Showing posts with label macintosh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label macintosh. Show all posts

Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard (OLD VERSION) Review

Apple  Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard (OLD VERSION)
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Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard (OLD VERSION) ReviewThe OS comes in a very small package with a little manual. Install took 45 minutes to confirm that the CD was in good condition, 45 more to install. This review is not going to be full of technical jargon... instead a brief first impression from a long time Mac user (circa 1984 Mac 512Ke vintage). For the technicals, go to Apple, read geeky blogs. For the rest of us, I'll try to keep it more straight-forward. They claim 300 changes... here are what I think are some of the more interesting ones... apologies for the length of the review, relative to the number of changes claimed, a moderate length to this review. Updated December 09, 2007 to reflect new experiences.
Pro:
-Time machine! OK, back up programs are available, but how many of them are sold versus the number of macs out there? This program is native, created by Apple for Apple. All I did was plug in a hard drive and Leopard asked if I wanted to make this my back-up drive for Leopard. I clicked yes, and that was it, all set up. It begins back up once the computer is left on and idle. The first takes a very long time, hours, subsequent back ups are hourly, however only files that have changed are saved, preserving storage space and computing power. Time machine looks like any open folder window when it gets down to it... like you went back in time and browsed around (hence the name). Similar to "snapshot" for those Windows XP users out there.
-Install was very easy. Boot machine, insert CD, restart with CD. The computer verified that the CD is in good condition (a lengthy process of about 45 minutes that you can skip but which is recommended). The rest of the install takes about 45 more minutes, but it is basically all automated. It's a Mac, it's so clever that it's easy. Apple does what computers promised to do... automate smartly.
-Price is very reasonable relative to other operating systems (e.g. Vista)
-This OS includes the release version of Boot Camp. I've not used it yet as I have Parallels, but I like how Apple has included this feature... sometimes it's just best to get along as even programs offered on both platforms are just different enough to be annoying. So if you are using PowerPoint at work on a PC, you can use it at home on your Mac acting like a PC... thank you Apple.
-The new "you can see the content of folders in the dock bar" feature is handy, especially if you have many projects going and you dump a lot of picture files into them. They call this new feature "stacks" and it works really well.
-I find that movies too now give you a preview icon which is great.
-New OS did not trash my preferences, such as my Son's photo on the desktop... very plug and play
-Safari web browser is appears somewhat faster, perhaps 1x faster to load a page but I didn't really notice that much difference as I was using another browser up to this point
-The widget-maker is really interesting... I made my first widget of a stock I follow, in about 30 seconds. This was really great. I expect future versions of the feature to add more punch (e.g. the ability to add a title bar to your new widget, improved ability to make very small widgets, ability to use arrow keys to get the widget just right, ability to resize the widget once made instead of deleting and starting all over, etc.), but is still great as is.
-When I have multiple windows open I notice a slight shadow to help me identify which one is active, or on top. Apple continues to impress with their ability to tune into subtle usability features that are so obvious that they have been overlooked. Wonderful (although I would love a darker shadow, and perhaps a bold frame around the window too).
-The Apple web site offers a very nice 9-10 minute introduction. Check it out, it's worth it (trust me).
-Cover Flow is AWESOME! If you are familiar with flipping through album art on the new iPhone or iPods, you'll recognize the power of this feature right away. For those who've been on the sidelines, let me catch you up. There's icon view. There's list view. There's also a column view that's less popular. And there's now cover flow. Much like iTunes, you can flip through files like albums in a juke box, or turning pages in a picture book. The Mac lets you see the first page, so you don't get just a dumb icon, or even a tiny picture, you get a nice big image. It's nothing short of amazing. Cover flow does more (like you can play a video in cover flow without exiting the program or launching a player, fast and convenient), but again, this is a simpler version for the rest of us.
-A further extension of file management is Quick Look. You can sort of open files without launching a program. It's designed to be a time-saver for the person with a lot of files.
-Spaces. OK, this might be a little hard to describe. Essentially, are you someone who like to have 10 programs running at one time? If so, Spaces is ideal for you. You can open say a few photos in one space, a publishing program and Photoshop in another. You can toggle back and forth between the spaces and the effect is a less cluttered environment. It's neat.
-Mail. THere's many new things here, most small. However, for those setting up a mail account for the first time, say on Yahoo or "another popular website", you enter your email address, password, and click OK. Leopard finds it and sets it up. This blows me away. Forever are gone are the days of entering POP and SMTP data, which I guess wasn't terribly bad, but again, this is 2007. Computers are supposed to be more intuitve, not less right? Mac delivers yet again.
-I didn't mention the Notes and To Do features in Mail, which are excellent adds. Example of what these are: I often send myself an email so that I have a note: Well, instead of sending a mail to myself, which can, if hung up take a minute or an hour to return to me, I can write myself a note which sits in my inbox. I can add attachments like an email. I can also turn a note into a "To do", assigning a due date and getting a check box to check when it has been completed. Anywhere I can access my email, I can also get my notes. Weird and wonderful! To do events sync to iCal (which also syncs to my iPhone)... excellent.
-Email contacts, addresses, phone numbers can be added to existing contacts, or a new contact with a couple clicks. This is very handy for the busy professional.
-The teleconferencing features of iChat makes presentations really personal and also allows you to share desktops. I won't use this at home, and I can only dream of this at work when working remotely with our team/my boss in the UK. Words don't do this feature justice.
-My existing programs seem to work ok. I did get a minor error with Parallels (see Cons section for more), but all other programs tried functioned fine.
Con:
-Boot Camp requires reboot to run Windows
-Changed the icons some, which is not a big deal, but which was unnecessary
-With all this advanced file-sharing capability in iChat, I am concerned that a guest could inadvertently open sensitive files or emails. I get confidential materials sometimes, and I have little means of limiting access. It's too open and I'd love some locking features, both in iChat and in case I walk away from my Mac and someone decides to have some fun.
- Parallels has become unstable and won't launch. A free patch fomr the Parallels website (build "5582") fixed the crash on launch issue, however an IP conflict gotten originally still persists. This IP error does not seem to cause any issues as far as I can tell, it is just a nuisance.

