Newsletter to Members
February 2008
Contents
February Meeting Hope to see you all at our first meeting for 2008 on Monday 4 February at 6:30pm.
The usual venue: Theatrette, Level 3, Sir Robert Webster Building, middle campus, UNSW Kensington.
Presentation: "Installing Leopard 10.5 – What You Need To Know" by Warwick Harty.
Raffle: Prizes include "Macs on the Go – Guide to Mobile Computing" book, courtesy of Peachpit Press.
Saturday Workshop
One-on-one Mac Help from AMUG Committee members in a friendly, sharing environment.
Saturday February 9, commencing 10am. Room 136C (Computer Lab), Ground Floor, Webster Building, UNSW Kensington.
Bring your own Notebook or use one of the Uni's iMacs.
To book, phone Rob on 9387 2069 or email sydamug@mac.com
iPod nano now in Pink – just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Apple has added a gorgeous new pink iPod nano to the lineup of the world’s most popular music player. The much-requested pink iPod nano is available immediately in an 8GB model for A$279 RRP inc GST. It joins the other 8GB models available in silver, black, blue, green and the (iPod nano) RED™ special edition. The 4GB model (A$199) comes in silver only.
iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.4.9 or later and iTunes 7.6.
www.apple.com/au/ipodnano/
Image courtesy of Apple.
Macworld Expo SF08: Apple User Group Reception
Our man at Macworld, Colin Palmer, attended various sessions – including the Apple User Group Wine and Cheese Reception, where he mixed it with Mac dignitaries and celebrities including Steve Wozniak, David Pogue, Chris Breen, Adam and Tonya Engst, as well as other User Group folks from around the world.
Lots of links to lots of Macworld pictures are on the web... just Google 'Macworld 2008 photos'.
“T
here’s something in the Air” – Watch the Keynote
You can watch Steve Jobs’ 76-minute January 15 Keynote here:
www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/mwsf08/
From the above link you can...
- view streaming QuickTime video at a size to suit your system
- view H.264 High Definition version (min. 1.8 GHz G5 or Intel Core Duo, QT7)
- subscribe to a Podcast (890MB!) for viewing in iTunes or on a video iPod
Microsoft Office:mac 2008 released
It’s been 4 years since the last major build of Microsoft Office for Mac. This all-new suite – the last ‘big app’ to go Intel native (Universal, suits PowerPC Macs as well) – was launched January 15 at Macworld Expo. Colin Palmer has it on board, and will give us a demo at our MARCH meeting. Meanwhile, you can take a series of Feature Tours here.
www.macoffice2008.com
Pricing* |
Full Version |
Upgrade ** |
||
| Office 2008 for Mac, Home and Student Edition | A$229 |
N/A |
||
| Office 2008 for Mac, Standard Edition | A$649 |
A$399 |
||
| Office 2008 for Mac, Special Media Edition | A$899 |
A$549 |
* Prices inc GST, sourced 28/1/08 from Apple Australia’s online store.
** Next Byte is offering an Upgrade Guarantee – purchase Office:mac 2004 Standard Edition ($649) before 29 February, get upgrade to 2008 Special Media edition for $27.
New MacBook Air (due in store late February)
It’s another Mac in the aluminium MacBook range, re-engineered to be the world’s thinnest notebook (tapers from 4mm at thinnest edge to19mm at hinge edge). Features include 13.3-inch glossy widescreen display, 2GB RAM, 80GB hard disk, full size backlit keyboard, large trackpad with multi-touch gesture support (pinch, rotate and swipe with your fingers), built-in iSight camera, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1.
Software includes Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, iLife ’08 suite, and trial version of iWork ’08.
