Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2007.04.20
The big question of the week: Is the 8-core Mac Pro a great
value or does it provide too little benefit at too high a price?
We've already come down on the "great value" side of the equation,
but at least one writer questions the benefit of 8 cores at
present.
In a great study in contrasts, LaCie's new 25" monitor comes
with calibration hardware and software - and sells for over ten
times the price of Envision's new 17" and 19" displays with
consumer friendly prices.
We've won another Linux user to the Mac side, the latest version
of NeoOffice is being called the best Mac office suite money can't
buy, and Western Digital has released quieter hard drives optimized
for video.
On the widget front, Widget-to-Desktop lets you put your
favorite widgets on your desktop, while Virtual Dashboard lets you
manages sets of widgets - something undoubtedly useful for the
widget junkie. And on the commercial side of software, Adobe
Creative Suite 3 is now shipping, the first version optimized for
Macintel hardware.
PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and other portable computing is
covered in The 'Book Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
8-core Mac Pro Value
News & Opinion
Products
iPod Accessories
Software
8-core Mac Pro Value
8-core Mac Pro 'Best-priced Option on the
Market'
Digit's Neil Bennett reports:
"Apple is a late entrant into the 8-core workstation market - we
reviewed the first model with two quad-core Xeons back in November
- but its new Mac Pro will be of
great interest to pro creative working on high-end 3D and video
projects.
"Arriving with little fanfare - it just popped up just before
Easter on Apple's Web site as an option for buyers configuring the
Mac Pro - Apple's latest Mac bears two brand new, faster Xeon
processors that aren't available anywhere else. It also ships at a
cost much lower than equivalent Windows workstations - though it's
still too pricey for most designers, illustrators and motion
graphics artists.
"The new Xeon chips have four processor cores each with a clock
speed of 3.0 GHz, slightly faster than the 2.66 GHz X5355 models
used by all other eight-core Xeon-based systems we've seen. Intel
hasn't released details of the name of the new chip - Apple refers
to all Xeon chips by speed not name - or when it will available
through other workstation vendors. Based on Intel's current naming
conventions, the chip should be called the X5365 - but that's just
speculation on our part."
Link:
World Exclusive: Apple's 8-core Mac Pro Review
8-Core Mac Pro 'Little Help In Real-world
Apps'?
ITWeek's Shaun Nichols reports:
"An independent Macintosh benchmarking site is claiming that
Apple's latest 8-core Mac Pro
models will offer little performance increase in the areas where
many professionals need it most. And it may very well be right,
says one industry analyst.
"Benchmarking site Bare Feats recently ran a series of tests
comparing the latest 8-core systems running on two Quad-core Intel
processors to the older 4-core Mac Pro systems that use two
duo-core chips.
"The conclusion, said Bare Feats founder Rob Art Morgan, was
that while the 8-core Mac showed a steep increase in such
computation-heavy tasks as exporting multiple video files at once,
the two systems showed little difference in real-world tests of
such professional staples as Photoshop CS3 and Aperture."
Editor's note: While few applications are currently optimized
for 8 cores, those that are (such as Cinebench 9.5 and Geekbench)
show the 8-core Mac Pro is 45-54% faster than the 3 GHz 4-core
model. And the greatest benefit from multiple cores comes when
you're running more than one task as a time, as Bare Feats' later
test results demonstrate.
We continue to maintain that
for the small premium in price to go from 4 cores to 8, the 8-core
Mac Pro is the better value for people who need top-end
performance. 50% more power for less than 50% more money seems like
a winner to us. dk
Why a Decked-out Mac Pro Is Worth the
Price
gracefulFlavor's Jeff Ventura says:
"I recently priced one of these suckers out with every possible
option and it came to a bit under $13K without student discount,
just over $11K with. Apparently Nick Carr, author of Rough Type,
has
issues with these machines pricing out at this level - he
claims they're supposed to be commodity technology.
"Yeah. Pretty much everyone I know has an 8-core Xeon machine
with 16 GB RAM and 3 TB of storage and a pro-class GPU. That
kind of hardware is just everywhere. In fact, you're probably
reading this post on one right now. If not, you need to wake up.
These are commodity, man!
