Macworld articles from May 2005

Macworld archives from May 2005

We're listening.(FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK)
May 1, 2005... What makes a magazine what it is? It's not the editors, writers, designers, and other content creators. It's not the advertisers or the physical paper and ink that arrive in your mailbox or on your newsstand every month. It's the readers....

Don't let this happen to you.(FEEDBACK)
May 1, 2005... Conventional wisdom says you just don't put images of smoking, battered Macs on the cover of a Mac magazine. To which we say phooey. Let's face it: Mac maintenance--like flossing your teeth and changing your oil--may not be scintillating, but...

Disaster response.(FEEDBACK)
May 1, 2005... KIMBERLY BARNES # I just wanted to say thanks for the great info in "Prevent Mac Disasters" (February 2005). Although I'm not new to Macs, I didn't know where to start my cleanup chores with this latest beast (OS X 10.3.5). Thanks to your...

Underpowered Power Mac?(FEEDBACK)
May 1, 2005... RON STEWART # As the owner of a Power Mac G5/1.8GHz, I must take issue with your lukewarm review of this Mac (GOOD; February 2005). Your criticisms might be valid for someone to whom price is no object--but for someone looking to upgrade,...

Hatin' on Quicken.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... PHILIP MEISSNER # I've noticed that Macworld consistently gives Intuit Quicken high ratings (VERY GOOD; February 2005). If you only knew the torture that Quicken has put its users through! Like QuarkXPress, this is the program people love...

Readers' Choice.(FEEDBACK)
May 1, 2005... DAVID WASSON # After reading "The 20th Annual Editors' Choice Awards" (February 2005), I have to say you really blew it with your "Games of the Year" selections. You chose a four-year-old port of Bungie's Halo over Blizzard Entertainment's...

Mac off the Web?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... TOM DALTON # I generally prefer my old Macs to my PCs (two new Dells and a Gateway laptop). But those Macs have a big problem: a growing number of Web pages use ASP (Active Server Pages) apps that don't work on the Mac. Try using a...

Cover arts.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... MATT LITTLE # On the cover of your February 2005 issue, there's a picture of a broken Mac G5. In the picture, the Apple logo on the side of the computer is peeling off like a sticker. But isn't the logo etched into the metal? JIM...

Silent partner: for creative professionals and others, FileMaker speeds the work and boosts productivity.(Advertising Supplement)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2005... YOU CAN'T BLAME CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS AND their agencies for feeling a bit conflicted these days, and harried as well. Their hearts beckon them to throw themselves deeply into their creative work, turning out one great marketing or promotional...

The race is on: Apple calls 2005 the year of HD video--is Steve jumping the gun?(Steve Jobs, Apple Computer Inc.)
May 1, 2005... At January's Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs stood onstage during his keynote address and confidently declared that 2005 would be the "Year of High-Definition Video." To back up that claim, Jobs then introduced new versions of Apple's consumer-level...

R.I.P. Jef Raskin.(rest in peace )(Obituary)
May 1, 2005... In February, the Mac community lost Jef Raskin, the lead designer of the first Macintosh computer and a pioneer in the development of user interfaces. The 61-year-old Raskin had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Raskin joined...

Apple updates iPod line, drops prices: a pod for everyone.(Apple Computer Inc.)
May 1, 2005... Although the popular iPod represents nearly three-quarters of all digital music players on the market, Apple has shown that it isn't content to rest on past achievements. With its recent updates to the iPod line, the company has closed the gaps...

Ad presents misleading picture of music's true costs: Napster's bad math.(MAC BEAT)
May 1, 2005... During this year's Super Bowl, Napster launched Napster To Go, a new subscription service aimed squarely at taking business away from Apple's iTunes Music Store (see the ad pictured here). As the first online music service to use...

Faster speeds among next-generation improvements: inside Bluetooth 2.0.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Back in 1998, Apple included USB in its first iMacs--and faced widespread ridicule throughout the computing industry: Why include a new technology when only a few available products can work with it? These days, it's safe to say that Apple...

