Brief Hands-On Report--iTunes 7.6, QuickTime 7.4, iMovie Update 7.1.1 and Front Row Update 2.1.2

Apple did not release Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update yesterday but did release a slew of software updates for Mac OS X and the iPhone. The updates are available via Software Update or as a stand-alone file from this Apple Web page or via iTunes 7.6:

iTunes 7.6

Rent and download your favorite movies with iTunes on your computer or directly to your living room on Apple TV. Enjoy rented movies in sizes up to 720p HD with surround sound on your Apple TV and sizes up to DVD-quality on your computer. Transfer your rented movies from iTunes to your iPod or iPhone and enjoy them on the go.

Also, purchase and download your favorite TV shows, music, and more directly on your Apple TV. Effortlessly transfer purchases made on Apple TV back to your computer with iTunes.

QuickTime 7.4

QuickTime 7.4 addresses security issues and delivers:
- Numerous bug fixes
- Support for iTunes

iMovie Update 7.1.1

This update addresses issues when publishing movies to a .Mac Web Gallery, improves overall stability, and addresses a number of other minor issues.

Front Row Update 2.1.2

This Front Row update provides for bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility.

We downloaded and installed all updates on a variety of Macs: Mac mini Core Duo (Leopard); Mac Book Pro Core 2 Duo (Leopard), PowerBook G4 (Leopard); PowerMac G4 Cube (Leopard and Leopard Server) and iMac (white) Core 2 Duo (Tiger). The downloads and installations went fine. We briefly ran each updated application and used iTunes 7.6 to update our iPhone's software and firmware. No problems were encountered as usual. [Bill Fox]

[1/16] Brief Report--Steve Jobs' Macworld Keynote Announcements

In his Macworld 2008 keynote address, billed as "There's something in the air.", Steve Jobs announced four new Apple items:

1. MacBook Air--An ultra-portable notebook for $1799-$3197. Only 3lbs with a very thin (0.76" to 0.16") aluminum case, 13.3" screen, full-size back-lit keyboard, iSight, 80GB 1.8" drive or optional 64GB solid state drive and a 5hr battery. I will have separate comments on the MacBook Air later.

2. Time Capsule--An AirPort Extreme Base Station with integrated 500Gb/1TB hard drive as a companion for Time Machine backups for $299 and $499.

3. Apple TV 2.0 with software for renting movies directly via iTunes Movie Rentals without engaging a Mac for $229. Current Apple TV owners will get a software/firmware update via download. Movie rentals from all major studios (11) cost $2.99 ("classics"), $3.99 (new) or $4.99 (HD). They are good for 30 days to view and for 24 hours after viewing. The only inexplicable glitch is that new movies are not available until 30 days after their release on DVD--this puts Apple 30 days behind Blockbuster and NetFlix.

4. New iPhone/iPod touch Software/Firmware v1.1.3:

• iPhone Software/Firmware 1.1.3--GPS-like location positioning on Maps, SMS texting to multiple recipients, customized home screens, IMAP for Gmail, iTunes Store movie rentals, video chapters and sub-titles, lyrics support in iPod mode. Download 1.1.3 free via iTunes 7.6. I will have separate comments on the iPod Software 1.1.3 later.
• iPod touch Software/Firmware 1.1.3--Maps, Mail, Stock Notes and Weather plus the new iPhone updates. Free with new iPod touch or an inexplicable $20 download from iTunes Store for current iPod touch owners.

A QuickTime streaming video of the keynote is available on this Apple Web page.

[1/14] Is Microsoft Office 2008 faster than Office 2004?

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac will be out Tuesday, January 15, and MacTech just released a preview of their extensive benchmark study of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. MacTech's goal was to see how well Office applications performed compared to Office 2004 under both Apple's Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard, across a variety of configurations. The large suite of over 2500 tests was performed comparing the PowerBook G4, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Intel iMac, and Mac Pro.

So, is Office 2008 faster than 2004?

• On Intel-based Macs: YES
• On PowerPC-based Macs: NO, in fact, 2008 runs mostly slower.

Does Office 2008 run faster on Leopard than Tiger?

• On Intel-based Macs: YES.

The full analysis and results will be published in the March 2008 issue of
MacTech Magazine. The preview of the results is available immediately on this MacTech Web page. [Bill Fox]

[1/10] Adobe releasing Photoshop Elements 6.0 for Leopard in Q2

Adobe's Photoshop Elements for Mac will be updated to version 6.0 during the second quarter of 2008. Version 6.0 will run on Intel and PowerPC Macs running Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later and will be compatible with Mac OS X 10.5.x "Leopard."

Photoshop Elements 6 software for Mac combines power and simplicity so consumers at all experience levels can easily achieve outstanding results with their digital photos. In advance of its early Q2 2008 ship date, the Macintosh community will get its first peek at the new product features during the Macworld Conference & Expo, Jan. 14-17, 2008 in San Francisco.

New features based on proprietary Photomerge technology let users easily combine the best facial expressions and body language from a series of shots to create a single, perfect group shot. The new Quick Selection Tool reduces a once time-consuming select-and-adjust task to a single click. Photographers – beginner to expert – can choose from one of three edit modes, each geared toward a different experience level. A new Guided Edit mode helps walk users through the steps of improving a photo. Photoshop Elements 6 software streamlines editing with clean, uncluttered screens that draw focus to the photos, with new tabs providing simple access to the many capabilities of the program. Additional enhancements include an improved conversion tool that dramatically converts color images into elegant, nuanced black-and-whites.

Adobe Photoshop Elements for Mac 6.0 is now available for pre-order for $89.99 (upgrade for $69.95) from this Adobe Web page. Shipping is free with a pre-order until March 24. Information about other language versions, as well as pricing, upgrade and support policies for other countries is available on this Adobe Web page.

I mostly use Adobe's Photoshop Elements to edit images rather than the more complex Photoshop or Photoshop Extended. [Bill Fox]

[1/9] [Updated] Fastest Mac Ever hits the Street--Somewhat more Expensive

Yesterday, Apple released a faster Mac Pro with the highest end model sporting two of the latest Intel 45-nm process Penryn "Harpertown" quad-core (8 cores) CPUs running at 3.2GHz.

According to Apple, the standard Mac Pro is now twice as fast as the previous standard Mac Pro. But the standard configuration with dual quad-core 2.8GHz Intel Penryn CPUs is $2799, some $300 more that the previous standard version with two dual-core 2.66GHz Intel "Woodcrest" CPUs at $2499.

The lower end Mac Pro is faster for $100 more. It has one quad-core 2.8GHz Intel "Penryn" CPU for $2299, $100 more the previous low end Mac Pro with two dual-core 2.0GHz Intel "Woodcrest" CPUs.

At the high end is the dual quad-core 3.2 GHz "Penryn" model for $4399. The previous top end Mac Pro sported a dual quad-core 3.0GHz Intel "Clovertown" CPU for $3997, some $403 less.

The fast graphics card is now an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT for only $200 more rather than an ATI Radeon X1900 at $550 more. This makes the new top end Mac Pro with an upgraded graphics card only $50 more than the older model.

The new and faster Mac Pro will be welcomed by the pros but why were they released the week before Macworld? Probably because they are just a speed bump with no really new features. In addition, they are more expensive than the configuration versions they replace.

Update: While the configurations are more expensive than the previous same level configurations, you do get more value as some readers pointed out, i.e. not only are they faster but you get more RAM, a larger drive and a better graphics card. Indeed, when comparing 3GHz dual 8-core models configured almost identically, the new model costs almost $400 less ($3599 vs $3997). In that sense, the new Mac Pros are actually less expensive. [Bill Fox]