Maelstrom: Martin's Musings

Kids and writing software

I am sure that this is covered in plenty of detail elsewhere but as I am with my kids and they are at the point (or close to it) where using a word processor is becoming needed. At school they use program which is an overlay for Word (and the other Office programs). MaxWrite, I believe. What to use? I have Mac, Windows and Linux (Ubuntu). While they use Win XP at school, we are pretty agnostic as far as the use of the different computers/OS. (started) Posting from my iPhone). Ironically, even though they use Windows at school -- they seem to like Ubuntu and Mac OS X more -- or at least gravitate towards those machines.

It is interesting how I can move them around from computers without too much issue. They are comfortable with all browsers -- but FireFox seems to be the favorite. I have them use KidZui most of the time for internet (gets them great content with a high level of

Image via CrunchBase

control over what what they see). Linux seems to have the greatest amount of easy to access educational software. But KidZui us good also, and I can use on all three systems.

Back to word processors. I do not know if I should use something different than what I have access to, or something even more focused towards kids. I have MS Office and or MS Works on one of the Windows machines, and on the Mac. I have OpenOffice on all t

Image via Wikipedia

hree, and I have Pages (iWork) on the Mac. I bet there are other lower-end kid-focused word processing software. I guess the most obvious choice is OpenOffice, it is on each system so would be available no matter what.  It is also somewhat similar in general function to Word. One question for me is whether it is too complicated or bloated. But that I guess would knock out Word also. I wonder if OpenOffice would be too much for a NetBook as far as taking up resources? Probably need to think on this a little more. Any comments are welcome.

CarbonFin Outliner

CarbonFin's Ouliner is probably my favorite AppStore app at the moment. It definitely needs work but being able to outline on the go especially on my iPod touch is quite cool.

More Appstore Apps

On the iPod for Twitter I have been mainly using the Twitterific app which is a good iPod app that follows the lead of their Adobe Air-based apps. I have been a little less on Twitter lately. Twittelator is also a little fun for seeing from where people are Twitting. I have been finding that Pageonce is kind of nice and useful (once you set it up from a computer). Using it as a quick look for certain types of financial information can be a time saver particularly if you are waiting for something to hit your accounts. I am looking at SugarSync as a way to synchronize across a few different computers (and be able to look at the files from iPod). I have been using Mobile Me with limited success, and I am hoping that SugarSync will be a little better. Datacase is one that I have downloaded but not yet played with very much. It allows you to transfer files to/from the iPod Touch or iPhone. It uses the device as a little mini file server. Quite a unique solution.

Technorati Tags: social, appstore, datacase, ipod touch, SugarSync, twitterific, twitter

Twitter what?!?

I marvel how something like Twitter is like (micro-) blogging. The social side is quite a bit more heightned. You do not need to read all the RSS feeds to keep up with people (you still do but Twitter seems to give you the essence.

Tags: twitter, blogging, microblogging, community

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