Macworld Overlooked

As the Macworld Expo comes to a close today, I thought now would be a good time to reflect back on the Apple announcements. While the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle will deservedly get the majority of the headlines, especially from the mainstream press, I wanted to look at the other new product announcements, because for most of us, these are actually much more important than either the Mini or the Shuffle.

iWork

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This is a good place to start. While some are lamenting the fact that, as a replacement to AppleWorks, it does not have either a built-in database, spreadsheet, painting, or drawing program, I would argue that it does not need them. Sure, AppleWorks had fine implementations of all those technologies, but ask yourself how often you used any of them?

I cut my spreadsheet teeth on the spreadsheet program a decade ago using AppleWorks, but quickly moved on to Excel. If anyone is doing any serious spreadsheet work, and there are a lot who do, chances are you did not use it in AppleWorks. Yes, some did, but most did not. Most use Excel, for better or worse.

The drawing and painting programs were all but useless anyway. No one I personally knew ever used them, save for a new Mac user who played with it for ten minutes before moving on, never to return. If you needed these types of programs, the AppleWorks versions were not what you wanted.

As for the Database module, Apple did not do away with that. It may not be in iWork, but if you need a fantastic database program on the Mac, I bet you already own FileMaker Pro. I do, I love it, and the AppleWorks version was woefully out of date, even when it was new.

So no, iWorkdoes not need to have any of those functionalities built in to it. What it needed to be it is: a replacement for Apple’s aging word processing application. It is robust, takes advantage of the underlying technologies in Mac OS X, and looks very easy to use. In other words, as a replacement to AppleWorks, it is perfect.

I would suggest, however, that Apple un-bundle it from KeyNote 2.0 and make it a cheap $29 download for those who do not need or want KeyNote (which is probably most Mac users in all honesty) or at least put it on iMacs, eMacs, and Mac Mini’s for free as they do iLife.

Importance Factor: Four Stars out of Five

iLife
This, to my way of thinking, will have the largest effect on most Mac users’ lives. Besides iTunes, it is a major upgrade to all the applications that make up iLife.

iPhoto
Probably the most popular outside iTunes of all the iLife programs, it is used by every Mac user I know. Even my sixty-year-old Uncle, a computer user for only a year, uses this program. With the rampant use of digital cameras, Apple was way ahead of the game when they released the first version of this program. Now it is even more powerful, and the new features make it a must-have.

The new features are simply inspiring. I absolutely love the new sorting abilities is sports. Working with RAW files is a must, and actually long overdue. I am surprised it took Apple until 2005 to support RAW in iPhoto.

iPhotos new photo retouching tools are also very nice, though I think I may perhaps continue to use Adobe Photoshop CS to do that. Also, why are the retouching tools in that cool black semi-transparent window style? Don’t get me wrong, I like the look, but whatever happened to staying within the style guidelines of the main application? If Apple likes that look, why not make the entire iPhoto window look like that?

The new Slideshows will come in handy here in my home. Besides storing and cataloging my photos, I used that feature all the time, and it makes a great screensaver. I know a lot of other Mac users who do the same thing.

The new books also look cool. I have never used that feature, but I think I may in this new version, if for no other reason than to see the quality of the books.

I am also really happy to see Apple is finally allowing video from digital cameras to be imported into iPhoto. I know people who have video capture on their little cameras, but don’t know how to get the files off, or where to save them. This could be a huge deal for a lot of people.

Importance Factor: Five Stars out of Five

iMovie HD
The importance of the HD format will not really be felt for a few more years, regardless of what Steve Jobs said about 2005 being the year of High-Def. The entry point is simply too high for most people yet to make that jump. Still and all, there are other new features in iMovie HD that will make this a worthwhile upgrade for us.

Magic iMovie is a great new feature, making an iMovie on the fly with little help or need from the end user. This I have to see in person to fully come to grips with how well it works, but the promise sounds really great.

The new editing features are really a big deal most people have overlooked. Being able to edit clips in the timeline with non-destructive editing is a must-have feature. One I have wanted since the first version was released years ago. And virtually unlimited un-dos? I am so there!

Also a HUGE new feature most people have thus far ignored is iMovies ability to import MPEG-4 format videos. Usually those are the video format found on digital still cameras. I know a lot of folks who, had they wanted to use those video files in an iMovie, had to convert them first in QuickTime. This is a big timesaver. (Now if they would simply make QuickTime and iMovie DIVX compatible. HA! Might as well wish for Apple to make me CEO!)

