Newsletter to Members
May 2006
In this issue:
May Meeting
Monday May 1 at 6:30pm Room 327 Theatrette,
Sir Robert Webster Building, UNSW Kensington
Warwick will share his experience of buying and selling on eBay.
The major raffle prize this month is a D-Link 7-port Broadband Router with Print Server, valued at over $150 and kindly donated by Colin Palmer. Share Internet access and printer on your network.
Also on offer, Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard.
News from Apple
- Apple Introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro
- Apple Introduces Boot Camp Assistant
- Apple releases Remote Desktop 3.0
- Apple Releases Aperture 1.1
- Apple Provides Volume Limit Setting for iPod
- Now Shipping: Final Cut Studio 5.1
- Queensland User Group offers practical help
- Apple Design Awards 2006
Apple Introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro
With a 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor under the hood, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro is up to five times faster than the 17-inch PowerBook G4. Every MacBook Pro also includes Photo Booth, Apple’s fun-to-use application that lets users take quick snapshots with the built-in iSight video camera, add entertaining visual effects and share their pictures with the touch of a button.
Other features include 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB; 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm with Sudden Motion Sensor; 8x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support; and Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
Designed for business and creative professionals, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a 36 percent brighter display, 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory for demanding professional applications, and a Scrolling TrackPad to easily scroll through long web pages or pan across large photographs.
RRP $4,599 inc GST. Begins shipping in May.
Apple Introduces Boot Camp Assistant
Want to run Windows XP on your new Intel-based Mac? Now you can. Thanks to Boot Camp Public Beta, Macs do Windows, too. Available now as a free download, Boot Camp lets you decide – each time you start up your Mac – whether you'll boot into Mac OS X or Windows XP.
The public beta of Boot Camp Assistant is available immediately as a download (83 Mb), and is preview software licensed for use on a trial basis for a limited time. The final version of Boot Camp Assistant will be available as a feature in the upcoming Mac OS X version 10.5 “Leopard.”
www.apple.com/au/macosx/bootcamp/
Apple releases Remote Desktop 3.0
Apple's third generation network management software is now optimised for Intel-based Macs. Apple Remote Desktop™ 3 offers a wide range of high performance desktop management features including lightning-fast Spotlight searches across multiple Tiger systems; over 30 Automator actions for easily automating repetitive system administration tasks; a Dashboard Widget that provides quick and convenient observation of remote systems; Curtain Mode to hide the desktop of a system while it is being controlled remotely; and AutoInstall for installing software automatically on mobile systems when they return online.
RRP $399 inc GST for managing up to 10 systems;
$699 inc GST for managing an unlimited number of systems.
Education pricing available.
www.apple.com/au/remotedesktop/
Apple Releases Aperture 1.1
Aperture™ 1.1 is a significant update to the revolutionary all-in-one post production tool for photographers that now runs natively on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs. Aperture 1.1 features dramatically improved RAW image rendering and a new set of advanced RAW adjustment controls. At the new lower price of $449 RRP inc GST, Apple says it is putting Aperture within reach of anyone shooting with a digital SLR camera.
Aperture 1.1 is available as a free Software Update to current Aperture 1.0 customers. In addition, early adopters of Aperture 1.0 can claim a $250 coupon redeemable at the Apple Online Store as a thank you for their support.
www.apple.com.au/promo/aperture/
Product details at www.apple.com.au/aperture/
Apple Provides Volume Limit Setting for iPod
If you own an iPod nano or fifth-generation iPod and download and install software update 1.1.1, you can use it to set a personal maximum volume limit for your – or your child's – iPod.
www.apple.com/au/ipod/download/
Now Shipping: Final Cut Studio 5.1
Final Cut Studio 5.1 brings together a rich collection of real-time video and audio production tools. The production studio in a box comes complete with Universal versions of Final Cut Pro 5, Soundtrack Pro, Motion 2, and DVD Studio Pro 4, as well as the supporting cast – Compressor 2, Cinema Tools 3, Apple Qmaster 2, and LiveType 2 – all of which now run natively on both PowerPC-based and Intel-based Macintosh computers.
www.apple.com/au/finalcutstudio/
Queensland User Group offers practical help
The AMAQ Lions Club has been working with various worldwide communities over the years providing much needed items such as food, pencils and books. They've also been working on a project to computerise the island nation of Samoa. 180 Macs have already been sent and another 200 are earmarked to be sent soon.
