Ecto 2.4.1 review

ecto is a feature-rich desktop blogging client for Mac OS X supporting a wide range of weblog systems, such as TypePad, MovableType, Nucleus, Blogger, and more.

License: Shareware OS: Mac OS X File size: 0K Developer: kung-foo.tv Buy Now Price: $17.00 Updated: 22 Aug 2006

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ecto is a feature-rich desktop blogging client for Mac OS X supporting a wide range of weblog systems, such as TypePad, MovableType, Nucleus, Blogger, and more.

ecto is the successor of the wildly popular Kung-Log.

Here are some key features of "Ecto":
support for multiple weblogs and servers (with easy-to-use Account Manager)
full local control of recently posted entries and drafts (with search function)
intuitive interface for creating and editing weblog entries
a Rich Text and an HTML editor with spellcheck and search/replace
syntax-coloring in the HTML editor
quick access menu with HTML tag templates and keyboard shortcuts for the HTML editor (fully customizable)
support of all available remote control options of MovableType API (posting entries with continuation, summary, keywords, multiple categories, trackback, text-formatting, comment options)
advanced create-a-link dialog
easily change the posting date of entries
full-featured HTML-rendered preview of entries using Safari's WebKit
powerful file and media upload with iPhoto import via attachments
convert, scale images and create thumbnails
create poster movies or create thumbnails from movie frames
save settings on a per-blog basis
send notifications by email (with Address Book support)
insert details of the currently playing iTunes song in your entry
embedded debug console to troubleshoot server connections
extensive help documentation accessible from within ecto
hate the metal and icons? Set the window texture via the Preferences window and change icons with the supplied switcher!
works with NetNewsWire, PulpFiction, and Shrook
localized in Dutch, French, German, and Japanese
support for del.icio.us, the social bookmarks manager
Services menu items to blog selected text (with extra features for Safari)
and much much more!

Limitations:
21 days trial period.

What's New:
A linebreak bug slipped into 2.4.0. Fixed with sincere apologies!
There was an issue with presets and image templates. Fixed.

Requirements:
A local or remote server running a weblog system that can talk to clients via XML-RPC or Atom. Supported XML-RPC API formats are Blogger, metaWeblog, and MovableType. This includes:
Blogger, BlogHarbor, BlogWare, Blojsom, Blosxom, Cocolog, Conversant, Drupal, GeekLog, IlohaBlog, LiveJournal, MovableType, Nucleus, pMachine, pyblosxom, Serendipity, SquareSpace, TypePad, WordPress.
If you use MovableType, then it MUST have SOAP::Lite and LWP::UserAgent installed, and also MIME::Base64 for file upload. These are default packages in a full MovableType 3.x install. If you have an older MovableType version, you will find instructions can be found here: http://www.movabletype.org/docs/mtinstall.html. Even if you have both packages installed, it is a good idea to update them to the latest versions.