Imaging beat.(new digital cameras)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR, from Canon (www.usa.canon.com): 8-megapixel digital camera is compatible with all of Canon's EF and EF-S lenses (body-only model, $899; with EF-S 18mm-55mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens, $999). Coolpix 4600, Coolpix...

Soundflavor suggests your next favorite song: playlist-a-palooza.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... With millions of songs available at the click of a button, finding gems can be hard. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a reliable way to discover new songs similar to the ones you already like? That's the premise behind Soundflavor...

Internet beat.(new software)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Communigate Pro 4.3, from Stalker Software (www.stalker.com): Communications server for OS X adds a carrier-grade SIP infrastructure that lets users initiate SIP calls directly from their address books (single-server 25-user pack, $699;...

Frazetta bio relies on Macs for DVD release: Mac for art's sake.(MAC BEAT)
May 1, 2005... In 2003, Lance Laspina and Jeremy DiFiore directed and produced, respectively, a documentary, called Frazetta: Painting with Fire, about famed fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. They used Macs for the entire production, and the duo again turned to...

University replaces Linux cluster with Xserves: fast and furious.(MAC BEAT)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... In 2003, Virginia Tech made headlines by creating the third-fastest supercomputer in the world: a supercluster of 1,100 Power Mac G5s. A new Xserve cluster at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (www.uiuc.edu) furthers the tradition...

Storage beat.(computer storage devices)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... ARAID 1500 Dual Mode and ARAID 2000 Dual Mode, from Accordance Systems (www.accordancesystems.com): RAID devices slide into a pair of drive bays and connect to either IDE (1500 Dual Mode) or SATA (2000 Dual Mode) drive ports (1500, $365; 2000,...

Hardware beat.(new products)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Astra 6700, from Umax Technologies (www.umax.com): Flatbed scanner features a USB 2.0 interface, 2,400-by-4,800-dpi resolution, and 48-bit scanning ($150). Cintiq 21UX LCD Tablet, from Wacom (www.wacom.com): Tablet features a 21.3-inch...

Get exactly the right memory for your Mac ... for a fraction of what you'd expect to pay!
May 1, 2005... You know that finding just the right memory upgrade plays a big part in getting the performance you want from your Mac (and that upgrading your Mac's RAM can save you a bundle of cash compared to buying a new system). Now that you're ready to...

PowerBook G4s: no big changes, many small improvements.(REVIEWS)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Apple's PowerBook product developers faced a dilemma in the past year: With the G5 processor still too hot for laptops and no block-buster new technologies to add, how could they breathe some vitality into a PowerBook line that's now more than...

Instant-messaging software: iChat AV has nearly perfected the art of chat.(REVIEWS)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... With e-mail systems overloaded by spam, always-on Internet connections on PDAs and cell phones becoming the norm, and superfast communication in vogue, your instant-messaging (IM) application may be as important--and as personal--as your e-mail...

Optura 40.(MINIDV CAMCORDERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 Optura 40 ($999), from Canon (www.canon.com): The Optura 40 produces excellent video and respectable still photos, supports a true 16:9 mode, smooths the effects of a shaky grip, and is easy to use (November 2004;...

DCR-PC109.(MINIDV CAMCORDERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD DCR-PC109 ($899), from Sony (www.sony.com): This camcorder requires a docking station but has excellent image stabilization. It also has a spot-focus feature, headphone and mike jacks, and a hot-shoe (November 2004;...

7.1-megapixel digital camera.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 PowerShot G6 ($699), from Canon (www.canon.com): This digital camera takes photos with excellent color quality and clarity. It also has easy-to-use menus, Raw-format support, a live histogram, and the fastest lens (f2.0) of...

