Every year brings a parade of products into theMacworldoffices — hardware and software , flagship production and obscure gems , programs produce by jumbo companies and software coded by one mortal working out of an apartment . And there are commonly one or two surprise from Apple as well .
Hardware winners
The twelvemonth saw faster wireless hardware , a more fashionable slimmed - down iPod , and the usual parade of prime - prison term peripherals . There was also a phone you might have get word a meridian or two about .
AirPort Extreme with Gigabit Ethernet
We liked almost everything about the raw AirPort Extreme Base Station Apple released in January 2007 : It was simpler to configure than the previous model ( particularly for sharing printers and hard drive across a web ) , it had better range , and it was fast , thanks to its financial backing for the rapid Modern 802.11n wireless networking standard . In fact , our run obtain it topped 90 Mbps of actual throughput . Our only major ill was that it did n’t suffer Gigabit Ethernet , now stock on most Macs . Apple corrected this lapse quickly with the August exit of a revampedAirPort Extreme ( ) that total Gigabit Ethernet financial support . That improver speeded up both electrify connexion and the base station ’s internal Ethernet connexion , boosting wireless performance . Take a product we already really liked , set up its one major flaw , and you have one of the coolest hardware product of the year.—DAN Arthur Miller
Apple ; $ 179
Drobo
It ’s hard to hear the word “ the world ’s first storage robot ” without snigger at the notion of robot from an Isaac Asimov fib overrunning the Earth one gibibyte at a meter . But watch Data Robotics’Drobo ( ) in natural process , and it cursorily becomes clear that this multiple - bay hard effort system is anything but a put-on . plainly connect Drobo to your Mac , and it will pop back up all of your information . It ’s not a standard RAID gimmick , but it performs RAID - similar processes in the background , propel data between multiple drives via a complex but very secure backup scheme . If you ’re a storage aficionado who likes to know the precise details of your relief , this robot is not for you . If , however , you simply want heartsease of judgment about the guard of your information , Drobo is a howling store equipment . It ’s numb simple-minded to operate and hides all of its complexity in an attractive , unique , innovative outside . You ca n’t ask for much more from a robot.—ERIC SUESZ
Data Robotics ; $ 499
Epson MovieMate 72
Capable of much more than either a TV or a conference elbow room projector , Epson’sMovieMate 72 ( ) is a home theatre projector that ’s the first to offer high - definition 720p resolution . It also let in gamey - quality integrated utterer , a built - in up - convince videodisc player , and inputs for just about anything — your Mac desktop , USB ovolo drives , gambling consoles , and TV receivers . An modern , horizontally burst plan keeps the groundwork and its inputs and outputs stationary , while the top one-half with the lense can rotate to design images in just about any direction.—JAMES GALBRAITH
Epson ; $ 1,200
Epson PictureMate Zoom PM 290
TheEpson PictureMate Zoom PM 290 ’s ( ) regalia of useful , innovative features make photo impression from your desk to the outside earth . A commodious carrying grip take in it well-situated to move the 6.6 - pound printer from item A to point B , and a flip - up liquid crystal display concealment lets you consider and edit out photo before printing . As for the print themselves , the PictureMate Zoom produces in high spirits - timbre images quickly and inexpensively — at an estimated cost per print of 25 cents , making it the least expensive portable photo printer to use . Yes , the Zoom is modified to the same 4 - by-6 - inch newspaper size as its predecessors , but those prints look brilliant . Whether you ’re going on a road trip or on your room to a wedding , the PictureMate Zoom wo n’t allow you down as a travel companion.—BRIAN CHEN
Epson ; $ 200
George
This is n’t the first twelvemonth - end honor we ’ve pass out to the compactGeorge ( ) from Chestnut Hill ; the iPod speaker system also won a Play of the Year choice as one of our favorite iPod accoutrement of 2007 . The George earned twice the accolades for undecomposed reasonableness , not the least of which is the very good sound timber it extend . But its most unparalleled feature is its detachable control jury . Pop it off , and the panel becomes a wireless , handheld remote that mirrors your iPod ’s own menu on its LCD presentation . George also has elbow room to grow — you may update the software via a Mac connection , and God Almighty Chestnut Hill Sound establish the gimmick to lodge next hardware modules.—DAN FRAKES
Chestnut Hill Sound ; $ 499
HP Designjet Z3100 Photo Printer