Importance Factor: Five Stars out of Five

iDVD 5
Major new features abound in iDVD. First, the importance of being able to work with a wider assortment of formats is a huge benefit. With all the assorted video formats on the market today, the biggest limitation to iDVD is now gone. Formats now include DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW.

OneStep DVD is a super handy feature for those who don’t want to edit their video in iMovie, but rather simply make a DVD from the video in their digital camcorder. Plug in the camera, click the OneStep DVD button, and it is off and running. In an hour or so, you will have a perfect digital copy of your tape on DVD, ready to play in any home DVD player. A real timesaver for a lot of people.

The new themes are also nice, but don’t forget that there are a lot of third-party companies out there already making iDVD themes that are in many ways just as nice, if not better, than what Apple supplies out of the box. Still, these new themes are really great looking, and I already can see a few that I want to use for a few video projects I have underway.

iDVD still supports (and does it even better) still-picture slideshows, but I cannot find an answer to my main question about that. Is it still limited to only 100 pictures per slide show? That was/is a huge limitation, one I have hated for years. If they fix that limitation, this will make my year.

Importance Factor: Four Stars out of Five

GarageBand 2
The first major upgrade to the one-year-old application, and it is a dozy. First, the ability for eight-track recording just made GarageBand a must-have for live performances. This will require a fast and powerful computer, not something you will want to try on anything less than a G5 with a few GB of RAM, but still a sweet upgrade nonetheless. (A reason for Apple to get us a G5 PowerBook if I have ever known!)

The big new feature for me, however, is GarageBands ability to display musical notations as it records or during playback. This is simply amazing. My only question is, can this be printed? Exported as a file or graphic of some sort? If not, this is a HUGE limitation. If so, this alone will put GarageBand on the map.

Importance Factor: Four (or five, see question above) Stars out of Five

Final Cut Express HD
If you are going to need Final Cut Express HD, chances are you are either going to buy an HD camcorder, or already own one. If this is the case, this is a major upgrade for you. Otherwise, you are probably an iMovie HD user, and this would be overkill.

Honestly, I have a copy of Final Cut Pro myself, but find myself using iMovie most often, as it usually suits my meager needs just fine. Still and all, that moving into HD video will enjoy the entry-level price and full-featured video, audio, and LiveType features this upgrade has to offer.

Importance Factor: Four Stars out of Five

Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
While not unveiled for the first time at the Expo, the next version of Mac OS X (Tiger) will have the largest impact on Mac users. Ask me no questions, and I will tell you no lies, but I have used Tiger myself for an extended period of time. My initial thoughts?

SpotLight
SpotLight will change everything. I have never seen a search work so fast and be so useable. It is one thing to watch Steve Jobs perform a search on a giant screen at an Expo: it is another to do it on your own computer and see the real-world results. It is amazing.

As a person who has used the BeOS, and know how fast a computer can find files using metadata, Spotlight still blew me away. To have this new search engine on your computer is as changing as the first time you use a high-speed internet connection. You cannot imagine ever going back to the old, clunky, and crappy way of searching. Simply unreal.

DashBoard
There have been widgets around for a while now on MacOS X. How is DashBoard different? I think in the long term, this will play a major roll in many future programs. For third-party vendors and software designers to be able to quickly and easily add functionality we have not even thought of yet will be as revolutionary as SpotLight is.

Imagine a DashBoard Widget that can talk to another application, calling out a series of commands. As an example, perhaps there is a widget that interacts with Adobe Photoshop that, when enacted, will run through a series of action with one click that would normally take you ten or twenty menu commands to execute. The possibilities are endless, and I really look forward to it.

iChat AV
This is going to be a lot of fun! Can you imagine the fun of running this as you are playing a multiplayer game online? FUN! But on the serious side, this can be a real boon for business. Imagine real-time, high quality, multiple videoconferences. There is a lot of potential here. (And don’t think the porn industry is not looking at this thing closely!)

Importance Factor: Five Stars out of Five

So while the Mac Mini and the iPod Shuffle may get all the attention, and will be the main thing this Macworld Expo is remembered for, chances are the above product announcement will have a much larger impact on you and your Mac in the not-too-distant future. Please feel free to share your thoughts below it the article discussion.