Bottom line: Highly recommended. Sleek, smart, and straight-forward. The review title says it all, however there are obviously many reasons to buy, including staying current with the OS so that you have access to future releases and features.Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard (OLD VERSION) OverviewMac OS X v.10.5 Leopard includes new interface and over 300 new innovations designed to help customers accomplish any task. Improvements have been included for Mac programs like iChat and Mail, as well as all-new features such as Quick Look, which lets to peruse the contents of a multiple-page document or video without opening the whole file, and Time Machine, which can recover files in seconds. OS X 10.5 has search technology, graphics, rapid connectivity and solid stability. iChat now lets to present movies, presentations and virtually any document during your chats with iChat Theater. You can even save your audio and video chats for sharing or synching with an iPod to play on the go. Communicate with 30 professionally designed stationary templates, keep important notes and track to-do items in Mail. You can now group applications into Spaces and move between each Space with keyboard shortcuts to organize your windows and reduce clutter.

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Family Tree Maker 9.0 Review

Family Tree Maker 9.0
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Family Tree Maker 9.0 ReviewI teach Family Tree Maker to senior citizens and am an amateur genealogist. It usually takes no more than an hour or two for my students to get around enough basics about Family Tree Maker to start entering their genealogy. It has clear windows and comfortably large fonts, very user friendly error messages that actually make sense.... (ie when typing a name all in lower case, a message pops up saying "the name may have too many or too few capital letters" and you have the option to make the change right there or use the "auto-fix" button).
As another review mentions, this is first and foremost a data entry tool for genealogy, as well as a data output tool such as family trees of various configuration, several standardized reports, and my favorite: the ability to put a genealogy book together.
Family Tree Maker's helpful research tools should be used in combination with classic research mediums: Libraries, genealogy groups, the internet, historical societies, local town halls....Family Tree Maker 9.0 OverviewPC FAMILY TREE MAKER (BM)

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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac Review

Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac ReviewI have been a Windows user for 25 years and I have made the leap and replaced my Dell laptop with a MacBook. I am an application developer on the PC and Unix platform, and thus I run a lot of industry strength development packages and tools. I use Virtual PC to host different server environments on my Vista desktop, and on my laptop I run all kinds of server applications, from a Sybase database to a WebLogic web server. So when it came time for me to move to a Mac as my mobile platform, I needed a virtual environment for environment. With the adance of hardware assisted virtualization, now is the time.
I tried three virtualization packages - the Sun VirtualBox, VMWare Fusion, and Parallels. After hours experimentation and testing, I have decided on Parallels. Here are my findings.
VirtualBox is just not for prime time, lots of graphics corruption right out of the box. For instance, when you switch from full screen Windows to the OS X desktop, some of the Windows desktop would be left on the screen, obscuring the OS X screen. The interaction between the Windows desktop and the OS X desktops is not as seamless as that provided by Fusion and Parallels, and numerous other little things that detract from the overall user experience. So even though VirtualBox is free, it's not worth what I need to put up with.
VMWare Fusion and Parallels are actually very similar in how they work, and I don't see any difference in terms of performance. But after extensive usability testing I have found that Parallels gets more of the little things right. And it's the little things, the attention to details, that differentiates the excellent from the merely good.
For example, when you maximize a Windows application in Windows full screen mode under Fusion, the application would maximize to cover the Taskbar. Under Parallels, however, the application correctly maximizes to cover only the client area of the desktop not cover by the Taskbar. I know VMWare must know how a correct Windows application should behave, and I attribute this behavioral error to either that they were lazy or that they hoped people don't notice. Neither speaks well for the code that runs underneath the surface.
Another example, when you task switch using command-tab in OS X, you can tell which applications are Windows native applications because Parallels would superimpose the two vertical bars Parallels logo over the Windows application icons. Parallels gets credit for extra effort. Fusion on the other hand not only does not show you which applications are Windows apps, but cmd-tab is simply not implemented correctly in virtual Windows and thus task switch is almost impossible when you're not in unity mode (Windows and OS X apps side by side). Very bad.
Yet another example, you can access the entire collection of Mac applications right from the Windows desktop because Parallels sees fit to create shortcuts to all the Mac application right on the Windows Start menu and you can of course duplicate those short cuts anywhere in the Windows environment.
Example number four, you can control the boot sequence of the virtual machine using the Parallels application menu, while with Fusion you need to get in to the virtual machine's BIOS to do that - and the BIOS screen flashes by so fast you need to manually edit the configuration file to slow down the welcome screen so you can actually see which keys to hit to enter Setup or choose the boot device. This is another example of lazy application development.
And not to belabor the point, example number five, VMWare only emulates multiple processors, NOT MULTIPLE CORES, so that Core 2 Dual you got there is useless if you run XP Home which only supports a single processor.
Now I don't know about you, but speaking as a developer, I think thoroughness and thoughtfulness on the part of the user interface is a good indication of the amount of effort that has gone under the surface to make the application work right.
As far as Parallels' performance is concerned, this is what I found. Now I can't speak for gamers, as I don't play games on my laptop. But Parallels is able to run industrial strength servers and development environments on my 2.0GHz, 2GB dual core MacBook faster than my 1.7GHz, 2GB single core Dell. So it definitely does what I want it to. And if you only run Office or Quicken, then you have nothing to worry about.
If you have made a transition to OS X and need a virtual environment to run your Windows apps, I encourage you to go download the trial versions of both Fusion and Parallels and do the testing yourself, using the applications that you want to use. Give it some time and don't get too excited by the initial wow factor of seeing your Windows application and your OS X application coexist side by side. Be thorough and dig deep, and you will find the choice you really want to live with day to day. And mine happens to be Parallels.Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac OverviewParallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac makes it easy to run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X without rebooting. With Parallels award winning virtualization technology, you can run Mac OS X and critical Windows applications such as Outlook, Access, QuickBooks, Internet Explorer and more, all at the same time. This new release of Parallels Desktop for Mac comes packed with 50+ new features and enhancements including the ability to drag-and-drop files between desktops, run Windows programs like native Mac applications and migrate your existing PC to your Mac. And with the Installation Wizard to help you get started, youll be up and running in just three clicks of the mouse!