"I don't know why it is that every time Apple releases new pro
hardware, someone always jacks the specs to the max and then
shudders and gets all hand-wringy about the price. Don't they
understand what they're configuring? Someone does this every.
single. time."
Link:
Justifying the Price of a Decked-out Mac Pro
News & Opinion
Mac Wins Over 10-Year Linux User
A Chris Humphries of Blogs.UnixFu.Net says:
"I've been using Linux for about 10 years now, starting with
Slackware and up until recently Ubuntu (with other distros thrown
in between) for a desktop/workstation. It has given me everything I
ever thought I'd need or want at my fingertips, as well as a career
working with it which is pretty good. I was growing more and more
tired of fiddling around and generally being bored with my
computer, often envying the integration and programming abilities
that the Microsoft and Apple platforms provide.
"So, I took a chance (Apple is BSD underneath right?!) and I
purchased a MacBook about 2 weeks
ago. It has changed everything for me.
"Please note that I was skeptical as the next guy, yet decided
that I could not make any judgment without giving the Mac an honest
chance. A few points that I made sure to always do was make sure to
use Cocoa applications whenever possible, do not install X11, and
do not 'port' my existing environment over to the Mac. It wasn't
easy and some things are still not natural, yet it is definitely
better than what I was doing 3 weeks ago. It won me over, it is
worth at least checking out if you are curious and have the
resources to spend on a Mac."
Link:
Switched from Linux to Mac
Browsers for OS X Benchmarked
Macintalk Design says:
"There are more browsers for Mac OS X than any other platform.
The question is, which one delivers the most performance? Last year
we tested four of the most popular browsers and found that OmniWeb
(which uses a tweaked version of Apple's WebCore engine) and the
WebKit nightly build more or less tied on the test suite.
"Several factors have changed since then, so we decided to test
again. Here's what's different in this test:
- We used a new iMac. Users
Intel-based Macs now account for the majority of our visitors
(though not by much - 48% still use PowerPC Macs). Even so, we
thought it fair to test on an Intel Mac this time, because the
architectures are different enough to warrant for performance
discrepancies.
- We used the latest versions of the browsers. Apple's Safari has
not been updated for a long time, which is why we used the WebKit
nightly, dated Fri Mar 30 12:12:44 GMT 2007. We also used the
updated Firefox 2.0.0.3. The other browsers' versions are as
follows: Camino 1.0.4, OmniWeb 5.5.4, Opera 9.10.
- Updated test suite. We developed the test to benchmark HTML and
Image loading, CSS rendering, and JavaScript performance to
determine how fast the browser loads an average page.
"Our test machine was a 24" iMac equipped with 2 GB of RAM and a
2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo processor.
"All the tests were run from a local drive, because the speed of
a page loading from an external server depends on external factors
and is not a reliable way to gauge browser speed. In all tests,
shorter times are better."
Editor's note: The results of this test are interesting, and I
don't doubt the verity of the findings within the context and
conditions that obtained, but it almost diametrically contradicts
my own experience using most of these browsers on a slow dialup
connection with slow to middling G3 and G4 machines (500 MHz - 1.33
GHz) vs. new Intel Macs with a broadband connection. Among the
latest versions, I find Opera the fastest, followed closely by
Safari (I'm going to check out WebKit), then Camino, followed by
SeaMonkey, with Firefox 2.0.0.3 bringing up the rear. These
observations have been consistent and observed over time using, for
instance, two browsers in tandem to post stacks of news items to a
website form. cm
Link: Mac
OS X Browsers Benchmarked
NeoOffice: The Best Mac Office Suite Money
Can't Buy
InformationWeek's Carol Pinchefsky reports:
"If you're a Mac user who doesn't want to spend a lot - or any -
money on an office suite, you may want to give NeoOffice a try.
"Microsoft Office has reigned for years as the dominant suite of
applications for business and personal use, all for a $400-plus
chunk of change. There have been some attempts at alternatives -
including, in 2001, OpenOffice, a free open-source alternative that
captured the essence of Office for PC users - but not so much for
the friends of Steve Jobs.
"While OpenOffice can run on Mac OS X, thanks to Apple's X
Window System (also known as X11), X-based applications weren't
able to keep the polish on the Apple: OpenOffice for the Macintosh
lacks the look of the Aqua user interface, doesn't have command-key
shortcuts, and has problems supporting Macintosh fonts.
