I was given a copy of MarsEdit for posting this review, but the thoughts and opinions are entirely my own!)
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