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Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac - Old Version Review

Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac - Old Version
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Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac - Old Version ReviewThis is a very good PC emulator. It runs very fast. It uses Intel virtualization so it is able to run at near native speeds. I have run many of the Microsoft Office products as well as Developer Studio on it, it works great. A few things you should keep in mind:
** You Need a Copy of Windows
You will have to have your own copy of Windows to make use of this program. I thought I was going to use an upgrade CD that came with one of my computers that I no longer use. But Windows Genuine Advantage flagged it as an illegal copy of Windows, I guess it was licensed only for my old computer. Anyway, I bought a new copy of XP(an upgrade) and it worked just fine.
** Special Drivers
Parallels comes with some special drivers that they recommend that you install on whatever operating system you are using. This is not required. You can run the operating systems just as you would install them on any other computer. However installing the Parallels drivers increases performance. One really nice feature is the mouse driver. When the mouse driver is installed it allows you to simply drag the mouse over Parallels and click on things. Otherwise, you must click on the window first and switch your focus to the virtual machine.
** Games
I have run into some problems where the game will install just fine, but it will refuse to run saying that you must put the game's CD-ROM in. I assume this is because the virtual CD-ROM driver used by Parallels is not supporting the CD-ROM down to a low enough level to support the game's copy protection. One game that has this issue is the Sim's 2.
Also the 3d graphics are NOT virtualized. So any sort of 3d game will run as if you have no 3d acceleration hardware. Which is slow. Overall, the best way to run a game is "boot camp".
** Versions of Windows
I have used several versions of Windows on Parallels and it works great. I have tested both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
** Other Operating Systems
I have also used several flavors of Linux. It works very well. It really simulates a virtual computer, and you can install anything on it you like.
** You need RAM
Running this with less than 1gig of RAM can be painful. If you want to run several virtual machines I would suggest up to 2 gigs. However, one gig ran very well.
All in all this is a very good PC emulation and is quite fast. I have uses other emulators, that are just deadly slow. This one is quite usable. If you don't plan to use this for games, you will be very happy with this product. If you do want games its a little more hit and miss. Better to use Boot Camp.Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac - Old Version OverviewParallels Desktop 3 for Mac scores big with additions and enhancements that cover everything from enhanced 3D graphics to making sure that you can enjoy full access and control of your Windows applications from wherever you are with Parallels Mobile, our all-new iPhone/iPad mobile app.

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Final Cut Express 4 - Old Version Review

Final Cut Express 4 - Old Version
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Final Cut Express 4 - Old Version ReviewFinal Cut Express is a very powerful video editing package. If you are thinking about making the step up from iMovie (as I did), you need to understand that the level of sophistication and power in this package is exponentially greater than that of iMovie. If your video editng experience is limited to iMovie, don't expect to be able to install FCE and be off and running in an hour or two. You'll need to plan on investing some real time to learn the program.
This is in no way a criticism of FCE - it is as advertised, a "light" version of Final Cut Pro, which is used by professionals everywhere. I just want your expectations to be set properly. You'll need to invest in a third-party manual, as only soft copies of documentation are included, and they are for reference only, not for training. Just be CERTAIN that the manual you get is for the FCE 4 - there aren't many available as of this writing.
FCE is a very expansive and powerful program; just don't expect the type of plug-n-play results you got from iMovie. You'll need to spend time to understand the numerous differences in how iMovie and FCE operate.Final Cut Express 4 - Old Version OverviewDiscover powerful video editing for DV, HDV, and AVCHD. Final Cut Express 4 delivers a single, open format Timeline where you can edit all three, mixing formats and frame rates using the same pro-level editing tools available in Final Cut Pro. Import video projects directly from iMovie 08. Take advantage of LiveType to create dynamic, animated titles. Built-in audio controls let you mix up to 99 audio tracks even add a narrative voiceover. Perfect your movie with professional transitions and effects, including optional third-party FxPlug plug-ins. AVCHD video requires a Mac with an Intel processor.

