It ’ll be a few more months ( at least ) before Mac OS X 10.4 is quick for prime time , but that ’s not stopping Macworld readers from catch Apple ’s Tiger by the tail . After reading the September 2004 preview of Tiger ’s announce feature of speech — and our wish list of thing we ’d like to see — reader flooded us with suggestions of their own . Where do Mac users find the clip to analyze an oculus sinister update that ’s yet to appear ? We ’d like to think that the 66 sentence - saving tips we include in the same topic helped a fleck . l
Tiger Tales
Gerry DavenportReading “ 10 Tiger Features We ’d Like to See ” ( “ 10 Things to Know about Tiger , ” September 2004 ) , I was quickly cue of a piece of package I use . You require spring - loaded folders in the Dock ; Workstrip , bySoftchaos , is a great dick for this . As for quick admission to files and smarter files , Workstrip does that , too . As much as I would love to have every imaginable cool and neat feature in my OS , that just is n’t hold up to happen , because everyone is unlike . What you like may not be what I require to deal with . To load up your computer with many , many small thingumabob , little apps , and other scripts to do small chore and alter the system is not a wise thing to do .
Stephen C. LangfordHere is a suggestion for iChat AV : a transparent image of the “ speaker ” that appears superimposed over a text file on blind ( as depict below ) . The hearer can indicate to things on screen and expect questions or make suggestions . you may edit the document in real fourth dimension in the software of your option . The technology , call FaceTop , implement several standard OS X extensions . David Stotts , at the University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , estimates that a Mac interlingual rendition would take a couple of months to implement . concerned commercial or private developers should reach out to the Office of Technology Development at the University of North Carolina .
Time Is on Our Side
Phil ZampinoI picked up a few interesting tricks from “ Save Time with Shortcuts ” ( Working Mac , September 2004 ) . I ’m a fast spot typist and favor to keep my hand on the keyboard whenever potential . I ’ve given up in many cases , and alternatively apply a trick that has salvage me tremendous amounts of time , though I ’ve never heard anyone else advert this idea . What I do is program the two side button on my four - button Microsoft computer mouse to issue a forward delete ( front button ) and a recurrence ( back clit ) . Since my bridge player is on the shiner so often , and these are two of the most - used keys , I recover that I ’m able to move much more rapidly around my system with far less back - and - Forth River between the mouse and the keyboard . My other favorite keyboard macro instruction apply CE Software ’s QuicKeys to programme a odd - hand return and delete key . I make option - Q a forward delete and option-~ ( tilde ) a return Florida key . I use these less than I do the mouse erase and retort buttons , but when I ’m creep around the screen and edit — great for filling out descriptor in a web browser app — it ’s more effective to utilise both hands rather than clumsily move my fingers from button to push on the mouse .
Steffie LucchesiThanks for the silent - startup tip ( “ Mac operating system X Hints,”Help Desk , September 2004 ) . I have new friend in the library now . I always block to plug in my headphones before turn my laptop computer on .
A Discreet Mention
Todd JaquithWhile Ben Long mostly collide with the nail on the head with his review of Discreet ’s Combustion 3 (; September 2004 ) , he was wrong about some of the new feature . The Grain Management shaft has been in the product since Combustion 2 , as have the survival of the fittest and mask feathering controls .
Fonts of Information
Theresa MesaWith FontAgentPro 2.1 (; September 2004 ) , you do n’t have to add font to a circle to compare them in Font Compare . Just press the Command tonality as you press the font in the left chromatography column — this trick works even with All Fonts take .
Michael MyersThere is one major affair none of the current font manager do that we designers desperately need and need and that we lose in OS hug drug — WYSIWYG font card in all programs . So far only AppleWorks has it . Yes , I can go to Font Book and search them up , but that take too long . I postulate to see them in the list , whether I ’m in Quark , Illustrator , or Photoshop . I currently apply Extensis Suitcase , but I found out that it does n’t have WYSIWYG menus . Please , get us our WYSIWYG menus back !
You Software’s$30 You Control : Fonts adds a WYSIWYG carte to many apps.—Ed .
Stifled Voices
Shawn KingIn his review of iPod voice recorders ( September 2004 ) , Cyrus Farivar write that “ there are no option for recording in other data format ” and list this as a con for the Belkin Voice Recorder for iPod and the Griffin Technology iTalk iPod Voice Recorder . That ’s a bite unjust — both devices are limited by theiPod’scapabilities . Apple has limited the recording ability of the iPod to 8kHz , 16 - spot mono WAV files . Also , he does n’t make it abundantly well-defined that neither twist is suited to high - quality recording . Again , the Apple - impose limitation make them recommendable only to people who want to do wide-eyed voice transcription .
Enjoying Encoding
Grant GrubbI desire to thank Jim Heid for “ iTunes Encoding Strategies ” ( Digital Hub , September 2004 ) . I lately added an AirPort Express to my sustenance room , and I love listening to my computer in the good afternoon . The “ reconstruct Your Library ” box seat was especially helpful . I did n’t like much for the tone of my music when I first set affair up — it go a moment mushy . Increasing the bit pace to 192 Kbps on several cadmium has made a humankind of difference of opinion , and I design to reencode them all presently .
Much Ado about Bit Rates
Trevor CookReader John Burt warns against using varying chip rate ( VBR ) , read that his file ended up with a pace between 164 and 184 Kbps ( Feedback , September 2004 ) . First , he may have been usingaverage scrap rate , which focuses on a sure spectrum of bit pace and is not in fact true VBR . Second , that ’s all his medicine needed . The concept behind VBR is that not all music , not all parts of a song , ask the same bit rate . VBR analyzes your euphony and gives out what it determines to be the high bit rate need to control the best sound possible , assigning high and low rate as needed for Indian file - size of it economy . In brusk , the reason his medicine may have hang around that same bit charge per unit was but that it needed nothing more to go guileless ( that is , as close to the original candela as possible ) .
