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4 December 2009
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for Psystar?
Mac cloner’s defeat is good news not
just for Apple, but for consumers, too.
C
ould the Psystar story finally be drawing to a close? If you’ve
missed it – somehow – Psystar, a US-based PC builder, found
a way to convince Mac OS X that its PCs were actually Macs.
It was a clever bit of fiddling with the bootloader that upset Apple
and saw it haul the company to court.
Its defence was equally clever, with Psystar claiming that it
had every right to buy a product and sell it on, even if it had been
tweaked. It’s logical: if you bought a car, sprayed it pink and then
re-sold it, you’d be well within your rights, but that’s because you don’t
sign up to an End User License Agreement. The Agreement – often
truncated to EULA – restricts what you can and can’t do with the
software, and in Mac OS X’s case one of those restrictions is running
it on non-Mac hardware.
Now depending on your point of view, this could be a good thing
or a serious restriction to fair and free use. On the pro side, it means
Apple’s hardware, which isn’t exactly cheap, remains desirable and
thus profitable as it’s the only platform on which you can legally run the
world’s best operating system. The case for the cons is that it helps
Apple retain those unrealistic prices by blocking competitors
like Dell and HP from building cheap Mac clones which, if
you’re cash-strapped and don’t care what your computer
looks like, is a bad thing indeed.
For my money though, I’m glad that the courts
upheld the EULA and Psystar looks set for a resounding
defeat. Not because I don’t want a cheap Mac (I do) and
not because I have anything against Psystar at all, which
I’m actually glad had a go at bucking the trend if for
no other reason than to test the law.
No, the proceedings’ outcome was
important because it protected not just
Apple, but all hardware and software
producers from a very unwelcome
precedent. Had it gone the other way,
there would be fair argument that another
company should be allowed to strip out,
tweak and re-sell the software in Sky+ boxes,
making it available to anyone who refused to
pay Sky’s prices. Want another example? How
about mobile phones? A sector with such
intense hardware homogeneity that the
operating system is often the only clear
differentiator. Would you want to see iPhone
OS on a Motorola, Nokia or Sony Ericsson?
If the courts had ruled in Psystar’s
favour, countless companies could have
seen their profits diminished and, in the
process, we would have seen competition
falter and innovation stall.
Psystar may have lost this battle,
but we should applaud its plucky
approach for confirming, once and
for all, the validity of the EULA.
& www.fantamag.com
004
contents
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
P48
▼ PAGE 48
REVIEW
P25
P42
OF THE DECADE
P38 We step back in time to revisit the
key moments that shaped Apple
P64 P24
and the world over the past 10 years
P82
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.com
005
▼ PAGE 64
4 December 2009
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WIN! this
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issue
News 007
Apple climbs to fifth place in PC
sales chart + US judge rules Psystar
breached Apple copyright + Gates
praises Jobs for doing ‘fantastic job’.
www.macuser.co.uk/news
Features 042
Get organised for 2010 Start the year
with a new attitude to managing your
Mac with our 20 top tips. Review of
the decade The past 10 years have
seen interesting times, not least for
Apple, so we look back at the seminal
moments that made the decade.
Macshopper 065
Classified Looking for a specific
product or service? Try these.
Hot Kit The definitive guide to
the best Mac products.
Method/Create 080
Method Exploiting the rule of thirds
for more powerful images Create
Develop photographic looks in Adobe
Lightroom + Luminous line effects in
Photoshop + Tethered shooting
Help 092
▼ PAGE 42 Master of all things techie Howard
Oakley answers all your questions
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4 December 2009
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FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS GO TO WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK
A
Acer (24.5%), Dell (18.3%), HP (17.5%) and at the lower price points,’ pple won a major victory in one
Toshiba (6.5%). observed Atwal. ‘Most of the PC Page 009 of its court cases against Psystar,
the maverick Mac cloner based in
Florida. A Federal judge agreed with Apple’s
contention that Psystar violated Apple’s
copyright when it sold its range of Mac
clones with Mac OS X pre-installed.
‘Psystar has violated Apple’s exclusive
reproduction right, distribution right and right
to create derivative works,’ ruled US District
Judge William Alsop in a California court,
where one of the two companies’ legal battles
has played out.
‘Accordingly, Apple’s motion for summary
judgment on copyright infringement must be
granted,’ concluded Judge Alsop.
Alsop’s ruling backed Apple’s claim that
its end-user licence agreement (EULA) that
outlaws the installation of Mac OS X on
non-Apple hardware is legally enforceable.
Alsop also threw out Psystar’s contention
that someone who buys Mac OS X should be
permitted to do what they want with it.
Image Danny Bird
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
Image Courtesy Microsoft
Gates praises
Jobs for doing
a ‘fantastic job’
A
pple CEO Steve Jobs was the
unexpected beneficiary of some kind
words from Microsoft co-founder Bill
▲ The only other top-five PC vendor to show growth
was Acer, as it had a strong showing in the fast- Gates, who credited Apple’s mercurial leader
growing but low-margin netbook sector. with saving Apple and ‘doing good things’.
Gates was a panelist on Keeping
Analyst reveals Apple is gaining market America Great, a 90-minute US TV special
aired by the CNBC cable TV station.
share despite overall market slowdown Gates shared the spotlight with veteran
investor Warren Buffet.
vendors now offer mini-notebooks as they ‘Most of the vendors are facing a Gates initially looked bemused after a
realise the importance of this category. Mini- difficult time. Interestingly, the two vendors member of the studio audience, business
notebooks represented more than 40% of the at either end of the price spectrum are undergraduate Damien Matthew, asked
total consumer notebook market in the third winning the battle. At one end, Acer Gates if he could ‘just comment and tell us
quarter of 2009,’ he said. continued to provide price-conscious products what your thoughts are on the job Steve Jobs
The only other top-five company to grow through multiple channels to attract a wider has done as the CEO of Apple?’
sales in the UK was Acer, which saw its unit buying audience. At the other end, Apple The audience laughed somewhat
sales rise by 35.5%, compared to falls in leveraged the “halo” effect of the Apple brand nervously before Gates began a well-natured
sales of 14.6%, 10.4% and 26.1% for Dell, created by the iPods and iPhones into the tribute to his erstwhile rival and nemesis, and
HP and Toshiba respectively. Acer’s rise PC arena, dominating the mid to higher price the man who has commissioned numerous
in sales might look impressive, but it was brackets,’ noted Atwal. TV commercials that disparage Microsoft’s
chiefly generated by the company’s strong ‘Acer gained the number-one position, Windows operating system.
representation in the netbook sector, which while Samsung is closing the gap on Apple ‘He’s done a fantastic job [as CEO
is fast growing but very low margin. in fifth place, with 4.8% market share. of Apple]. Apple’s in a bit of a different
By contrast, Apple’s rise in sales occurred Samsung also saw the highest performance business, where they make the hardware
despite the company’s refusal to compete in of the quarter, with 206.6% growth year-on- and software together, but when Steve was
the low-price sector of the PC market. year,’ he added. coming back to Apple, which was through
an acquisition of NeXT, which he ran, Apple
was in very tough shape,’ said Gates, who
modestly left out his own role in bailing
Apple wins first legal battle with Psystar out Apple in 1997.
‘In fact, most likely [the company]
protections that prevent Mac OS X being computers”,’ asserted Psystar in its second wasn’t going to survive. And Jobs brought in
installed on non-Apple hardware. Alsop also lawsuit. ‘Apple’s share of revenue in the a team, and he brought in inspiration about
dismissed Psystar’s claims that Apple was market for premium computers – computers great products and design that has made
abusing its copyright. priced at over $1000 – is currently 91%. Apple back into being an incredible force
Although Apple’s victory was more or less ‘This case raises a wholly separate and doing good things.
complete, the company faces another legal set of issues from those in Apple Inc vs ‘And it’s great to have competitors like
battle with Psystar in a Federal court, based Psystar Corp because that case is limited to that. [Microsoft writes] software for Apple…
in its home state of Psystar computers We compete with Apple. But of all the leaders
Florida. In August, running Mac OS X in the industry that I work with, [Jobs]
Psystar petitioned a ‘Judge Alsop also threw out Leopard,’ claimed showed more inspiration, and he saved
Federal judge in Florida Psystar’s contention that Psystar’s legal team. the company,’ Gates concluded.
to rule that Apple ‘Both the technical
illegally limits Snow someone who buys Mac OS X mechanisms used
Leopard to running by Apple to tie Mac
Quote, unquote
should be permitted to do what
on Apple hardware. OS X Snow Leopard ‘We are selling 400 times more
‘By tying its
they want with it’ to Macintoshes and games on iPhone than on Android.’
operating system the technology used Gameloft finance director Alexandre
to Apple-branded by Psystar to get de Rochefort explains why the games
hardware, Apple restrains trade in personal Mac OS X Snow Leopard to run on Psystar developer is focusing more of its
computers that run Mac OS X, collects computers are new and different and not efforts on iPhone games than those
monopoly rents on its Macintoshes, and within the scope of the California litigation,’ for Google’s Android platform.
monopolises the market for “premium the company claimed.
011
News fl
fla
ash
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
No iTunes fix in
Palm Pre update
Palm has released a software update
for its Pre handset, and for the first
time has failed to restore syncing with
Apple’s iTunes. The two companies
have been engaged in a cat-and-mouse
game ever since Palm introduced the
Pre earlier this year and decided to use
iTunes to load music onto the device.
Apple almost immediately broke the
connection, only for Palm to restore it.
The breaking point may have been
the response of the USB Implementers
Forum (USB-IF) to Palm’s complaint
that Apple was breaching the terms
of its USB licence. It sided with Apple,
Image PA Photos
telling Palm that by tricking iTunes into
thinking that a Pre connected to a Mac
or PC via USB was an iPod, Palm was
the one at fault.
Palm made no mention of iTunes support in its release notes for the latest Pre software update, which focuses on email, instant messaging and SMS support.
Apple overtakes
Nokia on profits
Image Verizon via YouTube
from phones
J
ust two-and-a-half years after it
entered the handset market with the
iPhone, Apple has overtaken market
leader Nokia when it comes to making money
from the mobile market, according to a report
▲ One of Verizon’s ads shows the iPhone in the Island of Misfit Toys because its 3G coverage is so poor. by market analyst Strategic Analytics.
iPhone assault
Strategic Analytics analyst Alexander
Spektor claimed: ‘Apple became the world’s
most profitable handset vendor in Q3 2009.
Fueled by strong volumes, high wholesale
I
t’s not often Apple gets out-muscled the iPhone is dismissed as a Liberacé-styled prices and tight cost controls, the PC vendor
when it comes to marketing, but the jewelled accessory that embodies ‘semi- has successfully broken into the mobile
company is under sustained attack in functional giggling brat vanity’. Meanwhile, phone market in just two years. What can
a campaign by US network Verizon, which the Motorola Droid, which is available from Nokia do to regain the number-one position?’
has variously attacked the iPhone for being Verizon, runs ‘thousands of Android apps It was a stunning achievement for an
dysfunctional and even unmanly. with axle-greased ease’ and is ‘a bare- upstart such as Apple to overtake the world’s
While Apple uses a relentlessly upbeat knuckle bucket of does!’. leading mobile phone company on profits.
strategy with its Mac and iPhone commercials Perhaps Verizon ‘protesteth too much’. Apple accounted for about 17% of the
that combine a sort of cheery Californian Certainly, if industry rumours are correct, world’s smartphone market compared with
feel-good outlook (‘There’s an app for that’) the leading US network would actually love 39% for Nokia, according to Gartner’s figures
with an insider bitchiness (the ‘Get a Mac’ to carry Apple’s iPhone. And according to for the third quarter of
campaign, which industry insiders, 2009. And that’s not
ridicules the PC Apple is busy even counting the overall
character), Verizon developing an iPhone handset market, which
has decided to go for ‘In a Verizon advert that oozes ‘nano’ that will work on Nokia also dominates.
the jugular by focusing thinly disguised, testosterone- Verizon’s US network Gartner believes
on the iPhone’s weak as well as AT&T’s. ‘smartphones account
fueled homophobia, the iPhone is
point. And that’s In the UK, Apple for 14% of overall mobile
Apple’s choice of US dismissed as a Liberacé-styled has seemingly realised device sales’, so Apple
exclusive network jewelled accessory ’ that exclusive network has less than 3% of the
partner, AT&T. tie-ups are clearly in total global market for
AT&T has even the past. Given O2’s mobile phones.
gone to court to try rather mixed record However, Spektor’s
to prevent Verizon from running one of its with UK 3G coverage, it was only a matter of contention soon came
adverts on US TV. In the advert in question, time before a rival UK network started running under attack on the
the iPhone appears in a parody of a well- adverts highlighting just how poor the iPhone’s grounds that while
loved US Christmas special telling the story telephony was in this country. Nokia’s entire Q3 profits ▲ Despite having
the biggest market
of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. In it, With the iPhone now available from were $1.1 billion (about share, Nokia has
an iPhone shuffles dejectedly onto the Orange, and with Vodafone due to carry the £665 million), Apple’s total fallen behind Apple
in terms of profits.
Island of Misfit Toys, where flawed toys are handset, Apple UK may just have escaped profitability came to $1.67
banished because Santa can’t offload them from having its most important product billion (about £1.01 billion).
to children at Christmas. being attacked in TV commercials over here This would imply that Apple’s entire non-
‘Hey, check out the new guy,’ exclaims a for its distinctly patchy 3G coverage. Hey, iPhone business only made $570 million
Jack-in-a-box. everyone’s a winner. (about £345 million) for the third quarter, an
A spotty elephant toy asks: ‘What are extremely unlikely scenario.
you doing here? You can download apps The solution lies in whether you consider
and browse the web.’ the ‘real’ revenues accruing to Apple from the
‘Yeah, people will love you,’ adds a doll. iPhone, or the revenues that Apple can register,
The iPhone stops in its tracks before a according to US accounting regulations, which
map of AT&T’s 3G coverage in the US pops require the company to account for iPhone
up above it like a thought bubble. revenues over a two-year period.
‘Oh!’ exclaim the assembled toys, as the When Apple’ iPhone sales are accounted
map wilts Dali-style and the alleged inadequacy for in the quarter in which the company
of AT&T’s coverage becomes apparent. actually makes a sale, they reach $2.85
Image Nokia
‘You’ll fit right in here,’ chuckles a toy plane. billion (about £1.72 billion) as opposed to
Paul Nesbitt has never ceased to be amazed by the
In another advert, Verizon takes aim at the sheer oddness of Apple over the decade that he
$1.67 billion. This suggests Apple almost
iPhone itself. In an advert that oozes thinly has spent writing about its alternating moments of certainly eclipsed Nokia as the world’s most
disguised, testosterone-fueled homophobia, madness and genius for MacUser. profitable handset maker.
014
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
MICROSOFT EMBARRASSED
BY PLAGIARISM COMMENT
Microsoft executive suggests Windows 7
copies some features of Mac OS X…
M
icrosoft rushed to distance itself However, while Aldous acknowledged A clearly peeved Brandon LeBlanc, a
from the embarrassing assertion that Microsoft might have used Mac OS Windows communications manager at
by one of its executives that the X as an inspiration for Windows 7’s look Microsoft, commented in the official blog
company had copied parts of Mac OS X in and feel, he claimed that Microsoft’s for Windows he runs for Microsoft. In a
the latest version of Windows. operating system was superior underneath. posting entitled ‘How we really designed the
Attending a Microsoft partner conference ‘We’ve significantly improved the graphical look and feel of Windows 7’, he wrote: ‘An
in London, Microsoft partner group manager user interface, but it’s built on that very inaccurate quote has been floating around
Simon Aldous said: ‘One of the things stable core Vista technology, which is the Internet today about the design origins
people say an awful lot about the Apple far more stable than the current Mac of Windows 7 and whether its look and feel
Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very platform,’ he said. was “borrowed” from Mac OS X.
graphical and easy to use. Nonetheless, Aldous’ comments upset ‘Unfortunately, this came from a Microsoft
‘What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7, some of his colleagues at Microsoft, employee who was not involved in any aspect
whether it’s traditional format or in a touch who are sensitive to allegations that the of designing Windows 7. I hate to say this
format, is create a Mac look and feel in company copies Apple’s ideas when it about one of our own, but his comments
terms of graphics,’ said Aldous. comes to software development. were inaccurate and uninformed.’
