Mashable today just briefly review the 10 Free Desktop Blog Editors for Windows.
Who need a desktop blog editor when they can do it in the web ? The answer is that desktop application still has a lot to offer until Web app can match desktop app in term of speed, power and flexibility at least in category of Blog editor.
In fact, the best intelligent decision is not to chose one over the other, but rather use both the online and desktop editor as convenience and need arise. If all you need is just a simple text entry, than online version make be more efficient, and if more multimedia stuff and longer blog entry is required, than a desktop editor make more sense.
Although online html editor, such as tinyce, fckeditor that normally integrate in content management system and subset of functions in blog system like WordPress, offer the level of convenience and availability, it is still no match to the functionalities, speed and features offer by a dedicated desktop editor.
The potential of online editor seem constraint by the need to balance between power and download size. The more functionalities the editor has, the longer user has to wait for Javascript to download and initialize. This is worsen by AJAX editor as the most of the code to do rich formatting and editing has to load upfront first. However, Flash version of blog editor might at least reduce some of this issue.
ScribeFire in Firefox offer real convenience as text and image can be dragAndDrog straight from webpage
So what possibly can be offer by Desktop Blog editor that its web counterpart find it difficult and need compromise?
- Auto-backup
Sure web editor can backup, but at what cost ? Speed is a concern if your blog is filled with graphics and lot of content. - Speed, speed and more speed
Which is faster to load ? A local version of your blog or online version given that both already are in sync with each other. Online version will need to be retrieved whether the blog is modified or not unless they use sophisticated technology like embedded database (eg Google Gear). And moreover, the desktop application with the same functionalities as online version generally load faster give that form is optimized by compiled language rather than interpreted Javascript version. - Other Nice to have features
The desktop version can continue to clutch out good to have feature that make writing blog a more pleasant and enjoyable experience. Some features is not a must have, but still if it save time and frustration. For example, having able to preview your site using WordPress style without having to submit online first is a amazing time saver that Windows Live Writer provides ! How about real time spelling checking with user-defineable dictionary ? And also the ability to save local draft. Ability to open additional windows. Live preview of video. Richer formatting options. Table function (Only that only Windows Live Writer has this valuable timer saver function). Auto html tag completion.
Windows Live Writer’s WYSIWYG editing is cool
Windows Live Writer’s Web Preview is innovative and amazing as one can preview his blog as
though it is submited to blog service ! Really a time saver !
Post2Blog’s buggy table feature. After insert table, you ask yourself where is the table ?
So for those blogger who feel limited by the editing and formatting facilities offer by online blog editor will want to install a desktop editor to complement the online editor because it really enhance the blogging experience. By doing
The desktop blog editors review by Mashable are
Editors that I have tried using:
- Microsoft Windows Live Writer
I have to say it is a pleasure to use, and its amazing Web Preview have to be seen to believe. Really WYSIWYG editing !The only issue is it lack smiley support and has some ‘needless’ complexities like New Page/New Post (Why’s there two ?). A very powerful table editor make this the only tool needed for those blog that need table feature. It is the only blog editor I used so far that able to successfully submit a blog with embedded Youtube video without further messing the html code. However, sometimes, it takes a long time to submit blog to WordPress.Moreover, it change certain windows component which mess up setting, eg JPG file type no longer recognize by windows, instead ask me to select a program to open. It also seem to mess up WordPress structure. I suggest user wait for the final release rather than use the beta version.WLW is finally released in November and briefly review here - ScribeFire
It really convenience to have this to perform a quick blog. Here to stay. - Zoundry
Editor that past its age. Crash on vista upon exiting. Have lost my
offline entries suddenly. Haven’t been updated for two years. Highly
not recommended. Meet my recycle bin months ago. - Post2Blog
Malfunction repeatedly. Although its Flickr upload facility is impressive, I can’t get it to work as claimed, instead I get xml-prc error which I have no idea how to resolve. Install yesterday, and disappear from my notebook ten mins later. Have a table feature that doesn’t seem to work at all. Whatever, my experience could be different from your, and you might find some luck in using it.Other reviewed editors: - Qumana
- w.Bloggar
- Thingamablog
a Java version with full source code, yet to try it. - Flock
- Blog Desk
- Bleezer
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