"Enter NeoOffice 2.1, a straight conversion of OpenOffice to the
Apple platform and the best office suite money can't buy.
"NeoOffice is a great substitute for Microsoft Office. In fact,
in some ways, it improves on the original. Unlike Microsoft Office,
where each application installs its own icon to the dock, NeoOffice
presents itself as a single application, from which you can start
any of the five modules, Writer (Word); Calc (Excel); Impress
(PowerPoint); Base (Access); and a separate drawing tool,
Draw."
WD Touts Quieter, Smoother Drives Optimized for
Video
The Register's Bryan Betts says:
"Audio-video drives are back on the menu, with Western Digital
bringing out a range of IDE and SATA hard disks that goes to a
chunky 500 GB - enough for up to 30 hours of HD video, reckons
WD.
"The drives include a number of tweaks and new technologies to
optimise them for AV applications. WD claimed that they can deliver
smooth playback of as many as 12 high-definition video streams at
once, or for CCTV use they can record up to 16 standard-definition
streams simultaneously."
Link: WD Touts
Quieter, Smoother Drives for Video
Products
Obsidian 1000 dpi Rechargeable Wireless Optical
Mouse
PR: Saitek Industries Ltd. has announced the
availability of the Obsidian Mouse, the latest addition to the
company's PC line of mice. Designed to complement any home or
office environment, the sleek and shiny looking Obsidian features
2.4 GHz wireless technology to ensure interference-free performance
while providing a "coolness" to any computer setup based on looks
alone. The design of the Obsidian Wireless Rechargeable Mouse is
cutting-edge and the black shine of the color matches the mouse's
bold features. Saitek's latest unit features a touch-sensitive
scroll, optical technology for high-speed, ultra-accurate tracking,
cutting-edge ergonomics and highly tactile materials.
In order
to provide the user 24/7 usability, the Obsidian comes complete
with two Li-ion battery packs, one that charges while not in use,
and one to be used. The Obsidian features 1000 DPI optical,
outstanding ergonomics and internal weights and Teflon feet to
ensure a smooth controlled glide no matter what the surface. The
mouse was also designed with comfort in mind so the left, right and
centre buttons, and internet forward and backward buttons, are on
both sides to suit left or right hander's for longer use without
any discomfort.
The Obsidian has a suggested retail price of $49.95 and will be
available for purchase through Saitek's online store. Additional
product features of the Obsidian Mouse include:
- Plug and play
- Works with Windows XP, 2000, XP64, Vista or Mac OS X
- Internet forward and backward keys featured on sides
The ultimate rechargeable wireless mouse has an optical sensor
for high speed, ultra accurate tracking and groundbreaking design
with outstanding ergonomics and highly tactile materials. The
Obsidian features innovative technology, with a four-mode,
touch-sensitive scroll, recharge dock and two battery packs for
24/7 use.
Features:
- Superb design, complements any home/office environment
- 4-mode, touch-sensitive scroll function
- Recharge cradle with wireless transmitter storage and spare
battery recharge
- 5 buttons
- 1000 dpi resolution minimum
- Interference-free 2.4 GHz wireless technology
- Smooth glide action
- 24/7 recharge solution using 2 x Li-ion battery packs
- Plug and play; ease of use and setup
System requirements:
- Mac OS X
- Windows XP, XP64, 2000
$49.95/£39.99
Saitek's complete line of award-winning computer peripherals and
digital media entertainment products are carried by major retailers
nationwide and are also available online.
LaCie 25" LCD Monitor with Colorimeter
PR: The LaCie 526
Monitor's wide-gamut H-IPS A-TW POL panel covers an outstanding
98.5% of Iso Coated and 95% of Adobe RGB gamut - a larger range of
vibrant colors previously unattainable by LCD monitors. This
industry-leading panel provides 12-bit gamma correction with 16-bit
calculation precision, individual monitor uniformity correction,
and ColorKeeper backlight stabilizer. With its large 25.5"
diagonal, wide 16:10 format, and high 1920 x 1200 resolution, it
enhances productivity and allows full 1:1 scale display of 2
letter-size pages with extra space for toolbars.