To achieve thinness, physical connections are limited to one USB2 port; one micro-DVI port (to add an Apple Cinema Display or connect to projectors and other displays via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video adapters); a headphone jack; and Apple MagSafe Power Adapter. There is no inbuilt Ethernet or CD/DVD slot (USB Ethernet Adapter and USB SuperDrive available separately). MacBook Air is designed to live within a wireless home or office network, where Internet access, software installation and working with discs are shared over the network via Apple Remote Disc – software that allows wireless access to another computer’s optical drive. A number of optional extras are available.
www.apple.com/au/macbookair/MacBook Air Options |
RRP* |
Education* |
||
| 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo | $2,499 |
$2,349 |
||
| 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 duo | add $430 |
add $387 |
||
| 64GB Solid State Drive | add $1,409 |
add $1,268 |
||
| MacBook Air USB SuperDrive | add $139 |
add $139 |
||
| Apple 20-inch Cinema Display | add $899 |
add $829 |
||
| Apple 23-inch Cinema Display | add $1,399 |
add $1,249 |
||
| MagSafe Airline Adapter | add $69 |
add $69 |
||
| 10/100 Ethernet/USB Adapter | add $39 |
add $39 |
||
| USB external Modem | add $79 |
add $69 |
||
| Apple Remote | add $29 |
add $26 |
||
| AppleCare Protection Plan | add $419 |
add $336 |
* Prices inc GST, sourced 16/1/08 from Apple Australia’s online store.
Product Image courtesy of Apple.
New Time Capsule (available in Australia late February)
Time Capsule is a “server-grade”, wireless hard drive, incorporating a full-featured 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station. Designed to work with Leopard’s Time Machine, it automatically backs up one or more Macs on a wireless network.
Pricing* |
RRP |
Education |
||
| 500 GB Time Capsule | $429 |
$399 |
||
| 1 Terrabyte Time Capsule | $699 |
$679 |
* Prices inc GST, sourced 16/1/08 from Apple Australia’s online store.
iPod touch Software Upgrade (available now through iTunes)
Installation of this major software upgrade – available from iTunes for AUD$24.99 – adds five more mobile applications to iPod touch: Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather, and Notes. It also includes such new features as Web Clips and a customisable home screen. Similar features will be added to iPhone™ via a firmware upgrade.
www.apple.com/au/ipodtouch/
Apple TV® Upgrade (available end Jan) and iTunes Movie Rentals (not here yet):
Change the way you watch digital media. Instead of huddling around your computer to watch what’s on iTunes, connect Apple TV to your widescreen television and watch your iTunes library on the big screen. Now, with the new model Apple TV – or with a free software upgrade for your existing Apple TV – you have the ability to connect straight to the internet, no need for a computer to sync to. Download podcasts, music, YouTube videos and movie trailers straight to your Apple TV from the iTunes store, and in the coming months download and rent movies straight from iTunes.
Apple TV 40GB: Currently RRP A$449**
Apple TV 160GB: Currently RRP A$579**
** The new model Apple TV, incorporating software upgrade, is expected to sell at a lower price when released in Australia.
Steve Jobs also announced iTunes Movie Rentals (not yet available in Australia) from a catalogue that will include movies made by every major US movie studio. Movie lovers will be able to download movies via iTunes, and watch them whenever and wherever they want, be it on their computer, video iPod, iPhone, or via Apple TV on their flat-panel television set.
Once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers will have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started they will have 24 hours to finish it – or watch it multiple times.
Pricing: DVD-quality iTunes Movie Rentals are US$2.99 for library titles and US$3.99 for new releases, and high definition versions are just one dollar more at US$3.99 and US$4.99 respectively.
Also announced during Jobs’ Keynote address was a plan by 20th Century Fox to introduce a new digital copy feature on selected DVD movie releases... buy a DVD, play it normally in your DVD player, and/or rip a specially formatted, free copy of the movie from the disc into your iTunes Library – then, watch it on Mac or PC, or transfer to your iPod. The plan is expected to be phased in over time.
New Mac Pro: Start Your Engines... All 8 of Them!
“Fastest Mac Ever” seems an inadequate description, having been used for every new iteration of the Macintosh since the Mac II series. But this one has serious grunt – if its predecessor was the Space Shuttle, this one is a Saturn Rocket!...