015
4 December 2008
www.macuser.co.uk
Windows Mobile
loses market share
W
indows Mobile lost 28% of its mobile device sales, but Gartner expects by
market share in the smartphone 2012 they will make up around 37% of global
market in one year, according to handset sales. Smartphone revenue is
Gartner. And the research outfit painted a forecast to reach $191 billion (about £115
grim outlook for Microsoft in the smartphone billion) by 2012, higher than end-user
market as its OS gets squeezed between spending on mobile PCs, which is forecast
proprietary systems from Apple and Rim on to reach $152 billion (about £91.95 billion)
one side and open-source operating systems in 2012. From 2009, user spending on
such as Android and Symbian on the other. smartphones will start to surpass the
Gartner’s research revealed that Microsoft forecast for consumer notebooks,’ the
had a 7.9% share of the global smartphone company predicted.
market during the third quarter of this year, Clearly the smartphone market will become
down from an 11% share for the same very important, but Gartner warned PC vendors
quarter in 2008. During the same period, who are ‘eyeing the booming smartphone
Apple’s market share with the iPhone rose market’ that it will prove a tough nut to crack,
from 12.9% to 17.1%, while Rim’s market especially if they enter the market with
share with the BlackBerry rose from 16% to handsets running Windows Mobile.
20.8%. Meanwhile, Symbian’s market share One Gartner analyst, Roberta Cozza,
fell from 49.7% to 44.6%, a drop of 10%. predicted that by 2012 around 62% of the
Google’s open-source smartphone whole smartphone market would be open
operating system, Android, rose from nothing source ‘with Symbian, Android and other
to 3.9%, Palm’s WebOS took 1.1% and various Linux flavours’. Meanwhile, the rest of the
other Linux-based smartphone operating market will be dominated by ‘closed
systems accounted for 4.7%. environments’ such as iPhone and BlackBerry.
Gartner predicted the global smartphone Cozza said Microsoft could find it harder
market would grow by 29% to reach 180 to charge licence fees from handset makers
million units for the whole of 2009, overtaking who increasingly have the option to use
notebooks in total unit terms. ‘At present, free-of-charge operating systems such as
smartphones account for 14% of overall Google’s Android. Already, Microsoft’s
licensees, including Samsung, HTC
and Sony Ericsson, are developing
Android handsets, while Palm and
Motorola have stopped offering
Windows Mobile phones altogether.
Windows Mobile’s strongest
position is in the enterprise
market, but around 80% of
smartphones are sold to
consumers, according to Gartner.
PC vendors have traditionally
used Windows Mobile when they
offered smartphones, but not
counting Apple, Gartner found that
‘PC vendors’ cumulative share in
the smartphone market has been
static, at less than 1% for years’.
Cozza said: ‘PC vendors should
Aldous’ comments are interesting, as realise that while convergence of
Apple has often alleged that Microsoft has technologies offers an opportunity
copied its operating system technologies. to enter into the smartphone
Indeed, the company waged a long-running arena, the business models, go to
and ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit against market and positioning of products
Microsoft in the 1990s alleging that is very different from the PC
the Windows giant had ripped off Apple market. PC vendors will find it
technologies in the development of the difficult to simply use existing
Windows operating system. supply chains and channels
Moreover, at Apple’s Worldwide to expand their presence in
Developers Conference in June 2004, the smartphone market. The
Image Microsoft
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
ANALYSIS:
Life’s little apps and Zunes
Contrary to what Microsoft’s Ray Ozzie believes, apps are the way forward
for the smartphone market, so Apple must get its approval process sorted.
R
ay Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief software Remember the Zune? That was use the iPhone and what it will take to keep
architect, recently told attendees Microsoft’s personal media player that was us upgrading year after year.
at the company’s Professional going to break the iPod’s stranglehold on Sadly, it doesn’t yet seem to understand
Developer Conference that applications won’t the market. Its key feature, or unique selling how to communicate effectively with
be important on smartphones soon because point in marketing speak, was its ability to developers, or even with its approval team.
‘all the apps that count’ will be available on let users beam songs to each other. The That approval system needs an overhaul,
every smartphone. Instead, he said it was latest version is the Zune HD. It doesn’t and quickly. Then Apple can demonstrate to
the operating system itself and the built-in have a Hard Drive. And its screen isn’t High Microsoft just why third-party apps are so
functionality that will count. Definition. It does, however receive HD radio important to every smartphone platform.
His point was that phone applications in the US and can store 720p HD movies so
are much smaller and less complex than you can play them back on a larger screen.
desktop applications, which means the Just what you want from a personal media
time to write and port code is shorter, thus player. That’s an indication of how much
making it easier and less expensive to write Microsoft has lost touch with the market
for every platform. for mobile devices.
Ozzie’s comments were widely seen as At a time when it should be putting
an attempt to downplay the catastrophic everything into improving its share of the
way in which Microsoft has dropped the fast-growing smartphone market by building
ball in the mobile devices market. Once on the foundations laid by Windows Mobile,
the undisputed leader, Windows Mobile now it’s marketing personal media players that
faces stiff competition are designed to be
from Apple, Google connected to HDTVs
and Palm. If ‘What makes the iPhone so and talking about
anything, though, his popular is the developers who adding Zune features
remarks highlighted to the next version of
how much Microsoft produce apps that perform tasks Mobile. And at a time
still has to learn many of us never dreamed of when it should be
about the market for chastened by the way
doing on a phone in a way that
mobile devices. it’s being threatened
There’s a great makes them a joy to use’ by Apple, Palm,
deal more to levelling Google and Rim, it’s
the playing field with instead denouncing
respect to third-party applications than the market for third-party apps, which many
making it relatively easy for developers to see as being crucial to the popularity of the
write them. As Apple has shown with its iPhone, as irrelevant.
disastrous approval process, balancing the Perhaps the clue to Microsoft’s view of
interests of customers and developers with third party apps is in Ozzie’s phrase ‘all the
those of the data networks in a way that apps that count’. If those apps are the ones
makes sense isn’t exactly what you could that allow us to talk, send texts, access the
call straightforward. Internet, exchange email, look up contacts
In Apple’s case, it would appear that it and check calendars, then he’s right, they’ll
has been unable to either come up with a all be available on all platforms. And, yes, big
set of guidelines for approval that make any developers will develop for all platforms.
sort of logical sense, or that it has failed to However, one of the key things that
communicate its policy to those responsible makes the iPhone so popular is the
for accepting or rejecting applications. thousands of independent developers who
Whatever it is that has gone wrong, it has produce wonderful applications that perform
already driven two high-profile developers tasks that many of us never dreamed of
away from the iPhone platform, and more doing on a phone in a way that makes them
could follow suit. a joy to use.
That a company that has done such Many of those developers have been
a great job of building and marketing a writing for the Mac OS for years and have
new smartphone platform could get it so formed a bond with the platform and with Kenny Hemphill has been at MacUser since
wrong should be a stark warning to others, each other. It’s them and the apps they write the week Apple bought NeXT and Steve Jobs
especially Microsoft, which hardly has a who will make the difference. That’s why returned to the company, and the Internet was
glittering recent history when it comes to Apple has spent so much money advertising something that ran on one Mac in a cupboard
selling mobile devices. iPhone apps on TV. It understands how we in the corner of the MacUser office.
018
coming soon
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
Macally EzBookPad
Price €39.95 (about £35.67)
Contact Macally
+ www.macally-europe.com
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
OKI MB400 series
Price from £300 (£261 ex VAT)
Contact OKI + www.okiprintingsolutions.co.uk
OKI’s MB400 series of mono LED multi-function devices features
three network all-in-ones, two of which can send and receive faxes,
as well as scan, print and copy. The MB460, the cheapest of the
three, is a PCL-based device, which has a resolution of 2400
x 600dpi and a 250-sheet input tray. The other two machines
support PostScript 3, have a resolution of 1200 x 1200dpi, and come
with a 50-sheet multi-purpose tray in addition to 250-sheet and
530-sheet feeders, respectively. All three have duplex as standard
and have quoted print speeds of up to 28 pages per minute.
Blue
Microphones
Yeti
Price tbc
Contact Blue
Microphones
+ bluemic.com
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
macpheasto > Thanks for the opinions. I’d MacUser Awards 2009
forgotten about the font issue, I’ll have a
look tonight. I have a rather large – and
competition winners
The winner of a Mac mini is:
M
Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland St, London, W1T 4JD
somewhat old – font collection, so it may David Ackers, Balham Hill, London EDITORIAL
well be a problem. Editor Nik Rawlinson nik_rawlinson@dennis.co.uk
big_D > Running it on three machines (my old The winner of a Sonnet Fusion F2 640GB Deputy editor Kenny Hemphill reviews@dennis.co.uk
first generation 24in iMac, a 13in MacBook portable Sata Raid is: Contributing editor Howard Oakley
Technical editor Keith Martin
Pro and mini), and haven’t had any problems. Colin Alcock, Solihull, West Midlands Staff writer Alan Stonebridge alan_stonebridge@dennis.co.uk
That said, I don’t have any additional fonts. Senior reporter Paul Nesbitt
technoidiot > I’m on the Snowy one. I have The two winners of Orbitsound T12 stereo Columnist Simon Brew
problems with an HP PSC 1410 – it prints soundbars are: ART
fine, but I can’t scan. No HP driver as yet. I Chris Andrews, Stone, Aylesbury, Bucks Art editor Camille Neilson
Freelance designer Heather Reeves
have a friend, who after going to 10.6.1 found Tony Barnes, Denver, Colorado, US Redesign by Steven Savage
he couldn’t use his Epson Photo R380. He Images Danny Bird, Pat Hall, Hugh Threlfall, Jan Cihak,
eventually got that working with quite a bit of The five winners of T3 mobile speakers are: Chris Robson
fiddling, but I’ll admit he was fit to be tied Arthur Battram, Grantham, Lincolnshire PRODUCTION
since it had worked well on 10.6.0. Paul Beard, Poole, Dorset Production editor Jon Lysons
Remote sub-editor Kirsty Fortune
krisjones2 > Have you tried firing up Image Scott Burkett, W Bancroft, St Toledo, Ohio, US Sub-editor Rob Woodcock
Capture? Rachel Byfield, Ramsbury, Marlborough Ad production executive Anisha Mogra 020 7907 6067
technoidiot > Now that’s a great idea – it Darren Connor, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire Digital production manager Nicky Baker
hadn’t occurred to me. ADVERTISING
mrstevenrogers > Can’t the fonts folder be The winner of an iDowell iBox is: Advertising manager Alexandra Skinner
020 7907 6623 alex_skinner@dennis.co.uk
backed up then after the upgrade use ‘font Jerry Creedon, Lissarda, County Cork, Ireland Account director Nicky Crawford
book’ to install the fonts back to the system? 0207907 6624 nicky_crawford@dennis.co.uk
HeatherKay > Not really. It’s the way the OS The winner of a iDowell iPack UPS is: Online group ad manager Gary Rayneau
020 7907 6812 gary_rayneau@dennis.co.uk
handles the font data to represent it on Nigel Curry, London Classified sales executive Craig Chambers
screen and print. The font handling routines 020 7907 6652 craig_chambers@dennis.co.uk
for PostScript Type 1 fonts have been, The four winners of an Booq Taipan US advertising manager Matthew Sullivan-Pond
++1 646 717 9555 matthew_sullivan@dennis.co.uk
essentially, dropped as of Snow Leopard. Bacpack, Steel, are: List rental inserts executive John Perry
It’s possible to convert Type 1 to Peter Davis, London 020 7907 6151 john_perry@dennis.co.uk
OpenType, but when you have a library of Andrew Douse, Rugby, Warwickshire PUBLISHING & MARKETING
several thousand fonts, it’s not something to Julie Earnshaw, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire Publisher Paul Rayner 020 7907 6663
relish – and it breaks the licence agreement. Michael Gagan, Sheffield, South Yorkshire paul_rayner@dennis.co.uk
Marketing manager Claire Scrase 020 7907 6113
As it stands right now, I have maybe 30 Editorial & marketing assistant
font families that will work with Snow The five winners of a Griffin Navigate are: Emily Hodges 020 7907 6270
Leopard. The other 3,970 will either have to Aidan Gill, Windlesham, Surrey DENNIS PUBLISHING LTD
be binned or slowly converted, or I’ll have to Ray Guthrie, High Littleton, Bristol Managing director technology and motoring Ian Westwood
Production director Robin Ryan
work through and choose the ones I really Marc Hindley, Forres, Morayshire Director of advertising Julian Lloyd-Evans
Newstrade director Martin Belson
can’t live without, and then see if it’s worth Peter Hobby, Poole, Dorset Managing director digital Pete Wootton
Chief operating officer Brett Reynolds
converting them. Richard Johnson, Harlesden, London Group finance director Ian Leggett
Chief executive James Tye
Right now, it’s not worth my while for the Chairman Felix Dennis
relative benefits of Snow Leopard. The 10 winners of a Griffin AirCurve are: Printed in England by BGP Print Ltd, Chaucer International Estate, Launton Road, Bicester, Oxon
OX6 7QZ Distribution Seymour Distribution 020 7396 8000
Artworker > Also for future reference anyone Jon Landeryou, Bedminster, Bristol
MacUser, incorporating Apple User, DTP, MacShopper and MacBuyer, is published fortnightly
who is going to be seriously affected by the Andrew Mayne, Long Sutton, Lincolnshire by Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD, a company registered in
England number 1138891. Entire contents © Dennis Publishing Ltd licensed by Felden 2009.
PostScript Type 1 font issue with Snow Catherine Miller, Millbrook, Southampton MacUser is an independent journal, not affiliated with Apple Computer Inc. ‘Apple’ and the
Apple logo, ‘Macintosh’, ‘Mac’, the Mac logo and ‘MacUser’ are the trademarks of Apple Inc.
Leopard won’t be using Font Book. They’ll Erica Parkin, Wigan, Lancashire
PERMISSIONS AND REPRINTS
have a proper font management application. Alexander Porter, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen Material in MacUser may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written
tombolt > With a studio full of G5s and G4s, Iain Priestley, Balsall Common, Coventry permission. MacUser is available for international licensing and syndication. Please call
Winnie Liesenfeld on +44 20 7097 6134 for details.
and a large font collection and everything George Rankin, Jamestown, Dunbartonshire Reprints alex_skinner@dennis.co.uk
working perfectly well, I can say no, and Giles Rolph, Hanwell, London Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Jan-Dec 2007 14,502 per issue
probably not for a long time yet. Not sure John Rudkin, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire HOW TO CONTACT US
what I’ll do if I need new Macs, as new ones Peter Russell, Wanstrow, Shepton Mallet Mail MacUser, 30 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 4JD
Online macuser.co.uk
will only come with Snow Leopard. Still, as I Phone 020 7907 6000
Fax 020 7907 6369
say, it’s a production environment and it all The three winners of a Prosoft & Josoft Email
Letters for publication mailbox@macuser.co.uk
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or just want to gush about your latest Don B Wijetunge, London
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Mac purchase or cool accessory, we’re Denis Williams, Hailsham, East Sussex MacUser team. Mmmmm.... thank you!
showcase
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
MAC-USING CREATIVES SHOW OFF THEIR WORK AND REVEAL WHAT MAKES THEM TICK
Michael Grecco started his career in Boston while in college working for the
Associated Press as a photo stringer. After working for the Boston Herald
and then People magazine, he decided to pursue his dream of shooting
portraits and celebrities. He now resides in the Los Angeles area.
such as Ralph Gibson and Bruce Davidson, Canadian fashion for Glitterati magazine.
I knew I was going to be a photographer.
Robert
How did you get your first big break? session with the director. I asked him to run
I don’t know if I ever had one particular through a range of expressions – and soon
CONTACT DETAILS break. The little jump I had was in 1993 found out how well he can act.
Name Michael Grecco when I did a very moody and distinct series
Current employment Self-employed of images for Business Week magazine of What or who inspires your work?
Email michael@michaelgrecco.com the top entrepreneurs in the world. This I tend to take all the art I’ve ever seen along
URL michaelgrecco.com included flying to the UK to shoot Richard with me for inspiration. I do have a great
Tel +1 310-452-4461 Branson and Anita Roddick. appreciation for surrealism though, and bring
along a little bit of René Magritte wherever
Talk us through these examples: I go. That said, I look at a great deal of
01 Steve Martin contemporary art, too. The Chelsea Handler
This was for Time magazine when Steve prop was inspired by a contemporary artist
Martin wrote his memoirs. I had this idea that whose work I’ve bought.
What was your first Mac and what other he had spent his life in the garden writing,
equipment do you use? and the vines and garden grow around him. What mistakes have you learned from?
When I started my business again in Los Thinking you know something you don’t.
Angeles, I realised I needed a way to send 02 Penélope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar
out promotional pieces. My first Mac was an This was another feature magazine story What’s your ideal project?
