reader shared some inviolable opinions about September ’s Macworld , which was pack with controversial capacity . They had complaints about QuarkXPress 6.0 ( and the way Quark does commercial enterprise ) . They shared their disappointment with OS X ’s Panther update . They profess making love for the novel G5s ( and condescension for our trailer of the newfangled machine ) , though they lament dear ’s high price . And they even had a few abrasive words for a longtime Macworld advertiser . But we welcome debate . Mac substance abuser are an opinionated bunch , and frankly , that ’s exactly how we like it .
Little Things Mean a Lot
Ray HortonI’ve scan nothing about Panther ( ” Take a peep at Panther , ” September 2003 ) that suggest whether Apple will bring back the Print Window option . Can someone please severalise Apple that pictorial designers ( at least ) necessitate this feature so they can post a disc directory along with disc to a service chest ? I know there ’s an self-governing app out there , but unluckily , it is n’t as straightaway and easy to employ as the old Print Window feature was . Please ?
Dick TrippThe Action button in the Panther Finder windowpane is an example of fixing something that was n’t broken . I fail to see how my efficiency will be improved by hold to select an target ( which could be situate at the bottom correct nook of my covert ) , position the pointer over the Action release , and then tap it to see a contextual menu . I can control - press a pick out target and achieve the same terminal .
Shepherd HoddwinI’ve never catch anything written about this , and I ’m amaze that such a flaw made it into OS X 10.0 , allow alone version 10.2 : when I ’m write a file and I seek to name it with too many characters , OS X accepts the name and then state me there are too many . However , it does n’t tell me how many letters too long the name is , so I have to figure that out through trial and error . I guess Apple expects me to count the character in each name I seek to use . OS 9 did n’t permit you type too many letters . And why are we still limited to , what , 31 characters ? Will this be corrected in Panther ?
G5: Gee Whiz!
Brian CaputoApple has done it again . With the Power Mac G5 , it has created another of the “ insanely great ” machines that only Apple has been known for ( ” The Next genesis , ” September 2003 ) . Yet even with this ball of fire on the market , the caller has one flaw : price . For the average family , the G5 ’s great power is out of reach . Malus pumila need to offer the G5 the same way it extend the G4 . Soon after the Power Mac G4 ’s release , Apple offered the G4 Cube , which provided the force of the G4 central processor in an affordable package . This strategy would now give Apple a way to battle lower - priced Intel- and AMD - powered computing gadget .
Jan MahlerWhile the G5 article was an interesting read , it was essentially flawed , due to its quoting of Apple ’s corporate propaganda and the author ’s lack of research .
Jason Snell states that Apple is trumpet the G5 as the first 64 - bit desktop computer . Unfortunately , Apple marketing has determine to ignore AMD ’s Hammer processors ( also cognise as Opteron ) . While they are n’t being sold by Dell or HP for consumers , there are a number of small vendor that make and sell Opteron - based machine . The AMD Opteron is targeted at both the host grade and the desktop ( and even the supercomputer ) level .
Snell also claims that the Wintel world has had trouble making the transition to 64 - snatch processing . But the AMD Opteron can run 32 - bit code natively — just like the PowerPC 970 . Not every PC user uses an Intel processor , as Intel is n’t the only biz in town .
Yes , our trailer of the new motorcar bring up Apple ’s claims that the G5 was the first desktop microcomputer with a 64 - act CPU — but it specifically take down that these were Apple ’s claims ( which are based on the idea that 64 - bit PC chips appear only in servers and workstations , while the G5 is classified as a desktop system ) . Macworld ’s first critical review of the Power Mac G5s appeared in our November issue ; this month , face for more lab tests , as we equate Power Mac G5s with eminent - performance microcomputer , let in an Opteron - base machine ( page 60 ) . As for 64 - minute chips running 32 - routine lotion , we account that the Wintel side has in the main “ had trouble move to 64 - act chips ” — not that 64 - number chip were incapable of running 32 - mo codification , either natively or in emulation . — Jason Snell
Acrobat Tumbles
First , the program is incredibly dim to load . I normally start it and go get a cup of coffee while I wait on it . Second , the search subroutine is no longer unclouded and available in the menu . It ’s hidden away at the bottom of the Find window , which no longer drift — rather , it pry on valuable screen background distance , forcing your papers to be smaller . Even worse , indexes created in Acrobat 5.0 are not compatible with Acrobat 6.0 , and frailty versa . For developer , this is a vital flaw .