The included LaCie blue eye pro software offers a full-featured
color management solution including automatic hardware calibration
& ICC Profile creation, reference monitor matching, profile
switching without recalibrating, calibration Test and Report,
manual fine tuning, and ambient light analysis.
Features:
- Uniformity-enhanced panel with 95% Adobe RGB gamut
- Large 25.5" wide-format diagonal size
- 12-bit gamma correction with 16-bit precision
- Full-featured blue eye pro calibration software
Specifications:
- Item Number: 130766
- Technology: H-IPS A-TW POL
- Diagonal: 25.5 in. / 64.9 cm
- Display Area: 21.65 x 13.54 in. / 550 x 344 mm
- Form Factor: 16:10
- Maximum Resolution: 1920 x 1200
- Dot Pitch: .287 mm
- Color Gamut: 98.5% Iso Coated, 95% Adobe RGB, 91% NTSC
- Gamma Correction: 12-bit LUT with 16-bit calculation
precision
- Backlights: 16 CCFL
- Luminance: 400 cd/m2
- Contrast Ratio: 800:1
- Response Time: 16 ms (typ rise + fall); 8 ms gray to gray
- Viewing Angles: 178° vertical / horizontal
- Connections: VGA (D-Sub 15-pin), DVI-I, DVI-D
- Vertical Scan: 50 Hz - 85 Hz
- Ergonomics: VESA 100 mm attachment, Tilt: +30° to -5°,
Swivel: -170° to +170°, Pivot: 90°, Height-adjust: 150
mm
- Certification: UL/cUL, TuV-GS, CE, GOST-R, FCC-B, Canadian DOC
class B, MPRII, TCO 03, VESA DPMS, EPA, TuV Ergonomie, ISO 13406-2,
VESA DDC2B, VESA DDC-CI
- Pixel Defect Policy: ISO 13406-2
- Weight: Approx 28.8 lb. / 13.1 kg; without stand: approx. 21.3
lb. / 9.7 kg; gross weight: approx. 45.1 lb. / 20.5 kg
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 23.2 x 17.5 -23.4 x 12 in. / 589.8 x
444.2-594.2 x 306 mm; box dimensions: 28.8 x 26.9 x 17.7 in. / 732
x 684 x 452 mm
- Compatibility: Mac and PC
- Power Consumption: 111W typ
- Box Content: LaCie 526 LCD Monitor, LaCie easyHood, LaCie blue
eye pro calibration software, MinD-sub 15-pin/DVI-A cable, DVI-D
video cable, AC power cable, Quick Install Guide, LaCie CD-ROM with
User Manual and monitor ICC profile, LaCie blue eye
colorimeter
- Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty
Link: LaCie 526
LCD Monitor with Colorimeter
New Affordably Priced 17" & 19" LCD
Monitors from Envision Peripherals
PR: Envision Peripherals Inc. (EPI), home to the AOC
and Envision branded displays, today expanded its Envision line of
value priced high-performance displays with the introduction of a
new series of TFT active-matrix LCD monitors that allow users to
take advantage of the benefits of Microsoft's new Windows Vista
Operating System. [Editor's note: They are equally compatible with
Macs.]
Leading the new line of LCD displays is the 19-inch widescreen
Envision G918w1, offering Windows Vista Premium certification to
complement Microsoft's aim to provide enhancements for
productivity, multimedia and entertainment. EPI also announced the
addition of two new Windows Vista-ready TFT active-matrix LCD
displays, the 19-inch Envision H1981 and 17-inch Envision
H1781.
The new line of Envision branded monitors is designed to be as
attractive as it is functional. Featuring a matte-black cabinet
with sleek low-profile design, these units complement virtually any
PC or Mac computer, while saving valuable desktop real estate.
Their durable screens are finished with a glare-resistant hard
coating that reduces eyestrain and helps prevent
scratch-damage.
Vista Premium Certified Envision G918w1
Built to maximize screen space for Windows Vista Premium's
Sidebar feature, the new Envision 19-inch G918w1 meets Microsoft's
strict standards for Windows Vista certification, leaving plenty of
room for viewing multiple applications simultaneously. The
widescreen format also takes advantage of Windows Vista Premium's
Aero Flip, allowing users to save time by easily navigating between
multiple windows open at one time.