SE/30, with 4MB of Ram and a 40MB hard where the concept was the intimacy and My ideal project would be a series of
drive, which sounds ridiculous now. Now the closeness of these two artists. conceptualised images where I can work
office has eight Macs, my MacBook Pro, the with good set builders and creative people
studio manager’s 24in iMac, another iMac 03 Chelsea Handler to make my vision come alive. Right now, my
for the office music, two eight-core Mac Pros This image was shot as a cover possibility for concept pictures are usually single images.
for the images and two Mac minis – one is a her new book Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, in
FileMaker Pro and Calendar server, and the which Chelsea describes growing up in New Tell us something good.
other is an image server. We also have a few Jersey among the partially renovated cars It’s sunny and 23°C in Santa Monica today.
high-end scanners and high-end printers. from her father’s automotive hobby. It’s a good day to write and create.
023
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4 December 2009
04
07
06
03
05
02
01
reviews
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4 December 2009
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
Mac server
Mac mini with
Snow Leopard
Server
Price £7
Pri £799 (£6
(£695 ex VAT)
VAT
Contact Apple
Pros Affordable compact Mac server
Photography Danny Bird
T
he Mac mini has been a hit since
it was launched back in 2005,
and not just as a regular desktop
machine. It has also been put to work as
a server, from small one-off workgroup
installations to the Nevada-based
Macminicolo server farm. Apple
has now officially acknowledged
this with its new Mac mini
server, slightly tailored to server-
focused rather than solo user
requirements. This means it isn’t
suitable for everyone, but it is a
rather more worthy product than
you might think.
Despite its rather clumsy name,
this is a well-considered machine. On
the back it has five USB sockets, two monitor
▲ The absence of an
ports (one mini-DVI and one mini DisplayPort), optical drive on the
one FireWire 800 socket and a single front of the Mac mini
with Snow Leopard
gigabit Ethernet port. There is also a pair Server may prove
of analogue/digital audio sockets, although problematic for some.
those will be less of a concern in a server.
On the front – well, there is actually that adding inexpensive USB storage is also but apart from the fact that this isn’t suited
only one thing that really distinguishes this simple. The mini’s single Ethernet port might to large-scale access, it barely scratches
from the regular mini, but it is significant: a be an issue if split traffic routing between the the surface of what’s available from Snow
complete absence of an optical drive. In its local network and the Internet is required, but Leopard Server. Centralised file serving is
place inside the mini there’s a second hard Apple’s USB Ethernet Adaptor would do the useful, and you can manage and control
drive, a twin to the 500GB model below it, trick in this case. client access (cross-platform) very efficiently,
giving a total of 1TB of space. As standard, We’re used to thinking of the Mac mini but on top of this, you’ll also be able to
these drives are set up as regular storage as a kind of entry-level Mac, but today’s manage network Time Machine backups,
volumes, and as Snow Leopard Server is calendar and address
preinstalled, the majority of users will keep book sharing,
it like that. The alternative would be to ‘Centralised file serving is useful, and you can manage and scheduling,
reformat and merge the two drives as Raid and control client access (cross-platform) very email, instant
0 (for striped speed) or Raid 1 (for mirrored messaging and video
safety) instead.
efficiently, but on top of this, you’ll also be able conferencing, web,
The difficulty here is that this requires to manage network Time Machine backups’ blog and wiki serving,
using the supplied installer DVDs, and as and so on.
there’s no DVD drive, you’d be forgiven for Buying Snow
wondering how. There are essentially three machine is surprisingly well-suited to life Leopard Server on its own will set you back
ways to go about this: run a second Mac in as a server. With a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo just under £400, and adding this to a roughly
Target Disk Mode (requires FireWire), use the processor, 3MB on-chip level two cache (1:1 equivalent Mac mini (with SuperDrive but
optical drive network sharing trick introduced speed), a 1066MHz frontside bus and 4GB just 320GB disk space) pushes the cost to
for the MacBook Air, or, our preference, buy of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, this is actually over £1000. That’s still reasonable for a total
the external MacBook Air SuperDrive. Most a very respectable machine that’s perfectly server solution – just look at the costs for
modern software is downloadable, so you capable of handling light to middleweight equivalent Windows server solutions – but
won’t face this problem often, but it should work. There are reports that its two SO-Dimm it’s still not as cheap as this Mac mini server.
be considered. slots support 4GB cards, giving it an unofficial Not everyone needs a server, so this will
The drives are standard 5400rpm laptop 8GB maximum, but for most of the tasks it never be a sales chart-topper. But the scope
mechanisms; not the fastest possible, but will face 4GB should be ample. and ease of use of Snow Leopard Server
perfectly adequate. You can add an external Why bother with a server in the first place? and the affordability of the Mac mini should
drive to the FireWire 800 port for snappier You could, as many do, simply switch on file make this a big hit in the server world.
throughput, and the five USB ports means sharing on a regular Mac and be done with it, Keith Martin
▼
With five
USB ports, two
monitor sockets,
a FireWire 800
port and a single
Ethernet socket,
connectivity
isn’t a problem.
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Digital camcorder
Samsung ▼ The C10’s design stands out,
Flashcam C10 especially the upturned nose, which
is supposed to make the camcorder
more comfortable to hold.
I
n such a crowded market, the Samsung really much nicer, to our eyes at least, than Its upturned nose is supposed to make
Flashcam C10 camcorder is going to the straight-up types such as the Flip or the camcorder more comfortable to hold for
have to stand out to really impress. The Kodak devices. The zoom toggle button sits prolonged periods, but we’re doubtful about
specifications seem run-of-the-mill for this on the top of the camera and your thumb its ergonomic benefits. It takes a little while
price point: the C10 shoots at 720 x 576 sits naturally on it. The buttons on the body to get used to holding the camera at such an
pixels in H.264 format, has a 2.7in LCD could do with being more clearly identified, angle, but, thanks to the rotating screen, it’s
screen and a 10x optical zoom. It’s available as they’re all the same colour and are only not prohibitive.
from Argos for about £130. distinguishable by an icon etched onto them. The menus are easy to navigate, although
The design, however, is immediately Mind you, over time you’ll get used to which this is most likely down to the fact that there’s
striking, with the small pebble-like shape button does what. not much in the way of extra features in the
Image editor
CameraBag
Desktop
Drag in a photo and 10 different versions will be displayed along the bottom of the application’s window.
T
he iPhone’s built-in camera has never and spits out something different; a stylish, of the CameraBag window. Each is a preview
won awards for image quality, and funky photo to replace your dull original. It’s of one the built-in filters at work; just click on
performs poorly in comparison with simple to use, it’s fun and it’s a bargain at one to see it full size.
the cameras in rival smartphones. There are, just over a pound. As you’d expect, the desktop application
however, apps available that compensate for CameraBag Desktop is essentially the offers a few more features than its iPhone
these hardware deficiencies. same application, but for use on your Mac. cousin. Images can be exported at a wider
CameraBag is one such iPhone app. In Using it is very straightforward. Drag in a range of sizes, from 100 to 1600 pixels.
seconds, it applies one of a set of pre-defined photo from anywhere, and you’ll see 10 There’s also limited cropping ability, using
image processing filters to your photographs, new versions of it appear along the bottom preset sizes only (you can’t specify an
029
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
first place. There’s a time lapse setting and saver if you’re converting several clips that
a wind noise reduction option, as well as Video converter originated from the same reel or shoot.
built-in image stabilisation, but otherwise not
much to really get us excited. One feature we
Reframe After lining up movies for conversion,
the Video tab lets you choose from a list of
did like was the Easy-q setting, which at the common operations, such as moving between
press of a button puts everything into auto standard definition Pal and NTSC video, and
mode. So, if you’ve been tinkering around with to 25 and 30fps (frames per second) movies
backlight or you’ve set it to record in black Price $129.95 (about £78.18) at 720p and 1080p line resolutions. These
and white, simply press the Easy-q button to Contact Miraizon + miraizon.com are Reframe’s idea of presets, though you can
get back to basics. One odd decision is the Needs PowerPC G3 or later or Intel Mac override frame sizes and frame rates below.
lack of a still photo capability. Other cameras + Mac OS X 10.4 or later + 512MB You’ll have to choose one on the Audio
manage to combine photo and video, so it Ram + QuickTime 7.2 or later tab as well; the two operations aren’t
seems strange for the C10 to leave it out. Pros Simple interface and workflow directly linked. You can independently control
Video quality was average and, like many + Good results in movies with little interlacing of video and gain on audio, and
of these small camcorders, filming indoors motion + Inexpensive there are advanced settings that control
yielded grainy results. Other than that, colours Cons Sticky advanced settings and algorithms for image and audio quality. You
were good and sound wasn’t bad, either. All in no true presets can set scaling options (padded, cropped
all, the performance from the Samsung was Verdict An affordable alternative to or stretched), motion vector analysis, and
fine but hardly earth shattering: you’re not hardware converters, though playing whether to use motion compensation,
going to be disappointed, yet neither are you with advanced settings doesn’t turn temporal interpolation or film to video telecine
likely to be over the moon with the results. out great results in all circumstances. conversion to deal with changing frame rates.
The Samsung Flashcam C10 isn’t as well Each tab links directly to the help file,
specified as some of its competitors and the which requires careful reading to make the
video quality is at best on a par with the other right choices. Advanced settings are sticky, so
R
devices we’ve seen, but we did find it simple eframe is a tool for converting every time you open Reframe, you’ll have to
to operate and used it regularly over the movies between video standards. check they’re appropriately set for the footage
time we had it. If you’re just looking to chuck Its main focus is the Pal and NTSC you’re working with, rather than following a
quick videos onto YouTube, then fine, but formats, and SD and HD resolutions, which wizard that asks about your movies’ content.
you wouldn’t want to use it for anything more could cost you a small fortune using a Picture quality in a frame with little motion
demanding. As it stands, there’s not enough hardware-based converter. was very good, with smooth lines on a static
to mark it out from the crowd. The C10 is a We can’t fault the immediate clarity of or slow moving car. However, there was
decent camera at a fair price, but really there Reframe’s workflow. Its four tabs show the obvious shimmering of colour on the car’s
are better alternatives available. process from left to right. Drop movies into body that wasn’t noticeable in the NTSC
Christopher Brennan the Input tab, choose the video and audio version. No matter which motion vector and
settings, then choose the output format frame rate conversion settings we chose, a
on the last one. fast-moving car travelling across the frame
The Input tab seems mundane, but it and towards the camera became juddery.
‘In seconds, it applies one of a set
conceals some important features. Press Conversions for iPod and other devices
of pre-defined image processing Edit and you can choose which video and can be done with tools such as QuickTime Pro
filters to your photographs, and audio tracks from multi-track files to convert, 7 or Mpeg Streamclip. For video standards
and override the source’s aspect ratio. You conversion, Reframe doesn’t mean you can
spits out a stylish, funky photo can also force Mpeg decoding to interpret abandon hardware alternatives, despite its
to replace your dull original’ video as film, progressive scan or interlaced decent speed on recent Intel Macs. However,
footage or rely on automatic detection. if you’re on a tight budget around Final Cut
The Transfer button lets you set up the Express’s level, it’s an inexpensive way to
arbitrary crop size). On the iPhone, image Video and Audio tabs for one item and add software conversion without stepping
borders are either on or off; here they can transfer those settings to every other item up to Final Cut Studio’s Compressor.
be applied per image. This means you can in the Input list, which is an excellent time- Alan Stonebridge
use the black-and-white effect, with a border
normally used for a Polaroid-style effect.
Multiple effects can also be applied to
one image, although we got better results
by using this sparingly.
CameraBag on an iPhone is a must-have
application, because it offers so much for
such a good price. On the desktop, it feels
less compelling. You can’t email directly
from the desktop version, nor can you
drag images out of it. It lacks the iPhone
version’s spontaneity, and seems very slightly
overpriced for what it offers.
If you already have CameraBag on your
iPhone, we can’t see a convincing argument
for buying the desktop application as well.
If, however, you love toy camera photography
and have no intention of owning an iPhone,
then there might well be £11-worth of
entertainment here. Reframe’s presentation is clean and uncluttered rather than bombarding you with technical details, though
Giles Turnbull you’ll have to dip into the documentation to understand its advanced settings.
030
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
Digital compact
Canon
PowerShot G11
The G11 shares much of the ergonomics magnesium alloy outer of the G10 for a mix of
of its predecessor. A rubber-covered grip metal front and plastic top and rear. Although
F
ew high-end digital compacts have aids one-handed operation, while shooting the camera’s body seems reasonably solid
stayed the course like those of modes, ISOs and EV compensation each overall, it doesn’t have the same carved-from-
the G-series from Canon, and their have their own metal selector dials on the top stone feel of earlier models.
popularity shows no signs of abating. We plate, as seen on the earlier model. Although On powering up, the G11 feels quite brisk
were very impressed with 14.7-megapixel G10 that layout garnered praise, we prefer the in operation, but we were surprised to see
last year (see MacUser, 21 November 2008, simpler control layout of the earlier G9, which the excellent wide-area nine-point AiAF mode
p34), although noise levels above ISO400 adopted the same method of EV shifting integrated into the Face Detection option.
meant either having to use a tripod or switch using dedicated button and the command dial It’s supposed to offer the functionality of
to a DSLR to avoid speckling – hardly the as that employed by the Eos DSLR range. both systems by switching between them
impression of a typical walkabout camera seamlessly, but you can’t select the nine-
for street photography. point system manually. If the G11 can’t locate
In response, Canon has taken an ‘Where the G11 does excel, a face, not once did we see the camera
unprecedented move of offering the though, is in stills quality. There’s select a focus point off centre. Choosing the
replacement G11 with a smaller, 10-megapixel central focus-detection point every time has
CCD using the same-size 1/1.7-in type (7.6 no denying the superior noise its advantages – at least you know where the
x 5.7mm) sensor. With nearly 50% larger levels throughout the range’ lens will focus – but that’s not the point.
photosites and improved signal processing, The new Quick Shot mode sets continuous
the G11 boasts the same ISO80 to ISO3200 AF, while the LCD acts as a data panel, which
range, but the maximum sensitivity jumps Not only was the G9’s feature active until we thought was a sensible addition. However,
from a lowly 1600 x 1200 pixels on the G10 cancelled, making it much quicker to adjust the new Low Light mode, which can boost
to full resolution on the G11. on the fly, but it also meant the main mode sensitivity from ISO320 up to an incredible
Canon also listened to comments about dial was a decent size. By contrast, the G11’s ISO12,800 with a fixed 1824 x 1368-pixel
the fixed LCD screen, and the G11 is the first mode dial that sits atop the ISO selector is image size, is a bit gimmicky.
to feature a vari-angle LCD since the chrome small and fiddly. The G11 shoots pretty good-quality
G6. In most other details, the G11 resembles All the same, the tunnel-type optical 640 x 480-pixel 30fps (frames per second)
the G10. It has the same 28-140mm f/2.8-4.5 viewfinder is usable, and even though the video using the space-saving .mov format
equivalent optical-image-stabilised zoom with 2.7in 461,000-dot panel is a bit smaller than with H.264 codec, but the lack of any HD
a continuous AF option for moving subjects, the last two iterations, the flip-out and swivel video is a real oversight given the price and
optical viewfinder, knurled metal mode selector feature works well and is a real plus point. target audience. This is especially true when
dials and Raw capture – all the kind of features Sadly, we suspect that to keep down the you consider rivals such as the cheaper
that appeal to serious photographers. G11’s weight, Canon has shunned the all- Panasonic LX3, Leica D-Lux 4 or the micro
FourThirds format HD-enabled Olympus E-P1.
Where the G11 does excel, though, is
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▼
The Chronos
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
P
ure has beefed up its range of digital The screen is a bright OLED display with super is supplemented by an auxiliary-in port at the
radio alarms with the new Siesta Flow smooth scrolling, but we found the firmware, front for non-dock compatible devices.
and an update to the Chronos iDock. which was automatically updated over our While both radios are largely triangular in
The Siesta Flow, as its name suggests, network during our testing, could sometimes shape, the Chronos iDock takes advantage
is the latest member of Pure’s Internet radio be slow – particularly, for example, when of its height to mount the speakers on two
line-up. It supplements DAB and FM tuners entering our 13-character wifi encryption key. corners, firing forwards. The sound quality is
with a subscription to Pure’s free ‘The Lounge’ Sound quality is good, but obviously better than that of the Siesta, with a warm,
service, which lets you organise a collection not of hi-fi standard in a device that will broader spectrum.
of 12,000 online stations that are predominantly be used for short periods at The screen needs to display far less
then synchronised the start of each day. complex menus and less information than
The Chronos iDock that on the Siesta, and so it’s a traditional
has no Internet eight-segment clock in the top half, and a
features, but it does two-line by 16-character alphanumeric display
have an iPhone- below. This dims significantly when the radio
compatible Dock is not in use, to save power.
connection in the These two radios are very different, and
top. It’s an update although both are alarm clocks, they’re not
to Pure’s existing directly comparable. Which you choose will
Chronos radio, be determined by which additional wake-
and represents a up option you’d like on top of DAB and FM
major improvement stations – iPod/iPhone or Internet streams.