Macs.(Top Products)(macintosh computers)
May 1, 2005... DESKTOP Product Processor Display Rating iMac G5/1.6GHz 17 inches VERY GOOD G5/1.8GHz 17 inches VERY GOOD G5/1.8GHz 20 inches VERY GOOD 1/2 eMac ...

d2 DVD[+ or -]RW 16 X FireWire, with Double Layer.(DUAL-LAYER DVD BURNERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD d2 DVD[+ or -]RW 16 X FireWire, with Double Layer ($189), from LaCie (www.lacie.com): This DVD burner offers very good performance (albeit with a relatively slow read speed), OS X and iLife compatibility, and a full version of...

LaserJet 2550Ln.(COLOR LASER PRINTERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD LaserJet 2550Ln ($600), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): This inexpensive, networkable color laser printer offers crisp text and very good color fidelity, and it supports Apple's Rendezvous. But its paper capacity is only 125...

Displays.(Top Products)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... 21-INCH DISPLAY VERY GOOD 1/2 321 LCD Monitor ($1,599), from LaCie (www.lacie.com): This 21.3-inch LCD's 10-bit color support and antiglare hood offers graphics pros accurate color from an LCD (find.macworld.com/0384). 19-INCH...

Midrange scanner.(FLATBED SCANNERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 CanoScan 9950F ($400), from Canon (www.canon.com): This CanoScan raises the bar for midrange scanners by offering high optical resolution, improved scan quality, and more-intuitive software controls (find.macworld.com/0188)....

Low-end scanner.(FLATBED SCANNERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD CanScan 8400F ($150), from Canon (www.canon.com): The 8400F has limited film and transparency support but is a great all-around scanner with some high-end features and a low-end price (find.macworld.com/0187). [ILLUSTRATION...

Firewire hard drives.(Top Products)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Company Product Rating Price Contact PORTABLE HARD DRIVES LaCie Mobile Hard VERY GOOD $319 www.lacie.com Drive by F.A. Porsche G- G-Drive-mini VERY...

Photosmart 8450.(NEW: COLOR INK-JET PRINTERS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 Photosmart 8450 ($250), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): This network-capable color ink-jet printer uses eight inks for printing excellent looking photos with or without your Mac's help (find.macworld.com/0280). ...

Perfection 4990 Photo.(FLATBED SCANNER)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD Perfection 4990 Photo ($449), from Epson (www.epson.com): This 4,800-dpi scanner has a built-in transparency unit and support for multiple film formats. Its speedy FireWire and USB 2.0 connections make quick work of large scans....

Flatron L1780U.(DISPLAY)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... GOOD 1/2 Flatron L1780U ($599), from LG Electronics (www.lgusa.com): This display's small and stylish design is very flexible. Once calibrated, it performs well as a general-purpose display and is a good fit for users with limited desktop...

M-17.(DISPLAY)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... GOOD M-17 ($329), from AG Neovo (www.neovo-usa.com): The USB ports on the front of this 17-inch digital display are a nice touch, but its noisy speakers and color-uniformity problems at the top and bottom of the screen make it difficult to...

FireLite Extreme 80GB.(PORTABLE FIREWIRE HARD DRIVE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD FireLite Extreme 80GB ($290), from SmartDisk (www.smartdisk.com): Few palm-size portables offer FireWire 800, but the small FireLite, in its distinctive SmartDisk case, does--and it pays off. This moderately priced drive posted...

2.5-inch FireWire Quicksilver.(DESKTOP FIREWIRE HARD DRIVE)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... GOOD 2.5-inch FireWire Quicksilver ($140), from Kanguru (www.kanguru.com): This drive has an interesting design, but its test results aren't very impressive. And at a very modest 80GB, the Quicksilver has a high cost per gigabyte...

More reviews.(REVIEWS)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... For complete reviews of the products listed here, visit www.macworld.com/reviews FLAWED 1/2 OpenOSX Office 1.5.1 ($40), from OpenOSX (http://openosx.com): OpenOSX says that it has developed something many people have dreamed of: a good...