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Office for Mac 2011 Home & Business - 2 Licenses - 1 user Review

Office for Mac 2011 Home and Business - 2 Licenses - 1 user
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Office for Mac 2011 Home & Business - 2 Licenses - 1 user ReviewBefore I start with the review, I would like to say a few things about myself and my experience with Microsoft Office products. I have been using various components of Microsoft Office for almost a couple of decades, on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Right now, I have a copy of Office 2008 on my Mac Mini , as well as Office 2007 on my Windows 7 (formerly Vista) laptop. I also occasionally use iWorks on my iPad, Google docs, and have had some experience with OpenOffice. I use word processing software on a daily basis, PowerPoint more or less regularly for the lectures that I give, Excel for various laboratory exercises, and Apple Mail or Outlook for part of my e-mailing needs.
I obtained my copy of Office 2011 through Amazon Vine products a day ahead of the official release, and have spent most of today playing with it and figuring out all of its new and noteworthy features. It is definitely a more than worthy successor of Office 2008, and a huge improvement across the board in almost every category. However, based on my experience, MS Office for Windows is still the gold standard in the category of business productivity software. This version of Office for Mac was supposed to be the first "real" Office in over a decade, and although it comes tantalizingly close to the equivalent Windows version, it is still far from a full-fledged clone. It will, however, make Macintosh computers respectable members of the professional business environment. The biggest improvement in that regard is the final inclusion of Outlook into the Mac version of the Office. Microsoft has also reinstated Visual Basic, which is
Some General Observation
Installation was very smooth and quick. There was no need to remove the previous version of the Office. The full install took up about 1.3 GB of hard drive space.
Office 2011 feels more powerful, more feature-rich and faster than its predecessor. The increase in speed is definitely noticeable, and if you use Office a lot in your line of work, this in itself will make it well worth the upgrade.
In terms of look and feel, the greatest new addition to all Office components is the introduction of Ribbon. Ribbon is an interface where a set of toolbars is placed on tabs in a tab bar. It is highly customizable, and it is context sensitive - various tasks have different ribbon configuration. Microsoft started using Ribbon in Office 2007 in place of taskbars. However, their ribbon has caused a lot of confusion since it was a radical departure from the usual taskbars. Even though the exclusive use of Ribbon declutters the look of various Office applications, it was not too intuitive to use at first. Office 2011 uses both the Ribbon as well as the taskbars, thus making a better and smoother transition to the new functionality. In this sense Office 2011 seems a hybrid of Office 2007 for Windows and Office 2008 for Mac. One of the major behind-the-scenes improvements of Office 2011 is the return of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), which was missing from previous versions of Office for Mac. This will facilitate creation of event-driven templates for all of the components of Office 2011. However, the greatest impact of the reintroduction of VBA will undoubtedly be felt in Excel, especially in creation of more sophisticated spreadsheets.
In recent months Microsoft has come up with an online version of Office that is sophisticated enough for most of one's everyday needs, and is positioned to compete directly with Google Docs. Office 2011 is designed to take a full advantage of this new online environment, including online and real-time collaboration with remote colleagues, as well as ample (25 GB as of this writing) online storage in form of SkyDrive. It is possible to directly save and open SkyDrive files from any Office application, as well as drag-and-drop them using Microsoft Document Connection which comes as standard with this version of Office. Personally, I would have liked if it were possible to access SkyDrive through Finder, but overall I am fairly satisfied with its functionality.
Word
One of the great new features is the publishing layouts. They turn Word into a serious desktop publishing tool, as well as a decent website editor. It will not replace Dreamweaver any time soon, but it will be more than effective for small-scale websites.
Word comes with many new themes and styles, which make publication of any sort of new document a breeze. Obtaining new themes and styles from the net has been streamlined, and can be done directly in Word itself.
Documents can now be viewed in a full screen view, which hides all the desktop background as well as both the taskbar and the Ribbon. The latter can still be accessed by moving the cursor to the top of the screen. Full screen is useful when you just want to concentrate on the document itself, whether you are reading it or writing a new one.
My biggest disappointment with this version of Word for Mac was the failure to include the blogging support. Ever since I discovered blogging support in Word 2007 this has been my favorite way of writing and publishing my blog posts. It brought together the full force of a powerful word processor with the simplicity of publishing with a press of a button. I was hoping that this feature will be incorporated into Office 2011, in which case I could start to completely rely on my Mac for all of my authoring needs. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. I guess it would be possible to use website templates to create my blog posts and then upload all the files and the generated html into my site, but this is a rather cumbersome hack to say the least. Microsoft may release a blogging add-on in the near future, but right now I am not counting on it.
Excel
The biggest and most noticeable changes in Excel that will affect majority of users are in terms of new visual aids and presentation styles. Now you can pepper even your datasheets with visual icons, graphics and other tools that help present the information in a much more intuitively accessible ways. Excel 2011 also uses Sparklines, a tool that highlights trends in your data. As mentioned earlier, you are now able to use VBA for more advanced data analysis and table formatting features. VBA is cross-platform compatible and your work should look and feel the same whether you are using it or viewing it on a Mac or a PC.
PowerPoint
Aside from the new look and feel that it shares with other Office 2011 apps, the new PowerPoint seems to have undergone the least amount of change. There are many new templates and visual tools, but some of these (such as video recording) are very limited in their usability. PowerPoint now allows you to directly publish your presentations online, even without Windows Live account. You can share the link to the online presentations with others, and they can view them directly in their browsers. However, it doesn't seem that all browsers are supported, and some of the more media-intense PowerPoint presentations may not play accurately.
Outlook
This is by far the snazziest and most user-friendly version of the Outlook that I have ever used. This is also probably the only Office component which truly feels native in OS X, which may be the reason why it feels so user-friendly. As mentioned earlier, Microsoft did not include Outlook as a part of the Office suite since 1998, and relied instead on a much weaker Entourage for its desktop mail client. This version of Outlook works well with both regular email accounts (such as Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) although I did have some trouble figuring out the correct server/account/password syntax. The same holds for the exchange server connections: most of the trouble usually stems from the obscure documentation for the particular exchange server that you are attempting to connect with. Once you are up and running, though, it is as smooth of a mail client as they come. The bad news is that this version of Outlook is only compatible with Exchange Server 2007 or the later editions. If your company still uses Exchange Server 2003 (or an earlier version) you will not be able to use Outlook with it.
Other Apps
Some other apps that are of interest are the already mentioned Microsoft Document Connection, as well as Microsoft Messenger and Remote Desktop Connection. Microsoft Document Connection is very useful for storing various files onto SkyDrive, including non-Office files such as pdf documents. However, even though SkyDrive comes pre-configured with folders titled "Music" and "Pictures" I was unable to upload jpeg or mp3 files. This is rather odd, but hopefully it will change in the future.
I don't really get to use Microsoft Messenger all that much, but from what I can tell this is more or less the standard version of the app, with a few small tweaks here and there.
Remote Desktop Connection is a neat way of connecting with Windows machines on your local network. However, it does require that you are familiar with what sorts of computers you have connected locally, as well as that all of them are set up correctly for network-sharing.
Conclusion
This is definitely a major upgrade of the Office for Mac, and if you are a power user getting the latest version of this product is a no-brainer. This is especially true if you collaborate on documents and projects with others a lot, or need Outlook for your e-mailing needs. However, if you are more of a casual user you will perceive Office 2011 more as an evolution than a true leap forward. You will probably do just fine for now by sticking to Office 2008.
Office for Mac 2011 Home & Business - 2 Licenses - 1 user Overview
With over 1 billion PCs and Macs running Office, Microsoft Office is the most-trusted and most-used productivity suite around the world. And Office for Mac 2011 is here to help you do more with your Mac on your terms. Use Word to create dynamic papers, Excel to format your data quickly, PowerPoint to help engage your audience and take your ideas further, and Outlook to stay close to your contacts and calendars. And since Office for Mac is compatible with Office for Windows, you can work on documents with virtually anyone on a Mac or PC. It's the easiest way to create, share, and access your documents from almost anywhere.