Obviously, if it’s the latter, make sure your
▼
MP990
T
he Canon MP990 sits at the top we had to download the driver from the However, the quality of the output was better
of its inkjet all-in-one range. As you Internet. We assume that the Snow Leopard than most draft text we’ve seen. A page of
might expect, it’s feature-rich and on drivers will make it to the install CD for later best-quality text was out in 55 seconds and,
paper has just about everything you could models. Otherwise, it’s all fairly standard again, the quality was very good. Deep black
possibly want from a multi-function device. fare from Canon, with a solid build quality and sharp characters more than matched
The MP990 offers wifi, Ethernet and USB and design. However, that’s what you would some laser output we’ve seen. We also put
connectivity, as well as a digital memory expect for an all-in-one inkjet printer costing the MP990 to the test with a mixed text and
card reader and PictBridge support. There £230 (£200 ex VAT). graphics business-style document. Again,
are six separate ink tanks, holding CMYK, a it didn’t falter: just under
pigment-based black plus a grey for better three minutes for 10 pages
monochrome prints. The MP990 has built-in ‘Our suite of tests provided nothing that the of sharp text and excellent-
duplex allowing you to save paper by printing MP990 couldn’t handle, and it produced speed quality images. Colour text
on both sides. In addition, there’s a CD/DVD over textured backgrounds
and quality worth every penny’
printing attachment, two paper trays capable and pictures was legible and
of handling media up to A4 in size and a well defined, too.
scanning adaptor that enables you to capture At that kind of price point, specification Photo quality was just as good, with a
35mm slide and negatives. is only part of the equation, as performance borderless A4 image coming out bright, sharp
The printer itself is heavy, but the design has to be up to scratch as well. Happily, the and really well balanced. Detail, even in
means it’s not all that bulky: considering all MP990 is more than capable in this area. Our darker areas of an image, was excellent and
of its features, it has quite a small footprint suite of tests provided nothing that it couldn’t colour was just right, not over saturated or
when not in use. The LCD screen, which is handle, and it produced speed and quality bland, just very pleasing. At two minutes from
on a foldaway flap, is bright, sharp and, at worth every penny. start to finish, it’s impressively quick, too.
3.8in, very usable. A page of draft text was through the A 6 x 4in photo was equally pleasing to the
Setting up the MP990 is very easy, printer is just five seconds, which isn’t that eye and took just 44 seconds to make it to
although as we had Mac OS X 10.6 installed, different from other models we’ve tested. the output tray.
The scanner was fast and accurate,
▼ Despite its range of features, the MP990’s clever design means it has a surprisingly small footprint. capturing a good level of detail and colour.
We particularly liked the way the 35mm film
and slide adaptor was stored in the top of
the case, which means it’s always to hand
when you need it. The scanner took just nine
seconds for a 300dpi A4 scan. Copies were
similarly speedy, at 22 seconds for colour
and 15 seconds for black and white.
There’s no denying that the Canon
MP990 performs very, very well. It’s fast and
produces excellent-quality results. Not only
that, but the specification is impressive. Even
at its list price of £329 the Pixma MP990
is worth every penny, as it’s not going to
disappoint in terms of output or speeds. At
the street price of about £230, it’s excellent
value. If you’re after the best possible all-in-
one inkjet, then this may well be it.
Christopher Brennan
The NEW generation of
web enabled touchscreen printers
verdict
“A huge improvement on previous generation Lexmark printers &
really a joy to use” MacUser Oct 09
“The best touch interface we’ve seen • Using 4 individual ink cartridges, prints • With an enhanced print engine, waiting
yet on a printer” PC Pro from the new Lexmark range display for your photos is a thing of the past!
• Browse the internet via the 4.3” screen visibly enhanced colour and depth • A 6x4” photo in 24 seconds
• Download apps direct to the printer • Only replace the colour you need • A Full A4 photo in just over a minute
• View photos in an instant
Desktop virtualisation
Parallels Desktop
for Mac
easy as it was under Fusion, and converting a There are a flurry of other practical
Fusion-based virtual machine was seamless. improvements, including support for Apple
Like Fusion, Parallels 5 offers several Remote and trackpad gestures, which worked
T
he arrival of Snow Leopard and virtual environment modes, including full- in Explorer, PowerPoint and Excel. There’s also
Windows 7 has prompted updates screen and single window. In full-screen the bonus of additional Windows software,
to both VMWare Fusion and, hot on mode, Parallels 5 adopts a clever effect that including a year’s anti-virus subscription (a
its heels, Parallels Desktop for Mac, the two allows you to pull back a corner of the screen deal similar to that offered by Fusion), and free
virtual machine environments that let you run to reveal the underlying Mac background. It’s Windows backup and partitioning software.
Windows and other PC operating systems on a neat way to switch control without resorting How does it perform, though? Parallels
your Mac. But which is better? to keyboard shortcuts. claims to have significantly improved
Aside from support for the latest operating Single-window mode has also seen some graphics performance, with support for
systems, the big news in Parallels 5 for Mac improvements. On the left-hand side of the DirectX 9 with Shader Model 3 and OpenGL
is support for 64-bit Windows 7, and 64-bit as window’s status bar, a button menu lets 2.1. Indeed, in general use, it was faster
well as 32-bit Snow Leopard hosts, support you quickly suspend, stop or pause a virtual than Fusion on our test machine. An XP
for the Aero interface enhancements in virtual machine felt smoother in Parallels,
Vista and Windows 7, and the ability to and the Mac was also more responsive
run Windows over multiple monitors. ‘Parallels was nearly twice as fast under Parallels when the virtual machine
At first glance, though, Parallels 5 looks was running in the background.
as Fusion at suspending and
like an understated upgrade. Its Virtual We used Vista’s Windows Experience
Machines List isn’t as flashy as Fusion’s shutting down a Windows XP Index, which determines the suitability
equivalent Virtual Machine Library, which virtual machine’ of hardware to run Vista, to gauge basic
shows live thumbnail views of virtual machine performance on that operating system.
environments, but it’s as practical. You can As you’d expect, Fusion and Parallels
start and stop virtual machines from here machine, while on the right you can switch scored identically in memory and hard disk
and, by right-clicking the name of the virtual between modes. performance, but Parallels proved faster in
machine in the list, edit its configuration. Coherence is the equivalent of Fusion’s the processor and gaming graphics tests,
Parallels doesn’t offer the same lengthy Unity mode, allowing Windows applications while Fusion was marked higher when it came
list of supported virtual machines as Fusion to run in a Mac environment. Where Fusion to other graphics. In real-world use, we felt
3, but the 60 it does support should satisfy adds a menu option to control Windows, Parallels ran Aero more smoothly – if hardly
most. Installing Vista from scratch was as Parallels adds a Start menu application icon speedily – with none of the artifacts that
and Windows Applications appeared under Fusion.
folder to the Dock. This will Many users are unlikely to need high-
feel familiar to Mac users, end graphics performance from their virtual
although as each virtual environment, and will instead care about
environment is awarded its how quickly the virtual machine can be
own folder, and even renamed launched and suspended. On identical
virtual environments are given hardware, Parallels was nearly twice as fast
fresh folders, it could quickly at suspending and shutting down a Windows
get cluttered. However, a new XP virtual machine, and quicker to resume a
variation on Coherence, called suspended virtual machine. Parallels also had
Crystal, removes almost all a narrow edge on a Vista virtual machine.
trace of Windows by replacing Parallels 5 is an excellent solution if you
Parallels desktop icons and need to run Windows or Linux on your Mac.
folders with a single menu bar In performance terms, this version has
icon. Right-click this and you leapfrogged ahead of Fusion 3 and while it’s
can see available applications; more expensive, we’d recommend it over
In the brand-new Crystal mode the presence of the Windows operating left-clicking gives access to the VMWare’s offering.
system is almost completely hidden.
Windows Start menu. Tom Gorham
038
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
T
his recreation of the 1993 game the new centre position, which keeps your and deathmatch modes over wifi, which adds
lets you punch, chainsaw and blast eyes firmly on the action in the centre of the some replayability. For a few pounds, you get
your way through the horrors of Mars screen, though our steps were more tentative an enjoyable blast down memory lane that’s
across 36 levels. Being unable to crouch, than with a mouse and keyboard, not out of worth keeping around.
I
f you’re already hooked on Championship manage the players’ training, face the media, Manager 2010 Express is incredibly in-depth
Manager 2010, then you’ll be delighted make transfers to strengthen your squad or yet easy to pick up, but like the beautiful
to know that Eidos Interactive has brought remove disruptive players. game will take a lifetime to master. All-in-all
the game to the iPhone, so you can hone your When we first fired up the game, we were this is a must-have for football fans and at
managerial skills when away from your Mac. expecting a largely cut-down version of the £2.99 it’s much less than a season ticket.
T
he first installment in the Command flow reasonably well, though the view feels Allied factions, and while the script is far from
& Conquer series to hit the iPhone restrictive even when zoomed out to the a literary gem, the scenario is a classic. The
is just what you’d expect from the greatest degree. That leaves you swiping a portable version of Red Alert is a passable
long-running strategy series. Two factions lot to see what’s ahead, which gets tiring way to hone your battle skills on the road.
fight for supremacy on a 3D terrain in after a while. Jon Lysons and Alan Stonebridge
039
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
Wireless keyboard
Microsoft
Bluetooth Mobile
Keyboard 6000
M
icrosoft’s Bluetooth Keyboard whenever they’re in range and switched on. slightly, there’s no stand and it doesn’t sit at
and Number Pad are designed We found that the curved keyboard took a enough of an angle for our taste. That really is
for laptop users who prefer to little getting used to, mainly because we’re a minor point, though, and it doesn’t detract
type on a full-sized keyboard rather than the not used to typing on a keyboard that shape. from the usefulness of the keyboard.
keyboard on their notebook. The number pad However, after a while it became second We like the Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard
is particularly useful for anyone who bought nature and very comfortable to work on. and Number Pad a great deal. At £50, it’s not
a recent MacBook and was disappointed to The keys themselves have enough travel to cheap, but if you spend a significant amount
find that the option to create a number pad make them satisfying to tap, although they do of your working life using a laptop at your
from the keys on the right-hand side of the make a rather loud clackety-clack if you punch desk, it’s a worthwhile investment indeed.
keyboard is no longer there. them as hard as we’re inclined to do. Kenny Hemphill
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043
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
From setting up a
backup schedule to
managing your
money, we’ve got 20
top tips for making
sure you stick to at
least one of your New
Year’s resolutions.
N
ew Year is the time when, traditionally, we break
bad habits and aim to learn better ones. It’s an
approach that could happily apply to the way we
work with our Macs.
We know we should be more organised – that we
should put in place a backup schedule, stop losing our
contacts and manage our appointments more effectively.
And we know that we’d work better if our files were neatly
organised on our Macs.
However, real-life inevitably gets in the way: keeping
track of calendars and contacts is tough if you’re away
from your Mac, and however useful a backup routine
might be, doesn’t it need a spare drive and self-discipline?
And as for file organisation: how long can that New Year’s
resolution really last?
The truth is that it’s easier than you might think to
better organise yourself, because often Mac OS X’s
features and third-party applications can handle the
organisational spade-work for you. For example, Spaces
can save you from distracting applications, Spotlight can
be turned into an ad-hoc project manager, iCal can act as
a reminder assistant no matter where you are, and online
services can manage backups on your behalf.
Over the next few pages, we’ll reveal some organisation
tips for you and your Mac, as well as some advice on
how to better manage your finances and keep your Mac
in tip-top condition.
If you can spare a few quiet festive moments to set
things up, the results should repay that effort several
times over in 2010.
044
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
iCal can notify you of events by email, so no matter where you are,
your iCal calendar is useful for keeping appointments.
of processor power. If you can’t be organised, use Is your iTunes content hogging precious disk
DeskShade (macrabbit.com/deskshade) to hide them.
3
If you lack an iPhone or MobileMe account, it can
be difficult to manage your contacts. However,
Address Book syncs with Google and Yahoo
10 move images and video projects. For images,
copy your iPhoto Library file from your user’s
Pictures folder. When you next launch iPhoto you’ll be
Mail, so with an account at either, you can keep all your You can save a lot of asked to locate a library. Navigate to the new location and
disk space by removing
contacts together. Set it up in Address Book’s Preferences movie clips you don’t
click Choose. In iMovie, use the File > Consolidate Media
window under the Accounts tab. need from iMovie. command to choose the elements to move.
Internet distractions
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
Finances
Getting your finances in order is a popular New
Year’s resolution, but it’s difficult to reconcile the
ideal with the practical drudgery or complexity of
finance applications.
Fortunately, the days of inscrutability are
largely behind us. A new breed of Desktop and
online tools make tracking finances and managing
budgets possible even for the financially illiterate.
Take MoneyWell (nothirst.com/moneywell).
Rather than adopting the inscrutable double-entry
procedures favoured by accountants, Moneywell
instead adopts a financial metaphor anyone can
understand: buckets. You set up income buckets
to hold the money coming in, and assign any
budgeted expenditure to expense buckets, such
as rent, groceries, bills or cable TV subscription,
which can be ordered according to priority. If
you overspend, the bucket gives you a visual
warning by turning red.
Online tools, too, are a handy way to get
into the world of low-impact personal finance
management. Wesabe (wesabe.com) lets you
upload bank statements, organise and chart your The Spaces feature
finances through tags with minimal fuss. It uses has a useful side Mac OS X’s Spaces feature is great for
what it terms collective intelligence to gather and
share merchant reviews and money-saving tips
based on your financial history.
benefit: arranging
applications so they
don’t distract you. 12 keeping work applications away from games
and other distractions. Open the Exposé &
Spaces System Preferences Pane, drag applications to the
If you want to track your business as well as Application Assignments window and assign them a space
personal finances online, invoicing applications in the pop-up menu.
such as Blinksale (blinksale.com) and FreshBooks
(freshbooks.com) not only let you email invoices If your New Year’s resolution is to get
to clients – a huge timesaver – but also let you
receive payments over the Internet, which can help
with cash flow. You can track paid and overdue
13 things done, you’ll need help from a project
management utility. If you’ve grown out of
simple checklists such as Ta-da List (tadalist.com), Things
invoices and when it comes to preparing your (culturedcode.com/things), which lets you track multiple
accounts for tax early in 2010, you can export projects and organise them by tags, could be for you.
the results to a spreadsheet.
The Finder sidebar gives quick access to
one of the pre-built image manipulation or file conversion Take the guesswork out of billable time next
scripts or add your own AppleScript to your user’s Library/
Scripts/Folder Action Scripts.
Attaching actions to
folders can save a lot
of time and effort. 15 year. Billings 3 (billingsapp.com) and On The
Job (stuntsoftware.com) are two excellent
utilities to track what you do – and then turn the results
into good-looking invoices. On a tighter budget? The free
WorkTimer (gersh.no) does basic tracking and lets you
export the results.
Offsite backup
18 has come of
age. BackBlaze
(backblaze.com) allows unlimited
backup including attached hard
drives for £40 per year. The first
backup is slow – it took a month
to copy our hard drive over – but
the advantages are worth it:
it’s always on and data can be
restored from anywhere.
20
to it, any file can be
how do you track files it can’t index? The tracked by Spotlight. choose Safari > Empty Cache to tidy things up, but
answer is to tag them. To do this, select a free utility Onyx (titanium.free.fr) does it quickly,
file in the Finder and choose File > Get Info. Add tags – while repairing permissions and performing other
such as project or client – in the Spotlight comments field, maintenance tasks at the same time.
and Spotlight will find them.
048
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
IE W OF T HE
REV
DECADE
As the No ug hties draw to a close,
en y
le
ea
t ’s
rs
lo
an
o
d
k
s
b
e
a c k at how
e just how
e lived th rou gh Apple’s gold
w
far we’ve come…
T
he decade is drawing to a close. It hardly seems possible
that it’s a full 10 years since we were worrying about planes
falling out the sky and power stations shutting down under
the relentless force of the Millennium Bug. Well, that turned out to
be a big fuss over nothing.