Apple Design Awards 2006
Mac OS X software developers can show off their latest feat of programming genius – the eleventh annual Apple Design Awards is now accepting submissions. With eight award categories and the latest Macintosh hardware as prizes, Apple Design Awards 2006 is a unique opportunity for developers to receive recognition from Apple, from their peers, and from Mac users around the world.
News from the Net
- Macworld on Apple's 30th Anniversary
- Cure application crashes: OS X First Aid
- Games from Panega – "Free" educational site license
- Vendor Offer Watch
Macworld on Apple's 30th Anniversary
Adapted from TidBITS 825 10-Apr-06
The folks at Macworld (US) have been busy with features celebrating Apple's 30th anniversary... two favorites were their look at Apple's 30 most significant products and a hilarious timeline of important events in Apple's history by John Moltz of Crazy Apple Rumors. If you've started paying attention to Apple only recently, these two articles will give you a grounding in some of Apple's more distant past, and for those of who have been around for many of these years, reading the articles is a nice trip down memory lane. [ACE]
www.macworld.com/2006/04/features/30applelist/
www.macworld.com/2006/04/features/carstimeline/
Cure application crashes: OS X First Aid
Just as unwelcome as the application freeze is the application crash. When an application crashes, you typically see a dialog box informing you that it has “unexpectedly quit”. Macworld's Ted Landau offers nine troubleshooting tips to try, one by one, until the problem disappears.
www.macworld.com/2006/04/features/firstaidcrash/index.php
Games from Panega – "Free" site license for Schools and Libraries
Pangea Software, the makers of popular games like Bugdom and Nanosaur offer a free site license to various educational bodies around the world, including Australia. You may wish to let your local schools and libraries know of this generous offer.
This policy is open to all public schools, private schools, colleges, and public libraries. It allows these institutions to install any of Panega's games onto as many Macs as exist at that school's location as long as they own at least ONE legitimate copy of the game to start with. Full details here...
www.pangeasoft.net/scholasticpolicy.html
Exclusive Discounts from The MUG Center – for Apple User Group members only. All available globally...
Peachpit:
35% off "Apple Training Series: iLife '06" by Michael Rubin from Peachpit
More info: www.mugcenter.com/vendoroffers/ peachpit0406.html
Offer expires 31 Dec 06. Shipping costs apply.
To order, use coupon code: MAC-SMP-CHT3
ProSoft Engineering
25% off Drive Genius, Picture Rescue, Data Rescue, Data Backup & Data Recycler
More info: www.mugcenter.com/vendoroffers/prosoft.html
Offer ongoing. Order through the ProSoft Engineering web site www.prosofteng.com
Discount code: PRO247
Computer Systems Odessa
15-25% off ConceptDraw, ConceptDraw Mindmap and ConceptDraw Project
More info: www.mugcenter.com/vendoroffers/cso.html
Offer expires 30 June 06
To order, us this link: www.conceptdraw.com/products/ user_group.php
Disount code: 7158758
NotePage Inc.
US$5 off FeedForAll
More info: www.mugcenter.com/vendoroffers/feedforall.html
Offer expires 31 July 06
To order, use this link: www.feedforall.com/feedforall-macorder.htm
Coupon code: mugcenter (case sensitive).
Beginners Mac Workshop
Learn Mac OS X basics in a friendly, informative environment. Presented by AMUG Sydney.
Saturday 6th May 10am-2pm.
Room 136C (Computer Lab), Ground Floor, Webster Building, UNSW Kensington.
- One Mac per person
- No questions too silly
- Use one of the Uni's eMacs or bring your own Notebook
- Get Apple's latest Software Updates on CD, without the big downloads
- Free for AMUG members
To book, phone Rob on 9387 2069 or email sydamug@mac.com