If a programmer tells you to use vim or emacs, tell them no. These editors are for when you are a better programmer.
All you need right now is an editor that lets you put text into a ο¬le.
From Zed's LPTHW. While Vim/MacVIM is my editor of choice, if someone is just getting started and using RoR - TextMate or any easy to start with non-modal editor seems like the right choice. Trying to learn vim while learning a new language/framework at the same time could get frustrating. TextMate is still very popular, easy to start with, and last I checked (admittedly a very long time ago) the editor used in Railscasts.
From Zed's LPTHW. While Vim/MacVIM is my editor of choice, if someone is just getting started and using RoR - TextMate or any easy to start with non-modal editor seems like the right choice. Trying to learn vim while learning a new language/framework at the same time could get frustrating. TextMate is still very popular, easy to start with, and last I checked (admittedly a very long time ago) the editor used in Railscasts.