Macworld articles from May 2008

Macworld archives from May 2008

The golden goose: Apple won't ever be as big as Microsoft--thank goodness.(FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK)(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... Let's be honest: Microsoft Office 2008 has generally been viewed by members of the Mac community as a disappointment. After four years of development, the latest version of Microsoft's flagship product arrived earlier this year with native...

DiskWarrior versus Leopard.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... Based on your mention of Alsoft DiskWarrior 4 as one of your products of the year ("The 23rd Annual Editors' Choice Awards," February 2008), and your review (macworld.com/2503) in which you called it "one of the few programs that every Mac user...

Spinning down.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... After reading Mathew Honan's article "Digitize Your Cassettes and LPs" (Playlist, February 2008), I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, one program he recommended, Roxio's CD Spin Doctor, is not stable in Leopard; I think you may have...

Swapping ink.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... In February's macworld.com/reviews, you said that when using the Epson Stylus Pro 3800, "you will have to swap out the matte and photo-black inks when changing paper types." This is incorrect. The computer tells this printer what kind of paper...

Obnoxious Apple ads.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... Regarding your article about Apple's advertising ("Apple's Ad Game," Mac Beat, February 2008), I have to disagree with you about the "Get a Mac" ads. Speaking as a loyal Mac user, I find these ads obnoxious. They're devoid of real information,...

Geezers strike back.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... As a self-taught Mac user who's also a grandmother, and who does the troubleshooting and the reinstalling of operating systems on her son's and friends' Macs, I thought Christopher Breen's Spotlight article in the February issue ("Why Mom...

Back to Tiger.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... Your feature story about Leopard in the January issue ("Leopard Lands") failed to note some important new "features" that may appear when you install OS X 10.5 on a dual-core G5: freezes, crashes, jumpy scrolling, slower Web-page loading, and...

Pronunciation guide.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... I notice that the latest Macworld consistently refers to Apple's new operating system as OS X 10.5. My question is, how do you pronounce it? I was under the impression that the X in OS X was the Roman numeral 10, and that the correct...

The MacBook Air: your first look.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... I am simply baffled by the MacBook Air. Unless you intend to wrap it in a Dolce & Gabbana handbag and use it as an ultramodern Internet device at the spa, the MacBook Air seems beyond useless to me. No battery, no FireWire port, no remote. Does...

Reader poll.(FEEDBACK)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... If you were going to buy an Apple laptop today, which model would you buy? MacBook 20% MacBook Air 24% MacBook Pro 56% Note: Table made from pie chart. Source: Karlin Associates, January 2008

Apple unveils software for creating iPhone programs: company also addresses the phone's enterprise-related shortcomings.(iPHONE)
May 1, 2008... During a special event in March, Apple took the wraps off the tools and technologies that will let independent software developers create and sell programs for the iPhone and iPod touch. Right now, the software development kit (SDK) is...

Apple tops list of most admired companies.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... This past March, Fortune magazine announced its 26th annual list of "America's Most Admired Companies." This year Apple tops the list, rising six places from its ranking in 2007. Apple beat out Berkshire Hathaway and General Electric for the...

PayPal says 'steer clear of Safari'.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... If you're using Apple's Safari browser, PayPal has some advice for you: drop it, at least if you want to avoid online fraud. Safari doesn't make PayPal's list of recommended browsers because it doesn't have two important antiphishing security...

How green is Apple today? The company continues to make progress toward its environmental goals.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2008... These days, the environment is both big news and big business. Last year, after an increasingly vocal war of words between Apple and environmental-activist groups such as Greenpeace, Steve Jobs penned a May essay on the company's Web site...

AirPort adds Time Machine backups: software updates make good on Apple's promise.(BACKUP)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... In June 2007, Steve Jobs announced that the upcoming Leopard version of OS X would let users attach USB disks to an AirPort Extreme Base Station for use as Time Machine-compatible backup drives. However, by the time the OS shipped, that feature...

Happy Birthdays 1.3.(WIDGET OF THE MONTH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Want a quick and convenient way to see all your contacts' birth dates in Address Book? Oliver Fornio's free Happy Birthdays 1.3 makes remembering anniversaries easier by displaying a list of all upcoming birthdays, along with the number of days...

PhotoGPS.(CREATIVE NOTES)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Do you ever find yourself wondering not when you took a particular photo, but where you took it? Jobo, the German photographic equipment manufacturer, has been around since the 1920s, and is well known for its photo-processing machines and...

Microsoft updates Office 2008: download improves security, stability.(SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2008... Two months after shipping its Intel-native version of Office for the Mac, Microsoft has released the first update to the office software suite, addressing many problems with the initial version. Improved security in this release fixes...

