Macworld articles from July 2004

Macworld archives from July 2004

Net results.(home networks demand)(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING AT A MAGAZINE FOR A long time when you see the same story come around for a third time. And if you've been a Macworld reader for at least six years, you, too, may find that the topic of this month's cover...

Tips accepted.(Feedback)
July 1, 2004... Whom should you tip? Food servers, cab drivers, and--unless you want to end up looking like someone who belongs in a Flock of Seagulls tribute band--anyone who cuts your hair. But after the April 2004 issue featuring Panther pointers, some...

Opening tip-off.(Feedback)(Switching between applications)
July 1, 2004... ROBB MOATS # Rob Griffiths suggests utilizing Fast User Switching when a presentation requires a software demonstration ("Panther Secrets Declassified," April 2004). The problem with this is that you have to escape from the full-screen...

Quicken versus Moneydance.(Feedback)(Apple Computers Inc. products)
July 1, 2004... ANDY PASTUSZAK # I was deeply disappointed by Macworld's roundup of personal finance software (Reviews, April 2004). Quicken has a long-time bug that many users have seen often: a failure to properly reconcile accounts. I often reconcile...

Serving notice.(Feedback)(Apple Computer Inc. new product)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... JEFF MAO # In his roundup of e-mail servers (Reviews, April 2004), Michael Genrich states that you could buy the unlimited-client version of Apple's Mac OS X Server 10.3 for $999. But the ten-client version of OS X Server ($499) doesn't...

A wireless vision.(Feedback)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... JEFF PIOTROWSKI # I was in awe after reading "I Spy with iSight" (Geek Factor, April 2004). Two big thumbs-up to Evological Software and Bensoftware for thinking outside the box for the iSight's use. To think even further outside the box,...

Better secure than sorry.(Feedback)(opinion for password protection for laptops and computers )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... RICK OBERNDORF # "Laptop Lockdown" (Mobile Mac, April 2004) was great. I have a couple of suggestions. While password-protected accounts are a good idea, a thief could easily bypass the protection by starting up with a CD-ROM and holding...

I see an angry reader ...(Feedback)
July 1, 2004... BRYAN THOMPSON # I was very surprised and dismayed to see you employ the services of an astrologer and a psychic in "Future Fortunes" (Mac Beat, February 2004). I'd be much more likely to take seriously a prediction by Adam C. Engst than...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2004... Due to an editing error, our April 2004 review of personal finance packages stated that Moneydance 2003 lacks predefined accounts. In fact, Moneydance ships with an extensive set of predefined accounts. In "Focus on the iPod" (May 2004), a...

Content king: Veredus[TM] 2.0 delivers single sourcing with the power of XML.(Special Advertising Supplement)(Rascal Software speaks about Veredus 2.0)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Today's business and technical writers demand sophisticated authoring tools. While there is no shortage of products to choose from, many require a lot of technical know-how and even coding experience. Writers are finding that the tools are...

Comparing Office 2004 for Mac with its Windows counterpart: Office versus Office.(Mac Beat)
July 1, 2004... Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit kicked off 2004 by unveiling new features in a planned update to the Mac version of Office, and the company has barely broken stride since. In the months leading up to the May release of Office 2004,...

PowerBooks, iBooks get faster CPUs: portable power play.(Mac Beat)
July 1, 2004... With the latest updates to its line of laptops, Apple hopes to appeal to the inner speed demon of mobile Mac users. This bump up in processing power boosts the top speed of the PowerBook G4 to 1.5GHz and the top speed of the iBook to 1.2GHz....

Multimedia beat.(Mac Beat)(various multimedia software information)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... 3D Layer 1.0, from Digital Anarchy (www.digitalanarchy.com): Plug-in for Adobe After Effects, Discreet Combustion, and Apple Final Cut Pro provides special effects that can be distorted, extruded, and modeled using 3-D meshes ($149). iVCD...

Education beat.(Mac Beat)(Comsol and Maplesoft speaks about Femlab 3.0 and Maple 9.5 Scientific software)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... FemLab 3.0a, from Comsol (www.comsol.com): Scientific-modeling software adds support for OS X 10.3; the multiphysics modeling program also integrates with MathWorks Matlab (contact Comsol for pricing). Maple 9.5, from Maplesoft...

Disk-repair alternatives abound: utilities shut down.(Mac Beat)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Norton Utilities has been part of Mac users' tool kits for 15 years. But the venerable disk-repair and -optimization utility's days on the Mac are numbered: Symantec (www.symantec.com) has announced that it's dropping future development of both...