For creative pro and professional photographers , the go - to printing machine of choice should be HP’sDesignjet Z3100 Photo Printer ( ) , a wide - format gadget that is a marvel of form and role . The Z3100 can develop colour and smutty - and - bloodless print as exquisite as anything the competition has to offer , but print quality is no longer the bar that it once was . Thus , HP ’s engineers had to deliver on serviceableness , and they succeeded brilliantly . From the smartly design packaging that makes it a elasticity to rig up , to the 12 inks that furnish its wide colour gamut , the Z3100 has all the bag covered . Its mystical weapon , however , is its built - in i1 spectrophotometer ( from 10 - Rite ) , which lets you create ICC profiles on - the - fly quickly and easily . You put a young paper type into the pressman , click a couple of buttons , and a short time later on every Mac on your internet will have the new newspaper ’s options instal . Someday , printing like this will be commonplace , but right now , HP ’s Designjet Z3100 stand alone.—RICK LEPAGE
Hewlett - Packard ; $ 4,095
iPhone
From the second Steve Jobs reach into his pocket at the January 2007 Macworld Expo and develop an iPhone , there was little doubt that Apple ’s long - anticipated entry into the mobile phone food market would dominate the headlines for the respite of the yr . Less obvious was whether theiPhone ( ) would live up to the ballyhoo . But that ’s incisively what it did upon its June launching . Other handheld machine have incorporated a touch - screen interface — but few can boast of one as elegant and intuitive as what the iPhone has to offer . Many phone lay claim to provide Internet connectivity — few have pulled off the “ no via media ” variation of the net that the iPhone delivers . Not many multimedia players have been able to challenge Apple ’s offerings on that front — the iPhone ’s iPod functions bear on that tradition . And on top of all that , it ’s a pretty good phone , too .
Are there flaws ? surely — the phone is still missing obvious feature even after a few software update have bolstered its functionality . Early adopter who stood in line that spread mean solar day had proficient ground to feel a little put out when Apple lash price quickly and seriously to goose sales ( though the company break the sting with a$100 Apple Store creditto purchasers of the full - price iPhones ) . And , even though Apple will let outsider develop something other than WWW - based apps for the iPhone starting in February , we wish the company would have more speedily embraced the many third - company apps that have leap up to make the iPhone even more powerful .
But in the grander schema of themes , these are minor quibbles . Just as the Macintosh vary personal computer science in 1984 and the iPod did the same for digital music in 2001 , the iPhone heralds a dramatic shift in the future of sassy earphone . Future machine might challenge and even surpass it , but for the time being , every smart phone that reach the market will be a response to the iPhone . You would n’t expect any less from a product out of Cupertino.—PHILIP MICHAELS
Apple ; $ 399
iPod nano
buy an iPod nano used to mean give up features for a compact size of it . But the third - generationiPod nano ( ) change all that by providing essentially the same features as the full - size of it iPod classic — along with estimable carrying into action — in a modest software . While you do n’t get the erectile storage capacity or larger blind of the classic , you get everything else — television playback and turnout , a crystal - readable cover , iPod games , and stereo audio transcription — along with superior battery living , skip - barren performance , and a low-spirited price . The new nano evenlookslike the classic ’s slight crony , thanks to its shiny metal backside . You wo n’t want to spend hour find out telecasting on the nano ’s 2 - column inch screen , but unless you ’ve dumbfound a vast music library that must be with you at all fourth dimension , this tiny iPod is a big winner.—DAN FRAKES
Apple ; 4 gigabyte , $ 149 ; 8 GB , $ 199
NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXiSV
precise colouring is a necessary for professional photographers and couturier , and the braggart , brightMultiSync LCD2690WUXiSV ( ) delivers exactly that across its 26 - inch display ( the large in NEC ’s lineup of professional LCDs ) . Its bundled spectrophotometer and computer hardware - calibration features — as well as its built - in tools for manage backlight and color body over sentence — make the MultiSync LCD2690WUXiSV a tool all serious color geeks should consider.—JAMES GALBRAITH
NEC ; $ 1,500
Nikon D40 Digital SLR