After a shaky start, though, the Noughties really picked up,
and nowhere more so than in the world of the Mac. This time 10
years ago, there was no iPhone. There was no iPod, come to that.
Google didn’t enjoy the dominance it does today, and the Mac was
still a PowerPC machine through and through.
What the next 10 years will bring, we can only guess, but you
can be sure it will build on the successes of the past decade. So,
come with us as we look back on the first 10 years of the 21st
Century and relive the good times, the bad times, and the just
plain weird happenings of the years 2000 to 2009.
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
050
2000
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
MARCH bursts
Dot-com bubblest extraordinary rise in the share prices of tec was
hnology
w the mo Internet-related pro
duct
The late 1990s sa y business with an
It se em ed that an of mo ne y for the likes
companies. ions raised huge sums
rke t flotat n former
unstoppable. And
stock ma was worth more tha
wh ich im me diately after its IPO d co rrected itself
1 JANUARY of MP3.com and Pa
lm ,
ma ke
rket realise the error of its wa
d th
ys an
The world enters a new millennium ntually, the
parent, 3Com. Eve
sh . Thousands of
and fears of widespread computer with a hu ge cra
the wall, but
companies went to
failure due to the Millennium Bug ch as Amazon
the stronge st, su
fail to materialise
and eBay, survived.
SEPTEMBER
The birth of a new OS
Apple’s next-generation operating system
had been a long-time coming. During the
1990s it had developed an OS codenamed
Copland and then scrapped it. Then it toyed
with the idea of buying Jean-Louis Gassée’s
BeOS, before in 1996 it acquired Steve
Jobs’ NeXT and began work on what was
codenamed Rhapsody. That operating system
was released as Mac OS X Server 1.0 in
SEPTEMBER
Clamshell iBook’
1999, and then was effectively scrapped.
September 2000 s last stand
Much of the development though, made it marked the last hurrah for the
seat’ iBook. First ‘toilet
into Darwin, the open-source underpinnings introduced in July
brightly coloured 1999, the iBook G3
of Mac OS X, which debuted with a public clamshell case an ’s
almost as much att d carry handle gra
beta on 13 September 2000. ention as the first bbed
earlier. The Septe iMac had a year
mber 2000 mode
processor in 366M l retained the G3
Hz and 466MHz co
faster of the two, nfigurations. The
known as the iBo
in Key Lime or Grap ok SE, was availab
hite, while the slo le
in Indigo and Key wer model came
Lime. For the first
both configuration time on the iBook
s featured FireWire ,
ports.
052
OCTOBER
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
MAY
White iBooks launched
If the clamshell iBook seemed a little like
a toy, due to its styling and distinct lack of
power, the new iBook was something else
entirely. Styled to look much more like Apple’s
professional PowerBook range, the iBook
was smaller and lighter than its predecessor,
FEBRUARY g for all featured a faster processor, more Ram, VGA
DVD burnin ched critical out, stereo speaker and a higher-resolution
format had rea
By 2001, the DVD of 12.1in screen. The top-end model was the
VHS as the media
mass and replaced mo vie s and first Mac to feature a CD-RW/DVD-Rom combo
and watching
choice for buying ati ng yo ur own drive. It also featured two USB sockets and
weve r, cre
TV programmes. Ho ns ive one FireWire port.
s a hugely expe
DVD video discs wa are and
t involv ed complex softw
business tha du plica tion
ecialist DV D
outsourcing to sp c users
t changed for Ma
companies. All tha from As tarte
ht DVDirec tor
when Apple boug Pro . At the
DVD St udio
and turned it into the
ed a DVD recorder,
same time it shipp we r Ma c and the
high-end Po
SuperDrive, in the s up on us . By the
-mak ing wa
age of DVD movie already
though, DVD was
end of the decade an d we b video.
by Blu-ra y
obsolete, replaced
2001
053
JANUARY
iMac G4 changes design direction
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
When Apple finally switched the iMac from its ageing G3 processor to a G4, it didn’t just
rearrange the innards: it completely redesigned and redefined its consumer desktop Mac.
The result was a dome-shaped computer with a 15in LCD screen and an arm that wouldn’t
have looked out of place on an anglepoise lamp. Indeed, the similarity to Pixar’s Luxo
character was irresistible. The arm was fully adjustable and the screen could be moved
up, down or around in an arc with the push of only a couple of fingers. We worried about
the strength and durability of that arm, and had visions of sorry-looking drooping iMacs.
However, Apple assured us it had been tested to withstand years of adjustment, and it
was right – we never did hear of a single case of drooping iMac syndrome.
2002 APRIL
eMac targets schools
Having whittled Apple’s Mac range down
to a very neat 2 x 2 matrix – professional
desktop, professional laptop, consumer
desktop and consumer laptop – Apple
then muddied the waters by launching the
eMac. Initially only available to educational
establishments, the snow-white all-in-one
looked a little like the early iMac. It featured
a G4 processor, flat CRT screen and became
very popular not just with schools and
colleges, but in offices and in homes, too.
MAY
Xserve means business
By 2002, Apple had consolidated its position
as the computer of choice for creative THE YEAR THA
professionals, begun to claw back market USB 2 vs Fire T…
share in education and started to become Before USB 2, co
Wire hots up
nnection interfaces
more popular among consumers. Next on Mac were split int on the
o two easily distin
the agenda was the enterprise market. Big types: USB 1.1 ha guishable
ndled peripherals,
businesses had ignored the Mac in favour as printers and sc such
anners, that didn’t
of Windows PCs, but Apple knew Mac OS X need fast data tra
nsfer; and FireWire
and its Unix heritage could change that. In used for hard drive was
s, video cameras
2002, it introduced its first rackmount server, anything else where and
speed was critical.
the Xserve. Built to run Mac OS X Server and changed with the That
launch of USB 2,
with the same design values and attention bandwidth of 480M whose
bits/sec was, in the
to detail as every other Mac, it began to at least, more tha ory
n a match for FireW
make inroads and was slowly but steadily Peripheral manufac ire.
turers gradually rem
adopted by large organisations. FireWire interfaces oved
from their hard dri
and scanners, an ves
d it seemed as tho
FireWire’s days co ugh
uld well be numb
JULY ered.
Apple buys Em
MAY/JUNE agic
By 2002, Final Cu
t Pro was beginnin
The Queen itself as the video g to establish
editing application
of choice for
celebrates many professiona
l movie makers. Pe
on by this succes rhaps spurred
her Golden s, Apple attempte
d to repeat
the trick in the mu
Jubilee with sic-making industry
. It bought
Logic’s developer,
a tour of support for PC ve
Emagic, and imme
diately ended
Britain and set about making
rsions of the appli
cation. It then
a Party in sequencer and au
Logic Pro on the Ma
c the best
the Palace dio recording appli
platform. The Em cation on any
agic acquisition als
Logic Express and o spawned
GarageBand.
JUNE
054 Power Mac G5
plays it cool
The G5 chip was the last hurrah for
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
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2004
iTunes Storersohapd looked across the
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
ne
European iPod ow er of songs
in en vy at the growing numb
Atlantic s Music
le in the US iTune
and albums availab 20 04 wh en Steve
ded in June
Store, but that en a UK St ore along
on to un ve il
Jobs flew to Lond Th e pricing
European Stores.
with several other US St ore :
JANUARY model was the sa
me as that for the
ividual
iPod mini hits the streets .99 , wh ile ind
d at £7
albums were price t would be the
The forerunner of the nano, the iPod mini was the first iPod to stray from the all-white ck s cost 79 p. Anyone hoping tha
tra inc lud e the music
chassis of previous models. It was prettier and smaller than its sibling, but had less reement to
catalyst for an ag the Be atl es, was
storage: only 4GB. Some saw it as the iPod for fashion victims; others, who didn’t need omiss ion ,
of iTunes’ biggest of Beatles
to carry thousands of songs around with them, loved it. At £199, the mini was only ugh. The rumours
disappointed, tho r the mo me nt,
£50 cheaper than the 15GB regular iPod, and that made it a tough sell, even for Apple. ntinue. Fo
music on iTunes co it ab se nc e.
The mini didn’t last long and was replaced by the even more svelte nano. le on ly by
however, it’s notab
JUNE
SpaceShipOne,
partly funded
by Microsoft
co-founder Pau
Allen, is the firs l
privately fundedt
spaceplane
to achieve
space flight
AUGUST
Steve Jobs’ illness
In the summer of 2004, Jobs wrote to Apple
employees to tell them he had been diagnosed
with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He told
AUGUST them he would be having surgery and would
iMac G5 breaks the mould need a few weeks to recover, but would be
Rumours of a new iMac design in which the back at the helm of Apple in the autumn.
innards of the computer would be housed Subsequent reports suggested he had, in fact,
behind the screen had been around for been diagnosed the previous year and had
sometime. So it was no great surprise when, agreed to the Whipple procedure only after
in August 2004, Apple unveiled the iMac G5. attempting to treat it with a change of diet.
It was a tribute to the design skill of Jonathan Jobs’ health was a cause for concern again
Ive’s team that, despite the well-known heat in 2008, when he visibly lost weight. In early
problems with the G5, they managed to 2009, he travelled to Memphis in Tennessee
cram the whole lot into a case only 2in thick. for a liver transplant.
Available in 17in and 20in versions, it formed
the basis for the aluminium iMac case that’s
still used today.
SEPTEMBER
iPod photo adds colour
The iPod photo was notable for one reason
only: it was the first iPod to feature a colour
screen. That screen was put to use in a
redesigned user interface and in the feature
that gave the iPod photo its name: the ability
to transfer and view photos. The headphone
socket doubled as an AV output, which could
be connected to a TV to view slideshows. And
the dock that shipped with it had an S-Video
output for the same purpose. Photos were
transferred using iPhoto on the Mac and by
syncing with designated folders on a PC.
6 JUNE
PowerPC unplugged 057
After months of chatter and
speculation, Steve Jobs confirmed
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
at Apple’s Worldwide Developers
Conference that the company would
be transitioning all of its computers
from PowerPC to Intel processors. The
implications were huge, meaning that
developers would have to re-code their
applications for the new architecture,
and Apple would have the only legal
computer line-up capable of running
both Windows and Mac OS X –
simultaneously if necessary. 6 JULY
London wins the bid
for the 2012 Olympics
5 MAY
General Election:
Labour wins
under Tony Blair’s
leadership for
a third term 7 DECEMBER
Hello .eu
The European Union launched the .eu top-level domain, which
replaced .eu.int not only as the domain of the Union’s own
sites (now focused on europa.eu) and, for the first time,
became available to third-party individuals and organisations,
who were able to register domains within the .eu space from
7 April the following year. This led to a number of high-profile
races to snag the most desirable names, such as the three-
way sprint between Volkswagen, Nestlé and Ralph Lauren to
snap up Polo. If you want to see who won, click on polo.eu.
Image PA Photos
15 FEBRUARY
YouTube goes online
Three former PayPal employees, Steve Chen,
Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, founded
the world-changing YouTube in early 2005,
giving the online masses a portal through
which they could post video and movie
content – legal or otherwise – for viewing
11 JANUARY by a global audience. Its slogan was – and
Mac mini announced still is – ‘Broadcast Yourself’ and nobody
Apple announced its smallest computer to date – at least could have guessed at the time just how
if you don’t count the Newton MessagePad – when Steve big it would become. By 2007, estimates
Jobs took the wraps off the Mac mini. It looked like a put YouTube’s traffic equal to that of the
stopgap machine to fill out Apple’s product line and give entire Internet back in 2000.
it a computer in the lower-priced end of the market. Its
appearance wasn’t entirely surprising, as commentators
had been talking of a ‘headless iMac’ in the works for
some time. What was surprising was just how small it
was and how tightly Apple had packed in the components,
requiring a wallpaper scraper if you wanted to do any 20 JANUARY
upgrades or DIY spec changes. Some said it was a short-
George W Bush
term fix, but it’s still going strong five years later.
inaugurated for his
second term of office
2005
058
2006
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
10 JANUARY
Intel Macs arrive
Apple unveiled the first two machines in its line-up to have made the switch to Intel processors:
the iMac and the MacBook Pro. That latter machine heralded a new product name for Apple, 13 JULY
with the machine replacing the much-loved PowerBook line, albeit in a very similar shell. Apple gets its shoes on
Apple and Nike teamed up to produce the
Nike+ transmitter and receiver device, allowing
buyers to use the iPod as a training tool.
The transmitter fitted in the sole of special
Nike shoes and transmitted workout data to
a receiver plugged into the Dock connector
of an iPod (and now built into the touch
internally). When connected to iTunes, the
iPod posted the data to the nikeplus.com
portal, enabling users to compare their
performance against that of others.
16 MARCH
Blu-ray enters the scene 13 OCTOBER
The format may have been set at the start Ban Ki-moon
of the decade, but it took until 2006 for is elected
Blu-ray to finally appear on sale in the US. It Secretary-
was immediately up against stiff competition General of the
in the form of rival HD DVD in the battle to United Nations
become the successor to plain old DVD for
JANUARY data storage, movie playback and high-
Apple outgrows Dell definition audio. Blu-ray, as we now know,
Michael Dell, when asked what he would finally won out when Toshiba announced
do if he were running Apple, once famously it was shutting down its HD DVD player
answered that he would sell off its assets and production lines in February 2008. To date,
give the money back to its shareholders. You Apple doesn’t ship any machines with built-in
can’t help but wonder whether those words Blu-ray drives and, given the company’s move
came back to haunt him when, in January towards downloads and remote software
2006, Apple’s market capitalisation exceeded installation using drives in nearby machines,
that of his eponymous computer firm. it would seem it’s unlikely ever to do so.
7 AUGUST
The end of PowerPC
Apple completed its transition to Intel
processors, announcing it wouldn’t ship
any further PowerPC-based machines. The
transition was completed ahead of schedule, 13 NOVEMBER
with the Mac Pro finishing off the new line-up. GooTube is born
Like the MacBook, which had hints of the Little more than a year after it was NOVEMBER
iBook, and the iMac, which was more or less founded, YouTube was snapped Battle of the consoles
externally identical to the PowerPC edition, up by Google for a staggering Sony and Nintendo went head-to-head in
the Mac Pro used the same case as the G5- $1.65 billion (then worth about November 2006, launching, respectively, the
based Power Mac, giving the message that £883 million) of its own stock. PlayStation 3 and Wii into the US market. Here
despite the new processors, it was business in Europe, we had to wait a while to get our
as usual and all the machines performed the hands on the machines – until 8 December
same functions as the models they replaced. for the Wii and 23 March the following
year for the PS3. By the end of September
2009, Sony had shipped 27 million PS3s
and Nintendo a massive 56.14 million Wiis.
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 had been on the market
since 22 November 2005.
5 SEPTEMBER
New iPods unveiled 059
As tradition dictates, Apple
launched a raft of new iPods,
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
including the third-generation
29 JUNE (square) nano, the classic
iPhone ships and new entrant to the line-
up, the touch. Boasting many
of the features of the iPhone,
but without the camera or
21 JULY cellphone capabilities, Steve
Image PA Photos
24 JUNE 27 OCTOBER
Millennium s Leopard arrives
Dome re-open Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard finally shipped,
as the O2 having been delayed when Apple devoted
much of its engineering resources to getting
the iPhone out of the door and through
regulator approval. Fortunately, it was worth
the wait, introducing key features such as
Spaces and Time Machine. It was the last
edition of the Mac operating system to
MAY support PowerPC-based machines. Under the
The rights hood, it beefed up security by introducing
and wrongs application sandboxing and signing.
of DRM
Apple started selling tracks
from EMI’s catalogue on the
iTunes Store without any DRM
protection. The move followed an
open letter written by Steve Jobs
outlining Apple’s desire to sell
DRM-free music to consumers,
explaining that it’s down to the
record labels whether or not
it’s able to do so. Other music
labels soon followed suit, offering
not only DRM-free tracks, but
also higher-quality music.