A reputation for innovation.(TECH TRENDS)
May 1, 2008... A recent global survey of executives ranked Apple the most-innovative company overall in the world. Among just technology companies, Apple also ranked highest, and it ranked second in the subcategories of entertainment companies and...

Apple is the number-two music retailer in the United States: the iTunes Store is second only to Wal-Mart.(iTUNES)
May 1, 2008... Given Apple's focus on video sales recently, it can be easy to forget that what drives the iTunes Store is music. And the popularity of the iTunes Store has propelled Apple to the number-two spot among music retailers in the United States,...

Shuffle, iPhone follow early iPod strategy: lower prices, higher capacity are part of update.(iPOD)
May 1, 2008... Apple's iPod shuffle is a pretty straightforward device, so it stands to reason that the recent shuffle update contained not a single twist or turn. Apple knocked $30 off the price of the 1GB shuffle, which now sells for $49, while rolling out...

Airfoil 3.1.(What we're raving about this month)(Rogue Amoeba Software)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Apple TV's new AirTunes feature lets you broadcast music to the Apple TV directly from iTunes, just as you would with an AirPort Express base station. But what if you need to send more than just iTunes audio? Fortunately, Rogue Amoeba Software...

3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator.(What we're raving about this month)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... When it comes to navigating 3-D virtual environments, a 2-D mouse won't do; instead, check out 3Dconnexion's $59 SpaceNavigator Personal Edition, a deceptively simple-looking device that offers a versatile array of movements. The intuitive,...

LaunchBar 4.3.(What we're raving about this month)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... If I could have only one Mac utility, it would be the $20 LaunchBar from Objective Development. LaunchBar lets you launch programs, open documents, search the Web, browse your iTunes library, and more, all with a few keystrokes (for a video...

Harmony One.(What we're raving about this month)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... One drawback of being a multimedia aficionado--aside from the strain on your wallet--is the multitude of remotes for all your equipment. I've long been a fan of Logitech's Harmony series of remotes, which let you replace your collection with a...

ScreenFlow.(What we're raving about this month)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Vara Software's $100 ScreenFlow is a one-stop shop for creating video screen captures--a technique known as screen-casting. The software lets you simultaneously record your entire screen, capture video from your Mac's iSight camera and audio...

Dualy Extreme.(HARDWARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Dualy Extreme, from QuickerTek (www.quickertek.com): Transmitter upgrades AirPort Extreme Base Station with 500 milliwatts or 1 watt of RF power to extend its wireless range ($350 to $495).

Pixma MX7600.(HARDWARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Pixma MX7600, from Canon (www.usa.canon.com): All-in-one ink-jet prints 28 black-and-white and 23 color pages per minute and can produce images at up to 4,800 by 1,200 dots per inch ($400).

SlimKey Stand.(HARDWARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... SlimKey Stand, from Macessity (www.macessity.com): Accessory designed for storing Apple's aluminum keyboard also acts as a stand for an iMac, a Cinema Display, or other displays up to 35 pounds ($40).

SpaceStation.(HARDWARE)
May 1, 2008... SpaceStation, from BlueLounge (www.bluelounge.com): Desk organizer for laptop users conceals cords and features a four-port internal USB 2.0 hub ($80).

Director 11.(SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2008... Director 11, from Adobe (www.adobe.com): Multimedia-authoring software adds support for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Unicode ($999; upgrade, $299).

Photonic.(SOFTWARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Photonic, from Barton Springs Software (www.photonicapp.com): Flickr software helps users browse Flickr and upload new pictures to streams, sets, and groups ($20 for a limited time).

Kerio MailServer 6.5.(SOFTWARE)
May 1, 2008... Kerio MailServer 6.5, from Kerio Technologies (www.kerio.com): Messaging and calendaring software supports CalDAV, the calendaring standard employed by iCal Server (prices start at $499).

Mousepose 3.(SOFTWARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Mousepose 3, from Boinx Software (www.boinx.com): Cursor-highlighting utility updates its click animation and adds an option that allows mouse clicks to make a sound ($17; upgrade, free).

The browser bunch: today's Web browsers are talented multitaskers.(Reviews)
May 1, 2008... It used to be that Web browsers were just that: a way to browse the Web. But the Internet is no longer just a huge online library. It's also a shopping mall, television, workshop, school, and community center. And as the Web has matured, so too...

More than a speed bump: new processor makes for faster MacBooks, MacBook Pros.(Reviews)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2008... The new MacBooks and MacBook Pros might seem like minor speed bumps compared with the previous generation, but they're more than that: these are the first Macs to use the speedy new 45-nanometer (Penryn) version of Intel's Core 2 Duo chip. ...

Apple TV, take two: second time's mostly a charm for Apple's set-top box.(Reviews)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2008... The first version of Apple's set-top media box, the Apple TV, made a promising debut. But ultimately, it lacked the simplicity that consumers expected from a living-room technology. Additionally, it failed to take advantage of big-screen TVs...