photograph enthusiasts longing for more originative freedom and expert lens options than a compact photographic camera can offer are turning to digital SLRs . And it ’s well-off to see why — these cameras offer interchangeable electron lens , high - quality oculus , and powerful control . You ’ll chance a number of great digital SLRs on store shelf at the moment , but for my money , theNikon D40 ( ) is the good value out there . The D40 offer a lightweight , compact organic structure , high - end feature , and a useful selective information display that help tiro photographer become intimate with the camera ’s configurations . Most authoritative , it takes beautiful picture . Although at 6 megapixels it pop the question a lower resoluteness and a somewhat slower fit mode than its 10 - megapixel D40x sibling , the D40 is also importantly less expensive — just $ 550 with a lens . It ’s a great lucifer for weekend shooters reckon to explore digital photography in greater depth.—KELLY TURNER
Nikon ; $ 550
Panasonic HDC-SD1
The user - friendlyPanasonic HDC - SD1shoots superb mellow - definition TV with clear sound and accurate people of colour , but this 3 - CCD camcorder is also noted for its power to tape the AVCHD picture format on SD / SDHC memory cards . That will save you both money ( SD / SDHC memory cards have become extremely affordable compared to MiniDV tape measure ) , clock time ( no more tight - promotion and rewinding to reexamine footage ) , and heft , as the cards are feather - visible light . The HDC - SD1 itself weighs in at less than a pound . We ’ve been using one to produce many of our Macworld video podcasts , and even at vane resolution the image quality is remarkably good . No wonder Steve Jobs used this television camera to help plunge iLife ’ 08 : It ’s a big step forwards in the tapeless camcorder revolution.—BRIAN CHEN
Panasonic ; $ 1,299
Software winners
Of all the software free on the Mac in the retiring year — for pros and consumers , from major developers to one - person operations — these 18 applications brook out as our favorites .
Adobe Premiere Pro CS3
Digital video pro and enthusiasts slough few tears when Adobe rip the plug on the Mac version of its DV - redaction program in 2003 . After all , it was hard to mourn the loss of inert carrying into action and ungainly command when DV editor in chief had more refined tools at their disposition . So it ’s to Adobe ’s credit that when it adjudicate to revive Premiere on the Mac , it delivered a plan that had little in common with its awkward herald except for the name . The Intel - onlyPremiere Pro CS3 ( ) take over a turn of professional feature article , from an effective interface to support for multiple and nested sequences . Gone is the limited approach to editing that dogged Premiere 6.5 , in favour of an industry - standard model that editors can squeeze . Premiere Pro CS3 takes a unified approach to transitions and effects , and the inclusion of the DVD - author program Encore CS3 offers one of the better DVD - instauration tool on the Mac , now that Apple has seemingly lost interestingness in the videodisc format . Adobe has done more than just right past misapprehension — it has introduced a whole new programme to the Mac that broadens video editor ’ choices.—PHILIP MICHAELS
Adobe ; $ 799
Amadeus Pro 1.1
Once upon a time there was the MacRecorder — a rectangular loge you plugged into a Mac ’s consecutive larboard to record sound with your computer — and SoundEdit , the simple two - track redaction software that accompanied it . SoundEdit spawned any number of inexpensive audio editors , let in one of this year ’s Eddy winners , HairerSoft’sAmadeus Pro ( ) . And what set Amadeus Pro asunder ? Certainly its wide - ranging capabilities , include extensive multitrack redaction , waveform analysis tools , clutch processing , snap and noise repair , and support for just about any Indian file formatting you ’d care to hurl at it . But then there ’s the monetary value tag end : $ 40 . There just is n’t an under-$50 sound recording editor as adequate to and intuitively designed as Amadeus Pro.—CHRISTOPHER BREEN
HairerSoft ; $ 40
ArtRage 2.5
At one sentence the Mac food market was littered with inexpensive paint political platform . It still sport plenty of high - priced , multi - featured options — namely Adobe ’s Photoshop andCorel ’s panther — but where ’s a dilettante on a budget to bend ? Ambient Design ’s $ 25ArtRage 2.5()—its price shred belies this natural - media paint programme ’s major power . Not only does ArtRage 2.5 offer a wide variety of media ( include oil , pencil , airbrush , glitter , and crank ) , but you may extensively hold in that metier by modifying such factors as a tool ’s press and slant and the medium ’s effeminacy and wetness . you may also select the material used for the canvas , add layer , work with stencils ( and make your own ) , and retrace over import image . Professionals and amateurs likewise will find ArtRage 2.5 a valuable gain to their electronic paint box.—CHRISTOPHER BREEN
Ambient Design ; $ 25
Billings 2.5
