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If you don't write novels, reports and documentations all the time, but like to use a Word Processor for letters, memos and how-to's, you will love Jarte.
It's lightweight so loads in a jiffy, and deserves the word "courageous" for its clean fresh looks. Task oriented is in; and menus are out. “Even Microsoft eventually felt the same need and Office 2007's "ribbon" interface was the result.” (Bob Flora, Carolina Road Software)
In “compact layout” you're not more than one click away from everything you want to do. That is if you've activated 'clickless operations', meaning that when you hover over a button, the options pop up and await your command (if necessary in a nifty tool bar).
There's also a 'classic layout', and a 'minimal layout', with all the nice menus I am so used to. With just a tiny little bit of very easy editing (“settings.ini”), you can chose another 'minimal layout'.
There is a wealth of options. All the formatting you want: fonts, paragraphs, page, header and footer, there's an outline function, indenting, outdenting, the format brush to easily transfer formatting, and only one feature I miss: format styles.
Some solutions are as simple as clever, e.g. when you mark a word and click the 'Encyclopedia' button, Jarte looks that word up in the Wikipedia. Correspondingly 'Dictionary' and 'Thesaurus' take you online, unless of course, you installed WordWeb, a free thesaurus that fits in seamlessly.
"Word is a great word processor and may always be the tool of choice for large projects that require elaborate formatting, but for many tasks Word's size and complexity can it feel like you're driving a tank to the grocery store.” (Bob Flora, Carolina Road Software)
Nevertheless Jarte indulges with templates, tables, you can insert pictures and documents, manage files and folders without ever leaving Jarte. There's the 'Recents' menu and there's 'Favorites', which you define yourself to easily access your documents. Jarte remembers your clipboard, let's you take screen shots, offers statistics on the number of pages, lines, words and characters, lot's of ways to customize the software.
There's one feature I haven't seen yet in any other word processor. We almost take it for granted in our web browsers, file managers or even plain text editors but it's still missing in Word or OpenOffice: tabs. Jarte gives you those tabs. Well done.
If collaboration is your concern, don't be concerned. Jarte reads Rich Text Files (rtf) Word documents (doc) and even Word 2007 (docx). You can print all that, but even more intriguing and laudable is that you can export your document as a PDF-file. This feature depends on utilities like PDFCreator which you can downoad from here.
You can install it on an USB-stick and take it with you, have it on stand-by, minimize it to your system tray, it takes less than 10 MB RAM, and it is there, when you need it. The price is priceless, and if you feel like supporting the crew, buy a license but be aware because “rather than attempting coerce users into purchasing Jarte Plus by leaving some important features out of Jarte, the idea is to make Jarte very capable and then add only "would be nice" type features to Jarte Plus. In that sense, Jarte Plus' extra features are a reward for people who enjoy using Jarte regularly and wish to support the project.” (Bob Flora, Carolina Road Software) To put it differently: Jarte Plus, the commercial version, adds some extra features but Jarte Free is really sufficient for most.
If you're looking for something smooth, fast and fully equipped for your daily word smith activities; Jarte.
I like it!
Jarte
Website: http://www.jarte.com/
Download link: http://www.jarte.com/download.html
Author: Carolina Road Software
Current version: 3.2
Version date:
Download File size: 2.58 MB
License: freeware
Operating systems supported: Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Vista
Additional Software Recommended: PDFCreator, WordWeb
64 Bit version available: This 32-bit program works perfectly on Vista 64-bit
Portable version available: Yes
Non-English languages supported: yes
PDFCreator
download: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/
WordWeb
download: http://wordweb.info/free/
Best Free Word Processor - Jarte a New Face in Town!
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I'm now using version 3.4, and they've fixed a number of bugs, including the one I hated the most: if you had the page count enabled, your entire text might disappear from time to time with no warning, leaving a zero-byte file. I haven't encountered any problems with 3.4, even when using large files of 200+ pages.
