Opinion: Apple, Shape Up Your Changelogs
I recently updated to the most recent release of iTunes. I did this as soon as it came up in my Software Update, as I always try to have the most up-to-date versions of the software on my computer. Newer is better, right? Well, that’s usually been my view, but in addition to some cool new and improved features, there were some things that I was very used to that I now had to learn entirely new ways of doing. This led me to hate the new iTunes, and only after finding ways to recreate old features, which took me some time, could I really accept it as an improvement.
Opinion: An Updater’s Chronicle
Today, I upgraded my operating system to Snow Leopard. I knew that it would be worth it in the end, but every time I do this I am petrified. Of all my files disappearing (this happened once to me); of the upgrade stopping partway through, leaving me with no operating system (this too has happened); of my programs not working after the upgrade because they haven’t been upgraded themselves. Luckily for me, however, none of these happened when I upgraded today. I write this not only as a story of my installation, but also as a reassurance to you that Snow Leopard will not become—despite its namesake—a sharp-toothed beast with untold powers of destruction. This cat is surprisingly tame.
Opinion: Apple and the Cats
The release this past Friday of the newest Mac operating system—codenamed “Snow Leopard”—added one more to a slowly increasing list of big cats that Apple has used to name its software. And this got me to wondering—why are all of the systems named after these animals? It doesn’t seem like computers have too much in common with man-eating, furry giants. But then I thought about it some more, and realized that perhaps the choice isn’t as peculiar as it might seem.
Opinion: The Developer Connection
What makes a great app? Is it the features? The price? The interface? The answer, of course, is all of these. But even when put together, these aspects don’t always add up to be the ideal piece of software. There’s another part that isn’t always available, but when it is, it catapults an app within range of perfection. This final piece of an app is the user’s connection with the developers.
Mac@Work Series: Part 5 – Security
Security on the Mac is a very controversial topic. There are the people that say Macs are immune to viruses which is completely not true. There are the people that say Macs are just as virus prone as windows but the target is smaller than the Windows base so hackers are hacking the bigger target. I think security on the Mac falls somewhere in the middle.
Opinion: Putting Apps on Trial
Developers have always struggled with the question of how to market their products. Sure, you can simply advertise, but for something like a computer program, the user’s experience with the application is one of the biggest ways to decide whether or not to purchase something. With only advertising, this can never be a factor in the decision of the potential customer. And so, software makers thought up the idea of a free trial. But this idea, despite being almost as old as software itself (or at least paid software) is still working out some kinks. Now there are mainly two types of trials—time-limited trials and feature-limited trials. Both seem to have their own advantages and disadvantages, and work better or worse for different kinds of software.
Opinion: The Tao of the Desktop
People can do all sorts of different things to their desktops. Some are cluttered, some are sparse, there are pictures, designs, photos—pretty much anything you can think of is, at the moment, on someone’s computer background. For the sake of productivity, many people stress the fact that your desktop should be clean—not filled with files that aren’t used—but that probably doesn’t work for everyone. How can you discover your perfect desktop?
Opinion: New Final Cut Studio Not Worth Upgrade
Apple as a company is generally pretty good at making great products, and marketing new features as compelling selling points, but the new Final Cut Studio lacks the usual incentive. Let’s take a look at the new features in Apple’s high-end video production software suite.
Final Cut Studio has been around for a number of years, gaining traction on it’s Avid counter-parts. Being used by large-production companies for feature films, or short goofy clips by high school and college students, Final Cut serves a broad audience with its suite of editing, creation, and manipulating tools.
Opinion: Is the iPhone Killing Mac Gaming?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love iPhones as much as the next guy, but sometimes I get worried. Maybe it’s because I don’t have one, maybe it’s because I rely too much on my trusty Macbook, but it seems to me that the primary focus of game developers is shifting from the Mac as a platform to the iPhone.
Chillingo to Launch iPhone Social Gaming Network
Earlier this morning at the Developer Conference in Brighton, Chillingo (one of the iPhone’s leading game publishers) announced their plans to create a social gaming network that would become “the de-facto social gaming standard for iPhone and iPod touch” according to Chillingo director Chris Byatte.