Aperture 2.0.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $199 COMPANY: Apple URL: www.apple.com Aperture 2.0.1 is the photo-editing and-management tool photographers have always wanted. This latest version offers new tools, a streamlined interface that is...

Bento 1.0.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $49 COMPANY: FileMaker URL: www.filemaker.com Bento 1.0.2, the new consumer-level database from FileMaker, aims to do for databases what Apple's Numbers and Pages did for spreadsheets and page-layout...

Cake Mania.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $20 COMPANY: Sandlot Games URL: www.sandlotgames.com In Cake Mania--a so-called plate-spinning game in which you have to balance as many activities simultaneously as you can--you take the role of Jill,...

Expression Media 1.0.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $299; as part of the Office 2008 Special Media Edition, $500 COMPANY: Microsoft URL: www.microsoft.com/mac Microsoft Expression Media, available either as a stand-alone program or bundled with Microsoft...

2GB iPod shuffle.(HARDWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $69 COMPANY: Apple URL: www.apple.com With the exception of its lower price and increased capacity, the new 2GB iPod shuffle is more or less the same audio player as the original second-generation...

Sonic Impact i-F3.(HARDWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $170 COMPANY: Sonic Impact Technologies URL: www.si5.com The i-F3, an updated version of the i-F2 portable speaker system for the iPod, offers similarly good sound in a sturdy package that's great for...

Laser printer.(PRINTERS)(C6100dn)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... C6100dn RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $799 COMPANY: Oki Data URL: www.okidata.com The C6100dn, from Oki Data, produces great-looking prints and includes built-in duplexing. It also offers easy network connectivity and...

Ink-jet photo printer.(PRINTERS)(Stylus Photo 1400)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Stylus Photo 1400 RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $300 COMPANY: Epson URL: www.epson.com Epson's Stylus Photo 1400 prints photos that are rich in both color and detail. Capable of outputting images as large as 13 by 19 inches,...

Compact photo printer.(PRINTERS)(PictureMate Zoom PM 290 )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... PictureMate Zoom PM 290 RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $200 COMPANY: Epson URL: www.epson.com Affordable, problem-free, and enjoyable to use, the PictureMate Zoom is the speediest and best overall portable photo printer on...

Multifunction ink-jet.(PRINTERS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Stylus Photo RX680 RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $130 COMPANY: Epson URL: www.epson.com NEW With terrific print quality and features such as two paper trays, a duplexer, and stand-alone photo restoration, the Epson...

Multifunction laser.(PRINTERS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... X500N RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $370 COMPANY: Lexmark URL: www.lexmark.com Don't let the Lexmark X500N's low price tag fool you. This jack-of-all-trades color laser printer, scanner, and copier is very easy to use, has an...

Perfection V700 Photo.(FLATBED SCANNER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $461 COMPANY: Epson URL: www.epson.com The Epson Perfection V700 Photo is an excellent and extremely speedy midrange scanner that's equipped with two lenses for people who need to scan both reflective...

Digital SLR.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... D40 RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $469 COMPANY: Nikon URL: www.nikonusa.com The Nikon D40 is a great value. This 6.1-megapixel camera comes with every feature you'd desire in a DSLR, such as adjustable ISO, Raw mode, and a...

Compact digital camera.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... NV11 RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $200 COMPANY: Samsung URL: www.samsung.com An excellent digital camera, the 10.1-megapixel Samsung NV11 equally accommodates both beginners and advanced shutterbugs (macworld.com/2984)....

PV-GS320.(MINIDV CAMCORDER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $338 COMPANY: Panasonic URL: www.panasonic.com Compared with other 3-CCD MiniDV camcorders, the Panasonic PV-GS320 is a bargain. And it's a good choice for people who want a camcorder that shoots...

Large display.(LCD MONITORS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... LP2465 RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: $620 COMPANY: Hewlett-Packard URL: www.hp.com The HP LP2465 is an extremely adjustable 24-inch desktop LCD panel with a 16:10 wide-screen aspect ratio that immediately calls to mind the...

Medium display.(LCD MONITORS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... MultiSync 2190UXi RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $977 COMPANY: NEC URL: www.necdisplay.com The NEC MultiSync 2190 UXi monitor is designed--and priced--for professional users. This 21-inch display doesn't come cheap, but it...

Desktop drive.(FIREWIRE HARD DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... My Book Studio Edition RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $300 COMPANY: Western Digital URL: www.westerndigital.com The My Book Studio Edition's affordability, versatile connection options, compact design, and good performance...

Portable drive.(FIREWIRE HARD DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Rocbit 2B RATING: OUTSTANDING PRICE: $195 COMPANY: Rocsecure URL: www.rocsecure.com The portable Rocbit 2B is priced a bit higher than similar portable drives that lack encryption, but it's well worth its cost if...