9 JANUARY
iPhone, TV and the
end of Computer
Apple announced the iPhone and Apple TV
21 MARC
during Steve Jobs’ San Francisco keynote
Apple TV shipH
s
address, heralding the next phase of the
company’s evolution, taking it into two new
markets. The iPhone was hotly tipped and
JANUARY an obvious success, but Apple TV’s growth
since that date had been rather slower,
Celebrity Big 30
despite updates to both the hardware and
Brother race row software. On the same day, Jobs announced JANUARY
Apple would be dropping the word ‘Computer’ Microsoft
from its name: it was now just Apple Inc. releases
Windows
Vista
2007
060
2008
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
17 FEBRUARY 29 FEBRUARY
Northern Rock is Playing with time
Apple built on the success of Time Machine by
nationalised at the
introducing Time Capsule, its own external hard
start of the recession drive system. It incorporated a wireless router, 9 JULY
allowing notebook users to automatically .Mac morphs
back up their systems whenever they were into MobileMe
connected. This product was launched on a MobileMe opened for
leap year’s extra day. Coincidence or a neat business. It wasn’t much
play on the theme of ‘time’? more than a rebranding of
the old .Mac service, but the
less Mac-specific name was
intended to appeal to PC-using
iPhone owners, who could
have a desirable @me.com
email address. It built on
JUNE 27 .Mac’s success by beefing up
Bill Gates the web hosting features and
steps down as introducing a brand-new Web
chairman of 2.0-style interface for the email
Microsoft to and calendaring tools.
concentrate on
his charitable
activities
11 JULY
Apps add another string
to Apple’s iTunes Store
On the same day that Apple upgraded the
iPhone to the iPhone 3G, it announced the
arrival of the App Store, allowing developers OCTOBER
to write native software for the handset, iPhone success
and consumers to download applications confirmed
to expand its feature set. It gave birth to a With only one current model in its
benign monster, which now hosts more than inventory and less than two years in
100,000 apps – more than any rival – many the market, Apple was named the
of which are free. This, as much as anything third biggest mobile phone supplier
else, has contributed to the enormous in the world. Not bad for a company
success of the iPhone. that many of its better-established
cellphone rivals wrote off when it
announced it was going to play them
9 SEPTEMBER at their own game.
8 AUGUST Nano mark four goes long
Opening of Another generation, another shape. As the nano
the Beijing hit mark four, it switched from square and sleek to
Olympics skyscraper-esque tall and curved. The smallest iPod
with a screen saw a radical overhaul and incorporated
the same accelerometer as that found in the touch
and iPhone, allowing it to change to CoverFlow mode
as you turned it on one side and play movies in
widescreen as they were supposed to be shown.
061
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
28 AUGUST
Snow Leopard unveiled
Apple took the wraps off Mac OS X
10.6, the seventh generation of its
current operating system, having
stripped out the code that made it
compatible with PowerPC processors.
This effectively ended the company’s
transition to the Intel platform. In
light of the fact that there were very
few obvious enhancements for end
users, Apple set the low price of £25
for retail copies.
9 SEPTEMBER
The teeny tiny shuffle
The iPod shuffle got even smaller, with the
third generation returning to an upright
format, but still without the integrated
USB plug. This shuffle really was smaller
than a stick of gum, and a whole lot more
entertaining, with new VoiceOver features
to announce the names of tracks and
playlists as they came up.
Image PA Photos
25 JUNE
Michael Jackson dies
Mi
19 JUNE
iPhone 3GS debuts
The third-generation iPhone – the 3GS
– hit the shelves, but it wasn’t such a
Image PA Photos
2009
064
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
WIN!
MICROSOFT
OFFICE 2008
FOR MAC
BUSINESS
EDITION
MacUser has teamed up with
Microsoft to offer you the
chance to win a copy of
Microsoft Office 2008
for Mac Business Edition,
worth £439.99.
WIN!
D
esigned with your business in mind, Microsoft
Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition delivers a How to enter
powerful suite of tools to help you manage your Simply answer the question below
On completing and submitting this competition, you will automatically be
entered into a draw for one of these prizes. No correspondence will be
bottom line, build your brand and collaborate with others. and enter for FREE online at entered into and the winners will be notified by post or email within 28 days
of the closing date. The competition is not open to employees of Dennis
As well as updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint www.macuser.co.uk Publishing or participating companies. No cash alternative will be offered.
The prize(s) described are available at the date of publication. Events may
and Entourage, it offers Business Edition extras such
as industry-leading Exchange Server support, Office Live
QUESTION occur that render the promotion or the rewarding of the prize impossible
due to reasons beyond MacUser’s control, which may at its discretion vary
Which edition of Microsoft Office or amend the promotion and the reader agrees that no liability shall be
Workspace and SharePoint support, and Remote Desktop for Mac Business Edition is attached to MacUser as a result thereof. Proof of emailing will not be
accepted as proof of delivery and no responsibility can be accepted for
Connection, which gives you access to your Windows- MacUser giving away? entries lost, delayed, mislaid or for any technical failure or for any event,
which may cause the competition to be disrupted or corrupted. Where
based PCs from your Mac. necessary, in order to determine an outright winner or winners to a
Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition also includes 2008 competition, the editor reserves the right to request entrants to take part in
an eliminating contest (or ‘tie breaker’). Where for any reason there are
training videos, and business-centric clip art and more winners than prizes on offer, the editor reserves the right to conduct a
templates to help you get the most out of Office. You can 2009 simple draw to determine the winner or winners of the prizes. Unless
otherwise stated, entry to all competitions is restricted to entrants of 18
years of age or over. Names of winners will be available on receipt of a
also tap into Microsoft-hosted online services, including request, enclosing a stamped self-addressed envelope, to: Competitions
2010
Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Office Live Manager, Dennis Publishing, 30 Cleveland St, London W1T 4JD. If the
winner of a competition is unable to take up a prize for any reason, the
Meeting for enhanced collaboration with both Mac and editor reserves the right to award it to an alternative winner, in which case
The first name out of the hat will the first winner chosen will not be eligible for any share of the prize
PC users. For more information on Microsoft Office 2008 whatsoever. The editor’s decision is final, and it is a condition of entry to any
win a copy of Microsoft Office competition that the entrant agrees to be bound by these rules whether
for Mac Business Edition, visit microsoft.com/uk/mac/ 2008 for Mac Business Edition. they be published or not, and that the decisions of the editor and judges on
promotions/default.mspx. Closing date: 30 December 2009 any matter whatsoever arising out of or connected with the competition are
final. No purchase of the magazine is necessary.
065
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
FOR MORE DEALS GO TO WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK/CLASSIFIEDS
Macshopper contents
066 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Scotland
North
local dealers
Wales
Midlands
South-west
South-east
London
Nationwide
MR Systems MacEssentials
Central London South East
Call 020 7697 2200 Email sales@mrsystems.co.uk Call 01689 897722 Email service@macessentials.com
URL mrsystems.co.uk URL macessentials.com
Experienced Apple Authorised Service Provider Authorised Service Provider & Reseller Call out and
Remote support and helpdesk walk in services for business and home users Repairs,
Competitive prices Upgrades, Installations 15 years of exceptional service
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
We catch up with your local dealer to find out
all about the services that it offers to Mac
users. This issue, we talk to SLi about its
commitment to customer service.
SLi
Newcastle-under-Lyme
E
stablished in back in 1995, SLi is SLi also sells all Apple products and is
Call 01782 563999
an Apple Authorised Service Provider. a Sonos wireless music systems dealer as Email sales@slelectrotech.co.uk
Based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, well, which it believes slots in beautifully URL www.slelectrotech.co.uk
Staffordshire, the company is within easy within the Apple product range.
Apple Authorised Service Provider &
reach of the M6/A34 traffic. It offers an easy, A year ago, SLi was appointed a Konica Reseller Fast Turnaround
walk-in repair facility for all Apple products Minolta Business Systems dealer, selling On-site and Workshop repair services
both in and out of warranty. It’s open for and supporting the range of Konica Minolta Helpdesk and Remote Support Showroom
Apple Business Solutions and Consultancy
business six days a week. products from A4 to SRA3 paper, with
‘We are the only local Apple Authorised fantastic quality output.
Service Provider that repairs all products ‘Konica Minolta
in our workshop. We don’t send desktop/ is the best in its
laptop systems away for repair’ says field,’ claims Birch,
managing director Simon Birch. ‘This is ‘and we are proud
important, and enables us to turn a repair to be appointed
around in a matter of hours and not days.’ the local dealer.
‘We support all sizes of businesses, as It came to us
well as the Soho user’, explains technical because we are
manager Chris Rigby. ‘One moment we will well-placed in the
be repairing an iMac and the next supporting marketplace to
a Mac network within the public sector.’ provide the right
‘We are frequently called out to solution to the end
customers problems on-site and are there user.’ He believes
within a couple of hours’ claims senior that SLi can provide
Technician Jay Carney. ‘We also provide a complete solution
telephone and remote support, as well to customers’
as our workshop facility.’ requirements.
hot kit
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HTML5
The Internet is changing, and you
need to change, too. If you create
web pages for profit or pleasure,
then it’s essential that you’re aware
of the latest developments in coding.
We’ll take you through the changes in
HTML5 and explain why it’s essential
that every serious designer moves to
this new, more flexible standard.
method
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
01
▲ The grid for the rule of thirds, showing the power points at the intersections.
E
very episode of The Simpsons opens images by aligning our main picture elements
with an introductory sequence showing with the vertical and horizontal divisions.
America’s first family returning to their Imagine a noughts and crosses grid overlaid on
home in Springfield, where they collapse your image, dividing it into nine equal regions.
onto a sofa in front of the TV. Above the The horizontal lines mark the optimal position
sofa is a painting of a sailboat. Sometimes for the horizon, the vertical lines indicate the
it’s a red boat with white sails, sometimes best place to align vertical elements. The four
an orange boat with red sails. Whatever inner points where they cross define the ‘power
the colour, the boat is always right in the points’ in the image [01], the positions that
middle of the painting, both horizontally and have the most emphatic pull: placing the focus
vertically. The question is: what’s wrong of the image at one of these points instantly
with this picture? makes for a stronger, more dynamic result.
As long ago as 1797, the artist J T Smith However, does a rule formulated in the
wrote a book about landscape painting in which 18th Century really have any relevance today?
he outlined his ‘rule of thirds’. For a visually Indeed it does, and we see examples of the
pleasing effect, Smith argued, the horizon rule of thirds throughout the commercial,
should always appear at the bottom third of the artistic and broadcast media. The studio layout
Steve Caplin is a designer and picture, so that one third of the painting was for the BBC’s News at Ten, for instance, places
illustrator working for a range of national land or sea and the remainder was sky. the presenter’s head directly at the upper right
newspapers. His best-selling How to The rule of thirds has become a mantra for power point; the dividing line between the desk
Cheat in Photoshop, now in its fourth painters, photographers and Photoshop artists at which he’s sitting and the screen behind
edition, is published by Focal Press. alike, as it helps us to create more powerful aligns with the lower horizontal rule [02].
081
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03
▲ Placing the surfer dead centre in the frame kills the
shot – even though it should be full of action.
02
▲ The studio layout for BBC’s News at Ten shows the two thirds rule in action, with the presenter’s head lining up
with a power point and the desk occupying the bottom third of the shot.
So why is this rule so important? The we want to emphasise the land or the sky, so
answer is that, perhaps surprisingly, the centre creating a more powerful image. 04
of any picture is a weak place to position a When a scene contains two objects, such ▲ Moving him to the bottom right power point
key element. Look at our example of a surfer as this shot of a bird approaching its nest [06], emphasises the distance he still has to travel,
showing the expanse of sea beyond.
coasting across the image. When he’s placed we can add extra dynamism by cropping the
dead centre, the image is static [03]. He’s scene so that the bird appears at one power
simply standing there, with no sense of motion. point, and the nest occupies the opposite
When we move him towards the left, we can third of the image. This kind of shot is almost
see the distance he still has to travel [04]; impossible to frame when taking the shot,
toward the right, and we can see how far he but is easy to crop to afterwards.
has already surfed [05]. Some digital cameras now have a
We can also change the emphasis by composition overlay mode, in which lines
moving the image up and down. We can corresponding to the rule of thirds appear
choose to emphasise either the close-up in the viewfinder, enabling photographers to
sea in front or the distant sea behind, by align elements as they take the shot. Some
05
▲ Moving the surfer to the top left power point shows
giving each element a larger proportion of the photographers prefer to crop their image the turbulence of the nearby water in greater detail,
picture. Lining the surfer up with one of the after they’ve taken the shot, using the rule to making for a dynamic shot.
power points almost guarantees a stronger, force picture details to appear in the optimal
more dynamic shot. location. Photoshop artists, on the other when the dead centre of the image really is the
When working with portraits, we can use hand, can create their images from scratch, best location, or where the composition of a
the rule of thirds to align the eyes and the and will frequently bear the rule in mind when shot forbids the precise application of the rule.
mouth. The face may be right in the middle of composing a scene. But as long as we’re aware of it when we take a
the frame, but by positioning the eyes on the We don’t need to be too rigorous in our photograph, create a montage or even paint a
upper hotspots and the mouth on the lower adherence to the rule: it’s a suggestion, not landscape, we can be sure that our labours will
horizontal third, we bring a greater strength to an absolute diktat. There are many occasions have much more punch and visual appeal.
the image. It may operate on a subconscious
level on the viewer – after all, it’s unlikely
anyone would take a ruler to the photograph
to measure the position of the eyes – but the
placement still has its effect. We may rarely
want to crop an image so tightly, but even if
we ignore the power points, placing the eyeline
on the upper third rule will generally lead to
a more balanced portrait.
Landscape photographers regularly use
the rule of thirds to divide the shot into three
separate components – foreground, middle
ground and background. In this case, the
different fields appear in separate sections
of the image. It may well be that nothing
is placed directly on the rules, but each
component will appear firmly rooted within
its own one-third section.
The rule is perhaps most often used when
composing a landscape, as a guide to aligning
the horizon. Placing the horizon directly through
the centre of the image divides the picture
in half, producing an artificial and awkward
06
composition; by moving it to either the upper ▲ This is a perfect composition made easy using the rule of two thirds. The bird is at the upper left power point
or lower third position, we can choose whether while the nest occupies the bottom right third of the image.
DIFFICULTY
082 RATING
create
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
GET MORE FROM YOUR MAC AND APPLICATIONS WITH OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES
Develop photographic
looks in Adobe Lightroom
By using Lightroom’s development settings, you
can give a photo a number of very different looks.
T
he power of Adobe Lightroom’s building confidence and giving us room to
development module sets it apart experiment in creating our own visual styles.
from other photographic library/ Using the same image as our starting
workflow applications. Yet this flexibility, point in all three cases, we will start with
for the new or casual user, can present a some simple adjustments that we can use
Leigh McMullen is a professional
learning curve so steep that many never to give the image different looks, from a
technology strategist who has written
make it past simple development settings soft-glamour wedding shot, a super-saturated a number of books and articles on IT
such as exposure, clarity and contrast. postcard, to an over-developed, cross-process and business strategy. He moonlights
In this masterclass, we’re going to learn, look suitable for a rock album cover. as a travel photographer.
using just development settings, how to As we progress through each step, we’ll
create three vastly different looks with build on the skills covered in the previous Kit required Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Lightroom that we’ll be able to save and steps, covering some of Lightroom’s tools,
re-use as presets. More than simply learning including the use of the target adjustments
how to recreate these looks for ourselves, tool to fine-tune hues and saturation, using its
we’ll focus on understanding the process simplified curves tool, and moving onto more
of creating each one, with an eye towards advanced topics like split-toning.
It’s trite to say it, but a great image is most importantly, it has a full five
made in the camera. This is not to imply stops of dynamic range. We’ll find that
that using the tools available to us in the having this range to work with gives
‘Digital Darkroom’ are cheating, as some working room.
so-called purists might suggest. Rather, Of course, we’re not always going to
that having a notion of how you might have a full lighting rig and a patient model
want to develop an image in mind before with us, and in those run-and-gun
you take the picture is paramount. circumstances, understanding the full
Though taken by photographer Vadim capability of Lightroom’s development
Zee, and not the author, this photograph module will help you make intelligent
was selected because it fits all of our compromises on when to under or over
criteria: diverse vibrant colors and, expose to achieve a given effect.
Image Vadim Zee vadimzee.com
083
4 December 2009
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A WEDDING
PHOTO THAT POPS
You know the standard
wedding photograph:
soft focus, high-key
and vignetted, requiring
knowledge of the contrast
and clarity sliders, and little
else. This works for wedding
photography, because it
minimises skin contrast
and reduces blemishes, while
giving the photographs
a surreal, ethereal dreamlike
presence. For this look, we’ll 1. Basic adjustments – high key, vignette and softness
start with the photo every We’ll start with those basic adjustments that typify wedding
photographer could make, photography: pump up the brightness to +75, drop contrast to 0 and
and hand dial in tones to give set clarity to -50. These are very generic settings that you’ll need to
it a sparkle that will make it unique. In the left Navigator pane adjust to your specific images and camera profiles. They give us that
select Fill, so you can better see the results of your adjustments. dreamy wedding look, but also wash out Maryia’s red hair and yellow
dress. You can add a bit of punch by setting the Point Curve selection
under Tone Curve to Strong Contrast.
