With Macworld in full swing, throngs of people are flooding the streets of San Francisco to check out the latest offerings from Apple and all the other vendors exhibiting their wares at the expo. But some Mac-related stuff is only indirectly related to what's happening on the showroom floor or how thin the new MacBook Air is.
One thing I've noticed as a Mac software editor is how, when Apple has its biggest show of the year, the majority of Mac software developers figure it is the best time to release an update for their apps. I've rounded up my Top 5 popular programs that have updated in the last few days so we can all take advantage of this flood of major updates for top Mac software. A few of these will be old favorites, but all are worthy downloads if you're looking to try something new on your Mac.
As more movies become available, iTunes movie rentals are sure to make waves in the industry.
(Credit: CNET Networks)I obviously could have chosen any number of new updates from Apple, but the biggest of the week is probably iTunes. With the announcement of the addition of Movie rentals and added features for Apple TV, the latest version of iTunes is a must-have for all Mac users. I already wrote about the latest update for iTunes in my last post, but after talking with some of my Mac-using friends, we wonder what the real impact will be on other movie outlets. Let me know in the comments how you feel about iTunes movie rentals and whether you think Apple can compete with Netflix or Blockbuster.
Professional layout and illustration tools are easily accessible and affordable with this app.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Freeverse software has always been a favorite publisher of mine for creative and funny games and made-for-Mac apps. Though Adobe's Illustrator CS3 is probably the king of the vector graphics and layout apps, the price tag of $599 is prohibitive to most casual users. Freeverse's Lineform is a slimmed-down, affordable vector graphics and illustration program with expert typesetting, gradients, free-flowing text, and much more. At only $79, this app is definitely worth checking out for illustration projects.
Create complex motion paths across a photograph with varying zoom levels for a dramatic effect.
(Credit: CNET Networks)If you're wondering what to do with all your great holiday photos, check out Photo to Movie. Updated this week, this little app lets you take a digital photo and turn it into a dramatic presentation by using intuitive zoom and pan features. You'll be surprised with what you can create using a digital photo and your favorite MP3 as background music. Even better, it's compatible with iDVD, iMovie, and Final Cut. Photo to Movie is great for custom screensavers, too.
Create channels to browse all the videos from a particular feed.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Included in my Best Mac software of 2007 post, Miro received an update this week making the streaming video app even better. Set up like an RSS feed reader, Miro lets you subscribe to video podcasts and search popular sites like YouTube for all the video content you could ever want. This weeks big update adds better torrent support so videos get to you even more quickly. It also doesn't hurt that this great app is free.
The addition of ATSUI for text rendering greatly improves handling of all types of characters.
(Credit: CNET Networks)I've often touted the importance of a good text editor, and this weeks update for TextWrangler was one of my first Macworld downloads. From Bare Bones Software, the makers of BBEdit, this free, slimmed-down text editor has a documents drawer and navigation bar, which make it easier to switch between multiple documents while conserving screen real estate. Even though it was made with markup coders and programmers in mind, TextWrangler is great for anyone who needs a place to take notes and manipulate text quickly.
Did you download a useful program update this week that is not on this list? Let me know in the comments!
One thing that struck me during Steve Jobs' keynote yesterday was this odd moment when Jobs was trying to rationalize many of the reasons MacBook Air owners would be happy not having an optical drive in their laptop. He was going down a list of things we need optical media for and replacing them one by one with various Apple creations. Apple's perceived solution for not having a drive would be to buy all your media through iTunes and play it on your iPod, delegate the task of reading discs to another computer in your house, or simplify things with a new and proprietary $99 external drive. Sounds simple, right?
It's commonly been referred to as the "Steve Jobs reality distortion field" and there hasn't really been a clearer example of it since Apple launched the "simpler" version of its one-button mouse that actually had five. In this case, it's the importance of optical media and the role it still plays in our lives. While I applaud Jobs and Apple trying to get rid of what's admittedly become a weak and cumbersome format, I'm a little disappointed that Apple hasn't decided to offer a real solution to the problem they're creating for novice computer users and road warriors who want to avoid optical media altogether--at least not yet.
(Credit:
Apple.com)
What I'm getting at is that Apple's in the perfect position to start offering digital software downloads to the masses, and tie it into a software system that millions of people are comfortable with giving their credit card information to on a daily basis. I'm speaking of course, about iTunes.
Apple's got all the pieces in place to start offering people computer software the same way Valve's been doing with video games with its hugely successful Steam service for the last six years. I love Steam for many reasons, but primarily for its built-in updating tools and easy-to-navigate digital storefront that make it easy to buy software with one click and not have to worry about it again. If I could get the same performance from an app that's admittedly become a little bloated but already has a decent updating system, I'd be happy as a pig in mud.
Two things stick out in my mind as being good signs such a service is in the works via iTunes:
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CNET Networks)
Among the new product announcements at the Macworld 2008 keynote, iTunes received a brand new feature: movie rentals! With the latest version of iTunes for both Windows and Mac, you will be able to rent movies from all the major studios including Touchstone, MGM, Miramax, Lions Gate, Fox, WB, Walt Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Sony. Apple was able to strike a deal with studios which allowed iTunes to receive new releases 30 days after the DVD release. The first wave of movie rentals will launch by the end of February with over 1,000 titles.
Top movies like Ratatouille will be available by the end of February
(Credit: Courtesy of Apple)Once you find a movie you want to watch in iTunes, you'll be able to use your iTunes Store account to rent the title, making it available on your computer to begin watching for 30 days. Clicking play starts the movie stream in about 30 seconds. Once you start the movie, you'll have 24 hours to finish it, whether you transfer it to your Apple TV, iPhone, or iPod Touch. You can watch the movie as many times as you want in that 24-hour period.
Rented movies are easily transfered to your iPhone and iPod.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Owners of Apple TV will be able to purchase and download TV shows, music, and more, directly on your Apple TV. This latest version of iTunes will let you transfer purchases made on Apple TV back to your computer.
Rentals will cost $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases. If you want HD quality, you can rent titles for only a dollar more at $4.99.
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