Since I started using iBlogger on my iPhone, I've begun to warm to the idea of using a desktop application for publishing new blog entries. I knew that the developer of iBlogger, illumineX, had a desktop app designed to do this, so I've decided to give it a try. This is the first blog entry using their product: ecto.

To be honest, I like the complete control over HTML and CSS that publishing via Drupal's Web interface gives me, but iBlogger is great for posting to my blog while on the road, or away from a computer, and ecto seems like a great option when I need to make a quick entry, include a few pictures, and move on. It also seems to give me enough control over the CSS of images I add to posts, so it's not without semi-advanced features. It also includes an HTML editor, for those times when the WYSIWYG editor may fall short.

But to say that ecto is just a simple blogging tool doesn't really do it much justice. The software has a plugin architecture that increases both its features and usefulness. Adding images, sound, and video is easy, but ecto's additional plugins integrate the application with Flickr, Amazon, Twitter, and iTunes. And, if you really want to get creative, scripting support is included as well.

As with iBlogger, one of the impressive features is ecto's ability to quickly gather two or three pieces of information about my blog (which is running on the Drupal CMS) and configure itself with minimal additional input from me. Settings are a pain, so any time an application does it for me, it quickly wins my affection.

Between iBlogger and ecto, I think I have found two easy ways to publish new content, whether on the road or in front of my computer, with minimal time investment and maximum ease.