A LAS VEGAS
CLUB INVITATION
The ‘Las Vegas’ look is
supersaturated and vibrant,
yet it’s all too easy to focus
only on adjusting those two
dials to achieve this. By
putting a bit of extra attention
in development, you can
create an image that’s far
from ordinary. We’re going to
build on our toning work, and Before After
work on pushing as
much dynamic range as 1. Basic setup
possible into the photo First off we’re going to change the brightness and contrast on the
by manipulating curves. image. Keep an eye on the histogram window, making sure the bulk
of the tones are confined to the mid-range. Wind up Brightness to +6
and Contrast to +9.
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
A ROCK ALBUM COVER
When shooting the next big thing practicing in
your neighbour’s garage, simple toning levels
and curves aren’t going to give the edge to
make a group-shot stand out from the also-rans
on the A&R guy’s desk. The classic Hard Rock
look demands cross-processing (especially if
you start as we are with a less than ‘hard rock’
shot). Cross-processing is the technique of
intentionally using the wrong chemicals to
develop film, and is very popular in fashion,
movies and band photography. While we’re all
digital these days, the power of Lightroom’s
develop module will get us there in a snap, TIP Break down development
work into steps. Even with a
look in mind, one of your intermediate
with no risk of spilling things on our clothes.
steps might be a keeper, if not now
then maybe later. The first step here
could be saved as a Miami Neon look.
effects in Photoshop
Add some sparkle to your blog header or branded
Desktop wallpapers with this smart lighting effect.
I
n this masterclass, we’ll be focusing on The techniques used to create them in
lighting effects and showing off an Photoshop are good to know because of the
assortment of techniques to make your flexibility they offer; they allow you to create
work sparkle and glow in an unnatural but intense effects that stand out, or to simply
eye-catching way. add some subtle highlights to an image.
Photoshop lighting effects are a versatile In this tutorial, you’ll learn some
set of techniques that have, in recent indispensable light effect techniques by
times, come back into fashion within creating an ambient glowing background with
advertising. These effects are a creative glowing light streaks. We’ll explain how you
Ross Aitken is a design student
way to add exciting illustrative touches to can integrate text or a company logo into from Glasgow. He regularly
an image; they can communicate feelings the piece, and we’ll combine layer styles writes for Photoshop and
of motion and fantasy. By adding glows, and blend modes to achieve a cool glowing design-related websites as well as
light streaks, sparks and other effects, you effect and add depth by using the Liquify running a few of his own.
can immediately give your images more filter and some layer masks. This would look
ambiance and flare. Light and motion effects great as a branded Desktop wallpaper or Kit required Photoshop
can become part of the composition, adding even using some techniques to add flare
lots of depth to an image. to a blog header.
4 December 2009
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TIP Go to
Window
> Styles to bring up
4. Paint some light strands the styles palette. 5. Manipulate the strands
Now we’ll create some strands of light Duplicate this layer, then choose Filter > Liquify, which allows you to
using a similar technique to the text. Select fluidly distort a layer. Make sure Show Backdrop is checked with All
the Pen tool and draw a curvy path going from one side of the Layers selected. Use your mouse to manipulate parts of the line; try to
document to the other. Stroke the path the same way as you did in draw it towards the outline of the text. Also try changing the brush size
Step 2, but use a 15-pixel brush this time. We want to use the same for different effects, although keep the brush density at 30.
glow as we did for the text, which is why we saved its style, so select
the layer and apply that saved style.
8. Final adjustments
Create a transparent black to opaque
8a Final result
black radial gradient, going out from
the centre of the canvas to the
corners. Lower the layer’s opacity to
50%. Add colour balance and hue/
saturation adjustment layers to push
the shadows towards blue, the
midtones more orange and the
highlights more yellow. Our final touch
is a light sheen. In a layer above the 8b
background, make a rectangular
marquee then draw a radial gradient
(white to transparent) from its edge to
its centre (8a). Lower the transparency
and rotate it into position. Repeat
several times to create three
gradients (8b) of varying opacity.
DIFFICULTY
088 RATING
Tethered shooting
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
A
lthough the LCDs on digital
cameras have become much larger,
to the point where they can fill the
back of the camera, it can still be difficult to
tell whether the image you’ve just taken is
pin-sharp and perfectly exposed until you
see it on your Mac. Nothing can be more
annoying than to find out that a
portrait is slightly out of focus when
you view it on a monitor back at the
office, leaving you with little option
but to try to correct it in Photoshop
or arrange a costly reshoot. Either
way, it’s going to add to the hours
before you can complete the job.
The answer to this problem is tethered
shooting, whereby you connect your digital
camera directly to your Mac and have the
images automatically downloaded as you
take them. Preferred by many professional
photographers, tethered shooting is ideal
for portraits or fashion images when focus
or exposure is critical.
The advantages of viewing your images saves you time downloading the pictures once
on a larger screen as they’re taken, even if the photoshoot has finished. Furthermore,
it’s just a MacBook with a 13in screen, are you can set it up to automatically add
fairly self-explanatory, but the main ones are metadata, such as file names, to your
that you can see the exact point of focus, images as you take them.
exposure and white balance, and identify the In this tutorial, we look at three of
highlight and shadow areas of your image – the leading digital workflow tools
details that are notoriously difficult to see on – Aperture 2, Lightroom 2 and Jon Lysons is MacUser’s production
a small LCD screen. Capture One Pro 5 – to see editor and has been using Macs
If you can identify these flaws during the how easy tethered shooting since 1993. He’s been using camera
for much longer, his first being a
shoot, you can easily make adjustments is. We’ve tested the
Kodak Pocket Instamatic 130.
to your camera settings, studio lighting or technique with Canon
composition, and take another image to see and Nikon cameras,
if you’ve got it right. but most digital
The added benefit of using your preferred cameras should work if they’re
digital workflow tool is that the images are supported by the application, although you
imported directly into your application, which may need to download a dedicated API.
Main image Danny Bird
089
4 December 2009
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Kit required one of the following: Capture One Pro 5 is the application favoured to give the appearance of tethered shooting.
Aperture 2 from Apple now supports tethered by professional photographers and is developed Lightroom 2 costs £229 (£199 ex VAT).
shooting natively for most digital cameras. by digital back and photography specialist Phase
However, recent Canon models – for example, One, however, it is the most pricey of the three Additional kit if necessary
the Eos 5D MkII – aren’t yet supported and so a applications. It costs €299 (about £266). Sofortbild sofortbildapp.com
workaround is needed. Aperture 2 costs £126 Lightroom 2 from Adobe doesn’t support tethered Hot Folder automator.us/leopard/aperture
(£109 ex VAT). shooting directly, but there’s a simple workaround Eos Utility
090
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4 December 2009
LIGHTROOM 2
1. Create a Watched Folder
Although Lightroom doesn’t support tethered If you have a camera made by another
shooting directly, there’s a workaround that manufacturer, you can still follow these steps,
enables the application to automatically import but using the software dedicated for your make
images as they’re captured on your camera. of camera. First, create a folder on your Mac;
Depending on what make of camera you’re here, we’ve called it TetheredShooting. This is
using, you need to download an API. Here, a Watched Folder to which the API will
we’re going to cover two of the most popular download the images and subsequently allow
camera manufacturers – Canon and Nikon. Lightroom to import them.
3. Open Lightroom
You’re now ready to work in Lightroom itself. Auto Import is ticked. That’s it – you’re ready
Go to File > Auto Import > Auto Import to start tethered shooting, as Lightroom is
Settings. Now you can navigate Lightroom to now able to import these images.
import all of the images that are downloaded Finally, make sure you’re in the Library area
into the Watched Folder, which we’ve called of Lightroom and your photos are automatically
TetheredShooting. stored in Lightroom, enabling you to move
Next, navigate to File > Auto Import > them to a folder of your choice depending on
Enable Auto Import and make sure Enable your particular workflow.
091
4 December 2009
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APERTURE 2
O
ne of the most delightful but brilliant but flawed, the Newton a meteor that
annoying human traits is our burned up before its time, and many features
apparent pleasure in repeating in the Mac OS have rankled until they were
common mistakes. One autumn evening, dropped or fixed. Few firms have generated
when I was tucking into a chilli at a Little such sustained interest in, and speculation
Chef along the A303, my colleague shook surrounding, their next step. It’s only through
the tomato sauce bottle with vigour. Although a culture of innovation that Apple has attained
we all joke about the top flying off and its de facto market leadership, and the moment
colourful consequences, following an ominous that its fire ceases to burn in the cubicles of
pop from across the table, I looked up to Cupertino, Apple will be doomed to enter the
see him covered, as if an extra in Hostel. grand corporate care home.
We keep repeating these foolish errors: Successful innovation in technology
walking into lamp-posts while concentrating isn’t a matter of mere invention, but
on GPS instead of visual navigation, discovering how to build on invention to
performing major system updates without make it accessible to prospective purchasers.
first backing up, and so on. It’s about design for humans – where much
This year has shown, once again, that of Apple’s greatest innovation has been
the pooled minds of our greatest companies – and helping them do new and exciting
and institutions conspire to repeat even things easily. Those firms that have come to
greater mistakes. Banks reward employees believe that innovation has anything to do with
for taking risks rather than mitigating them, haggling over patents, marketing mystique
politicians – not long ago proclaiming an or bleeding captive markets dry have truly
end to boom and bust – see green shoots lost the plot and risk going the way of the
of recovery when they are in fact weeds SCO Group, moribund in the wake of its futile
along the road of recession, and weather litigation against IBM, Linux and Novell. Just
forecasters leave us wanting a fine evening as politicians do best when they heed the
for a barbecue, let alone a whole summer. old caution against negative campaigning,
iPhone and iPod competitors queue businesses do best when they manufacture,
for entry to the Last Chance Saloon, their sell and support.
designers clearly never having grasped In terms of those last basic business
why the original products have succeeded. imperatives, Apple has had a very good,
Amazon makes the Kindle as unattractive perhaps excellent, year. With its every
a deal as possible for European Mac users, move speculated on in countless blogs and
while competitor Sony restates its complete newsfeeds, it may at times have felt like a
lack of insight into the Mac market. As Intel rollercoaster ride. With even the BBC running
Macs go 64-bit with Snow Leopard, Adobe’s headlines about a fatal flaw in Snow Leopard,
disjointed development cycle leaves Creative once we learned the facts all shrank back into
Suite stumbling along in 32-bit mode for proportion. If anyone has been shaking sauce
another year or two. bottles in Infinite Loop – the street encircling
When times are hard, success comes Apple’s headquarter buildings, surely an
through innovation, not mere change, nor inspiration to the late and great Douglas Howard Oakley has used Macs in science
the repetition of mistakes. Of course, Apple Adams – then they checked that the top and medicine for 20 years, and developed
hasn’t always innovated right: the Lisa was was screwed on first. commercial software.
093
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
Bug buster
Mac OS X 10.6.x can misbehave when and process in Compressor. Details are at properties in the Hardware and Sound
using an Apple Remote or other infrared support.apple.com/kb/TS2594. control panel. Further details are available
transmitter, and some applications. at support.apple.com/kb/HT3588.
Candelair is a free replacement driver Adobe Services Update 1.0.2 fixes a
that can fix these. It’s available from bug in CS4 services under Snow Leopard, Mac OS X Server up to 10.6.1 repquota
iospirit.com/labs/candelair. which prevents authentication for services command may erroneously return lists with
and their update. Go to adobe.com/ users that have no quota enabled even
Pro Applications Update 2009-01 support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4568. when they are. A fix is expected.
delivers fixes for many bugs in Final Cut
Studio (2009), with Final Cut Pro 7.0.1, Bluetooth Update 1.0 for Windows fixes Wireless Mouse Software Update
Motion 4.0.1, Soundtrack Pro 3.0.1, Color problems with Bluetooth devices when 1.0 for Leopard lets you use multitouch
1.5.1, and Compressor 3.5.1. It’s at running Windows under Boot Camp. Visit features of the Magic Mouse and is at
support.apple.com/kb/DL949. support.apple.com/kb/DL952. support.apple.com/kb/DL951.
Final Cut Pro 6.x may not process iMac (late 2009), MacBook (late Default Folder 4.3.2 fixes bugs with
jobs when sequences are exported to 2009), and MacBook Pro (13in and Snow Leopard, improves compatibility
Compressor 3 using the File/Export/Using 15in mid-2009) models running Windows with Final Cut Pro and other applications
Compressor command if a Virtual Cluster may not automatically switch audio output exporting using QuickTime, and more.
is enabled. Either disable the cluster or when headphones are connected. If It’s available from stclairsoft.com/
export as QuickTime reference movies affected, manually change the Speakers DefaultFolderX/index.html.
If you have access to utilities from Apple’s Xcode SDK (available on your Mac OS X Install Disc), USB Prober is
useful for getting to the bottom of problems, providing more information than is available in System Profiler.
Explosive fireworks effect
From Adam Court
Q A client has requested that I make
Peripheral vision devices connected via different ports, and their logo look as if it has been lit up with
From Alan Henderson power your hub before ruling out a hardware fireworks. Is there a plug-in that I can use
Q My iMac, which I upgraded to Snow problem. Shed other USB devices in case to create convincing firework effects in
Leopard, now has intermittent problems they’re to blame – an old USB 1.1 peripheral, Adobe’s Photoshop CS4?
with USB devices. Memory sticks and other for instance. Next, check installed third-party
USB peripherals sometimes vanish from the software, particularly Startup and Login Items, A There are several plug-ins that offer
Desktop, whether connected directly to a and drivers for older USB devices such as unusual lighting effects and the like, but
port on the iMac or via a hub. However, a broadband modem. Restart with the Shift arguably the best of these is Akvis LightShop,
once they have vanished, disconnecting key held down to engage Safe mode, with €80 (about £72) from akvis.com/en/lightshop/
them results in a ‘disk was not ejected index.php. You should also look
properly’ alert. On other occasions, trying through back issues of MacUser,
the open the volume results in a spinning and books by Photoshop Grand
beachball cursor freeze, forcing me to Masters such as Steve Caplin, as
switch off its power before starting it up this is a fairly popular subject for
again. Is this a problem in Snow Leopard? tutorials and workthroughs.
Nasty problem
From Rob Pigott that will result in
Q I’ve been backing up files to a couple the whole of the
of Nas drives. When I look for them there, Mac file being
recently copied documents are fine, but copied, stored and
older ones don’t open in QuarkXPress or retrieved properly.
other applications. Could this be because While SMB and other
I’ve connected to the drives using SMB protocols should be
rather than AFP? able to work fine,
in practice they’re
A Network-attached storage (Nas) systems vulnerable to glitches
are essentially a networked computer, often that can make
running a stripped-down version of Linux documents unusable
sharing its drive space out via different if copied across
protocols. Macs prefer to use AppleShare or retrieved using To ensure that you can connect to a Nas or similar server via AFP rather than SMB,
you save and retrieve the server details in the Connect to Server dialog.
File (AFP) protocol, while Windows systems that protocol.
generally adopt SMB. Although there’s no
To get most Nas systems to work way for your Mac to Go menu so that it offers AFP connections
properly with Macs, you should ensure limit its connections to AFP, you can set the in preference, avoiding typing in SMB
you connect to them using AFP, as Finder’s Connect to Server command in the connection details.
If you want the Finder to leave files scattered in an see any tint that’s below 20%, as they’re Those with eBook readers such as the Sony
Icon view, rather than tidying them up, ensure that models sold by Waterstones should find the
its View preferences are set with the Arrange By shown as plain white even on an external freeware Calibre a very capable conversion and
pop-up menu reading None. library management tool.
monitor. Rolling it back to Mac OS X 10.5.4
restored normal function for a while, but it
soon started happening again. Why is this
and how can we fix it?
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
For basic scientific-style 2D and 3D graphing,
Gnuplot performs better than commercial Did you know...
products such as Microsoft Excel or Numbers in
iWork, but it relies on command scripts.