WithBillings 2 ( ) , Marketcircle adroitly walk the railway line between pack the time - trailing and invoice - innovation instrument with features and keeping it easy to practice . Billings ’ features give you the power to customise tax charge per unit and invoice templates and track billable hour with a loose - floating timer ; at the same metre , a setup helper makes it easy to get start up without any tizzy . Version 2.5 improve integration with other programs such as Marketcircle ’s concern productiveness manager Daylite as well as Project Wizards ’ Merlin , and revamps the chief windowpane for relief of use.—PHILIP MICHAELS
Marketcircle ; $ 59
DiskWarrior 4
DiskWarrior turns ten geezerhood old in drop of 2008 , and in the retiring decade , no other public utility has come nigh to gainsay its prowess at repairing disk - directory problem . DiskWarrior 4 ( ) is no exception . The long - awaited Intel - aboriginal version of the utility adds lineament for ferret out corrupted preference files , repairing OS X permission , remediate and reconstruct access code control lists , and recompense more type of disk job than previous edition could manage . DiskWarrior remains as worthful today as it ever was.—ROB GRIFFITHS
Alsoft ; $ 100
HandBrake 0.9
Here ’s the quandary : You ’ve make a library full of videodisk you ’ve bought and pay for and a slew of video recording - enabled digital devices ( an iPod , iPhone , or Apple TV ) , but no way to get the former onto the latter , thanks to copy - protection engineering that prevents you from ripping a DVD the direction you would a CD.HandBrake ( ) can solve your problem . Just sneak in a commercial videodisc , choose from HandBrake ’s listing of presets for movie - watching devices , and fall into place on Start . After a period of meter — which varies wildly look on the pep pill of your Mac — you’ll have a blank - save video file you’re able to watch on your Mac or sync to your iPod , iPhone , or Apple goggle box . HandBrake is also quite flexible and powerful : a Queue feature countenance you pull the episode from a television - show videodisk in sequence , and advanced users can prefer from among numberless tweaks , options , and setting to get exactly the video size and calibre they require . Can HandBrake be used for less - than - good purposes ? sure as shooting — but the same could be say of many programs in the age of digital contentedness . That does n’t take away from HandBrake ’s utility in let you relish the DVDs you own across other devices.—DAN FRAKES
HandBrake ; liberal
iWork ’08
The search for a in force all - around office productiveness suite offering discussion CPU , spreadsheet , and intro programs no longer begin and ends withMicrosoft Office.iWork ’ 08now figures into the admixture for a fraction of what you ’d pay for the three - year - erstwhile Office . Keynote ( ) was already an impressive presentation tool ; now it has gained way of life vitality , text effects , and transition . Once a limited Thomas Nelson Page - layout tool , Pages ’ 08 ( ) now offers both composition and layout modes as well as a contextual format bar . And now there ’s a spreadsheet platform , too — the newfangled Numbers ( ) , which brings a fresh , multiple - table - per - page glide path to the spreadsheet market , enabling some sincerely impressive output . All three programs vaunt well compatibility — both recitation and committal to writing — with Office file formats , depending on the complexity of the source . And as you might expect , the total iWork family excels at handling media , including pictures and television . iWork wo n’t replace Office if you ’re a might drug user of the Microsoft suite , but for most users ’ needs , it ’s a big collection of programs at a super price.—ROB GRIFFITHS
Malus pumila ; $ 79 )
LightZone 3.0
With Light Crafts’LightZone ( ) , you get an efficient , streamlined slice of software package that offers a unique attack to photo editing for a serious deal less than what you ’d pay for Photoshop . The program ’s theme song feature , the ZoneMapper peter , lets you easy see the tonic reach of your images by dividing your photos into 16 nicety of gray that represent tonic differences of half an f - hitch . Mouse over any specter , and the corresponding country show up in the ZoneFinder exhibit , a gray - scale miniature of the image you ’re working on . To change tonal distribution , just move your mouse within the ZoneMapper — a live preview of the image lets you correct your pictures in real time . While ZoneMapper , which gets its name from Ansel Adams ’ Zone System , is a pavilion feature , it ’s just one of a slew of other firing and editing tools in LightZone that are just as intuitive.—JACKIE DOVE
Light Crafts ; $ 250
Logic Studio
Apple ’s Logic offering has always packed in plenty of features ; the trouble has been accessing them . Logic Studio ( ) has more than solved that job . Take Logic Pro 8 , the cortege ’s essence plan : it now offer a exclusive - window pattern that allows user to do a server of functions without take in to switch forever between undefendable window . And even as it streamlines things , Apple continues to bestow capabilities . The novel Main Stage turns your Mac into a alive performance rig , and Studio Instruments includes 40 instrument plug - ins . Throw in Studio Effects , which includes a raw chaw - in that provide in - depth control over individual holdup taps , and you have a comprehensive bundle of audio tools for professional musicians.—JIM DALRYMPLE
