Would You Use a WordPress Desktop Application?

Interesting idea. For me to consider using a desktop WordPress "client", I think it would need to (a) be available for Linux; (b) offer one or more desirable features that the Web WordPress interface (if necessary, offline via Turbo/Gears) can't; and (c) fit workably into the 800x480 interface offered by my Asus Eee 701 netbook.

Otherwise, good luck, and thanks for asking ;)

make it better than live writer.
ps. at the present i'm stuck with firefox and connection via web.

I love wordpress, but their UI leaves much to be desired in terms of design and speed. I'd hope a desktop app would be better designed. If it's not, I'd assume it would at least be faster.

I have often tried desktop blogging software, only to uninstall it because it doesn't have a critical mass of the features I have on my WordPress posting page. I would use a Google Gears-style offline capability for posting. I would also use an offline tool for viewing and managing comments when I'm on the road with intermittent connectivity. I don't need to manage any other WordPress features from a desktop client.

I'd absolutely use a desktop application if it provided a superior interface than we have now. I usually use WindowsLiveWriter to post with because it is simple, fast, and does what I want it to do reliably. I host most of my images on Flickr and with the LiveWrite Flickr plugin, adding images is trivial.

A desktop application that provided superior media management would be of interest to me.

I think those willing to use a desktop app would likely miss enhancements they get from plugins. For example, you wouldn't get any of the custom meta (SEO) features of certain plugins, or support for any advanced tagging plugins.

To be honest, I think non-developers would be interested in this type of application and non-developers are the type (some of 'em) that tend to install 47 plugins. They would probably miss all of their added functionality.

Well, I had the exact thing in my mind. But I am not a developer so I can't event think of putting it into action. I would love to have a complete WordPress in a desktop application.

I normally use LiveWriter, myself, and recommend it to clients. The only drawback is that it can't handle the more sophisticated back-end stuff. But I'm not sure I could do most of that without being online, anyway. If WP created a desktop app that produced better code than LiveWriter (which is pretty good, given it's from Microsoft, but still uses some deprecated HTML) and expanded on its capabilities, while providing an equally simple interface, I'd certainly use it.

Fantastic idea. I'm using Windows Live Writer mostly, which I think is a really blogging software. It would be great if WP could release a desktop client of it's own, which would have an in-built ftp (for .org users) and a way to manage all backend without opening a browser.

I use a premium theme on one of my sites (as cms) which has a custom back end and the requirement to constantly order pages (via a plugin). Not sure how that would translate to a desktop application.

I am using Windows Live Write sometimes, I would be happy to use a Desktop application tailored for Wordpress.

But please, make it "Portable" from the beginning. :D

Of course it depends, on a number of things. The functionality of the client compared to the web dashboard. The ability to use the desktop and web clients interchangeably. Cost, if any. Usability. Learning curve.

I wouldn't say "no" out of hand, but I'd want to know what advantage I'd get by using a desktop client before I'd switch.

I think a desktop tool is perfect for clients, not for developers or wordpress power users in general.

Personally i have to be online, in order to check my article (right after publishing it), use the plugins i installed (post enchantments) or in general take a glance on available updates or anything needs to be maintained.

Perfect for end users (clients - bloggers) but not for designers or developers.

Our life is inside a web browser, not in any desktop app :P

It would be great if a desktop application included the ability to manage the back-end configuration as well as day-to-day post/comment management.

To make it really useful there would probably need to be some sort of syncing involved so that you could, for example, sync to the current configuration state, go offline and make changes, then when connected and ready to re-sync up have the system check to ensure nothing has been changed from the original state... kind of like version control.

My vote would be for and AIR app.

My main concerns would be that either a client wouldn't be cross-platform, leaving Mac and Linux users in the dust in terms of useful features, or -- worse yet -- that it would just wind up being some site-specific browser type doodad that would just eat extra memory doing what I can do myself at the control panel. If it were an actual app that utilized the benefits of being a desktop app to create functionality that can't be (easily, at least) duplicated on a web page, that actually fit into my GNOME desktop as well as someone else's Mac or Win box, then it would be pretty sweet. I would recommend using Python to write such an app, if it is to be done, with a Xplatform widget toolkit and one of the many "freeze" type programs that make an executable out of Python code. That way one codebase can run everything on all platforms but it will still bend in with whatever OS it is running on without feeling like a crappy port (like Picasa in Linux, for example)

Hell Yes!!!
I've wanted this for years now. The other blogging clients out there kinda suck. I'd love to have one that looks and acts the same whether in Win, Mac or *nix.

Fantastic idea. I have been looking for a desktop application to control my wordpress blogs for a really really long time now.

Depends. It should be able to match windows live writer and should have at least a theme preview during edit.

I think it would be a great idea. Create your posts and pages offline and then synch later to the online version. :)