Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-publishing-articles/new-tools-for-serious-writers-6069008.html

As a writer, you must have a way to collect and organize your thoughts and record them. The most elemental tool for this is the pen and paper. Today, however, we have much more sophisticated methods to record information.

In context of writing tools, we have moved from pen and paper to typewriter to computer. Now we have gone even further-into the realm of computer-writing: voice to text dictation. Both Microsoft and Apple have their versions of dictation software. Writers in each camp have their preferences as to why they use their chosen product.

Having used both systems, I found each has unique advantages and disadvantages. Microsoft is more “hands free,” while Apple seems to be more precise. The main benefit to the Apple system is its ability for deployment across both computer and iPhone. Added to this is the connectivity to each device through the I-cloud.

I was initially trained and brought up in a PC world. IBM and Microsoft were my friends. I understood how they worked, and they were simple. They always did what you wanted them to do without too much fuss. They even had shortcuts that made sense. Like many, I was very comfortable with my PC and Microsoft. Following the educational principal of primacy, I learned about computers and software on a PC. The keystrokes and shortcuts were intuitive.

Here is my main concern with Macs and Apples-it seems as if everything I did on a PC in Microsoft took very few strokes. When I played with the Apple computers, it seemed as if the shortcuts were not really shortcuts. The Apples seemed to take three to six more keystrokes to do the same thing I could do on a PC with two strokes, sometimes one.

When it comes to dictation, writers have to keep in mind there is no such thing as true “hands free” dictation. With PCs, I find myself watching the screen and using the mouse to catch the occasional word misinterpreted by the computer. On the Apple products, you have to press the button on the keyboard or screen to stop and start the dictation.

For modern day reporters, there is no better tool than Apple’s iPad. A journalist can take notes, writer articles, and even photograph subjects with the iPad. The reporter can then save the text and photos on the device, uploaded to the cloud, or deposited into a service such as DropBox where editors and publishers can easily access the work.

Using these new tools may challenge writers at first. However, once the writer understands the technology and becomes comfortable with the hardware and software, the task of writing becomes easier and faster than ever.

Umair - About the Author:

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