New version of Jarte is available : Jarte 3.4
Anupam Shriwatri
this processor looks great, simple and light.
I was amused by the person who said he or she didn't like being distracted by spell checkers, and then proceeded to write "its" as "it's", not once but three times in one line!
That's a grammar error, not a spelling error. Since both its and it's are legitimate spellings in different situations, how is the spell checker supposed to figure out which one you mean?
that is fuuny, but are you a smarty pants?
Jarte is a bit too weird. Atlantis Nova is a heck of a lot better if you want a simple rtf based word processing program.
I've also found a new program PolyEdit that has a free version that also includes a clipboard monitor that will copy clips and include a spacer between items for frequent users, like the older Text Shield.... Saves in several formats including Doc and of course Rtf. Will open Html for those of you that know how to do that... (luv you guys)
Has a free version that so far seems fine for personal needs..................
http://polyedit.com/free.html
Great to know this, specially when you see microsoft office 2007 new icons , options etc very hard to keep up with the changes.
Good find! I'll try out the features it has included.
Another freeware which I like is RoughDraft for its feature including Live Spell Check. The side panel is optional. Give it a try.
Polyedit and RoughDraft look very good. Unfortunately for me I had to buy a small one (full version of Atlantis) to get a live word count because I frequently have to write items to a specific length very quickly. If it weren't for that, I'd probably just use Polyedit.
AbiWord is the best! Atlantis Nova is not freeware, it's 30-day trialware which must be purchased & registered. Details at http://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/register.htm
Abiword is a disaster on a 64 bit computer. It crashes consistently and emulation makes no difference. Just erased Abiword from computer. I have lost the last document, had enough of it.
Atlantis is not freeware but Atlantis Nova is:
http://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/nova.htm
Sorry, no sale (even though it's free). Control interfaces follow certain conventions for a reason: so that new users can find their way around quickly. Jarte violates so many rules of computer interface design that it's almost a parody of the form. It's also incredibly underpowered for something that thinks it can compete with OpenOffice or AbiWord. Plus, it relies on external third-party software to export PDFs. Seriously? This was your choice for a "best"?
Where do you get the idea it's trying to compete with OO? It's intended to be a simple word processor for when you don't need all the bells and whistles but want more than MS's WordPad provides.
Open Office is bloatware. Abiword is 32 bit only.
The bad thing: Jarte can't open DOC files created by OpenOffice.org 3.
Great article, i was reading something similar on another website that i was researching. I will be sure to look around more. thanks...
Excellent recommendation. Any software other than Word or anything else from the Microsoft family can only be a good thing.
I'm working on several large documents in RTF format and Jarte is perfect for my needs. It's very fast and I'm very impressed with it. One oddity: the program has crashed or frozen several times for no apparent reason in the middle of editing or writing, something that Wordpad seldom did. I didn't lose much work since I save frequently, but it is unexpected when it happens.
I put Jarte on my wife's computer because I couldn't be bothered to install OO. It's functional and the learning curve's not bad.
I figure I haven't really found out all it can do, but I use Microsoft Word for other reasons. What I really want to tout is a program called saavvii which provides plain language commands via a plug in for Word. I'm using Word 2007 at home and the different menu options after Word 2003 drive me to distraction. Saavvii is freeware (beta), and is apparently the company's only product. You can find out more at http://www.softwaretheories.com. If you must use Word, it's certainly a good way to find common tasks by typing in a word of your choice and watching it magically happen.
Jarte is a revolutionary new concept in program interface. I love it.Great free software utilities
We shouldn't really compare Jarte with NoteTab.
Jarte is a brilliant word processor. Very fast with an easy to use intuitive interface. Although I have Open Office, I use Jarte for 90% of my writing. I have seen nothing to beat it.
NoteTab - either the free Lite version or the very low cost standard version - is a text and HTML editor. It's a Notepad replacement, but with more power-packed functions and blisteringly fast. I believe it's at the top of its class.
