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Texts

Title Info Pros/Cons
Mellel
Mellel Logo
Word Processor
Developer:
RedleX
Shareware:
$49, $35 Edu
Version: 2.1.3
Pros: Stable; Great outline/auto-numbering features; Produces visually consistent documents through the use of styles.
Cons: User interface needs time to get used to; Requires third-party software to incorporate equations in text; Not recommended for scientific writing.
Nisus Writer Express
NWE Logo
Word Processor
Developer:
Nisus
Shareware:
$45, $35 Edu
Version: 2.7
Pros: Compatible with MS Word (saves in rtf); Multilingual (Unicode); Offers macro-scripting.
Cons: Lacks important features necessary for academic writing; Relatively slow; Outdated interface.
Pages
Pages Logo
Word Processor
Developer:
Apple
Commercial:
$79 (iWork)
Version: 2.0.2
Pros: Strong page layout features; Produces visually appealing documents; iLife integration.
Cons: Not useful as an academic word processor; Big and slow.
OmniOutliner
OmniOutliner Logo
Outliner
Developer:
OmniGroup
Shareware:
$39.95, $24.95 Edu
Version: 3.6.2
Pros: Very good outlining features; Multi-columns; Easy-to-use and flexible user interface; Exports to Keynote.
Cons: No summarising outline panel; No integration or file exchange with Mellel.

Bibliographic Tools

Bookends
Bookends Logo
Bibliographic Tool
Developer:
Sonny Software
Shareware:
$99, $69 Edu
Version: 9.1
Pros: Feature-rich bibliography and reference manager; Robust and easy to use; Powerful and flexible importing and output formatting; Imports Endnote databases.
Cons: Interface a bit bloated and outdated; Reference detail view appears arbitrary.
Sente
Sente Logo
Bibliographic Tool
Developer:
Third Street Software
Shareware:
$129.95, $89.95 Edu
Version: 4.1
Pros: Innovative and clean interface and software design; Online access to almost any library (z39.50 protocol); Excellent hunt, seek and download capabilities; Imports Endnote databases.
Cons: No import filter manager; Small number of bibliography formats; Handles only parenthetic citations, no footnotes.

Qualitative Analysis

TAMSAnalyzer
TAMSAnalyzer Logo
Qualitative Data
Analyser
Developer:
Matthew Weinstein
Freeware
Version: 3.34b
Pros: Powerful and full-featured qualitative data analysis tool; Offers analysis methods unavailable in commercial software packages; Integrated transcription tools;Exports reports in XML; Very robust; Free!
Cons: Interface non-intuitive; Requires steep learning curve.
Transcriva
Transcriva Logo
Transcription Tool
Developer:
Bartas Technologies
Shareware:
$19.99
Version: 1.1.1
Pros: Small, sleak, fast; Full-featured transcription tool; Automatically assigns time codes to transcript; Easily identify speakers in transcript; Allows user to assign key shortcuts to any action (start, stop, faster, slower etc...).
Cons: No full support support of video files (only sound); Slowing down affects sound quality; Does not support Olympus DSS format.

Statistics

Stata
Stata Logo
Statistics
Developer:
StataCorp
Commercial
Version: 9.2
Pros: Professional statistical software package; Choice between graphical and command-line interface; Batch analysis; Stable and robust; Produces state-of-the-art charts.
Cons: Command-line mode requires learning curve; Output data difficult to export; Too big for simple projects; Documentation very expensive.

Presentations

Keynote
Keynote Logo
Presentations
Developer:
Apple
Commercial:
$79 (iWork)
Version: 3.0.2
Pros: Great interface design; Produces beautiful presentations with ease; 3D-Effects (charts, transitions, etc.); iLive integration; Calculations in charts; Exports to Powerpoint.
Cons: Lacking some audio functionality; Big (1GB).
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle Logo
Diagrams, Charts
Developer:
The Omni Group
Shareware:
$79.95, $48 Edu
Version: 4.1.2
Pros: Extremely well-programmed charts and diagrams software; Great interface, great functionality, great results.
Cons: None.

Others

DEVONthink
DEVONthink Logo
Information Manager
Developer:
DEVONtechnologies
Commercial:
$39.95, $79.95 (Pro)
25% Edu Discount
Version: 1.3b3 (Pro)
Pros: Great to store, retrieve, link, organize, view texts, pdfs, notes, websites etc...; AI helps to make contextual connections between information files; Fast and very stable.
Cons: Does not cooperate with Spotlight.