Equipped with the Digital Video Input w/HDCP interface - needed
to "unlock" protected HD content - the Envision G918w1 allows
high-quality audio and video playback from the latest
high-definition program sources, including HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVDs.
For maximum versatility, the unit also delivers HD 720P/1080i
compatibility allowing it to display digital TV programming
delivered by Cable, Satellite and other Set Top Boxes equipped with
DVI-HDCP.
The Envision G918w1 delivers 1440 x 900 maximum screen
resolution for stunning picture clarity. The dynamic 800:1 contrast
ratio, super bright screen and fast 5 millisecond response time
make the unit ideal for a wide range of entertainment and
multimedia applications. The sleek ergonomically designed unit fits
on any desk and provides comfortable viewing with screen-angle
adjustments. The Envision G918w1 has a suggested retail price of
$219.
Vista Ready Envision H1981 and H1781
With their clarity and sharp image quality, the new Envision
19-inch H1981 and 17-inch H1781 LCD displays are exceptional
performers. Offering a 1280 x 1024 resolution and an ultra rich
700:1 contrast ratio, the displays boast swift 5 millisecond
response times ensuring virtually no ghosting for the ultimate
gaming and DVD viewing experience. The Envision H1981 and H1781
easily connect to Windows Vista and carry the "Works with Windows
Vista" logo. The units have suggested retail prices of $229 and
$199, respectively.
Each of the three new units unit carries a comprehensive factory
warranty. They are also ROHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances
Directive) compliant which means they have minimal amounts of
hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent
chromium, PBB & PBDE. EPI products are available through
leading national and regional retailers and select online
outlets.
About EPI
Envision Peripheral's branded displays, AOC and Envision, are
produced by the world's largest display manufacturer, Hong
Kong-based TPV, which ranked #16 in the 2006 Business Week global
"Information Technology 100." The affordably priced brands lead the
high quality, price performance display market and are consistently
praised for advanced performance, higher resolutions, surprisingly
low prices, plug-and-play simplicity, built-in features, user
controls and comprehensive factory warranty. EPI displays are
ideally suited for corporate, small office and home use. Envision
Peripherals Inc. is located in Fremont, Calif.
Link: Envision
Peripherals
iRest Aluminium Colour Gel Wrist
Rest
PR: Xchange
International, the source for extended technology worldwide,
announce the release of the the iRest aluminium coloured gel wrist
rest.
iRest Aluminium, the new gel-filled wrist rest with Lycra
material offers superior comfort. The iRest is the same size and
shape as many other wrist rests, but its distinct colour and
comfortable material make it stand out from the pack. The included
mousepad is simple, yet comfortable and functional. There are also
two adhesive strips on the underside of the mousepad to allow
attachment to a desk. Research shows lighter-coloured mousepads
provide a better tracking surface for optical mice, and allow the
batteries on cordless mice to last longer since less power is
required to track movement.
There is also a matching white Gel wrist rest and mousepad for
your Mac.
Features
- Allows for therapeutic support
- Protection against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Strain
Disorders)
- Skid resistant elastomer base holds iRest firmly in place
- Reduces fatigue on your wrist
- Optical precision mousepad surface allows control over fine
cursor movements
- Soft cushion in mousepad offers extra comfort for your
palm
- Suitable for other keyboards and mice
- iRest (right hand) $19.90
- iRest (left hand) $19.90
The mStand (£41.95) and the iRest (£15.95) are
available through Xchange International. To order, or for more
information, users can visit the website or call on +44(0)20 7490
4455 during UK business hours.
Software
Put Your Favorite Widgets on Your
Desktop
PR: Widget-to-Desktop is an Automator action that allows
you to run Dashboard widgets right on your desktop. Once installed,
you move a widget around in Dashboard and hold the F12 key. It will
spawn it on your desktop.
You can actually do this with some tricky key combination within
Dashboard, but this makes it simple.
New in version 3.0:
- Now you don't have to restart your Mac anymore!