Intego's warning creates a stir: a Trojan among us?(Mac Beat)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Intego (www.intego.com) caused quite a stir in April, when the utility maker announced that its Virus-Barrier software's definitions had been updated to catch the first Trojan horse affecting Mac OS X users. Suddenly, Mac users were scrambling...

What's the future of Mac support on the PDA? A read on Palm.(Mac Beat)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Things looked grim for PDA-loving Mac users at the PalmSource developers' conference in February. It was there that PalmSource--the company that develops and licenses both Palm OS and synchronization software--announced that its new Palm OS...

Apple updates iTunes, online music store: not the same old song-and-dance.(Mac Beat)
July 1, 2004... Apple marked the first anniversary of the iTunes Music Store's launch by updating the eponymous music jukebox application and adding new features to the online store. While bumping the number of computers authorized to play songs bought at the...

Hardware beat.(Mac Beat)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... InFocus X2, from InFocus (www.infocus.com): Digital projector features native SVGA resolution ($999). MFC-8440, MFC-8840D, and MFC-8840DN, from Brother International (www.brother.com): Three five-in-one flatbed laser multifunction printers...

Productivity beat.(Mac Beat)(ConceptDraw mindmap 3.0, Datawerkz 2.0 and Six degree 2.0 from Computer Systems Odessa, Uwertz ,Creo )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... ConceptDraw MindMap 3.0, from Computer Systems Odessa (www.conceptdraw.com): Brain-storming tool adds an outline view, new user interface, and performance enhancements for working with large maps (Standard Edition: $99; upgrade, $39;...

Publishing power! Adobe's Creative Suite presents a complete and flexible design solution.(Advertising Supplement)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... For creative professionals around the world, feature-rich applications from Adobe are the de facto gold standard when it comes to publishing content for print or for the Web. Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and so on are like...

Take a stand.(Advertising Supplement)(Delta deisgn groups Xt-Stand notebooks)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... With notebook computers increasingly serving as replacements for desktops, it is vital that users properly position their notebooks at their desks to minimize typing fatigue and to insure adequate cooling. The ingenious XT-STAND from Delta...

For desk jockeys only.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Second only to their beds, it is their desks at which many professionals spend the most time. That's why it makes perfect sense to consider a desk built as ergonomically correctly as possible, and that means Biomorph (www.biomorph.com), makers...

The best gets better.(Advertising Supplement)(Mac OS 10.3, code named Panther)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2004... AS one of the beneficiaries of Apple's 30-year tradition in developing innovative technology and building rock-solid computers, you no doubt bought your Mac because you wanted an easy-to-learn-and-live-with machine that conforms to you--and not...

Octiv's volume logic.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... For music aficionados, "mastering" usually implies the use of advanced audio processing by skilled engineers to make all the songs on a CD sound like they belong together. Now music lovers have mastering at their own fingertips, thanks to...

Peripheral visions.(Advertising Supplement)(Photismart all-in-one by Hewlett Packard)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... With more than 100 solutions for the Macintosh OS X v10.3 alone, Hewlett-Packard is a one-stop peripherals shop for all types of Mac enthusiasts. View or print a copy of the HP Mac-connect brochure, the complete catalog of HP Mac offerings for...

The most from your Mac.(Advertising Supplement)(Apple Specialist provide vaious services to Macintosh users)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Apple Specialists are independently owned and operated Apple Authorized Resellers and Service Providers. With over 300 locations nationwide, there's probably one near you. In today's fast-paced world, Apple Specialists provide the...

Firewire phenom.(Advertising Supplement)(EZQuest speaks about Pro Audio Firewire hard drives )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... While the Pro Audio Firewire hard drives from EZQ (www.ezq.com) represent superb technology all by themselves, they look even better when compared with other Firewire drives on the market. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pro Audio drives come...

Privacy policeman.(Advertising Supplement)(Aladdin System speaks about the Internet Cleanup 2.0 a web cleaning software which acts like a privacy policeman)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... The Internet can be an ugly place when it is the source of unwanted pop-ups, spyware, ad banners, and other annoyances cluttering your screen as you surf. Fortunately, there's Internet Cleanup 2.0 from Aladdin Systems (www.aladdinsys.com), the...