I like Jart. I am a totally blind computer user. The only draw back I see is that I can't work on more than one document at a time. I could be missing something however.
I like it because of the simple interface and as someone mentioned above it is sort of like piloting an (older) yacht. I don't quite understand what the outline feature is. Is it like headings in Word? Is there a separate 'outline' window? What's the deal with that. To work with it one really needs auto correct and the ability to insert swathes of text. But that can be found in 3rd party freebies like AutoHotkey if you are technical or Texter (created with AutoHotkey) if, like me, you are not technical.
You have to admit that Jarte's file handling capabilities are far better than Word's and even in some respects better than XP's File Explorer. But what I like best about it is the quiet, easy GUI combined with a nice soft background color. Far less bells and whistles than Word - far easier to write with.
Another gem to look at: NoteTab Light
A versatile free Notepad replacement, light weight,
with a simple tabbed interface and formatting features, etc.
Selected as Must-have PC apps for Windows Starter Kits in yearly collection at Download.com
It's worth a try.
http://www.notetab.com/
I am so let down...
Abiword
Some Swiss Icon Writer
Open Office etc etc
No mention!
Please look up Go-OO!
Go Open Office! http://go-oo.org/discover/
This is a superior version of Open Office.
I'm using it with windows right now.
I'm going to get SUSE or Ubuntu and try it also.
Neil_in_Florida
See the link: Best Free Office Suite
Good recommendation! This is a great product, I like it too.
In particular, when I switch it to minimal layout, its interface is clean and simple just like WordPad or Notepad, but with a much useful tab feature.
I also like its feature for export a document to PDF. It keeps the hyperlink nicely in the exported PDF document, exactly the way done by OpenOffice, or Microsoft Office 2007 with Save As PDF Add-in, unlike virtual PDF printers which usually do not keep hyperlinks in the printed files.
See also:
Best Free PDF Tools
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-pdf-tools.htm#Specific...
Best Free PDF Writer
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-pdf-writer.htm
You should really try this little gem called Q10.
It's like Darkroom, basically an extremely well-built and nicely designed clone.
Try Write Monkey.
I have been using Jarte Plus, the paid version ($19), for a month or so: I love it -- its leanness, quickness, but also its look and features. The paid version gives smart quotes and autocorrect, both features that I rely on.
I was happy to learn of Jarte on through techsupportalert.com because I have been using OpenOffice Writer for a few years (as I try to wean myself from the big evil), but it takes as much as a minute to load and crashes daily. OO Writer has cost me hours. AbiWord is too limited and quirky for me -- no match for Jarte.
I have it loaded to a small USB flash drive and use it wherever I go. For example, I am a college prof who types and projects notes during lectures: Jarte is the best for this purpose!
(I have not been able to have it open docx, even though I installed the big evil compatibility pack.)
There hasn't been a program as focused and useful as JDarkRoom since Windows 3.1. Actually it is modeled on DarkRoom, so I suppose that program gets the prize (but it's not free).
Instead of focusing on creating documents, JDarkRoom reminds us that what we have to say (and how we say it) is the important thing.
Surrender your attachment to name and form and use JDarkRoom!
http://www.codealchemists.com/jdarkroom/
If you go there, go all the way: use a slate!
--
always look on the bright sight of life...
This isn't really a roundup, just a pitch...Abiword should be added if it is meant to be a list.
Abiword is a great word processor, I like it a lot and it is Open Source. But this is not a list. It is only a review of one (1) program called JARTE.
--
always look on the bright sight of life...
I hope jarte could have some open office document plug ins or compatibility so that I could change my or open my odf document with jarte.
Mohan
I have recently found the use of Zoho's online word processor to be well suited for small organizations that need to share documents and have access on the go. It has much more functionality than Google Docs. You can also use Google Gears to access the documents offline and sync them later. The free version give you the use of 5 applications. I also like the MS Office & Firefox plug-ins. Would be nice to have a plug-in for OpenOffice.org.
