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.Mac's slow death
Somebody call the ambulance, because .Mac is dying...and Google is the assassin (with a little help from his sidekick Firefox). Now I've been using .Mac since it was free and called "iTools." I was initially lured in by the convenience of iDisk, the mac.com email address and so on. Web bookmark and contact syncing are also super-convenient, and as time passed I made use of some of the other .Mac services, like iCal publishing and so on. Everything was fine. Not free anymore, but fine. Then Google introduced (free) Gmail with oodles more storage than .Mac offers, calendars and so on. To make a long story short, I'm about to give .Mac the boot for good. After the jump, a breakdown of why.
New Packrat version adds true list and note creation
A new Packrat version (version 0.84 build 220) has enabled 100% edit-ability of lists and notes on pages, including the create of new lists and notes on pages that previously had none. To facilitate this, a new 'Action' button has been added to Packrat's toolbar, containing 'create new note/list' commands for your productivity pleasure.To find out more about the update, check the blog of Rod Schmidt, Packrat's developer.
iWork 06 "v2" updates
Updates for Keynote 3 and Pages 2 (iWork 06 versions) are available from Software Update. Oddly, they aren't point versions - they're "v2" of the updates Apple released just last week, and they're pretty large. Also, they both have the same description as last week's updates.Keynote: "This update to Keynote 3.0 addresses issues with three-dimensional charts and textures. It also addresses a number of other minor issues. This update should be installed on all computers that share your Keynote 3.0 files, so that textures display properly."Pages: "Pages 2.0.1 addresses issues with charts and image adjust. It also addresses a number of other minor issues."They're both available from Software Update. I'd offer links to Apple's downloads pages, but as of this writing they don't appear to be posted on Apple's site.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Packrat 0.8 - edit Backpack lists, display images
In mid-April, Rod Schmidt asked for feedback as to whether he should release editing features in Packrat, his Backpack syncing client, as he develops them. From what I saw, the response was largely in favor of doing so, and yesterday Rod announced on his blog that Packrat 0.8 has taken the first step in this direction. Users can now edit lists in Packrat, then sync up the changes to their Backpack account. This new version can also display inline images (but not linked images) as long as you've already downloaded them, of course. This is a pretty big deal if you're a Backpack fan, especially since I'm fairly certain Packrat is the first app that has this kind of potential to become a true, offline-capable Backpack client.Swing on by infiniteNIL Software to grab a demo of Packrat, a license will cost $24.95. If you want to get involved or offer some feedback, be sure to check out the Packrat discussion group and and Rod Schmidt's blog for development updates.
Software Update: Pages and Keynote (iWork '06)
If you're an iWork '06 user, Software Update has a couple of presents for you: Pages 2.0.1 and Keynote 3.0.1. About the Pages update (direct link): "addresses issues with charts and image adjust. It also addresses a number of other minor issues."About Keynote's update (link): "addresses issues with three-dimensional charts and textures. It also addresses a number of other minor issues. This update should be installed on all computers that share your Keynote 3.0 files, so that textures display properly."Enjoy.
9 out of 10 for iWork
No, not from us (though I haven't had a chance to play with iWork '06 yet), however MacOSXhints is a big fan of iWork '06. Rob is most excited about the improvements in Keynote 3 including a number of things that you can now do with bullet lists. I own the prior versions of both Pages and Keynote but I have never used either. That's just me though, what would you give iWork '06?
iWork just helps bring AppleWorks customers into 20th century
Since iWork 06 was clearly the 5th wheel of yesterday's keynote, I'd throw money down that it is (unofficially) nothing more than a 20th (note: not 21st) century version of AppleWorks just to give those who still use it something OS X-ish to switch to. I would also bet that Apple is sick of supporting that old horse and could simply be using iWork to help put it out to pasture.If you watch yesterday's keynote, iWork 06 gets a mention on stage but almost immediately a "well we don't have time for it now, but you can check it out on the web" from his Steveness.Um, what? You're going to mention this software you introduced barely a year ago but then promptly drop-kick it off stage? And where is Numbers, one of the supposed missing links that could propel iWork into the "useful" category of so many users software toolbelts?Given this year's "we barely care" treatment of iWork, I think it's safe to say that Apple really isn't planning on stacking it up against Office. At least, not anytime soon.
Apple announces iWork 06
Apple also announced iWork 06 at today's keynote, bringing major updates to both Pages and Keynote, though some kind of much-requested spreadsheet application did not arrive. New in Pages 2 are more Apple-designed Templates, 3D charts, freeform curves, shapes and masks, tables with calculations (semi-spreadsheet abilities), Mail Merge with Address Book and reviewer comments which allow you to add reminders, comments and todo lists in a document sidebar.Keynote 3 gains HD themes, cinematical transitions, 3D charts, the same freeform curves, shapes and masks as Pages, tables with calculations and the same reviewer comment features.iWork 06 has the same pricing scheme as iLife 06: $79 for a single license, $99 for a 5-pack, and is available now from Apple's online store.
Apple Matters Gems of 2005
Chris Howard has complied a list of Mac gems that were 'unearthed' in 2005 and some of his choices might surprise you. He starts off with Pages, but I actually forgot was introduced this year (though I'm not very bright so that isn't a big shock).He goes on to list applications both big and small that have impacted his Mac usage (and it seems he's an Ecto guy).What gems did you find for your Mac this year?