Read with your ears.(Advertising Supplement)(Audible speaks about downloadable audio books )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Books on tape are about as "now" as music on tape. And buying or renting books and other audio programs on CD has proven to be inconvenient, expensive, and cumbersome. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For the rest of us, there are the services...

The correctly accessorized iPod.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Apple excels at taking the best and making it better. Sometimes the company does it alone, and sometimes it has help. In the case of add-ons for the iPod, there is lots of help. At last count, there were nearly 100 manufacturers offering more...

Design software is a real draw.(Advertising Supplement)(@Last Software speaks about Sketchup Computer aided design software)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... If you are among the many people who enjoy sketching by hand but have been frustrated when trying to use computer design programs, then now is the time to check out SketchUp from @Last Software (www.sketchup.com). By intelligently combining a...

Charting usability.(Advertising Supplement)(Red Rosk Software provides DeltaGraph for Macintosh 5.5 graphics software )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... DeltaGraph[R] 5.5 Mac gives business professionals, researchers, and analysts the tools they need to produce visually compelling charts for print, presentations, and the Web. This versatile package from Red Rock Software (www.redrocksw.com),...

Valet calling.(Advertising Supplement)(Parliant speaks about a automated answering system Phonevalet)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... The phone rings. Your Mac announces the caller's name. Your iChat status changes to "On the phone." Your iTunes pauses. Your browser launches and Googles the caller's name and address. The call is logged. If you are busy, a message is taken and...

Storage story.(Advertising Supplement)(Kano Technologies speaks about X-Spand Desktop Storage System)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... As the sheer number and size of files expands, so do storage needs. The X-SPAND Desktop Storage System from Kano Technologies (www.kanotechnologies.com) allows Macintosh or PC users with a FireWire 400 or 800 connection to add up to a full...

Here's my card.(Advertising Supplement)(Calling cards become easy with business Card Composer)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Since calling cards first appeared in the 1600s in France, one thing has remained the same: Either in the business world or for personal use, you must have one. It's widely known that a well-crafted business card says a lot about the person...

Apple emporium.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Long considered among the most loyal of customers, Apple Computer buyers can avail themselves of a large and ever-changing array of Apple collectibles for sale at RedLightRunner (www.redlightrunner.com). Included in this exciting online Apple...

Behind the G5's new drive technology: killer serial.(Mac Beat)( Advanced Technology Attachment )
July 1, 2004... A little more than a year ago, Apple ushered in a new era of Mac computing: the Power Mac G5 introduced Mac users to a redesigned PowerPC processor. Almost lost in all the hoopla, however, was the Power Mac's switch in hard-drive technology,...

Input device beat.(Mac Beat)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Easy Barcode Pen, from Easy Barcode Technologies (www.easybarcodetech.com): Pen-shaped USB scanner reads bar codes into any program and supports more than 15 bar-code symbologies ($265). ImageCaster 2.0, from Econ Technologies...

Networking beat.(Mac Beat)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... AirPort Extreme Base Station, from Apple (www.apple.com): New model of wireless networking hardware adds support for Power Over Ethernet ($249). NetWare Client for Mac OS X, from Prosoft Engineering (www.prosofteng.com): Client software...

A special 20th-anniversary recipe: a Mac fan's feast.(Mac Beat)
July 1, 2004... Finding an appropriate way to celebrate the Mac's 20th anniversary is a tricky business. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak aren't likely to respond to your RSVP requests. That Bondi-blue party hat you constructed is already beginning to lose its...

SyncDek keeps databases in sync: syncing sensation.(WorldSync)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... FileMaker users turn to the database application for quick and easy access to everything from contact information to sales data. But when it's time for mobile users to sync their data with the home office's database, FileMaker can be anything...

Motion, Xsan join video-production lineup: video plans in motion.(Apple Computer Inc. introduced two new products)
July 1, 2004... Professional video users represent a prime target for Apple, which wants to supply not only the hardware used in high-end video production but also the software. However, gaps that remain in Apple's video-production offerings prevent pros from...

Team works: FileMaker's solution for sharing databases boosts high performance teams--of any size.(Advertising Supplement)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... Just by itself, FileMaker Pro software has all the markings of a true winner. This number-one-selling easy-to-use database software already has in its pedigree the kind of "ready for work right out of the box" character that has attracted...

PowerBook G4s: the whole line sports faster CPUs; AirPort Extreme now standard.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... The year 2003, which Steve Jobs dubbed "the Year of the Notebook," brought big changes to Apple's PowerBook line--the introduction of a 12-inch version, the transition from titanium to aluminum, and the addition of AirPort Extreme, built-in...

