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March 14, 2007

software

Using one obsession to track another

Posted Mar. 14, ’07, 11:35 AM PT by Kate Marshall
Category | Software

bluemarblePelikan.jpgOkay, maybe “obsession” is too strong a word when referring to 2 of my favorite things: Macs and fountain pens (yes, they totally do still exist). That being said, I see no reason why one “hobby” can’t work in conjunction with the other. For instance, I frequently use my fountain pens (Pelikans are an excellent brand, by the way) to draft my always-in-progress novel. After a few pages have been written, I’ll go back and type them on my MacBook. Yes, it would be faster to just use the MacBook first but handwriting my notes helps me corral my ideas better.

So lately, I’ve decided to use my Mac to help me organize my nifty pens. I started with an Excel spreadsheet divided into various tabs: pens purchased by year; All pens purchased; favorite inks; favorite notebooks (did I mention that I also really like paper and notebooks? Well, I do). Each pen gets its own row, with notes about company, “model,” vendor, date purchased, etc. As helpful as this spreadsheet’s been, I think I may need to concoct a quick-and-dirty database where I can add pictures, and just generally keep a better eye on those writing instruments. In the Mac world, one choice generally springs to my mind: FileMaker Pro.

Yes, I know I could install BootCamp, buy a copy of Windows Vista or something, and then purchase Microsoft Access…but I really don’t want to do all that, even though I’ve had training for both programs. So at some point, I intend to download a FileMaker Pro trial and see if I can’t use it to wrangle my Pelikans, Parkers, and Lamys into submission.


8 Comments

Studio717 said:

Have you tried Devonthink? It can take almost anything, including pics and pdfs. Check out Sheets (Data -> New -> Sheets) to set up the fields you want.

My fountain pen collection was 57 at last count, mostly new but a few vintage.

Love all my tech, including my Macs, but writing on Clairefontaine paper with a wet Parker "51" M nib loaded with Noodler's black is as sweet as it gets.

March 14, 2007 12:36 PM
Kate Marshall said:

@Studio717: I don't know why I didn't think of Devon software before, since I even wrote a post about it last month. 2+3=chair, Kate.

March 14, 2007 12:54 PM
Juha Haataja said:

Nice to hear of similar approach to writing - I quite often also write with a fountain pen and then type the text on my Mac. I bought my first fountain pen when I needed to write a lot of notes very fast and my hand got tired - a fountain pen is so much better. However, I only have four fountain pens - one is completely used up, one (a Parker) is my current workhorse, and I also occasionally use two other fountain pens (presents from foreign visitors). I don't collect them, I use them.

March 14, 2007 12:57 PM
Albert Solene said:

Don't even think about Access. Once you've used FileMaker, it will be clear why MS never ported Access to the Mac. For those of us who are used to software that works, Access could never cut the mustard.

March 14, 2007 1:02 PM
Tim said:

Wow:
I to am a fountain pen addict and love my pelikans. I'm at around ten half moderns and half vintage pens with the entire Private Reserve ink collection. It is kinda hard to enjoy both my Mac addiction and my pen addiction as I move to an increasingly paperless world. But when I write I love using these "real" pens. And just don't get why an airline pen is the standard :)

March 14, 2007 8:14 PM
Jack said:

Another Fountain pen lover here. I've used them all my life. My first good one was a Parker when I went to college. I got a Pelikan for graduation. I currently use a Waterman.

Access sucks. I worked at a firm once that use filemaker on windows. That was terrible. Filemaker Pro on the Mac is quite good. But yes, the Devon Products are definitely worth a try.

Hey, Apple, we need a decent spreadsheet in iWork to abuse.

March 14, 2007 10:48 PM
spiderbat said:

I've grown accustomed to write using a computer and my thoughts flow directly from my (not so powerful) brain through my fingers to the window of some program, that may range from TextEdit to TeX, with exclusion of the infamous "word".
At the same time, I love fountain pens, too, and own a little collection of them, but for my handwriting, mainly formulas and calculations (when I'm not using Mathematica!), I resort to disposable pens that can produce thin, crisp lines with good contrast, while requiring minimal pressure. I hate cheap ball-point pens with thick ink, that force the hand to exert significant pressure onto the paper.
But my (non-ball) point is: I've seen that people try very often to use a spreadsheet (practically, "that" spreadsheet) to perform cataloging tasks that are better done with a database application. Spreadsheet apps
offer some database capabilities, but the advantage of using a proper database becomes evident as soon the catalog takes a shape a little bit more convoluted than a flat list of records with a few fields each.
For my personal cataloging purposes, I've found Filemaker Pro very satisfying. I appreciate its good integration with the Mac environment, its scriptability, both native and through AppleScript, and its ability to send e-mail messages, a real boon for my needs of communication with my students.
Given my lack of experience with other contemporary databases for the Mac platform, my praise of FM Pro is devoid of any comparative intention.

March 15, 2007 4:51 AM
Ankit Soni said:

Yay! mac lover + FP lover - I too am 1 - muahahahaha


Lamys are killer as are sheaffer and waterman. Mont blancs, of course are, yummm

March 16, 2007 7:20 AM

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