Apple Reincarnates iLife
Today's column and podcast (listen/subscribe/iTunes) cover a familiar subject: Apple's iLife multimedia suite.
Like other multiple-program bundles (for instance, Microsoft Office), iLife is always a pain to review, because my notes hold far more details than I cram into the paper. So here are some details that didn't make the column:
* In iPhoto, the first change is the shift from "rolls" (a set of photos grouped by when they were transferred to the computer) to "events" (photos grouped by when they were taken). The net effect is that Apple has gotten rid of one organizational layer, which should reduce the odds of people getting lost in their own picture collections. Editing is also a little easier; one of my favorite tools, the "straighten" command that levels out a photo with the horizon, is more prominent, and you can now adjust exposure separately in bright and dark areas. The .Mac Web galleries look terrific; check out the "Carousel" browsing option in this sample from Apple (scroll all the way to the bottom of a set of pictures to see it).
* As for iMovie, maybe Apple should have given this program a new name, just to make it clear how little it owes to the old version. Not only does it sacrifice entire categories of features (your ability to fine-tune a soundtrack is almost gone now), iMovie '08 can't even open projects created in iMovie HD! This program also imposes much steeper system requirements, ruling out Macs with G4 and most G5 processors (though on an iMac with an Intel Core 2 Duo chip, it didn't show the slightest hesitation.) That said, I suspect many iLife '06 users never got into iMovie HD, because it was so geared towards professional-grade productions. A program that doesn't require you to create a movie project and import clips before doing anything else isn't as beginner-friendly as one that shows all of your Mac's video clips in one window and lets you fiddle around with them. (Those beginners should beware: Editing video isn't a quick process, thanks to the time spent deciding which clips to keep, dump or trim. I am a bit of a perfectionist, but I spent an hour and a half on a five-minute movie.)
* GarageBand: Not being a musician, I didn't spend much time with this, aside from Magic GarageBand -- but that's worth a chuckle or two even if you usually don't touch this application. Users with small children may not want to tell them about it, however, or the kids will be playing with it all day.
* The new DVD-menu templates in iDVD look sharp, and Apple says this incorporates some performance improvements, but since I was using a much faster Mac to test this than the one I had when reviewing iLife '06, I can't really say how much they help.
* Finally, iWeb's Web-widget feature is neat, but doesn't go very far. iWeb only provides prefab HTML links to Google Maps, Google AdSense ads and any public .Mac Web galleries you've set up, although you can also type in your own HTML. (Outside of that Web-gallery widget, online photo albums set up in iPhoto '08 are pretty much invisible in iWeb. You have to switch back to iPhoto to edit or delete them--the opposite of how things functioned in the prior version of iLife.)
If you buy a new Mac, the decision is made for you -- iLife '08 comes free on the hard drive. If you have an older Mac that can't run iMovie -- and you're already happy sharing your photos at another site besides .Mac -- spending $79 on iLife '08 could be hard to justify. This new release makes the most sense for people who have bought Intel-based Macs over the last year and a half, and especially for those who a) still haven't found a favorite photo-sharing site, b) already subscribe to .Mac or c) have never spent any serious time editing video before.
If you own iLife '06 (here's my review of that version), will you pick up a copy of '08? Please talk about that in the comments, and don't forget my Web chat at 2 p.m. today.
By Rob Pegoraro |
August 23, 2007; 12:32 PM ET
| Category:
Mac
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Posted by: umm.huh | August 23, 2007 1:37 PM
I do plan to get iLife08, especially for iPhoto and iMovie. They both sound easier to use. My photos are not easy to locate in iPhoto, especially when I just want to attach one to an email. The new format sounds really intuitive. Also, I have found the transitions and extras in iMovie hard to figure out, so the new version sounds more friendly to those of us who just began using a Mac (and loving it). I love the integration of the multimedia components on a Mac, and these programs sound like they are fantastic. Should I add more memory? I've only got 1GB ram, and thinking I should have 2mb. Is that recommended?
Posted by: rjrjj | August 23, 2007 3:45 PM
oops -- sorry about my typo -- should increase from 1GB to 2GB ram?
Posted by: rjrjj | August 23, 2007 4:39 PM
I was able to open a previous iMovie project just fine. However I do miss the audio fine-tuning (maybe they're pushing us to Final Cut Express?)
Posted by: Chris | August 23, 2007 6:04 PM
I'm surprised Rob didn't get into Garageband a little more. iLife 06 I quickly bought because it had a Podcasting section added into Garageband. I've used it to produce radio commentary here in Ontario. I also use to produce podcasts. You can check out the results here. http://philipshaw.ca/?cat=4
I've resisted buying the new iLife becaues of the changes to iMovie and the minor changes to Garageband. Also I have an G4 which would be sucking air with iLife's new system requirements.
Posted by: Philip Shaw | August 24, 2007 7:33 AM
There is a hack available for iMovie '08 which allows it to run on a G4, other than that the rest of the applications run fine on a G4 processor. Also if you have purchased iLife '08 or got it free with a mac then you can download iMovie HD for FREE!.
So really your now spreading the cost of iLife over SIX applications, that works out at about $14 an application. Be realistic, what do you want for $14 an app?!
Posted by: Grant Currie | August 24, 2007 10:10 AM
My family have all upgraded and we are loving iLife 08. The new iPhoto alone is worth the cost of the upgrade.
As for the fuss about iMovie, the latest version will convert the whole world into want to be a 5 minute moviemaker. You only include the snippets of video you really want and bingo.. then no-one is bored by boring dull hours of video nothingness.
Not sure what the first poster above was thinking, but his so-called verdict is nonsense. iLife is being very well received.
Posted by: Jon T | August 24, 2007 11:50 AM
Grant: Can you point me to this iMovie '08 G4-compatibility hack? I've tried looking for documentation of it online but haven't come up with anything.
- RP
Posted by: Rob Pegoraro | August 24, 2007 5:49 PM
$14 an app? Don't count iTunes in the fray. It's a free download no matter how you look at it. Connection speeds are fast enough now that very few people would actually need to get it on a CD.
When it comes to iLife 08, Apple needs to allow plugins back into iMovie. This is the second release in a row that Apple has done something to muddle with the Gee Three plugins I use for transitions and effects...about $100 worth at least.
Posted by: Kyle | August 28, 2007 1:33 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
08 has been debated in many Apple-related forums. The overriding verdict: What were they thinking? I concur on the general consensus: Back to the drawing board. As a very long-time Mac/Apple user, I had always hoped that they would drop their prices on some of these items. I have never seen the items sold separately, so you must buy the bundle. After many complaints, as least Apple finally increased the storage capacity of .Mac. However, I don't like Backup, but I find Mail useful, but only give out the address to very close friends who know my thoughts about sending me junk anything. (Don't!) I can't even tell ya what else comes with the .Mac bundle. At least you've open Garage, I have yet to do so. So, I'm hoping there's hope for '09.