2-Pack Version
Licensed for one (1) user for install on two (2) Macs. A single pack license is also available.

What's New and Improved Manage your email and calendars with features that simplify staying connected and up to date.

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Mac OS X Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User) Review

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User)
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Mac OS X Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User) ReviewGreat, but not essential
Is Apple's latest operating system, Snow Leopard, a strong, reliable OS that demonstrates the versatility of Macs? Yes
That being said, is Snow Leopard an essential upgrade? No, not exactly.
THE DIFFERENCE IS NOT THAT DRASTIC
The differences between Apple's "Tiger" OS (10.4) and "Leopard" (10.5) were very noticeable, and there were many improvements that made the upgrade worthwhile. Such as Time Machine, Boot Camp, Quick Look, and many more The bulk of changes between Leopard (10.5) and this latest release, "Snow Leopard" (10.6), are "under the hood" so to speak, and therefore the average user might not notice as much of a change as they'd expect with an OS upgrade. But then again, why fix a bone that's not broken? Leopard was a success, and Snow Leopard improves on it, without radically altering the user experience. The majority of improvements affect system reliability, speed, and resourcefulness. There is also Microsoft Exchange support, which is great for those who need it.
EXPECTATIONS
I bought the Snow Leopard upgrade knowing full well it wasn't going to be a drastically different OS, so I was by no means disappointed. I've been following the tech news regarding Mac and Windows operating system upgrades very closely, and am well aware that August's release of Apple's Snow Leopard and October's release of Microsoft's
Windows 7 are meant to provide additional stability and implement greater resourcefulness, rather than completely overhaul the user experience. This isn't a bad thing, since greater system reliability is more important than adding bells and whistles that ultimately take away from the user experience (i.e. Vista).
EXPERIENCE
I have only installed it on only one computer so far (running on an Intel chip and 4GB of RAM), but installation was a breeze, and Snow Leopard has been running smoothly so far. I previously strongly disliked `Preview' and `Quicktime' since they were so slow (I preferred freeware `Xee' and `VLC Media Player'). With Snow Leopard, loading times have noticeably improved for both Preview and Quicktime. I haven't yet noticed other improvements in speed, but that might be because my computer was already fast to begin with (4GB is great!).
Additionally, while I personally upgraded from Leopard to Snow Leopard, it is nice to know that even if you weren't using OS 10.5 (Leopard) and were still on OS 10.4 (Tiger), you can upgrade directly to OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
LAST THOUGHTS
I didn't have issues with Leopard, so I don't think Snow Leopard was to me as essential an upgrade as Windows 7 will be to Windows Vista. That being said, Snow Leopard is a very strong and reliable OS, so I don't regret my purchase. The low price makes this an affordable upgrade solution, but due to the lack of drastic changes between Snow Leopard and its predecessor, one that isn't absolutely necessary.Mac OS X Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User) Overview
Mac OS X Snow Leopard is an even more powerful and refined version of the world's most advanced operating system. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use. New core technologies unleash the power of today's advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation. And Snow Leopard includes built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, so you can use your Mac at home and at work.

