Software Pains


I'm feeling more "at home" with the new computer. There's even cat hair accumulating on the keyboard. But not everything is completely comfortable yet. I'd complained earlier about Tweetdeck. It seems the app was bought out by Twitter who promptly removed nearly all the features I loved about it. I still have the old version on my laptop, so any tweeting you see from me will have been sent from there.

I'm having other software pains. My old 2001 version of Microsoft Picture It Publishing, which I'd saved from my very first computer (Windows ME edition AKA Bluescreen Hell), is no longer compatible. This does not make me happy. I used that old program a LOT. Made all my address and return address labels on it. Made business cards and brochures on it. Made greeting cards on it. Now I have to find something compatible. Suggestions anyone???

The other program I lost in the move was QuickStory, which is no longer manufactured. Yeah, it looks like you can buy it, but you can't. They've combined it with another product and I don't like the result. Like the new Tweetdeck, they've ruined it for me. 

I've used QuickStory for years to plot and map all my fiction, both long and short. Now it's gone along with all my notes on current and past projects.

However, I have finally taken the plunge and purchased Scrivener. Until recently, this particular bit of software was only available for Mac. My Mac friends raved about it. I had no clue what all the hoopla was about. But now it's available for Windows, too. Since my beloved QuickStory is a thing of the past, I decided now was the time to try Scrivener for myself.

It seems like it has all the features of QuickStory, but with two gazillion additional commands. The tutorial that comes with it says it should take one or two hours to go through it. I've lost count. I think I'm past four hours and I'm still not done. Maybe I should just forget the tutorial and start playing with it. Learn by doing. THEN go back and read the instructions.

You know. The way a man would do it.

Sorry, fellows. Couldn't resist.


Comments

Joyce Tremel said…
Try Hootsuite. I like it much better than Tweetdeck.

Keep us posted on how you like Scrivener. If you have Microsoft 2010, you can also try One Note for outlining, etc. I haven't quite gotten used to it, probably because I don't use it enough.
3/28/12, 5:36 PM
Annette said…
Thanks for the suggestion, Joyce. I'll give it a try.
3/28/12, 6:48 PM
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