AbiWord is a good alternative to Jarte.
I like AbiWord
Me too :)
--
always look on the bright sight of life...
I downloaded the free 3.2 version and have been playing with it on a couple of laptops. Strange as it seems, it really sings with Vista. In Vista there is an embedded mini-Outlook, calendar, email and contact manager that all work together, not the old Address and Express programs that had no connections other than e-mail address lookup. Add the Gnumeric for Windows and what you have is just about the whole ball wax missing only a presentation system. I've not looked for one yet.
The Jarte uses not resources, and on closing there are no residual hidden files such as with OOo and Office chewing up resources and that's where it benefits Vista as it is a resource hog to begin with.
I just bought the pro version of 3.3 and besides the laptop mounted the USB version on a micro-card and it works. I'll mount it on my MP3/USB device though I do not use it as a flash drive. There is a menu item to do this in the app so not quite sure what the 2nd download .zip file is unless it is to by-pass mounting it on a computer first.
As it converts Office 2007 files, something OOo does not yet do, just having it as a file converting is a plus. Sadly it does not open and save in odf. However, as it works with the Office 2007 files and OOXLM (or whatever it is called) just got the blessing as an open file format, Jarte may be ahead of the curve to all others.
As a WP, the program has almost all features you need and want for all but the most complex stuff and it does it all easy, fast, with no need to keep hiting F1 to figure out how to do things. It does not have mailmerge and of course does not interface with many of the programs that are tied to Word but for many, it is not too much oof an issue, if at all.
Conclusion: This is a must have program, if for no other reason as an upgrade to Wordpad but also as an alternative to those bloated wordprocessing programs.
Nice piece of software. I love the tabs thats why my favourite office suite is Symphony, but it looks as if this is going to be used more. Providing I don't have any spreadsheets to works from.
Thanks for that CY, excellent images as well, clear and precise.
Tony
Thanks for the info CY.
Peter: I'll probably try this for writing contracts that need to be sent as PDFs. The current solutions I use all result in bad formatting screw-ups in the PDF. I need to find something that outputs decent PDFs (and please don't mention any Adobe app). Word doesn't cut it either.
chris.p
A review:
Laura Blackwell (PC World) januar 2008
Fits onto a small, 64MB USB drive, works on several files and formats, it's free. Not as good as the paid-for version.
The trade-off for Jarte's small footprint and shallow learning curve is a dearth of features. A paid-for version, Jarte Plus, offers more, such as automatic spelling correction, automatic outlines, the ability to save clipboard cuttings for future use.
This clever little word-processing program lets you open, modify, and save files in common formats. And we do mean "little": Jarte fits onto a small, 64MB USB drive with room to spare for a couple of documents, making it perfect for travellers. Whether we ran Jarte off an XP system's hard drive or a portable USB drive, it opened Microsoft Word .doc, Rich Text Format and Word 2007 .docx files without a hitch. (The .docx functionality requires Microsoft's free, but large, compatibility..
Talk is cheap, but Word is expensive. Fortunately, Jarte is free.
Don't know about that. The point about Jarte is it's minimalist design. I certainly do not share the views expressed in this article http://ricardo.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/wp.html, but I structure my writing in phases
I hate to be distracted by spell checkers. I prefer
after I've completed my writing
Of course, I could also write a list of features available in Word Processors on Planet Earth, (automatic outline would be great!) but I feel it is the same discussion as we find it in respect to a FireFox with a zillion extensions and a browser like K-Meleon with none.
What I enjoy most about Jarte is it's speed, it's size, it's understatement. If I want to write a large document, my MO will be completely different and I'll probably use Open Office Writer guided "by intelligence and experience" (Nero Wolfe)
I really like it. Apparently, you can add custom dictionaries, which is fairly critical for some of us:
http://www.jarte.com/help_new/spell_check_dictionaries.html#supplemental...
If only I could think of something to use it for ....
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