Apple ; $ 499
Mac OS X 10.5
Appearing two and a half old age after its forerunner — and later than expected , due to an iPhone - actuate delay — OS X 10.5 ( ) is the next whole step in the continue phylogenesis of the Mac ’s operating system . And it ’s quite a step , boast more than 300 features and sweetening . Not all of those are major changes , but the OS cristal update known as Leopard sport some real creation — enough to make it a marked advance over the already solid Tiger .
First and foremost in OS X 10.5 ’s parade of additions is Time Machine , a build - in backup solution that take minimum user fundamental interaction . Because of its extensive backup options — an hourly backup of the last 24 hours , daily backups for the last 30 days , and hebdomadary championship for everything older than that — and the fact that reestablish files is a simple matter of pointing and clicking in its unparalleled 3 - D port , Time Machine figures to alter Mac users ’ backup habits significantly . Other characteristic , such as Quick Look , which let you preview file without first unfold their parent programs , and the Spaces virtual desktops tool , will likely pad your productivity . survive features such as the Finder and Spotlight also get an overhaul in Leopard .
Mac users may not always treasure what a massive task it is to produce a major operating system update . drug user on other platforms — we’re cerebration of you , poor Vista adopter — can’t take it for granted that the a la mode reading of their OS will always render more improvements than concern . That has n’t been the case with OS X , and Leopard continues that tradition . OS X 10.5 builds on 10.4 ’s strong foundation and supply a number of truly innovative features that make it a compelling rise for Mac users.—ROB GRIFFITHS
Apple ; $ 129
MarsEdit 2
XII of dissimilar blogging platforms exist for letting everybody and their pet ( and their pet ’s ducky , it seems ) post their intellection and reflection on the Internet . But all these dick have one matter in uncouth : they trust on often - unwieldy web - based interfaces . macintosh exploiter who ’ve come to expect a more graceful approach shot do n’t need to wrangle with a internet browser , however — not when there ’s a beautiful Mac - like program like Red Sweater Software’sMarsEdit 2 ( ) to make updating your Weblog as simple and intuitive as frighten away off an e - mail . There ’s something for everybody in MarsEdit , which offers compatibility with all the major blogging platforms . world power users will appreciate the ability to manage multiple web log , upload images and file , and innovation templates that have you see what a post will look like before it goes live . Blogging newcomers will benefit from MarsEdit ’s startle A Weblog wizard , which walks you through creating your own blog — it ’s so uncomplicated that your pet ’s darling ’s pet can get in on the blogging act.—DAN MOREN
Red Sweater Software ; $ 30
Merlin 2
Mac users are n’t accustomed to having a bunch of choices when it comes to project - management software — at least not until this preceding year . That ’s when a number of programs emerged on the Mac , establish project managing director selection ranging from AEC ’s venerable FastTrack Schedule to Omni Group ’s promising OmniPlan . But it was Project Wizards’Merlin 2 ( ) that caught our middle , thanks to its simplicity of use and intuitive features . Merlin ’s unmarried - user interface and side panel aid you create quick Gantt charts and add associated detail to project activity . Most of us were drawn to the Mac platform in the first place because of the promise of easily handle on the face of it complex tasks ; Merlin encompass that spirit and ensures that the most unmanageable part of your undertaking wo n’t be dealing with the software package you ’re using to manage it.—PHILIP MICHAELS
Project Wizards ; € 145
Painter Essentials 4
Do n’t dismissPainter Essentials 4 ( ) as but a undress - down version of Corel’sPainter X. While it offers a favorable way to apply painterly event to photos and make professional - looking note card , bumper dagger , and posting , Painter Essentials has much of the power obtain in the pro - level Painter . It feature a entirely redesigned workspace — distinct from Painter X — which clear it a snap for new users to get started : the Brush Drawer throw it easier to identify and select brushes ; there are new color and sociable palettes ; and it has enhanced the photo house painting system . Corel has also improved the “ smart virgule ” technology , which paints strokes to follow the form of the original photograph . Painter Essentials now stomach an expanded selection of composition textures , and if you need aid , you’re able to turn to the novel tutorial - ground guidebook.—JACKIE DOVE
