Apple updates iLife, iWork, .Mac and OSX
By Marc Perton 
posted Jan 10th 2006 4:18PM
posted Jan 10th 2006 4:18PM
Along with all of the company's new hardware, Apple managed to release a raft of software upgrades as well, including updated versions of the OSX operating system, productivity suite iWork, and the iLife media bundle. ILife '06 includes upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand, along with a new app, iWeb, which provides tools for web site creation, podcasting and blogging, along with one-click publishing to Apple's .Mac service. Unlike the default mode of most other blogging tools, such as Typepad, Wordpress and Blogger, iWeb is designed to be used offline, with posts uploaded to .Mac after they're created in the desktop application. Other updates to iLife include podcast-editing tools in Garage Band and the ability to create RSS feeds for iPhoto libraries. ILife '06 comes bundled with all new Macs, or is available from Apple for $79. As usual, there's no upgrade discount for owners of previous versions of the software. Improvements to iWork include new 3D charting modes and new image editing tools. IWork '06 is also available for $79. OSX 10.4.4 is an incremental upgrade, and includes several new Dashboard Widgets, including a Google widget and an improved calendar widget. Oh, and this one's free for users of OSX 10.4. Woo hoo.
Aren't all their incremental upgrades free? At least, I've never paid for one.
I think the true big news about 10.4.4 is that it runs on Intel (or, one flavor of it does) ...
Crap, I just bought a 14" iBook last week. Does Apple do free/discounted upgrades for recent purchases?
The catch is none of us mac users have been able to get the 10.4.4 update yet. Nothing about it on the site either. The only reason we know its avaiable is because you told us about it from the keynote.
Any thoughts on when we will actually be able to run this update?
so really the only major update that i'll be paying for is iweb, it is worth 79 beans, do i ahve to use it with .mac. all the otehr apps rally don't have that much of an improvement. new designs / templates etc but not worth 79.
They should offer free iLife upgrades for people who have purchased it within 12 months of the new version becoming available, and then a reduced cost ($50?) for upgraders beyond 12 months.
that's like asking if Madden 2006 is free cuz you still own 2002..
Does anyone know... Are people going to be able to run MacOs X in a PC?
So... this is big news becaue they're all univeral binaries (ie: runs on intel)?
Yes, I want to know where the 10.4.4 upgrade is??? From the keynote coverage Steve apparently said you can download it today....
By the way... Nice job to engadget on the keynote coverage (and CES too) - thanks guys!
jiggabyte, I don't mean to sound harsh, but why would anyone sophisticated enough to read this site buy a Mac notebook a week before a major press event widely rumored to include the announcement of new notebooks?
Apple isn't so good about making it up to people in your predicament. It happens at least twice a year, every year. Still, it wouldn't hurt to call them and tell them what a horrible injustice they've perpetrated on someone who would otherwise be an eternal Mac devotee, and see what happens.
So... this is big news becaue they're all univeral binaries (ie: runs on intel)
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um, they're new versions of incredible apps?
If you bought it last week, try returning it. The iBook wasn't updated, yet, so you'll have to shell out $2,000 for a MacBook Pro...
#6
i havent heard anything for sure, but from what i can tell you *should* be able too, but it prob wont run that well and it will be a hack to get it done... i assume it will be easier to run Windows on a new Intel Mac...
jiggabyte, if you got it within 10 days, I believe you can return it for any reason. Just go to their web site and look up their return policy. You may have to eat the shipping cost, and time is likely of the essense, so go now!! Don't forget that the new MacBook won't be out until February.
I ordered an iBook tonight, just after the keynote. The page hasn't been updated so it still says iLife 05 is with it. I wonder which I'll get :)
paul
I wonder if the intel based systems are really faster compared to the G5. I mean Jobs was laying to us when he said that the G5 beats the Pentium CPU early last year. Maybe he was right the first time and the new MacBook Pro's are slower than the PowerBook. Either way he was laying to the public. I totally hate that stupid intel CPU inside. Now what differentiates the Mac from all the other system builders is the OS only. And that will be cracked to run on any system sooner than later. The Mac died today officially!
Jiggabyte -
Apple charges a 10% 'restocking' fee on returns that've been opened. So, unless you've got a shrinkwrapping machine or a gift for bullying retail clerks, you're out about a buck-fifty. But if you're hot for a $700 buy-up then it's probably not too much of a tax.