Family Pack License
Install and use one copy on a maximum of five (5) Apple computers in the same household.

The world's most advanced operating system. Finely tuned.

Top Updates in Mac OS X
Mac OS X is the world's most advanced operating system. Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation and designed to be simple and intuitive, it's what makes the Mac innovative, highly secure, compatible, and easy to use.
The next-generation media technology, QuickTime X powers the audio and video experience in Snow Leopard.

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Final Cut Studio - Old Version Review

Final Cut Studio - Old Version
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Final Cut Studio - Old Version ReviewComplete video editing suite. Editing, Motion Graphics, Color Correction, Compression, Sound Recording and editing DVD authoring.
Some of these are simple to learn. I found Final Cut editing to be easy to use. Most of this is difficult to learn, but powerful to implement. Buy the PeachTree Apple Certification books.
I am not an expert at this. Here is what I found.
The Color suite is more Unix based and does not use the Apple file system, so if you have multiple hard drives and don't know UNIX well, you might have a hard time finding your files. I have 18 drives hooked up to my machine. I gave up and tabled further study until later. Next time I'll move the files over to my scratch disk with Finder and work on project entirely there. I was disappointed the new version did not fix this. It looks like a Unix program, not a clean looking Apple interface. Truthfully, I did not put much time into Color. I've seen professional demonstrations, and wish I recorded them. Those guys make it look so easy.
I found the sound editing package worked well, shifting between time and frequency domains made it easy to edit out pops of sound, mic thuds, etc. However, I could not re-import into Final Cut. More study needed.
The shear number of video formats will melt your brain. I might have to take a course on that. I wish it was more simple. Frankly I don't understand much of that. Pro Res 422 is a common format, but there are also iPod formats, SD formats, ok the number of formats is around 30 or so. That is a lot of different formats. Someone explain what they all are used for, and give me a way to blank out the non-US formats.
Motion graphics seemed somewhat easy to use, with a book for a study guide. I produced some cool special effects for titles in a short period of time. I could really get into that. Some people do this for a living. Very impressive.
DVD authoring was a snap. I found that marking chapters needed to be done in advance in Final Cut. Aside from that one issue, it was easy to produce a DVD that would play with chapter heading, slide shows, or anything else you might like. What a great way to back up still picture archives?
Some people like Avid. I can't comment on that. I think FCP is a great program, despite it's flaws. It is worth learning and mastering. Do not expect to master each book or application individually. Try instead to produce a small video using all of these elements and then build on your expertise in the individual elements once you understand the basics of each application.
Also, be advised if you are serious about learning this application, you want the most powerful Mac you can afford. The rendering times for Final Cut can take a while. Faster CPU's mean less of your time is spent waiting for such actions to complete. If you can afford a new MAC PRO you are on the right track, although newer MacBook Pro or iMac will do the job, albeit, it will take longer.
RAID is your friend so a Mac Pro is really the way to go. I'd put a SSD drive in the second optical bay and four RAID 0, 2 TB drives in the four drive bays. This would be a good minimal configuration.
Final Cut Studio - Old Version Overview
Edit, animate, mix, grade, and deliver on a Mac with Final Cut Studio. It includes more than 100 powerful new features. Use new versions of the ProRes codec to edit at high quality with reduced file sizes in a wide variety of workflows. Work with clients or colleagues in real time from anywhere in the world using iChat Theater. Add dramatic 3D graphics, repair common audio problems, and automate delivery in just a few clicks. The leading post-production suite now includes significant upgrades to Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Soundtrack Pro and updated versions of Color and Compressor. It also includes DVD Studio Pro, the industry standard for DVD authoring.

The leading post-production suite is even better. The new Final Cut Studio.

Top Features
Expanded ProRes family.
Edit even faster at higher quality across workflows ranging from offline editing to broadcast events to high-fidelity compositing.

Easy export.
Use the new Share window in Final Cut Pro 7 or Motion 4 for single-click delivery to your Apple devices, the web, a Blu-ray disc, or a DVD.

iChat Theater support.
Work with clients or colleagues in real time from anywhere in the world. Just send your Final Cut Pro video to iChat Theater.
Soundtrack Pro makes it easy to edit and mix sound for picture, with point-and-click tools and seamless round-tripping with Final Cut Pro.