Finale 2004 and Sibelius 3.1: rival music-notation packages go head-to-head.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... Market-leading rivals Sibelius 3.1, from Sibelius, and Finale 2004, from MakeMusic, remain the most full-featured, one-size-fits-all packages available for producing printed musical scores. Choosing between the two isn't simply a matter of...

USB-FireWire combo cards: USB 2.0--FireWire 400 CardBus cards boost PowerBook connectivity.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... Last year's introduction of the Power Mac G5 made USB 2.0 ports standard issue. These ports complement FireWire for the connection of DV cameras, hard drives, scanners, and a variety of input devices. A number of CardBus cards now...

Virtual rhythm sections: trilogy and BFD do sound sampling the right way.(FXpansion)(Spectrasonics)
July 1, 2004... Virtual-sound software modules require a lot of computing power (you can slow a Power Mac G5 to a crawl by using too many instruments), so if you want to replace your audio hardware with virtual-sound modules, they need to sound great. ...

Speed Download 2.3: Internet utility fails to boost speed.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... For some people, Internet downloads are never fast enough. If you're one of them, you might be tempted by Speed Download 2.3.4, from YazSoft, which is supposed to accelerate the speed at which files download from the Internet. But in our tests,...

StuffIt Deluxe 8.0: archetypal utility expands compression formats, offers simple backups.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... With compression now built into Mac OS X 10.3 in the form of the Finder's Archive command, has Aladdin's StuffIt Deluxe outlived its usefulness? For remedial compression chores, perhaps. But if you're looking for more efficient compression and...

Tokens 1.1: program introduces flexible, e-mail-based file-sharing scheme.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... If you've ever e-mailed a large file only to have it bounce back because of an ISP's narrow e-mail gateway, you've undoubtedly wondered if there's a better way. That better way is here, in the form of Creo's Tokens, an easy-to-use,...

You Synchronize 2.0: popular utility gets a new name, new features, and a speed boost.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... If you have more than one computer, or if you store files in multiple locations, you know what a hassle it can be to make sure that you have the most recent versions of files. One of our favorite file-synchronization utilities, ExecutiveSync...

IDL 6.0: convenience and distribution power enhance visualization program.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... Scientific instruments are good at collecting data, but some people need to see images, instead of numeric tables, in order to easily interpret data. Research Systems' IDL 6.0 is the best of its kind at providing visual images that...

EyeHome: digital-hub device is on the right track but needs work.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... A digital hub should act as the center of your digital world--not only storing pictures, songs, and movies, but also letting you access them from beyond the confines of your Mac. With the EyeHome, Elgato Systems has taken a good step toward...

EyeTV 200: FireWire digital-video recorder is a big improvement on USB model.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... When Elgato Systems introduced the EyeTV (GOOD 1/2; November 2002) two years ago, the company brought the benefits of digital-video recorders to the Mac. The new EyeTV 200 improves on the original USB model by offering better flexibility,...

HomePod: wireless music player is no iPod clone.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... With its white plastic design and scroll wheel, Macsense's HomePod is inspired by Apple's iPod (VERY GOOD 1/2; May 2004) in more ways than its name. But the HomePod, an MP3 player that streams music over a network from your Mac, doesn't come...

G5Jam: internal hard drives give the G5 a performance boost.(Reviews)
July 1, 2004... The Power Mac G5 may be aimed at high-end video and graphics professionals, but Apple seems to have forgotten that these folks chomp through storage like participants in a pie-eating contest. The computer case holds only two internal hard...

Greetings, program.(The Game Room)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2004... MORE THAN 20 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE ORIGINAL release of Tron, a movie in which a computer programmer gets sucked into the world of bits and bytes. Since then, Tron has become a touchstone for people who grew up in the early days of video...

Further functionality.(new product from Cocoatech)
July 1, 2004... THIS MONTH'S COLUMN IS ALL ABOUT ENHANCING MAC OS X's built-in functionality, so where better to start than the Finder? The Finder has been improved in each version of OS X, but some users--including me--still wish it had a few more features....

Get connected: don't think you need a home network? Think again. Here's how--and why--to get started.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... IF YOU FIND YOURSELF RUNNING TO YOUR KID'S ROOM to print a color document, waiting for your turn at the one computer in the house that has high-speed Internet access, or unplugging a telephone so you can connect the cord to your laptop and...

