Macworld articles from May 2002

Macworld archives from May 2002

Decisions, decisions: from new Macs to page-layout programs, choosing is tough. (From the Editor's Desk).
May 1, 2002... YOU CAN BELIEVE THE HYPE--THE NEW iMAC IS A VERY cool machine. Shortly after I sat down for my first extended session on one, I wanted to take it home: its flat screen is wonderful and bright, its performance is quite good, and its overall feel...

Feedback.
May 1, 2002... Prize Patrol In our February 2002 issue, we listed the winners of 25 Editors' Choice awards, which we'd handed out to makers of 2001's outstanding hardware and software. But to hear some of our readers tell it, a few of our winners should...

Time to dive into OS X? Publishing pros mull over the jump to OS X. (Mac Beat).
May 1, 2002... It's been a little more than a year since Apple released Mac OS X. A series of updates have hammered out many of the early kinks and brought improvements to the new operating system's overall performance. And software developers have come out...

Apple's fee fight: what's keeping QuickTime 6? (Mac Beat).
May 1, 2002... When Apple unveiled QuickTime 6 (see "Coming Attraction," Mac Beat, April 2002), the biggest surprise wasn't the multimedia technology's full support for MPEG-4, the emerging standard for high-quality streaming video. Rather, it was Apple's...

RAM Doubler: is DDR RAM headed for the Mac? (Mac Beat).
May 1, 2002... The falling price of memory chips forced RAM manufacturers to turn to Double Data Rate (DDR) RAM, which commanded higher prices than PC133 RAM. But now DDR RAM prices have dropped to about what PC133 RAM costs, making DDR RAM a more appealing...

Spies like us. (Weird Stuff).
May 1, 2002... SpectorSoft (561/770-5670, www.spectorsoft.com) introduced its Spector utility as a tool aimed at helping parents monitor their kids' activity on the family computer. But soon, adults were turning to Spector to confirm suspicions about a...

The redesigned iMac: a flat-out winner? (The Readers Speak).
May 1, 2002... It's been only a few months since Apple took the wraps off its flat-panel, G4-powered iMacs. It will be a while before sales figures become available, but if the Macworld readers we talked to are any indication, we can safely say that Apple has...

Taking flight: Q&A with Patrick Marchese. (Pro File).
May 1, 2002... Like any longtime Mac user, Patrick Marchese is making the adjustment to OS X. But as Markzware's CEO, he can see the transition to the new operating system from another perspective--that of a developer working on native versions of...

Rumor has it. (Click Here).
May 1, 2002... Not many news Web sites possess the journalistic fortitude to run headlines like "Apple to Speed-Bump Power Mac G4s by 1MHz" or to report that Steve Jobs appeared at last January's Macworld Expo in the buff. But then again, not many news Web...

Flash dance. (Cool Stuff).
May 1, 2002... The Internet is bustling with Flash files, thanks to the animation format's ability to present moving images while using little bandwidth. But if all you want is a bit of fancy text with groovy animated effects--or if you don't have the time to...

How suite it is. (Office Politics).
May 1, 2002... Microsoft's fully native Office v. X is a compelling reason to switch to Apple's next-generation OS--unless, of course, you don't use Office. So does that mean your options for Mac OS X-native productivity suites are few and far between? ...

Flash forward. (Product Watch).
May 1, 2002... When Macromedia (800/470-7211, www.macromedia.com) updates Flash, it usually alters the interface or adds more productivity-boosting features. With the latest version, it has done plenty of both-and it has given the Web-animation and-authoring...

Going around in circles. (Mac Stuff).
May 1, 2002... A 360-degree panoramic image can add depth to your Web site--and hours to your workload if you're using software to stitch together multiple shots taken by a digital camera. But two companies offer digital-camera attachments that let you create...

Final Cut Pro 3: solid update adds Mac OS X compatibility, limited real-time effects. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... In Hollywood, when a studio has a hit, it quickly releases a sequel. Apple has fittingly adopted this strategy for Final Cut Pro, its professional video-editing software. Within nine months of shipping Final Cut Pro 2, Apple delivered version...

After Effects 5.5: surprisingly significant update shows that if it ain't broke, you should fix it anyway. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... After Effects 5.0 (****; Review, August 2001) took Adobe's high-end motion-graphics program to a new level by adding 3-D animation capabilities. In addition, version 5.0 added lighting and camera controls usually found only in 3-D animation...

Eye-One Pro with Eye-One Match: GretagMacbeth provides easy-to-use color-management tools. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... Color management is a wonderful technology for keeping your color consistent across different devices--monitors, scanners, and printers--but its success depends on the accuracy of the ColorSync profiles you use to describe these devices. Color...

AXEL 1.5: basic package simplifies the creation of 3-D interactivity for the Web. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... As interactive 3-D Web graphics progress beyond the pioneering efforts of VRML, and as new Web-design software simplifies the authoring process, Web designers and 3-D artists--who want to showcase interactive 3-D scenes via a Web browser, for...

DeBabelizer Pro 5: old image-processing favorite returns to the Mac. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... Equilibrium's DeBabelizer was once the most essential utility-- hands-down--for anyone who worked with digital images. Soon after the company released version 3, it abandoned the Mac, but now DeBabelizer is back as DeBabelizer Pro 5, a major...

