5:31 AM - the Difference with iLife '11
Love them or hate them, Apple events are Big Deals in the tech world. They're slickly executed and almost always introduce a new product that invariably elicits polarizing opinions on the internets. Here is the iLife '11 suite, which includes GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and iWeb. A basic $129 bundle includes iLife '11, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iWork '09. The Family Pack edition costs $179, but includes licenses for five computers instead of just one.
If you have a Mac, chances are you've used one of the apps in the iLife suite - Garageband, iMovie, or iPhoto. (iLife '11 also contains iWeb: a "my first website" maker and iDVD: a simple DVD menu authoring app. However, Apple didn't really tout these on the presentation or their website, so it might be a reasonable expectation for these to be throwaway apps.) Most of the first half of the presentation was dedicated to demonstrations of the new features of the three main iLife apps.
iLife '11 makes major changes to its three core programs, for instance implementing new fullscreen views in iPhoto, and effects macros in iMovie. GarageBand has gained tools for fixing rhythm and note duration. Some fullscreen modes in the suite notably borrow design cues from the iPad, mimicking things like the tablet's photo stacks and iOS-style menu bars.
But, recently a thread began discussing iLife '11 and the problems associated with upgrading, a poll is also included showing that 33.33% of people who have upgraded have had no issues to report. And one forum goer declared that they've had enough of Flash and sparked a rather lengthy debate about the practicality of Flash.
Would I really see a difference? Would we really need the new special thing?
Just days after issuing a quick fix for a critical library bug, Apple has rolled out the first major iLife '11 upgrade with iPhoto 9.1, which restores the ability to create and order calendars, a feature that went missing on the initial release. It also fixes an issue that prevented videos downloaded from MobileMe or Flickr from importing correctly into iPhoto events, and adds some holiday-themed letterpress card options. The update addresses only the version of iPhoto that shipped with the new iLife '11 suite.
The loss of the calendar-creation option had sparked much hue and cry among iPhoto users, and it remains unclear if the omission was unintentional or not. Apple's web page for iPhoto '11 has already been updated to specifically mention creating calendars.
The update, which is recommended for all iPhoto 9 users, also addressed a video-importing bug that affected MobileMe and Flickr users. iPhoto 9 was one of the three significantly upgraded applications in the iLife '11 suite, adding new full-screen management options, new email templates, new slideshows, improved integration with Facebook and improved book printing.
As for me, I like iMovie. It makes it easy to import, select, edit and export (in several formats) our clips; and the speed at which we can make such good-looking movies with transitions and effects removes the chore aspects. So I can convert dvd to avi/mp4 then make short movies, just a personal preference.
Lastly, to support the launch of iLife '11, Apple has implemented what it calls the iLife '11 Hardware Up-to-Date Program. Instead of having to pay the usual $49 for an iLife '11 upgrade, people can potentially get the software for just $7. Those who bought a Mac with an earlier version of iLife between October 1st and the 19th must submit an order form by November 19th. For people buying a Mac with an outdated iLife on or after the 20th, a 30-day post-purchase window exists.
In the case of multi-system purchases, people can opt either to get one upgrade kit per computer, or buy a smaller number of licenses and request "right to copy" permissions. Qualifying Macs must come from the online Apple Store, one of the company's retail locations, or an authorized reseller. But I think that there are always ways to fix that. DVD, for example. Some people like to go to the cinema, whereas others like to watch movie at home. Now I put dvd to ipod/ipad with a dvd converter, and it's easier to enjoy on a trip. I admit that Hi-tech electronic products can make us live more comfortably.