For those reasons alone , our caller has decided not to elevate to 6.0 . I desire Adobe corrects these defect , and soon .
Lies, Damn Lies, and Chart Art
Dr. James CaseboltAs a prof of statistic , I must disagree with Helen Bradley ’s recommendations for making “ chart graphics ” with Microsoft Excel X ( Secrets , September 2003 ) . A chart , or a graph , is not artistry — it ’s a mean of communication . Its determination is to avail a spectator interpret complex numerical information . Her suggestions will make a graph more attractive but heavy to realize : 3 - D charts are unmanageable enough to interpret correctly , generate the want of a consistent origin for bars or pictograms . delete the axes , as she suggests , will make understanding the graph even more difficult . The creator of a graph postulate to keep the image ’s purpose in mind . Just because Excel ’s bells and whistle allow you to do something pretty does n’t imply it ’s a good estimate . Many of these features will lead in graphs that are confusing at best and purposefully deceptive at bad . I may apply this clause in my classes as an instance of how not to create a graph .
Many multitude procreate Excel charts in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator to get the visual effects they need ; however , I know that many of those effects would not come across a statistician ’s essential . I wanted to show that Excel was capable of many of these techniques , thus salvage fourth dimension and movement . I further disputation on the good way to initialize a chart to convey its point . — Helen Bradley
Fond o’ Fonts
Mike DawsonI just study “ A Font - Management Free - for - All ? ” ( Mac Beat , October 2003 ) , and I have to say that I can see this at last being a good affair for Mac users and for third - party font - managing director developers . Right now Font Book is a disjoined lotion , but Apple should consider earn it part of the heart and soul OS and offering genus Apis so developer can reach the feature . This would be alike to what I remember from Mac apps , most notably MacDraw , in the previous eighties .
One of the feature build into MacDraw was the ability to add and remove fonts on - the - fly , from within the software . When MacDraw was launch , only a nitty-gritty set of fonts was uncommitted unless launching was done via afford a drawing that take additional baptismal font that were then made approachable . If Font Book becomes an O feature article , this would give all Mac apps this functionality without the substance abuser have to go to another app to spark off and deactivate font .
Dedicated utilities from Extensis , DiamondSoft , Insider Software , and Alsoft would still be needed for make font solidification ( which Font Book would be able to trigger off and deactivate just like individual face ) , checking for debased baptistery , previewing a baptistry ’s character set and size , and ply any number of other feature that Font Book does not .
Apple provides basic baptismal font direction for the average exploiter . The third - political party troupe render advanced features for those with more - need font - direction needs . I see a winnings - win situation brewing .
Judged by Our Cover
Patrick ValellaSeptember ’s cover is very nicely designed — I love the fine art . It ’s a knockout , even down to the maculation metallics . Macworld ’s art department is cookin ’ ! As a scholarly person of design , I can roost check that you ’re in good helping hand .
Kelly BrowerMacworld ! How about show some professionalism and decency , and pulling Kensington ’s back - cover ad ( September 2003 ) ? I ’m ashamed of you for allowing such advertising tactics . What is our public coming to when strong companies such as Macworld leave advertizer to use sex to sell information processing system products ? Sad . If this practice session continues , I will be finding other ways to get my Mac news .
“ PaulInSaudi”OK , what was on the back cover of September ’s issue that inspired the local censor to rip that page off of every Macworld in Saudi Arabia ?
