Podtext 2.5 X
What
is Podtext?
Podtext is a tool to transfer text-based notes into your iPod that
can be read just like «Contacts» directly on the iPod's
screen. There is a version that runs natively under Mac OS X (now
also neatly under Mac
OS X 10.3 Panther) and one that runs under Mac OS 8/9. Unlike other
tools, Podtext is able to transfer the complete Macintosh charset including
characters used in german, french, italian or other foreign languages. While
other apps max out at 1000 characters per note; Podtext can extend that limit
to 2000 characters. The new version 2.x release can also split long texts into
several files for your iPod and can stich them together again for editing.
Besides, Podtext 2.x offers a new powerful "FileFinder" window that
displays all the text files on your iPod, sports a remarkable search engine
for your files and does now also save your preferences. Also, the best fact
of all is still there: While others will cost you an arm and a leg, Podtext
is completely free!
How
does it work?
Podtext gives you an easy interface to enter your texts. All parts of the interface
show a help text, if you stay with your cursor on them for some time.
In order to transmit a text, just follow a few easy steps:
1. Choose iPod
Click this button and choose the disk icon of your iPod (as you would
do with a normal hard drive). Podtext will automatically add «Contact» folder
information to the path and save your settings in a preferences file.
2. Enter a Title
Name your work -- give it a title! You may use all characters on your Macintosh
keyboard! Podtext 2.0 can now even handle much longer titles than it did before
and the filename does not have to be the same as the title anymore -- just
try it out!
3. Enter a Text
Enter your text or copy and paste it from a wordprocessor, email or
webbrowser software. Better than others: You can use all characters
available on a Mac (very important if you intend to write your texts
in a non-english language such as german, french, italian and others)
and up to 2000 characters per message. Podtext can now also handle «returns» in a text and thransfer them
onto the iPod. If you choose the «SPLIT» mode (see below), you
have virtually no character limit, because Podtext will split your text neatly
into several messages of 1000 (short) or 2000 (long) characters. Also, Podtext
will respect the power of a word -- and will never tear words apart; so if
a message has to be splitted, Podtext will start the second splitted subfile
with a whole word -- instead of just cutting them off.
While you are typing, Podtext will constantly display the number of characters
used in your text and the number of characters left until the 2000-character
limit has been reached. If you are in «Split» mode, the remaining
character display will read «SPLIT» as soon as the text has to
be splitted. If your text is shorter than that, Podtext will of course automatically
generate a normal, non-splitted file; so you might want to leave the «Split» mode
on all the time.
4. Beam me up, Scotty!
Click «Send to iPod» in order to send your text to your iPod. And
there you go! If you would like to write more messages, click «New Text» and
start typing a new text message (step 2).
Please note that Podtext recognizes automatically, whether a file was generated
by Podtext 2.x or another application -- including Podtext 1.0. If you edit
such a file (read how to edit below!) and want to send it back to your iPod,
Podtext informs you, that this file has other origins than Podtext 2.x and
will offer you not to save it because data of the original file might get lost.
5. Letter to the Editor
Podtext 2.x has powerful new features to help you keeping track of
the files on your iPod. Click the «Show Files» button (or into the iPod's
display on the picture) to display the so-called «FileFinder» (now
isn't that a creative name?) window on your screen. It displays all the files
in the «Contacts» folder on your iPod and allows you to work with
them as follows:
a) Edit them
Open a file back in Podtext just by double-clicking it's name in the
«FileFinder» listing. It's as easy as that! Alternatively, you can
also
click a file once to mark it grey and the click the «Open...» button.
You can edit the text in the main window of Podtext and click
the «Send to iPod» button once more in order to save it back to
your iPod! When you open a file for editing, Podtext will automatically
remove it's footer and add an updated one when you save the file again
-- this makes editing files really convenient.
If you want to edit a splitted message, you can click on any of the
splitted files in order to open the re-stiched, complete text in Podtext
again -- it's really hard to make it any easier! This re-stiched message
can be edited just as any other message and can of course also
be re-saved onto your Pod!
b) Search them
Click into the «QuickSearch» field and enter some characters of
the
file title you are looking for. Podtext will constatly (after each character
you type) update the file list and will only show the files that match
your entered search term. Again, it's really hard to make it any easier!
Just double-click onto a file in such a search list and you are up and
editing in no time! (Tip: enter «01» as search term in order to
find
all splitted files on your iPod!)
Simply click into the «QuickSearch» tag above the field in order
to
clear your search terms and to display all the files on your iPod!
c) Delete them
It's just as easy to delete files: Click onto the file you want to delete
in order to mark it grey. Then click the «Delete...» button, answer
the
security requester («Do you really want to...») with «Yes» and
it's gone.
d) Delete all found files
You can also delete all the files that have been found using the
«QuickSearch» function: Keep the shift key pressed and click onto
the «Delete...» button. Two security requesters will alert you
about
what you are planning to do -- and then your selection of your files
will go straight down the drain!
e) Delete all files on your iPod
Podtext even allows you to delete all the message files in the «Contacts»
folder on your iPod. Just keep the alt key pressed and click onto
the «Delete...» button. Two security requesters will alert you
about
the troubles you might get into when you accidentally delete your
girlfriend's phone number -- and then you will find a completely clean
«Contacts» folder!
6. More under the hood
You can change some settings using the preferences (choose «Preferences» from
the menu):
a) Length of your textfiles («VCF type»)
Can be short (max. 1000 characters per text) or long
(max. 2000 characters per text) and is also used when
messages are splitted (you can have 1000 or 2000 character subfiles).
b) Splitting-Mode («Splitting long text»)
Use «never» to turn splitting always off (longer files will be
cutted off).
Use «split» to make use of the great splitting functions of Podtext
2.0.
If a message contains less than 1000 (or 2000 respectively) characters,
it will never be splitted anyway -- Podtext does it all for you!
c) Overwrite behavior
«ask» asks you when a file already exists. «always» always
overwrites files that already exist.
d) Footer
Podtext has an option to add a footer to all your notes.
You can enter any text in this field, add the date and/or the time
and/or your name.
Remember: If you have a footer in your file, Podtext will remove it before
it loads a message for editing (so that the footer doesn't get into your way!
Please click onto the «Save Settings...» button to save your preferences.
If you close the preferences window using its close field, your settings will
only be available until you quit Podtext.
How
much does it cost?
You ain't gonna believe it -- but this pretty babe is still completely free!
Have fun!