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Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 - 1 Pack Review

Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 - 1 Pack
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Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 - 1 Pack ReviewIn general, I think Office 2011 is a good upgrade to 2008. A lot of the deficiences in Office 2008 have been addressed, and the application is a bit more "mac like".
PROS:
Probably the biggest change people will see out of the gate are interface changes. I think the move to a more "ribbon like" interface was a good one, that helps keep everything you want together (especially on multiple monitors), but the formatting toolbars are still around if you want to back to those.
Help is now Apple help based, all versions support Automator actions, apps are much more friendly to spaces, spotlight and time machine, VBA is back, etc.
Outlook is a great addition if you're connecting your Mac to an Exchange server at work, and is actually pretty decent on it's own. I think I may actually prefer it to Mail.app, but we'll see how my thoughts are over a longer time scale.
CONS:
Office 2011 is now intel only, but considering the fact that Apple has also started dropping PowerPC support, I don't think that's a huge deal.
Licensing has changed for the business version, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on your situation. Office 2008 let you install a copy on a desktop and a portable computer. Office 2011 now comes in a "1 license" and "2 license" version. If you don't have 2 computers, this might be a positive thing for you, but if you've got a desktop and a laptop, you're probably not too happy about it.
Office 2011 also does require activation, although that's quick and painless. I'm sure some people won't like it though.Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 - 1 Pack Overview
With over 1 billion PCs and Macs running Office, Microsoft Office is the most-trusted and most-used productivity suite around the world. And Office for Mac 2011 is here to help you do more with your Mac on your terms. Use Word to create dynamic papers, Excel to format your data quickly, PowerPoint to help engage your audience and take your ideas further, and Outlook to stay close to your contacts and calendars. And since Office for Mac is compatible with Office for Windows, you can work on documents with virtually anyone on a Mac or PC. It's the easiest way to create, share, and access your documents from almost anywhere.

1-Pack Version
Licensed for one (1) user for install on one (1) Mac. A multi-user license is also available.

What's New and Improved Manage your email and calendars with features that simplify staying connected and up to date.

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Office for Mac 2011 Home & Student -Family Pack Review

Office for Mac 2011 Home and Student -Family Pack
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Office for Mac 2011 Home & Student -Family Pack ReviewOffice 2011 has a number of new, very useful features, and is a refinement over the previous edition of Office for Mac. The program is cleaner in appearance and much faster to load. There are two glaring issues, however, that would lead me to STRONGLY advise against purchase of the software at this time. First, there are widespread issues with product activation. Office 2011 comes with a new "activation PIN" that must be activated by the sale merchant (similar to how a giftcard will not work unless they scan it at the register). You are then required to enter the PIN on Microsoft's website, at which point (if all has gone well), you will receive your product ID (CD key) that you then use to install the software. In theory, the process should be painless---but Microsoft has been having issues nationwide with activation of the PIN (even if you pay for the software) and I had to deal with about a week's worth of hassles and e-mails/phone calls between Microsoft and my vendor before I could get my legitimately bought-and-paid-for software installable on my computer.
Second, despite its flashiness and cosmetic improvements, this software is just not ready for prime-time in terms of stability. This is an essential point for anyone that works on important (or long) documents--you do not want to risk using this product, because it has not been adequately beta-tested or debugged, and the development team and Microsoft have not provided its customers the courtesy nor respect in ensuring data loss is minimized when using their software. The previous version of Office for Mac has been out for a while and has had hundreds if not thousands of megabytes worth of updates and patches over the years, which makes it relatively reliable to work on. Prior to purchasing Office 2011, you should be aware that there are significant stability issues with MS Excel that make even window-rendering painfully (and reproducibly) difficult (this is on a well-equipped Core i7 Macbook Pro)--where the screen stutters and ghosts when you try and resize documents, for example. MS Word has a glaring bug in it that causes it to, at times, abruptly quit, or worse, convert lengthy documents into asterisks without warning (or option for recovery). Microsoft has been notified of these issues but it is unclear whether or if they are working on solutions. I would recommend sticking with the previous iteration of MS Office, wait for at least 6-8 months prior to purchasing this, or use something alternatively that has an established track record of stability, ease-of-use, and features, such as Apple's iWork.Office for Mac 2011 Home & Student -Family Pack Overview
With over 1 billion PCs and Macs running Office, Microsoft Office is the most-trusted and most-used productivity suite ever. And Office for Mac 2011 is here to help you do more with your Mac your way. Use familiar applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help you take your ideas further. And since Office for Mac is compatible with Office for Windows, you can work on documents with virtually anyone on a Mac or PC. Store your files in a password protected online SkyDrive folder to access, edit, or share your work from virtually anywhere with the free Office Web Apps.

Family Pack Version
Licensed for home and student use on three (3) Macs per household; not for use in any commercial, non-profit, or revenue generating business activities, or by any government organization.

What's New and Improved Powerful writing tools help you create outstanding documents, then store, edit, and share your work easily on the web.

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Mac OS X version 10.6.3 Snow Leopard Review

