MagicPrefs

I just came across this great utility for anyone with a Mac and a Magic Mouse. MagicPrefs allows total control over the mouse, defining taps, swipes and gestures.

Applications vs. WebApps

One of the nifty pieces of software that came with the bundle I mentioned my last post was MacJournal, a great blog writing application. Several weeks ago I created this blog site, edited my profile, selected a template, etc., and then as with so many people, nothing. Today, I fired up MacJournal for the first time and I am already on my third post. It dawned on me that the same thing happened with Twitter last week. I had set up a feed, but only looked at the site once or twice a day and never posted. Then I ran Tweetie, also from the bundle, and I was using twitter more regularly. What I realize is that while a web browser is great for looking up information, reading news, reading blogs; it is just not the way I want to interact with the web. The user interface of a dedicated application is so much better then what you get with a browser, even with java, flash, or silverlight. Think about when the iPhone came out and Jobs tried to say that WebApps were the way to go. Today dedicated apps are the only way to go on the iPhone.

MacHeist and Software Bundles

One of the first steps in my development adventure was to get and setup the development environment. Since my primary machine was currently a Windows PC, it was time to once again make the switch. One of the joys of such a switch is finding software for the mac to replace whatever I used to run on the PC. Given that I have hundreds of software CD’s around I was preparing for the worst. What I am finding though is that my needs can be handled by a rather limited number of apps.

In one case there was a utility I was using in demo mode, with mere days left before it expired, when I heard about MacHeist and their nanoBundle. Very luckily my utility was on the list and the whole bundle was the same price as the one software package. Before I would have never thought to buy one of these packages, now I am totally for it. Out of 11 apps I am already using 4 daily and will likely begin to use another 3. The biggest value was being introduced to software I would never have seen or used otherwise and the productivity benefits I am receiving from them.

Recording the Process

On my way.....to creating the greatest iPhone/iPad app ever! Of course this journey is going to include a lot of interesting side trips such as learning the iPad, Apple’s Development System, Objective-C, etc. This blog is going to document my experience along the way, poise questions about what I am or should be developing, and discuss the tools and resources utilized in the process.