Macs.(Top Products)
May 1, 2008... PRODUCT PROCESSOR RATING PRICE (A) DISPLAY DESKTOP iMac Intel Core 2 VERY GOOD $1,040 20 inches Duo/2GHz Intel Core 2 VERY GOOD $1,300 20 inches ...

iPODS.(Top Products)
May 1, 2008... PRODUCT CAPACITY RATING PRICE (A) DISPLAY iPod classic 80GB VERY GOOD $230 2.5-inch color 160GB VERY GOOD $330 2.5-inch color iPod touch 8GB GOOD 1/2 $259 ...

Utility: xScope 2.0.(Mac Gems)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD 1/2 PRICE: $27 COMPANY: The Iconfactory and Artis Software URL: www.iconfactory.com When it comes to many types of design--especially Web design and graphic design--it's important to know the sizes and...

Utility: Name Mangler 2.0.(Mac Gems)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: donations accepted COMPANY: Many Tricks URL: www.manytricks.com If you're looking to rename a bunch of files in the Finder, try my favorite tool, Name Mangler (formerly File List). It offers an...

Audio: PTHVolume 2.1.0.(Mac Gems)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... RATING: VERY GOOD PRICE: free COMPANY: PTH Consulting URL: www.pth.com If your Mac has multiple audio outputs--for example, a headphone jack, a line-out jack, and a USB device--it's a hassle to have to visit System...

HoudahSpot 2.0.8.(Mac Gems)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Leopard's version of Spotlight addresses most of my complaints about the Tiger version, but it's still not perfect. One big shortcoming is its inability to customize the columns displayed in the Finder's Spotlight-results window; you're stuck...

The office suite smackdown: can iWork '08 challenge Office 2008? See which is right for you.(FEATURE)
May 1, 2008... For years, Microsoft Office was the undisputed champion of Mac software suites. Then came Apple's iWork. At first it consisted solely of Pages and Keynote--not enough to take on Office head-to-head. But when Apple added Numbers to iWork '08,...

Find files fast: track down anything with these Spotlight strategies.(FEATURE)
May 1, 2008... Want to open documents without navigating through nests of folders? Looking to dig up a long-lost e-mail from an old friend? Need to find all the files you worked on last Friday? Spotlight can help. Introduced in Tiger, Spotlight gives you a...

Corral group calendars: coordinate family members' or colleagues' schedules with iCal 3.(Working Mac)
May 1, 2008... It's sad but true: few of us are completely in control of our schedules. We can painstakingly structure our days in iCal, but our spouses, coworkers, and children will undoubtedly ask us to rejigger everything for dinner parties, client...

Liven up your tracks with artwork: album graphics add a visual element to your music.(Playlist)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2008... The quickest way to find a CD in a pile of jewel cases is by looking for its cover. Similarly, you can use Cover Flow in iTunes to scroll through your songs and albums, and the iPod lets you do the same thing; the iPod touch and iPhone even let...

Color correcting digital camera images: cast out bad color with Photoshop's Curves tool.(Digital Photo)
May 1, 2008... As far as digital technology has come, there's still one thing that digital cameras won't do: give you perfect color every time. In fact, if they gave us perfect color 50 percent of the time, that would be incredible. But unfortunately, every...

Networking made easier: a visual guide to Leopard's simplified interface.(Connect)
May 1, 2008... Compared with other operating systems, Mac OS X has always made setting up and configuring network connections pretty easy. In Leopard (OS X 10.5), it gets even better. That's largely due to Apple's consolidation of network-configuration and...

Automating Word 2008: replace Visual Basic macros with AppleScripts in Word 2008.(Geek Factor)
May 1, 2008... Prior to Office 2008, you could automate repetitive tasks and add entirely new features in Microsoft Word by using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros. Unfortunately, Word 2008 doesn't support VBA. In its stead, Microsoft recommends that...

Mac OS X Hints: the insider tips you won't get from Apple.(Help Desk)
May 1, 2008... New Photo Booth Trick Got Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)? Then you've also got Photo Booth--the little photo-manipulation program formerly available only on Macs that sported a built-in iSight camera. Photo Booth's new burst mode takes four quick...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.(Help Desk)
May 1, 2008... Unstick a Broken Scroll Ball Q: The scroll ball on my Mighty Mouse keeps breaking. I really like that little scroll ball and would rather fix it than buy a new mouse. Is there any way to pull it apart, clean out the gunk, and put it back...

The Time Capsule.(SPOTLIGHT)(Cartoon)
May 1, 2008... The Joy of Tech[TM] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SUDDENLY... [c]2008 Geek Culture [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A MILLION YEARS LATER... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] joyoftech.com [ILLUSTRATION...