Apple iLife updates Aug08 '07

Here are some quick thoughts on what I like and dislike with the latest updates to Apple's suite of iLife tools. Next to each application is a "Yes!", "Hmm", or "Nah", to indicate my interest.

iPhoto '08 - Nah.

List of enhancements from Apple.com:

Organize by Events
.Mac Web Gallery
Powerful Editing Tools
Unified Search
Theme-Based Home Printing
New Photo Books & Calendars

I've used iPhoto before, but not lately. I've found using a "custom setup" has worked better for me. I discussed my new Flickr upload approach, which pretty much sums up the idea.

Here is a breakdown of each area:

View collections of photos in the Finder.
Crop, adjust, and edit in my preferred photo-editing application (GraphicConverter or Adobe Photoshop).
Upload individual photos to Flickr for sharing and printing.

I like using the Finder because it's immediately open, and takes up much less processing power than launching iPhoto.

I think it's obvious iPhoto's image-editing capabilities are inferior to the likes of GraphicConverter or Adobe Photoshop, although the one benefit of using iPhoto is that you wouldn't have to launch multiple applications.

I'm a firm follower of Flickr. It's the most superior image-sharing application on the web, since day one. The new .Mac Web Gallery is impressive, but I can't see myself switching just yet.

iMovie '08 - Hmm.

I've never used previous versions of iMovie. The only reason I may find this product useful is because more devices are starting to support movie recording, such as my digital camera. I can certainly see some possibilities of recording short movies and uploading directly to YouTube, via iMovie.

GarageBand '08 - Yes!

List of enhancements from Apple.com:

Magic GarageBand
Arrangements
Multi-Take Recording
Visual EQ
Automation
New Vocals Jam Pack

I'm an pretty regular user of GarageBand, and these enhancements are impressive. Namely, Arrangements and Multi-Take Recording. This should speed up the recording process quite a bit.

iWeb '08 - Hmm.

List of enhancements from Apple.com:

Web Widgets
Google Maps & Google AdSense
My Album Pages
Enhanced Photo Pages
Theme Switching
Personal Domain Names

It appears the iWeb engine has matured greatly. What I disliked about previous versions of iWeb was that although the process was incredibly smooth, there were key drawbacks, such as messy URL's and "Built on a Mac" stamps everywhere. Needless to say, my iWeb pages were anything but personalized for me.

You can't get more personal than using your own personal domain name. The added support for Google applications is useful too.

iDVD '08 - Nah.

I've never used previous versions of iDVD, and I don't plan on using this version.

Overall

It's worth a purchase for GarageBand and the possibility of using iWeb for interesting projects. Remember, you need a .Mac membership in order to use iWeb.

Categories: Apple , Software

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matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.