Corel ; $ 80
Popcorn 3
Roxio ’s Popcorn may be the untried sibling to the company ’s Toast Titanium CD and videodisc burning at the stake package , but it ’s no whippersnapper . Especially made for Mac users working with television content , Popcorn 3 ( ) lets you convert video file cabinet to different format — combust them to a candle or DVD , putting them on your iPod , or transferring them to your Apple TV , PSP , or handheld . The anterior version of Popcorn was already a solid app , but with version 3 , Roxio added TiVoToGo support so you may take programs recorded by your TiVo DVR with you . Other additions include batch video recording compressing , the ability to pause and resume video transition ( in case you need to free up your processor for something else ) , improved gadget support , and the power to create custom disc labels using a bundled rendering of BeLight ’s Disc Cover.—PETER COHEN
Roxio ; $ 50
Reunion 9
pot of Mac programme assist you collect and organize data point on your family tree diagram , but only Leister Productions’Reunion ( ) combine stylish utility with comfort of use . Leister rewrote the recent version to include some Apple - inspired feature — the main window , for example , include a hunting box that ’s reminiscent of what you ’d see in iTunes , iPhoto , and Safari . A multimedia system window lets you store and exhibit a smorgasbord of image and video files — plus it can submit slide shows of your photos within the program . If you ’re create Web - based family trees , you could export those pages in CSS , which makes your page conform to skilful Web practices.—JACKIE DOVE
Leister Productions ; $ 99
Scrivener
I ’ve try most of the gobs of creative - writing program uncommitted , and the only one I ’ve embraced is Literature & Latte’sScrivener ( ) . Since there are as many dissimilar approaches to writing as there are shoot for novelists , a good writing program has to be passing flexible , and Scrivener is . you could break your ms into individual chapters , or redact it as a whole . A convenient Search function help you tail down that character you observe one time 70,000 words back . Built - in outline and corkboard views allow you plat where you ’re going , keep course of events and grapheme , and collect all the research you ’ve been doing . forward motion - tracking tools let you ensure you ’re staying on schedule or give you a sobering survey of how much more oeuvre you have yet to do . Put simply , Scrivener manages to offer a immense aggregation of features that make it an excellent writing tool , while having the gumption to get out of your style and have you focus on your written material when it ’s time to get down to business.—JASON SNELL
Literature & Latte ; $ 40
VMware Fusion 1.1
Between Parallels Desktop and Apple’sBoot Camp , you might think that the field of programs for running Windows on a Mac is full enough . ButVMware Fusion ( ) , is a welcome addition for anyone who needs or wants to branch out to other operating systems . After all , a lilliputian competitor never injure anyone ; in fact , Fusion ’s feature have already breathe in unexampled additions to Parallels ( and frailty versa ) . VMware Fusion also devote you access to VMware ’s huge aggregation ofappliances , quick - to - run software program packages you could download and install with a duple - click . The late release of version 1.1 also brings observational support for DirectX 9.0 , enabling a figure of newer secret plan to pass without resorting to Boot Camp . And if you already use Parallels , VMware 1.1 now includes a one - step Parallels importer that makes the conversion cognitive operation easier.—ROB GRIFFITHS
VMware ; $ 80
WireTap Studio
What with transcription interviews for the Macworld Podcast , converting LPs and mag tape to digital audio files , and capturing teem audio from my favorite Internet wireless stations , my Mac ’s audio remark port and Sound preference pane are rarely out of work . While peter exist to perform the aforementioned chore , none is as well-to-do to apply as Ambrosia Software’sWireTap Studio ( ) . Not only can WireTap Studio tape any sound produced by my Mac ( or channel to it ) , it automatically does so with lossless quality and allows me to edit that audio nondestructively , in one of the most intuitive audio editors I ’ve used . supply the power to preview your transcription ’s auditory sensation at any uncommitted quality mise en scene , and you ’ve got an audio editor fit for even the most necessitate user.—CHRISTOPHER BREEN
Ambrosia Software ; $ 69
Web winners
Not all heavy Mac instrument are confine to the hardware and computer software aisles at your local Apple Store . You ’ll find this trio of favorites online .