Harmoni G3: processor upgrade delivers speed boost and FireWire to early iMacs. (Reviews).(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2002... You were a pioneer, someone who rushed out to buy a cool new iMac a few years ago. Your friends were jealous. But times and technologies have changed a lot, and your aging iMac hasn't been able to keep pace. Don't toss out that near relic...

Nikon Cooplix 5000: solid 5-megapixel digital camera produces high-quality images. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... Nikon has recently joined Olympus, Sony, and Minolta in the 5-megapixel digital-camera market, with the introduction of the Coolpix 5000. The $1,099 camera's feature set and interface are based on Nikon's popular Coolpix 900 series, but the...

Olympus E20N: professional feel, nice features, but slow performance. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... With the E20N, Olympus has simultaneously upgraded its premier digital SLR, the E10, and introduced its first 5-megapixel camera. For the most part, the E20N is the same camera as the 4-megapixel E10, but it has a 5-megapixel sensor....

Back Toolkit 3.0: basic OS X backup utility gets the job done--in spite of some quirks. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... You know you ought to back up important files regularly--but before OS X 10.1.2, it was not possible to fully backup and restore an OS X hard drive. FWB Software's $50 Backup Toolkit 3.0.5 is the first commercially available backup utility that...

Onadime Composer 1.4: intuitive video tool creates iTunes-like visuals. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... If you're intrigued by iTunes' Visuals window and want to create similar interactive montages that respond not only to music but also to keyboard, mouse, and MIDI input, Onadime Composer 1.4 may be the tool for you--as long as you're willing to...

FAXSTF X: fax application fails to make the connection. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... Although Smith Micro's Faxstf X shares part of its name with software that has been bundled with countless modems, it's actually a brand-new (and the very first) Mac OS X-only application for sending and receiving faxes. Like its namesakes,...

Four 4-megapixel digital cameras: high-resolution models from Canon and Olympus focus on portability, expanded controls. (Keller on Cameras).
May 1, 2002... Few things today change as quickly as digital cameras. Prices drop, quality increases, and confusion reigns. Last year, soon after we all got adjusted to 3-megapixel cameras, we saw a flurry of cameras with 4- or even 5-megapixel CCDs. As the...

Discribe 5.0: CD-burning program's new tricks don't quite measure up. (Reviews).
May 1, 2002... The newest version of CD-burning program Discribe has many improvements--it runs on Mac OS X and supports many more drives--but it just doesn't stand up to the stiff competition posed by Roxio's Toast 5 Titanium. With version 5.0, Discribe...

Myth, magic, and mutton; Sheep, Myth III: The Wolf Age, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. (The Game Room).
May 1, 2002... WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE MOOD FOR SOME LIGHTHEARTED fun, a hard-core strategy-game challenge, or a 3-D action adventure, this month's column is sure to please. I've got 'em all in my bag of goodies--Sheep, Myth III: The Wolf Age, and Harry Potter...

The fast crowd: how do Apple's speedy new Macs measure up?(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2002... What a difference a few months can make. Since late 2001, Apple has updated its entire product line, making now the perfect time for Macworld to take stock of the latest crop of Macs. One important update is the unique flat-panel iMac,...

QuarkXPress versus InDesign: the new versions are out. Which will win the hearts of designers?
May 1, 2002... Most print designers and prepress professionals use QuarkXPress 3.X or 4.X--not because XPress is a flawless program, but because its features, familiarity, and prevalence make it cost-effective. Although Adobe tried to break into the high-end...

Macs without limits. (Secrets: Productivity).
May 1, 2002... Perhaps Mac users with disabilities are more devoted to their chosen computer than others are. If you define loyalty as a willingness to put up with glitchy software and inadequate tools, then folks with vision, mobility, and other disabilities...

Open Excel to the Web. (Secrets: Productivity).
May 1, 2002... There are many ways to manipulate and interpret data in Microsoft Excel, but you still have to get the data into the program somehow. Fortunately, Excel can automatically grab data--including financial data, sports scores, and price...

Master Photoshop's vectors. (Secrets: Print Publishing).
May 1, 2002... Thanks to the introduction of vector toots in Adobe Photoshop, you can now combine sharp-edged vector artwork with antialiased bitmaps to create extraordinary results. Here's how to get the most out of Photoshop's vector toots white avoiding...

Control ViaVoice. (Secrets: Productivity).
May 1, 2002... If ViaVoice for Windows is Superman, then the slow and sometimes flaky Via Voice for Mac OS X is Charlie Brown. But for OS X users who can't type or don't want to, this speech-recognition program is currently the only game in town (see Reviews,...

Many users, one Mac. (Secrets: Mac OS X).
May 1, 2002... Unlike earlier versions of Mac OS, OS X was designed to be a multiple-user environment. Even if you're the only person who uses your OS X machine, you can benefit from the extra security a user account provides. More significantly, if you're...

Digital-hub revival. (Secrets: Mac 911).
May 1, 2002... Like the big wheel latched to John Fogerty's Proud Mary, Apple's digital-hub strategy keeps on turnin'--if not always burnin'. To help you keep your i-products chooglin' as Apple intended, this month's Mac 911 offers advice about three spokes...

Open-source showdown: if you can't beat 'em, cheat 'em.
May 1, 2002... IF YOU CAN'T BREAK A JOB DOWN INTO 24 12-OUNCE UNITS of effort--or so the theory goes--then surely it's not worth doing, if indeed it's doable at all. In fleshier tones, this means that whatever the job is, he it installing new server software...