Remember if you're in education (Student, teacher, staff) you can get iLife and iWork for 49-59 bucks, depending on which (cant' remember which is which).
Just checked Software Update and the new patch for iTunes and OSX are out.
SK, yeah they're faster... they're the new intel core duo's... so they'd have to be... they're faster then the old intel pentiums... and I'd expect faster then the g5's too. And to keep on topic with this post... where's iWork's spreadsheet 'Numbers' that was in speculation long ago? Also iWeb looks nice... but I'll stick with my Macromedia Studio MX 2004.
The new GarageBand and iMovie look very cool. I can;t wait o get it and see how iMovie work with its realtime effects.
Apple does have a 10% restocking fee, if you return it within 14 days of purchase. However, sometimes if you can convince them you are going to order a more expensive unit, like say put in a order for the MacBook Pro, just maybe they will let it slide. Most retailers will waive the restocking fee if you are upgrading, especially if you note the price difference.
Just checked Software Update and the new patch for iTunes and OSX are out
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It's not a patch..it's new features...
Steven does this new version of iWork really works? The last version of iWork exporting pages to html did not reder correctly? Well as you say in the end of your iWork presentation "I have no time to explain all this now". So I take my money and run!
Just watched the keynote, iWeb does look real nice for a web novice, and has some very nice default templates.
5. They should offer free iLife upgrades for people who have purchased it within 12 months of the new version becoming available, and then a reduced cost ($50?) for upgraders beyond 12 months.
Can anyone confirm this? I would appreciate a link to some policy. I cannot find anything.
"15. I ordered an iBook tonight, just after the keynote. The page hasn't been updated so it still says iLife 05 is with it. I wonder which I'll get :)"
You'll probably get '05, but for $10 you can upgrade to '06, since you ordered on or after the 10th.
http://www.apple.com/ilife/uptodate/
sk, I think that you missed the part where the G# line of processors have basically become dead in the water. They run too hot and can't be pushed in terms of performance much higher than they are right now. So Apple's decision was try to get some company to R&D a completely new proc for them, or go with what already works (Intel). Hmm, Apples running Cell CPUs might have been sweet ass, though. And the fact that they would be running on IBM procs would have been sweet sweet irony, but alas.
@26, that was my proposal of how it should work, not anything official from Apple.
Ok
so if i am reading this correctly, iWeb is going to be a front end for .Mac.
wow.
when is apple going to learn. with open source life gaining so much support, it's tipping point is looming. why would apple cuff it's consumer-end users? this seems to be a simple, 'hmm, we could design a simple interface to get more .Mac users!!'. I understand making more money to keep investors coming back for more. but come on, where is the vision for consumer-end freedom. sure they could take the time to learn linux... but why not just uncuff them??
It's a bit silly to think that these tools are designed for the same audience that would use open-source software or *Adobe* Studio/Dreamweaver. Educators and elementary-mid-high school kids could use this. Grandparents could use this. Mom and pop who hate computers can use this. A motivated college kid might want to go open source, might not. Pro or high-level hobbyist would want a pro tool - but even pros who just want to get something up simply can use it. If you're not the target audience for the product, it doesn't matter, someone else is, and that someone has NO INTEREST in being uncuffed or spending time on a computer learning Linux.
And no, you 'shouldn't' get a discount or free software in this line as an upgrade. Software in this price range does not lend itself to that pricing strategy, and this is the pricing strategy they went with. They could raise the price and offer upgrade discounts, but that'd be silly. It's basic economics.
"so if i am reading this correctly, iWeb is going to be a front end for .Mac."
No. iWeb can export to .Mac, but it's not necessary -- it can export to a regular HTML hierarchy as well. Steve Jobs didn't cover this part of the product in his keynote for obvious reasons. ;-)
--R.J.
I've been using & supporting Mac's for >20 years. I bought a copy of Ilife 05 on Dec 31 2005 (dumb , I know..now). 10 days later Ilife 06 is out and 05 is not included in the "update program" (unless you bought a computer). I guess I'm still a dumb Mac supporter cuz I haven't dumped Mac yet. Hey, wait! maybe I can spend another $79 to make Steve even richer! (aren't we all helping him play catch up to Bill anyway?.....long way to go!)
iPhoto 06 is great ... full screen editing is a gas, and the app's so much faster.
I LOVE this app ...