Storage: FireWire hard drives.(REVIEWS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... VERY GOOD ComboGB (CGB-60-5400) ($259), from WiebeTech (www.wiebetech.com): The ComboGB offers a wide range of connection options and is a fast performer, but it has a relatively high cost per gigabyte (find.macworld.com/0392). VERY GOOD...

Storage: large external hard drives.(REVIEWS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Do you need terabytes of hard-disk space for digital audio and video projects? If so, check out our comparison review of truly huge external FireWire hard drives. All of these speedy FireWire 800 storage systems offer lots of storage, but they...

First-person shooter: Doom 3.(GAME ROOM)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... As a marine sent to the Union Aerospace Corporation's Martian facility, you're prepared for another routine security detail. But almost the second you step onto the base, it's clear that things aren't right. People are going crazy. People are...

Sim game; Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York Edition.(GAME ROOM)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Do you have what it takes to create a thriving refreshment business in the big city? That's the question behind Lemonade Tycoon 2: New York Edition, a business-simulation game by MacPlay. The game's graphics engine certainly won't set the world...

Kids' action game: Bionicle.(GAME ROOM)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... If your household includes anyone younger than 12, you're probably well acquainted with Bionicle. One of Lego's most successful toy series in recent memory, Bionicle is a build-it-yourself collection with its own mythology and characters. It...

Strategy shooter: Project Nomads.(GAME ROOM)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Freeverse's Project Nomads should have been a great game. At its core are a nifty idea and some truly lovely graphics. Too bad neither of these things makes up for the game's horrific implementation. Project Nomads is 3-D shooter with...

Aspyr releases game soundtrack.(Aspyr Media)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Although Aspyr's first original game--Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse--is far from finished, the company has already released the soundtrack. It features covers of 1950s pop songs, performed by Death Cab for Cutie, the Dandy Warhols,...

Game developers descend on LA.(Electronic Entertainment Expo)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... May is my favorite time of the year, because it marks the annual return of Electronic Entertainment Expo to the Los Angeles Convention Center. This weeklong industry show is the world's largest gathering of video-game publishers, developers,...

Sims 2 scheduled for June.(new game from Aspyr Media)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Mac sim fans will soon be able to interfere in the lives of all-new virtual characters: Aspyr is releasing The Sims 2 for the Mac in June. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

BugThug.(Top Downloads)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Of this year's contenders, one of my personal favorites is Jonathan Czeck's BugThug. The idea is quite simple: You've corralled some bugs and now you must keep them in their pen by pinching them if they get near the edge. If you can direct them...

ShineBug.(Top Downloads)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Charles Goran's ShineBug is this year's overall winner. In this 3-D--action game, you must keep up your "buzz"--by snatching bubbles of moonshine and cans of pork and beans--as you fly to the whiskey still. Along the way, you have to avoid logs...

Air Flo EX.(Game Gear)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Nyko's USB-powered Air Flo EX takes aim at one of the most vexing problems facing the gaming world--sweaty palms. Underneath the Air Flo EX's hollow core sits a fan that sucks air through small holes in the pad's rubberized grips. It's a bit...

Mac Gems.(REVIEWS)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Apple touts the Mac mini as compatible with any USB keyboard, but there's a catch--if your keyboard was designed for use with a Windows computer, it doesn't have the Mac's familiar [??] or option keys. Instead, it has Alt and Windows keys,...

Hit the road, MAC: what to take, what to leave behind, and how to travel smart.(Cover Story)
May 1, 2005... Whether you travel all the time or only occasionally, and whether you travel for business, pleasure, or both, chances are (if you're reading Macworld) you bring a little tech with you wherever you go. But if you ask 20 different Mac users...

The Macworld goody bag: are you and your Mac stuck in a rut? Here are 50 gadgets, apps, and web sites that'll take you in exciting new directions.
May 1, 2005... YOU USE YOUR MAC FOR WORK, PLAY, or both--and without realizing it, you've fallen into a comfortable yet stale routine. You turn to the same equipment and the same applications again and again. It's time to try something new. We've...