With DUAL, QUAD-CORE Intel Xeon processors running at up to 3.2GHz, powerful next generation graphics, up to 4TB of internal storage and endless configurations, new Mac Pro is the standout system for creative professionals, 3D digital content creators and scientists. The standard 8-core configuration starts at A$3,999 RRP inc GST (excludes monitor).
www.apple.com/au/macpro/
Bento from FileMaker now available
FileMaker has announced immediate availability of Bento, its stylish personal database for Leopard. With an iTunes-inspired interface, Bento offers an easy way to organise – in one convenient place – all your contacts, calendars, projects, events, media, and other data. Affordably priced at just A$79 RRP inc GST (A$129 RRP inc GST for a five-license family pack), Bento runs on Mac computers running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Available from the Apple Australia online Store.
Watch demo tours and download free trial from FileMaker (trial requires Leopard):
www.filemaker.com.au/products/bento/overview.html
Andrea Jung Joins Apple’s Board of Directors
Apple announced in January that Andrea Jung, Chair and CEO of Avon Products, has been elected to Apple’s board of directors. “Andrea is a strong CEO and marketer and we look forward to benefiting from her insights and experience as a member of Apple’s board,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.
Other News
Take Control of LeopardTidBITS has expanded its Take Control catalogue with new and updated eBooks about Leopard. Here are some...
Macworld Total Leopard Superguide (1.0, New, 3.4Mb)
This visually enticing new ebook has an overview of a huge collection of new features in Leopard. Topics covered include Spotlight, Safari, Automator, iChat, Mail, screen sharing, solving common problems, and recommended third-party add-ons. US$12.95, 92 pages.
Take Control of Upgrading to Leopard (1.1, Updated, 2.3Mb)
Latest edition of the title that launched Take Control back in 2003 with Panther. In it, Joe Kissell shares his hard-won advice about the best ways to install, test your installation, troubleshoot problems, and more. US$10, 125 pages.
Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard (1.0, New, 1.4Mb)
This concise ebook by Joe Kissell explains how to create a complete Leopard backup system with archives, a bootable duplicate, and offsite backups, but without significant effort. US$10, 83 pages.
Take Control: The Mac OS X Lexicon (1.5, Updated, 2.6Mb)
This ebook extends the familiar Take Control design with handy alphabetic navigation tabs on every page, oodles of custom graphics, and over 2,000 internal links. We're not talking about some dry old dictionary here – these definitions are loaded with useful tips, practical advice, humor, and empathy. US$15, 209 pages.
Take Control of Maintaining Your Mac (1.1, Updated, 1.5Mb)
Freshly updated by author Joe Kissell to cover both Tiger and Leopard, this ebook gives a step-by-step plan for avoiding problems with a Mac and keeping it running at peak performance. US$10, 87 pages.
The full catalog is listed at www.takecontrolbooks.com/catalog.html
AMUG members can get 10% off all titles (email Ken Driver for individual coupon codes).
A
dobe Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac
Adobe Photoshop Elements v6 for Macintosh – launched at Macworld in January – takes on a similar user interface and some cool features from its bigger cousins in the Adobe Creative Suite – Bridge CS3 and Photoshop CS3. Now Universal for native Intel and PowerPC performance, Elements 6 combines power and simplicity so you can go beyond the basics. Make your photos look their best, share them in creative ways, and easily find and view them. Adobe says Photoshop Elements also works great with Apple’s iPhoto.
New Features:
- Photomerge® Group Shot
- Batch apply adjustments to multiple images
- Guided Edit mode
- Create scrapbook pages, CD/DVD labels, and more
- Quick Select tool
- Create dramatic black-and-whites with ease
- Fine-tune colour, brightness and contrast
Pricing: Considering how similar it is to the much costlier CS3 apps, Elements 6 is amazingly cheap. Full retail is just A$125, or upgrade from any version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Album, Photoshop LE, or Adobe PhotoDeluxe, for A$95. More info and free trial here.
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