[RndTbl] OS X tips

[Adam Thompson]

> >> So there is also one being sold for $200?
> > http://store.apple.com/ca/product/MC209Z/A
> > It does also include iLife and iWork.
>
> 	I wonder if it's the full versions... 10.4 had demo versions
> of some of the products.

Yes, the $200 package includes the full versions of (AFAIK) iLife and iWork
'09.

> As demos I found them to be pretty
> useless.

As full versions, I found them to be pretty useless :-)

Well, that's not true.  iPhoto is actually quite a well-done app, as long as
you understand its scope: it's not *supposed* to replace PhotoShop or
LightRoom.

> What's more I find demands for money for things I probably
> won't use to be quite offensive.

Well, that's why you bought the $35 upgrade instead of the $200 package,
right?

> There are a number of pretty good
> free products out there. Nowhere near the number of items as there
> is for Linux mind you but there are some good ones out there. I
> mean, why use M$ Word when there is NeoOffice... I've installed the
> Perian Codec package, Gimp (I think it wants a new version), Simply
> Burns, VLC, NeoOffice (naturally) and a couple of others. Anyhow...
> Since I don't use iLife and iWork (same as most people I think)
> there is no need to pay for it.

I don't know many people who use iWork.  I tried for most of a year, and
disliked (most of) the products quite intensely.  Pages is NOT a competitor
to Microsoft Word, it's a competitor to Microsoft Publisher.  I think Apple
is flat-out lying when they call it a word processor.  I don't know WHAT
Numbers is supposed to be... some bizarre cross between Publisher and Excel,
I suppose.  Keynote, on the other hand, is actually a pretty decent product.
It's not quite as powerful as PowerPoint, but it's infinitely easier to use
(and prettier) for relatively simple presentations.  I don't care if my
spreadsheet is pretty or not, but I'll grant that it actually is a relevant
concern for slide presentations.

Much like iWork, iLife also rests on the strength of one application:
iPhoto.  It's generally a category-leading application at any given point in
time, although everyone else usually catches up pretty quickly.  iMovie was
good, then they crippled it, not sure why.  (Maybe it was eating into
FinalCut sales?)  GarageBand, um... dunno.  It sure didn't do anything for
me.  And iWeb - the less said, the better.  I created one site in iWeb...
again, it seems to be something that competes head-to-head with Microsoft
Publisher, but this time there's no File->Print option :-).

-Adam