Hands on: put Panther on your server.(Secrets)
July 1, 2004... AS AN ADMINISTRATOR OF A NETWORKED WORKGROUP OR lab, you have a lot of responsibilities. One way to ease your workload is to start with the strongest possible foundation. Mac OS X Server 10.3 (800/692-7753, www.apple.com), also called Panther...

Working Mac: back up to stay ahead.(backup software)
July 1, 2004... BACKING UP THE DATA ON YOUR MAC IS LIKE FLOSSING you teeth: the rewards make the tedium worthwhile. Until OS X, particularly version 10.3 (Panther), backing up your data was fairly routine. But Panther has complicated matters, raising new...

Digital Hub: of Macs and MIDI.(Secrets)(Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
July 1, 2004... ASK A TYPICAL MAC USER THE MEANING OF THE TERM MIDI, and you'll probably get one of two responses: "You mean those cheesy music files you find on the cheesiest of Web sites?" or "Huh?" MIDI has gotten something of a bad rap, thanks to the Web....

Create: colorful photoshop.(Secrets)
July 1, 2004... ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS IS POSSIBLY THE BEST PROGRAM for manipulating digital photographs. But it's also a capable program for coloring scanned artwork. This is especially valuable because it's easier to draw on paper, with a pencil or a pen, than...

Mobile Mac: .Mac travel tips.(new service from Apple Computer Inc.)
July 1, 2004... APPLE'S .MAC SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE OFFERS A WIDE ARRAY of functions for Mac OS X users, from an e-mail account and the easiest Web-based photo-sharing around to virus busters, backup software, and server space for storing your files. But many...

Geek factor: inside OS X packages.(Secrets)
July 1, 2004... ONE OF THE JOYS OF BIRTHDAYS IS RIPPING THE WRAPPING paper off your gifts to discover what's inside. You'll find goodies inside Mac OS X's packages, too--keys that unlock otherwise hidden capabilities of the OS. I'll show you how to use them to...

Help desk: Mac OS X Hints.(Secrets)
July 1, 2004... THIS MONTH, YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO QUICKLY FIND e-mail messages related to other messages in Apple's Mail, close docked windows without opening them, use Mail's Move To command more efficiently, test the security level of your user password, and...

Help desk: Mac 911.(Secrets)
July 1, 2004... AS THE PARENT OF A THREE YEAR OLD, I'VE RECENTLY BEEN devoting a lot of thought to the concept of sharing. And many Mac users can benefit from paying more attention to sharing--whether it's Address Book birthdays with iCal, contact information...

Epson P-1000 Photo Viewer.(The Month's Coolest Developments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The viewing screens on most digital cameras are too small to reveal important details such as sharpness and lighting. For a more illustrative view of digital images outside of the studio, photography pros can turn to Epson's $600 P-1000 Photo...

JunkMatcher.(The Month's Coolest Developments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... JunkMatcher 1.06 is the latest antispam measure to catch our eye. Benjamin Han's OS X 10.3-compatible freeware program works with Apple Mail's built-in spam filters; it uses IP-based filtering and flexible regular expressions to give junk mail...

Loopy for loops.(Advanced Media Inc. new product in loops)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... If the song running through your head belongs in a big-screen Indian musical spectacular, Advanced Media Group has the samples package for you--Bollywood Dreams, a collection of 327 loops with a distinctive subcontinental flavor. Other $54...

What's next? OS X-Men?(marketing of Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... No, Apple hasn't started soliciting celebrity endorsements from mutants. This flawless iPod ad parody comes from the May 2004 issue of Wizard: The Comics Magazine. The "ad" for the iBro features the rocking-out silhouette of Wolverine and touts...

What's hot: a quick look at the world of Macs.(The Month's Coolest Developments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... 1 iTunes 4.5 adds music videos to Apple's online music store. Future updates to iTunes will include VJs, music-news reports from Kurt Loder, and a show about seven annoying young people who live in the same house. 2 Time magazine includes...

Logorrhea.(The Month's Coolest Developments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... It's defined as "excessive and often incoherent talkativeness," but to Mac users, Logorrhea (VERY GOOD; Mac Gems, October 2003) has become the last word on searching saved iChat transcripts. Equipped with a Browse tab, for finding chats by user...

SightLight.(The Month's Coolest Developments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Conversations with shadowy characters belong in film noir, not iChat AV video sessions. If inadequate desk lighting is turning your smiling face into a dark countenance, Griffin Technology's SightLight can shed some light on your next video...