Amazon MP3
Over the last four geezerhood , Apple ’s iTunes Store has ruled the online roost for purchase music , and for proficient reason — its track and record album are low-priced , its selection is great , and the music is easy to find and download . But it left room for improvement in the form of eminent - timber audio encoding , removal of written matter protective covering , and a more pliable pricing structure . ThenAmazon MP3came on the setting — not only did the online music stock offer all of its ware in unprotected MP3 form , but it provided them at a higher second rate than that of iTunes ’ protected racecourse ( though at the same rate as unprotected iTunes Plus tracks ) . And Amazon offered all this for prices usually lower than what iTunes was charging at that time . Amazon has provided us with two worthful services . It offer a high - quality alternative to the iTunes Store — and it was instrumental in pushing Apple toslash the damage of iTunes Plus tracksand strip the transcript aegis from independent artists ’ firing . Competition is a beautiful thing.—CHRISTOPHER BREEN
Amazon.com
Google Apps
Microsoft Office may still be Rex of the office — Apple ’s beefed - up iWork notwithstanding — but Google is taking a pedestal with its own collection of business apps . The difference is , these productiveness tools — know collectively asGoogle Apps — live online . Using Google Apps , families , businesses , and educational creation can create a customise entanglement portal vein that combines e - mail ( Gmail ) ; group programming ( Google Calendar ) ; collaborative online writing and redaction of documents , spreadsheets , and presentation ( Google Docs ) ; chat ( Google Talk ) ; and Web Sir Frederick Handley Page building ( Google Page Creator ) . You control what ’s there and who can get at it . And dependable of all , the canonical edition is perfectly free . It ’s got its quirks ( like incompatibility with Safari as of this committal to writing ) , but Google ’s on-line suite is sure as shooting quick for real - populace use of goods and services — we put it to the test atMacworldby using the Docs feature to blue-pencil our digital Superguides and consolidate our Leopard coverage . Google Apps is n’t ready to topple your background - based suite — not yet , anyhow — but it is an impressive and well - implemented glance into the futurity of online tools.—JONATHAN SEFF
Google ; Standard Edition , complimentary ; Premier Edition , $ 50 per user , per year
Picnik
Between camera earpiece , Wi - Fi – enabled cameras , and the general rise of social networking sites such asFlickrandFacebook , photos are increasingly head straight from the camera to the vane , bypassing traditional image editors in the process . But that does n’t mean these snapshot would n’t benefit from a few nips and tuck . That ’s wherePicnik.com ( ) fits in . This on-line image editor associate with social networking sites , web log , and even your own difficult drive to allow you get at photos and make advanced edits . For deterrent example , in summation to wield the basics — exposure , saturation , and red - eye removal — you’re able to paint on a blur burden , draw notes and doodle , apply frames , and heighten colors . Even more telling is the speed at which all of this happens — the site is as responsive as a background program . Picnik ’s also overbold : when you relieve the file , you could choose to overwrite the original or keep both variation . Close your browser app , and your work - in - progress will be hold off for you when you return . Best of all , this Web - found editor is destitute ( though a $ 25 - a - twelvemonth bounty site offers more - modern redaction tools and other features).—KELLY TURNER
Picnik ; canonical version , barren ; Premium edition , $ 25 per yr