5 quick productivity tricks.(WORKING MAC)(use of different tools)
May 1, 2005... Does OS X do some things too inefficiently for your taste? Do you wish you could do more with less window and application switching? I'll show you how to use inexpensive utilities to address these issues and more. You'll be amazed at how much...

Play anything.(PLAYLIST)(audio software)
May 1, 2005... Your favorite band releases a live recording on its Web site, but iTunes can't play it. Your friend sends you a link to an irreverent political spoof, but QuickTime Player can't open it. With so many Windows-centric files floating around the...

iPhoto 5's secret weapon.(DIGITAL PHOTO)
May 1, 2005... Although it's not hard to spot a bad image, figuring out exactly what to do to fix it isn't always so easy. That's one reason iPhoto 5's new Adjust palette is so exciting. With the help of its advanced controls, you can quickly diagnose and fix...

Speedy online portfolios.(CREATE)
May 1, 2005... Whether you're fresh out of design school or a veteran creative professional, a great online portfolio can lead to jobs and clients. But don't agonize over software choices (Flash? HTML?) while ignoring a crucial technology issue: how quickly...

AirPort dynamics.(new product from Airport Express Inc.)
May 1, 2005... Most U.S. households with one computer have one, two, or three more, demographers tell us. And most broadband ISPs offer just a single address for their least-expensive accounts. Reconciling that mismatch of quantity is why many users need to...

Multiply your drive.(ways of file sharing)
May 1, 2005... Give others easy access to shared files. Boot into different operating systems. Back up files without breaking a sweat. Run disk utilities on the road--no CD required. Speed up Photoshop and games galore. Are these merely geek dreams? No, this...

Mac OS X Hints: the insiders' tips you won't get from Apple.(HELP DESK)
May 1, 2005... Put PDFs in Their Place with PDF Services If you're taking advantage of all that OS X has to offer, you're already "printing" things to PDF. Just press [??]-P and click on the PDF button in the Print dialog box. It's a great way to store...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.(HELP DESK)
May 1, 2005... The Art of Linking Letters The one feature of Microsoft Internet Explorer that I can't seem to find in Safari is the ability to e-mail a Web page or its link to someone in my Entourage contacts when I am viewing the page. How do I do that?...

Epson Stylus Photo R1800.(new product from Epson America Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Epson's new Stylus Photo R1800 is the big brother of one of my favorite printers, the Stylus Photo R800. The R1800 uses the same archival, eight-color, Ultra-Chrome Hi-Gloss ink set that I loved in the R800, but it prints larger images--up to...

Transmit.(new product from Panic)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... If you use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) for uploading or downloading files, the best client for my money is Panic's $30 Transmit. The newest version is even more Mac-like, with a search box, iDisk support, a sidebar, and tabs. But my favorite...

NewsFire.(new software by David Watanabe)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news readers let you view RSS feeds on the Web. There are a ton of them out there, but my favorite is David Watanabe's $19 NewsFire. It has the best interface I've seen, and it doesn't try to do too...

What's hot.(meshed briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... 1 The Napster To Go subscription service takes on the iTunes Music Store. The service includes a monthly visit by a Napster employee who says, "Nice music collection. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to it." 2 Apple announces a...

Mac Boingo.(new product from Boingo Wireless)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Finding a commercial high-speed wireless Internet connection when you're on the road isn't hard these days. But getting connected can be. That's where Boingo Wireless's Mac Boingo comes in. The software gives you access to a network of 15,000...

Avantgo support in The Missing Sync.(new software from Mark/Space Softworks)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... I was less than happy when AvantGo, a company that lets you download Web content to handheld devices, decided not to support OS X Palm users. The open-source community responded with MAL conduit, a free alternative. And now Mark/Space has...