Every month , grassroots software system developers free dozens of new apps for the Mac . And every month , Senior Writer Dan Frakes reviews as many of them as he can inMac Gems . But a monthly tower just ca n’t include all the desirable ones — hence our September feature of speech “ 50 Mac Gems , ” in which Dan got to clear out some of his backlog . Many of you wrote in to complain about programs he ’d left out . Not to worry : if Dan has n’t review one of your faves yet , he ’ll append it to his check-’em - out list .
You forgot
Scott Brenner – I enjoyed September ’s “ 50 Mac Gems ” article but was surprised that the fabulous open - informant FTP clientCyberduckwas omit . You name a few FTP clients but passed over the ripe , feature - plentiful , and loose Cyberduck . I think many Macworld readers would have benefited from knowing about it .
Henry Schaechterle – In your September issue , you cut through 50 low - cost diligence for the Mac . I was surprised that you did n’t include theNeoOffice office retinue . I guess it ’s equal in every way to Microsoft Office , and it ’s essentially freeware . you’re able to apply the integral entourage without limitations or being nagged to register , but after I ’d used it for a while , I made a $ 20 donation to indorse the undecided - source projection . It ’s now my office app of pick .
We did n’t include Cyberduck because it was included in November 2004 ’s roundup of steal software , Even More Software Bargains . Rob Griffiths mentioned NeoOffice in his May 2005 review ofOpenOSX Office . The September article was n’t intend to be — indeed , could n’t be — a comprehensive spirit at deal software for the Mac . Rather , it was a snapshot of 50 gems that we had n’t been able-bodied to brush up antecedently but that we felt you should have it away about . There ’s a circumstances of neat cheap software out there . We examine to cover as much of it as we can in our monthly Mac Gems column , ourMac Gems Weblog , and occasional feature such as September ’s “ 50 Mac Gems . ”—Ed .
Repurposed Macs
Steven Minkler – Thanks for the great tips about converting an old Mac into a jukebox ( “ Old Mac , New Tricks , ” September 2005 ) . I function in a college medium - production section with four other extremely originative citizenry . We ’ve always delight playing desktop music to make the day move along . We start with an FM radio nearly 20 years ago , and then upgraded to a standard candle changer . About 5 old age ago , we decided to load up up an old 266MHz Mac with iTunes and some of our favorite music . Over the years , we ’ve accumulated intimately 4,200 songs ( as well as auditory sensation bites from movies , comedy routines , quondam radio commercial message , and self - recorded “ promos , ” to make it vocalize like a real radio station ) , taking up 14.5 GB of space . Visitors to our place comment on our eclectic euphony mix , not to mention the random iTunes visuals on the monitor . The only drawback is that the old G3 ca n’t run OS X ( even with XPostFacto ) , so we have to make all of our playlists “ by hand . ” But it ’s still chugging along !
Michael R. Hoffmann – I have used X10 for many long time now and must say that , after trying Smarthome ’s PowerLinc Controller USB , I ’m about to give up on using my iMac to automatise my home . The trouble is that even with all the updates to Indigo and its drivers installed , even after upgrading to OS X 10.4.2 , and even after reinstalling Indigo and connecting the controller right away to the USB port , Indigo finds that controller only about once in 20 tries — and ordinarily only after a full restart . have everything else ( pressman , external USB thrust , and even my cable length modem ) off or disconnected seems to help . I have e - mail Smarthome a number of times and followed their passport each sentence , but with no improvement . The old PowerLinc USB work amercement , but who wants to go away their computer on all the time ?
Peter Marmorek – Foolish me ! Here I ’ve been give my onetime computers to Polemonium van-bruntiae , Third World country , or underfunded internal - metropolis schools . But now you severalise me that I could have used them for such valuable role as saving myself a paseo upstairs to select a raw playlist , or a walkway across the room to turn over lights on and off . come up on , Macworld : there are one thousand million of people who would love the luck to do nonfrivolous poppycock with an old Mac .
Who’s the thief?
Ken Alan – With regard to your narrative about software package energizing ( “ Stop , Thief!”Mac Beat , September 2005 ): yes , there are software pirates out there — the monopoly software publishers . Thanks to dwindle competition ( for illustration , the recent merger of Macromedia and Adobe ) , we get buggy , crippled product , little initiation , products rushed to market with little usableness testing , and , of course , inflated prices . It may be meter for computing gadget user to organize a software program drug user affiliation to set our own policies on how software publishing firm will do business with us . In line , the people who pay the money make the ruler .
Mobile surgery
Chris Cluck – I thought the article “ Laptop ER ” ( Mobile Mac , September 2005 ) was well done , but it should have included a link toSafeware . This troupe specializes in insuring laptops . For as trivial as around $ 200 a yr , you’re able to insure your laptop computer and all its accessories from theft , fortuity , out - of - guarantee issues , and more , and that insurance coverage extends around the globe .
Ron Schacht – I ’ve worked in the program - engineering field for about 40 class and have discover just about every possible liquid spill into just about every electronic machine made . The most crucial thing to do is to at once remove the power informant — in the grammatical case of a laptop computer , take out the battery . Even when the unit is off , several circuits are still “ live . ” The liquid state , particularly if it is n’t water ( believe me , iced afternoon tea is the unsound ) , will conduct , and the result electrolysis will etch away the foils on the boards , and the pin on the chips . Unplug the unit , take out the barrage , and let it dry out out ( hint : put it in a warm attic for a few days ) . Then you could reinstall the battery and see whether it enkindle up .
Feedback on Feedback
Brad Mitchell – In September’sFeedback , a reader comment on the lover noise of the 12 - inch PowerBook . I had the same problem , especially after swop to Tiger . Looking at my SysStat widget , I found that Virex was eating up 60 to 85 percentage of my CPU wheel . I erased Virex from my organisation ( scary ) , and the heat and fan noise immediately disappeared . I ’m whisper - muted now except when extend several C.P.U. - intensive broadcast . All I need now is virus auspices with Tiger that is n’t such a CPU pig . Any estimation ?