Mac OS X version 10.6.3 Snow Leopard
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Mac OS X version 10.6.3 Snow Leopard ReviewIs Apple's latest operating system, Snow Leopard, a strong, reliable OS that demonstrates the versatility of Macs? Yes
That being said, is Snow Leopard an essential upgrade? No, not exactly.
THE DIFFERENCE IS NOT THAT DRASTIC
The differences between Apple's "Tiger" OS (10.4) and "Leopard" (10.5) were very noticeable, and there were many improvements that made the upgrade worthwhile. Such as Time Machine, Boot Camp, Quick Look, and many more The bulk of changes between Leopard (10.5) and this latest release, "Snow Leopard" (10.6), are "under the hood" so to speak, and therefore the average user might not notice as much of a change as they'd expect with an OS upgrade. But then again, why fix a bone that's not broken? Leopard was a success, and Snow Leopard improves on it, without radically altering the user experience. The majority of improvements affect system reliability, speed, and resourcefulness. There is also Microsoft Exchange support, which is great for those who need it.
EXPECTATIONS
I bought the Snow Leopard upgrade knowing full well it wasn't going to be a drastically different OS, so I was by no means disappointed. I've been following the tech news regarding Mac and Windows operating system upgrades very closely, and am well aware that August's release of Apple's Snow Leopard and October's release of Microsoft's
Windows 7 are meant to provide additional stability and implement greater resourcefulness, rather than completely overhaul the user experience. This isn't a bad thing, since greater system reliability is more important than adding bells and whistles that ultimately take away from the user experience (i.e. Vista).
EXPERIENCE
I have only installed it on only one computer so far (running on an Intel chip and 4GB of RAM), but installation was a breeze, and Snow Leopard has been running smoothly so far. I previously strongly disliked `Preview' and `Quicktime' since they were so slow (I preferred freeware `Xee' and `VLC Media Player'). With Snow Leopard, loading times have noticeably improved for both Preview and Quicktime. I haven't yet noticed other improvements in speed, but that might be because my computer was already fast to begin with (4GB is great!).
Additionally, while I personally upgraded from Leopard to Snow Leopard, it is nice to know that even if you weren't using OS 10.5 (Leopard) and were still on OS 10.4 (Tiger), you can upgrade directly to OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
LAST THOUGHTS
I didn't have issues with Leopard, so I don't think Snow Leopard was to me as essential an upgrade as Windows 7 will be to Windows Vista. That being said, Snow Leopard is a very strong and reliable OS, so I don't regret my purchase. The low price makes this an affordable upgrade solution, but due to the lack of drastic changes between Snow Leopard and its predecessor, one that isn't absolutely necessary.Mac OS X version 10.6.3 Snow Leopard Overview
Mac OS X Snow Leopard is an even more powerful and refined version of the world's most advanced operating system. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use. New core technologies unleash the power of today's advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation. And Snow Leopard includes built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, so you can use your Mac at home and at work.

The world's most advanced operating system. Finely tuned.

Top Updates in Mac OS X
Mac OS X is the world's most advanced operating system. Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation and designed to be simple and intuitive, it's what makes the Mac innovative, highly secure, compatible, and easy to use.
The next-generation media technology, QuickTime X powers the audio and video experience in Snow Leopard.

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Office for Mac Home & Student 2011 - 1 Pack Review

Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 - 1 Pack
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Office for Mac Home & Student 2011 - 1 Pack ReviewIt may have had some bugs before (which is probably why it has some low reviews) but the current version works smoothly with OS X Lion. I had no problems installing it or putting in the product code. Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint all work just like they do on windows and docs/presentations/spreadsheets can be transfered to windows computers. So far I've had no problems with any of the 3 and am very pleased with my purchase. A must have for all Mac users.
Do note that it comes with Word, Powerpoint and Excel. If you want Outlook you need another version that includes it or you can but this version and buy Outlook later. This version will give you the Outlook icon when you install the other 3 and if you click on it you have the option to buy Outlook.Office for Mac Home & Student 2011 - 1 Pack Overview
With over 1 billion PCs and Macs running Office, Microsoft Office is the most-trusted and most-used productivity suite ever. And Office for Mac 2011 is here to help you do more with your Mac your way. Use familiar applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help you take your ideas further. And since Office for Mac is compatible with Office for Windows, you can work on documents with virtually anyone on a Mac or PC. Store your files in a password protected online SkyDrive folder to access, edit, or share your work from virtually anywhere with the free Office Web Apps.

1-Pack Version
Licensed for home and student use on 1 (one) Mac; not for use in any commercial, non-profit, or revenue generating business activities, or by any government organization.

What's New and Improved Powerful writing tools help you create outstanding documents, then store, edit, and share your work easily on the web.

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VMware Fusion 4 Review

VMware Fusion 4
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VMware Fusion 4 ReviewA long time user of VMware Fusion 3.x, I was hoping all would be well with my upgrade to OS X Lion. In fact it was seamless. But then VMware immediately had their Fusion 4.x offering to take advantage of tighter integration of your Windows 7 client. I took the leap of faith in VMware products, and upgraded to Fusion 4.x, and the whole thing went without a hitch. I had read prior to instalation of version 4, that version 3 had to be put in the trash, which I did, simply by dragging the version 3.x app from the /Applications folder into the trash. Then I inserted the instalation disc into my iMac, and to my surprise, version 4 comes with a specific icon to push if you are upgrading from version 3. After the rapid instalation took place, I booted my existing clients, and was relieved to see everything was intact, and Fusion 4 recognized that VMware tools needed to be updated on the client, and proceeded to perform that upgrade without any surprises. Everything was seamless, and just worked the first time. Now my client machines are treated as simply another desktop in Lion, when I run them full screen, which is my normal habit. This means you can use the swipe gesture to get to your Windows clients. Could not be more simple. I've yet to run into any issues, which is more than I can say for OS X Lion, which, as well known breaks many older applications built for pre-Intel macs.VMware Fusion 4 Overview
Switch to a Mac and Run Windows Programs Without Rebooting
VMware Fusion 4 has been refined from the inside-out to give users the easiest, fastest and most reliable experience in running Windows applications on a Mac without rebooting. With over 90 new features including OS X Lion optimization, an even more Mac-like design and next-generation 64-bit performance, VMware Fusion 4 is the best way to run Windows on a Mac without rebooting.
Migration assistant makes it easy to transfer your entire PC to your Mac.

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