Get the Balance Right
Michael WilhelmI read your review of the Canon EOS 10D (; September 2003 ) with echt pursuit since one of the cons you cited was one of my principal reasons for buy this camera . No white - correspondence fine - tuning ? You ’d better have another aspect at the manual of arms . In addition to the standard blanched - equilibrium modes find on many digital cameras ( including Nikons ) , the 10D lets you fine - strain the white balance in increments of 100 level Kelvin — a feature that was previously available only on the much more expensive Canon EOS-1D and is still unavailable on Nikon ’s flagship D1X and the D100 . While using the 10D in a professional environs , I ’ve found that its ability to render accurate color in its automatic livid - symmetricalness style is superior to that of any other digital television camera I ’ve used .
There is no “ white - balance very well - tuning ” of the case find on other cameras — most notably Nikons — that offer a “ hunky-dory - tuning ” feature film . While there are many dissimilar blank - balance modes , there ’s no direction to tune the predetermined cloudy or daylight functions , for model . Since most exploiter are n’t accustomed to think in academic degree Kelvin , and since white balancing manually is n’t always practical , a fine - tuning feature would be very ready to hand . — Ben Long
XPressing Opinions
Matt BlitzI’d hop that the emergence of Adobe InDesign might criticize the folks at Quark off their footstall of arrogance . While I ’ve been using InDesign as much as possible , it still has some yield - based limitation that impel me to fall back to QuarkXPress . I ’d hoped interpretation 6.0 ( Reviews , September 2003 ) would have enough new features for me to vacate InDesign . But with a retail price century of dollar high than InDesign ’s , and with virtually no benefit beyond not having to run Classic , XPress has proved to me that Quark is a doddering behemoth , incapable of listening to its customer or the market place . Quark is in business in spite of itself . The end users do n’t like the caller ; the service bureaus do n’t care the society . I ’m sure that as soon as a product such as InDesign matures enough to be a viable option for most users and religious service bureau , Quark will vanish faster than you’re able to say “ Aldus . ”
Lisa RobertsonIf you ’re believe about upgrade to QuarkXPress 6.0 , mean again .
It make immense PDF file . A document that used to produce 448 K PDF filing cabinet now produces 8.9 MiB files . Quark ’s technical school - support result ? economize the written document as an EPS file , open it in Adobe Photoshop , and then make a PDF file .
If you work on a desktop and a laptop computer , you now have to buy two written matter of XPress . Quark says it ’s working on an alternate design . I imagine that it will be less than another platform , but I also imagine that it wo n’t be cheap . No other software fellowship I make out with does this to customers .
If you want to spare down to version 5.0 , look out — XPress may of a sudden throw in , or it may create a file that inexplicably can not be open by your coworkers who were saucy enough not to upgrade . This is especially problematic if you ’re saving over a connection . Quark ’s solution ? First deliver the new document to your desktop , and then drag it to the share mass . Your work flow just got more difficult .
Continuing the tradition of not caring about its customers ’ convenience or productiveness , Quark ’s technical school sustenance closes at 5 p.m. MST . Sometimes there ’s no solvent . And when I called customer support and in conclusion dumbfound a live individual , he put me back in the same circuitous queue that got me to him in the first place . I reckon Quark is overwhelmed with upset 6.0 drug user .
Just Drop It
Louis DeaettIn September ’s Mac Gems , Rob Griffiths lament that Mac O does n’t offer a way to interrupt a drag - and - drop cognitive operation . This surprise me a bit since the mechanics for aborting a drag and fall is the same as it ’s always been : just fell whatever you ’re tangle onto the menu bar .
Second-Class Mail
John ForsayethNormally , I ’m a big buff of Apple software , but I just have to say that Apple ’s Mail is n’t very unspoilt . And ” Take a Peek at Panther ” ( September 2003 ) did n’t encourage me to hope for dependable . Far easier to use is the beautifully incorporate Microsoft Entourage . I ’m not sure what Apple is trying to achieve with its package , but the company ought to look at the rival . I ’ve used a broad range of e - post programs over the years , and retinue thump the pant off everything else .
CORRECTIONS
In our review of iListen 1.6.1 ( Reviews , October 2003 ) , we implied that previous versions of iListen included a select - by - say potentiality . In fact , 1.6.1 is the first version of iListen to include this feature .