Launchd is a key part of Mac OS
Throttling respawn
X that acts as conductor and From David Ward
co-ordinator of most processes Q I installed new Epson printer drivers
running on your Mac. Although you can for Snow Leopard using Software
still use the traditional cron tool to run Update. Now my printer doesn’t
periodic tasks, launchd should now work, with Console showing repeated
be used to start and run background messages about ‘throttling respawn’,
services, as well as those scheduled and entries such as:
at fixed time intervals. posix_spawn("/Library/Printers/EPSON/
InkjetPrinter/EPW/IJEPWAgent.app/
Contents/MacOS/IJEPWAgent", ...): No
course, Adobe Acrobat Pro. Calibre, free from packages. Free products worth considering such file or directory
calibre.kovidgoyal.net, is a large and rapidly include R, a hugely capable statistics What should I do?
maturing tool for converting into, between environment that sports excellent graphing,
and managing a variety of electronic book from stats.bris.ac.uk/R. However, you would A Your printer needs background
formats. Centred on PDF conversion and need to work from a book at first, as it’s processes running to enable its driver
adjustment, deskUNPDF is €46.64 (about still centred on its own command language. to work. These are normally controlled
£42) from docudesk.com/deskUNPDF-PDF- Gnuplot, free from gnuplot.info, is more basic and run by launchd using a technique
Converter-for-Mac.shtml. and easier to use, and could fit your bill. known as ‘spawning’ or ‘respawning’
Stanza Desktop is still in beta release, More specialist scientific graphing is
an eBook reader for the Mac that has some available in Pro Fit (from quansoft.com) and
useful conversion features and is free from Igor Pro (from wavemetrics.com/products/
lexcycle.com/desktop. Acrobat Pro is the igorpro/igorpro.htm).
industry standard tool for working with and
tidying up PDF documents, and is valuable for New-style icons
preparing them for use as eBooks. From Claire Russell
Q I’ve upgraded to Snow Leopard and
Secrets of chart success noticed that document icons have changed.
From Barry Lane When I save a Word document, it’s shown
Q I’m looking for simple software to turn with its familiar, type-specific appearance,
paired x, y data into basic graphs, in which but quickly changes to a generic document
I can set parameters and change the look icon. Likewise, a screenshot starts off as
of the resulting graph. I’ve tried Excel, but it used to be, but changes to show the
was disappointed with its business flavour. appearance of the screen in miniature.
Is there some better maths-based software? Acrobat PDF files behave in a similar way When an update downloaded by Software Update
to Word documents at first, before being malfunctions, download a copy of the standalone
disk image from Apple’s support site and install that.
A General-purpose graphing and charting changed to generic icons. My preferences
products such as Excel and Apple’s Numbers haven’t changed, so why is this?
are aimed at business users, who seldom the process. Hence the log entries
want to plot the sort of paired x, y data that A Because of the enhancements made to you’re seeing repeated so often are the
are more widespread in sciences, including Quick Look and its closer integration with the components that make up your printer
maths and statistics. If you’re interested in Finder, Snow Leopard generates document driver trying to get going, but failing
a high-end maths package, particularly if you icons differently to Leopard. As it’s still new, because a file or folder is missing. After
can get academic pricing, then Wolfram’s it’s also prone to minor glitches and bugs. an update, this is a good indication that
Mathematica is an astonishingly capable When you take a screenshot, it’s captured something went wrong and the update
and exciting working environment, but far too in an image file and is normally displayed was botched. Open the Print & Fax pane
much for just a quick graph. with a custom icon showing the image in in System Preferences and remove your
Specialist scientific graphing applications miniature, as before. Documents with more printer. Next, download the standalone
such as Aabel (from gigawiz.com/Aabel.html) complex contents that need to be parsed and installer from support.apple.com/kb/
are also expensive and perhaps overkill for rendered, such as HTML and PDF, are shown DL900 and install that. Restart, re-install
you, as would be fully featured statistics with a miniature icon that shows their generic your printer in Print & Fax and you should
type, but no preview. Larger icons find that it works properly again.
will try to show a preview of the Earlier releases of Mac OS X were
first page of the document, but prone to incomplete or messed-up
the full scrollable preview will only updates through Software Update.
appear if you select the icon and More recently, these issues have
press the Spacebar. become uncommon and you should
Type-specific document icons be able to trust Software Update.
are also the rule for documents When it does fail, it’s simple to use
belonging to other applications a standalone installer instead. When
such as Microsoft Word, which this occurs with full system updates,
rely on Quick Look converters it’s usually wise to download the latest
to generate the preview. A Combo installer, as that will repair
collection of Quick Look plug-ins and restore everything that has been
is being made at qlplugins.com. changed since the initial installation
Snow Leopard’s better integration of Quick Look document
previewing has changed the way in which icons are displayed. So what you describe is now of that major version of Mac OS X.
Select a file and press the Spacebar for a full preview. normal behaviour.
096
macbusiness
www.macuser.co.uk
4 December 2009
Inside Installer
Every software update relies on the Mac OS X Installer. Understanding
what it should do is valuable in understanding its problems.
M
ac users who have stayed the Apple’s updates are either downloaded opened in the Downloads folder. Mounting
long haul from the first public by the Software Update pane in System at the top level of a disk image is usually
beta release of Mac OS X will Preferences as package files (.pkg), successful, or you can install its individual
have suffered at the hands of its Installer or separately from support.apple.com/ constituent .pkg files manually. The latter has
application more than once. Formerly downloads in disk images (.dmg). The latter the disadvantage that the .mpkg scripts won’t
notorious for turning well-running Macs into are the recommended ‘container’ for Installer be run, which could stunt the installation
unbootable nightmares, Installer has also packages, but there’s nothing to stop you process, although this doesn’t normally worry
come a long way. Because Mac OS X has a from putting them into compressed archives iTunes updates.
Unix heart, it has fixed ideas about where or whatever you like. One advantage of using An Installer package is a regular file,
different software components belong. For disk images is that a damaged or corrupt not a ‘bundle’ like an application that’s a
instance, an application that includes custom image can’t be mounted and used. By folder pretending to be a file. It contains
fonts must install them in the /Library/Fonts contrast, it’s possible for damaged Installer product information, including any licence
folder, or they will be rendered inaccessible; packages to be run, and this may explain why file and version data, and a list of installation
document templates and similar supporting some Software Update installations go awry. properties. The latter include system, volume
files normally need to be placed in a folder More complex installations can be and authentication requirements, and the
within /Library/Application Support if they’re to delivered as several packages, orchestrated action to be followed after installation, such
be made available to all users of that Mac. in JavaScript from a metapackage file (.mpkg). as forcing a restart. In addition to the files
The central function of Installer, a If, however, you’ve downloaded Apple updates required for the installation itself, there are
standard application found in /System/ through Software Update, which, like iTunes, four scripts to cover preflight, pre-installation,
Library/CoreServices, is therefore to copy the have a combination of .mpkg and .pkg files, post-installation and postflight. In essence,
various components required for a software you’ll have discovered that their .mpkg Installer runs the preflight then pre-installation
installation into the correct locations. orchestration doesn’t normally work when scripts, puts all the enclosed files in the
4 December 2009
www.macuser.co.uk
specified locations, replacing existing files
as specified, following which it runs the
post-installation and postflight scripts.
Inside packages and uninstalling
The first phase of an installation consists Unlike disk images, Installer packages are fseventer, free from fernlightning.com/
of checking that the Mac meets the package’s a minority pursuit and potentially complex. doku.php?id=software:fseventer:start,
requirements. If it falls short, then Installer This means there are relatively few third- can watch your filesystem using the same
tells the user why the installation can’t party tools that work with these packages. system features employed by Spotlight, and
proceed and goes no further. The developer The exception is with utilities to remove or record the file activity performed during an
who produces the package may unwittingly uninstall software that has been installed installation. This allows you to discover what
allow installation on an unsuitable system, by Installer – something that Installer itself any installer has actually done during an
though: this commonly occurs when they’ve remains incapable of accomplishing. install, including any files generated when
specified a minimum version of Mac OS X Pacifist, $20 (about £12) shareware you first run the application. While this is
that’s required, but don’t exclude future major from charlessoft.com, is the established probably overkill for single users, system
releases. This means you can install products alternative to Installer. It enables you to administrators who need to know how to
designed for Tiger on Snow Leopard, although open packages and install individual files roll back an update or installation could
they could then prove badly broken. or elements within them. Installer will list find it a useful addition to their toolbox. Its
Once Installer has determined that the the files to be installed from a package, disadvantage is that the system interface
installation can proceed, it runs the preflight through the Show Files in its Files menu, but on which it relies can become overwhelmed
script – or, in the case of metapackages, it’s constrained by the options chosen by by heavy file system activity, something not
all preflight scripts from the .mpkg and its the person who built the original package. inconceivable during software installation.
associated packages. After those, pre- If you inadvertently trash your QuickTime
installation scripts are run. If an error occurs Player application, you may not want to Pacifist opens existing Installer packages, so you can
choose elements or components within the package
during preflight or pre-installation, Installer re-install the whole of the latest edition of and selectively install them. This saves you having to
informs the user and cancels the installation. QuickTime. Instead, you can use Pacifist to run the whole install or update.
This normally works perfectly, but if preflight selectively install just the Player application
or pre-install scripts encounter an error but from the last QuickTime update.
don’t handle it correctly, Installer will continue Uninstallers present a more complex
with an installation that will fail. choice. For products that came in Installer
With all preparations complete, Installer packages, you can open the original
gets on with the main course, copying every package(s) using Installer, list their
file from the package to its designated contents, and then manually remove all
location on the Mac. Here, there’s ample the different components that it installed.
scope for programmer error, inadvertently Alternatively, an application such as
wiping out key files belonging to other
applications or system components, or
misplacing vital files. When this is complete, has to prompt you to enter an administrator
the package file less its payload of files user name and password. One way of Summary
that have been installed is copied to the streamlining this process when performing
/Library/Receipts folder of the volume on multiple installations is to load all packages ● Apple’s Installer utility is designed
which installation has taken place. Although before Installer has completed and quit to perform complex installations and
package receipts like this appear identical by double-clicking remaining packages or updates, involving the placement of
to their original packages, they lack the files dragging them to the application icon while components in folders required by
that were installed, and are folders disguised it’s still running. Metapackages automate this Mac OS X, with its Unix heart.
as single files, like an application bundle. for those distributing complex products. ● Packages delivered in disk images
If you open one, you can see its binary Constructing Installer packages isn’t are automatically checked for integrity;
‘bill of materials’ (.bom), a .dist script, and just for professional software developers. those downloaded by Software Update
various of the scripts and other components Using Apple’s PackageMaker, part of the free can be damaged but still installed.
that make up a distribution package. Because Xcode SDK, system administrators can build ● Metapackages (.mpkg) orchestrate
the .bom files in receipts specify the intended their own packages and metapackages to installation of multiple packages
permissions of all the files and folders that help maintain the Macs that they look after. (.pkg) using co-ordinating JavaScript.
have been installed, they’re used by Disk Apple calls these ‘managed installs’, and Manual installs of constituent
Utility when you use it to repair permissions. with the cover of Apple Remote Desktop, packages normally work for iTunes,
In Mac OS X 10.3.3 and earlier, there it’s possible to perform remote installs on but don’t run that script.
was a final step needed for an installation multiple clients – for instance, to the many ● When an Installer package has
to take properly: updating of prebindings. Macs on a lab network. been installed, the package is stripped
In order to launch applications more quickly, Apple’s Installer isn’t the only game in of its payload and copied to the
Mac OS X used to process its executable town, although it’s now probably the most /Library/Receipts folder.
files in advance, a trick termed ‘prebinding’. sophisticated and mature. Smith Micro’s ● System administrators can use
Thankfully, improvements in the loading StuffIt InstallerMaker (my.smithmicro.com/ PackageMaker to build packages to
and execution of code in Mac OS X 10.3.4 mac/stuffitinstallermaker/index.html) was facilitate system maintenance. These
and later have rendered this unnecessary, popular in the days of classic Mac OS, and can also be installed remotely using
so you should never see Installer updating is available for Mac OS X. More widely used Apple Remote Desktop.
prebindings now. Before quitting, Installer because of its availability for Windows as ● Pacifist is a valuable tool for
runs post-installation and postflight scripts, well, MindVision VISE X (mindvision.com/ performing selective installations of
and the installation or update is complete. vise_x.asp) has been adopted by other only part of a package. Uninstallers
Most application installations and updates application vendors. If you need to build are a more complex issue, and
have to place (and/or remove) files from installers for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, manual removal using Installer’s
folders to which administrator or even root then BitRock’s InstallerBuilder (bitrock. file listing may be best.
access is required. Consequently, Installer com) could be a good choice.
098
I
like things that are free. I do subscribe of my cash? But then we, as a society, intend to preserve. But Skype is a technology
to the notion that there’s no such thing as tend to cough up easily for things like this, of potentially world-changing genius. The irony,
a free lunch in principle, but that hasn’t thanks to the modern-day accomplice of big of course, is that because it’s free, nobody
stopped my one-man quest to disprove the corporations, direct debit. wants to pay to promote the thing. As such,
notion over the past decades of my life. Last month, though, I began a very belated the child in us who gladly grabs anything free
My youth was (partly) spent ringing up fight back. At long last, I discovered Skype. they can find is happy to ignore a genuine gift
for free catalogues, entering competitions I say discovered. This wasn’t some Indiana horse when it turns up and stares lovingly in
that I always lost on the tiebreaker (‘Why Jones-esque quest that had me moving a our direction. I’m guessing if said gift horse
do you want to win this?’ ‘Because then Chocolate Orange slightly from one side of my offered the adult population Fruit Polos en
I wouldn’t have to pay for it, silly’), and desk to the other to uncover a new cavern masse for free, there’d be a very different
engaging in a one-man hunt for gift horses, under the piles of papers. This was me reaction. I can think of at least one satisfied
whose mouth I then never even remotely refusing to pay the bill for an hour-long phone customer straightaway.
stared in the direction of. call to Los Angeles. I’d like, at this stage, to
As I’ve got older, I’ve found myself far tell you that this phone call was to a major
happier to pay for things, a phenomenon I international talent agent, who was primed to
never really thought I’d get to grips with in my pluck me from deepest Dudley and transport
infant years (that’s what 25p a week pocket me to the glitz of Tinseltown, but that would
money does for you). But I appreciate it’s right be a lie, and quite a big one. I’m happy for
and proper that if someone has spent time you to think it’s true, though. I’ll be in Heat
and effort working on something, then I don’t magazine at this rate.
have a right to tea leaf it. That said, I recently Nonetheless, a phone call I had to make,
read a story of one IT magazine editor – not and the thought of saving a good tenner or
our beloved Nik, I should hasten to add – who two was enough to have me signing up. I
admitted to stealing sweeties from his local borrowed a fairly clunky USB microphone and
shop in his youth. This speaker combo that
is a well-to-do man, had been reluctantly
too, who I’m wagering formed into the
‘While I have little quarrel with
got more pocket shape of a phone,
money than me. paying a price for good-quality downloaded the
Yet that didn’t stop products, I’m getting increasingly software and bravely
the young cad from ventured forward. I
slipping a packet of bothered at the cost of many daringly clicked on
Fruit Polos in his coat technology-related services’ a phone number in
pocket. Fruit Polos! my email client, and
At the very least go for waited for the phone
the Fizzy Chewits, man! to call a friend’s UK
That’s where the action is. The late, great landline to test it. It was as if the technology
Woolworths even used to sell them in bulk fairies has danced across my keyboard and
packs. But I digress. sprinkled magic money-saving dust onto it.
While I have little quarrel with paying I completed a call, only interrupted by two
a price for good-quality products, I’m instant messenger messages sounding their
getting increasingly bothered at the cost arrival, and a web pop-up making the kind of
of many technology-related services. A text noises that I suspect the person on the other
message, for instance, has such a miniscule end of the line didn’t want to hear. I learnt
‘manufacture’ cost that I begrudge even valuable lessons about closing windows here,
spitting a penny in the direction of my mobile friends, let me tell you that right now.
phone operator for the dubious pleasure of Then it was time for the big call to Los
sending one (given that said operator’s staff Angeles. I’m not used to technology working
may well have sold my details, too, I figure it first time, so Skype utterly caught me off
owes me money if anything). Likewise, I’ve guard when a chirpy American voice greeted
had a letter from Sky telling me the price me. ‘Have you got video switched on?’, the
of my telly is going up. Why? As far as I can person on the other end of the phone asked.
make out, the quality of the 2384 channels No I haven’t, you nosey fecker, I thought.
it offers hasn’t improved, and it still only I have to hold some values in this new
offers a 10-minute limit on previews of, er, technological world, and reserving the right to
the ‘arthouse’ programmes it transmits late not wear a shirt when I’m on the phone, while Simon Brew wrote this column fully clothed,
at night. Why should it have an extra pound sneaking in mouthfuls of Toblerone, is one I which makes a change.