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later & Automator
System Support: PPC/Intel
Free
Link: Widget-to-Desktop
Virtual Dashboard Manages Sets of
Widgets
PR: With the release of Apple Macintosh OS X 10.4, Apple
released the Dashboard. The Dashboard allows you to use mini
applications called widgets. These widgets allow you to see
information such as the date and time, or the running value of
stocks that the user can setup. They also can be games or just
about anything that developers can come up with. The Dashboard
makes it very handy to easily access these widgets and the type of
data or information that the user wants to look at. There are
literally thousands of these widgets that have been developed and
can be downloaded from various sites.
The problem with the Dashboard is that the number of widgets
that can viewed on the screen at one time is limited to the amount
of viewable screen space that the user has. To solve this, Virtual
Dashboard was created. With Virtual Dashboard, users can create
widget sets that can be switched in and out either through a menu
or keyboard shortcuts. This allows users to create different sets
and add or remove the widgets that they want to see. Virtual
Dashboard allows the user to create as many sets as they desire.
Users could literally have access to hundreds, if not thousands of
widgets right at their fingertips
New in version 1.3.1:
Bugs Fixed:
- Fixed bug that the Hide/Show Dashboard items on the Desktop
menu item Key Combination set to None (no Key Combination) left the
old Key Combination in the Menu.
New in version 1.3:
Bugs Fixed:
- Fixed bug that new items added to a set, and placed on screen,
then set edited again, Dashboard items would not keep there correct
position.
New Feature:
- Added new feature to show Dashboard items on the desktop while
the Dashboard is not active.
- Can switch Dashboard Items to show on Desktop with user defined
Key Combination
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
System support: PPC/Intel
Virtual Dashboard is a shareware application. You are free to
use it as much as you like for 30 days from its first run. After
that, you are asked to either purchase it or remove it from your
computer. The cost of Virtual Dashboard is only $10.00, and a
license can be purchased through Kagi at the Virtual Dashboard
order page. After 30 days, the application will be crippled and the
user will only be allowed to use the first two sets created. No new
sets may be created.
Link: Virtual
Dashboard
Adobe Ships Creative Suite 3
PR: Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced the
immediate availability of the highly-anticipated Adobe Creative
Suite 3 Design Premium and Standard editions and Adobe Creative
Suite 3 Web Premium and Standard editions. This revolutionary
release of brand-new, tightly integrated, design and development
software unites the best of Adobe and former Macromedia product
innovation to provide designers and developers worldwide with a
broad spectrum of creative options.
Also available for purchase today are new versions of the
following stand alone Adobe creative applications: Adobe Photoshop
CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe InDesign CS3, Adobe
Illustrator CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver
CS3, Adobe Fireworks CS3, and Adobe Contribute CS3. These new Adobe
CS3 applications and Adobe Creative Suite 3 editions are available
as Universal applications for both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs and
support both Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Customers will experience increased levels of performance and
speed running Creative Suite 3 natively on Intel-based Macintosh
systems and the latest Windows hardware. The expanded Creative
Suite 3 family also includes Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production
Premium, a complete integrated post-production solution for video
and rich media professionals, and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master
Collection, which combines all of Adobe's new CS3 design and
development applications in a single box - the most comprehensive
creative environment ever delivered. Both of these Creative Suite
editions are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2007.
Fully Integrated Design Toolkit Powers Creativity
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium delivers an essential,
highly efficient toolkit for print, web, interactive, and mobile
design. The software integrates new releases of InDesign CS3,
Photoshop CS3 Extended, Illustrator CS3, Flash CS3 Professional,
Dreamweaver CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional for creating compelling
publications, websites, rich interactive experiences, and engaging
content. Also available today is Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design
Standard software for designers and print service providers
focusing on professional design and print production. With Adobe
Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, users can experiment with, save,
and apply color combinations quickly and intuitively using the new
Live Color feature in Illustrator; perform image editing tasks such
as selecting image areas, compositing images, and applying filters
faster and more flexibly with Photoshop CS3 Extended; master Flash
more easily thanks to its new Adobe-standard user interface; and
repurpose print content on the web by exporting InDesign CS3
documents as XHTML and the modifying them in Dreamweaver CS3 using
CSS.
Innovative Web Design and Development Tools Maximize
Productivity
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium edition is a comprehensive
suite that combines the essential tools for web and interactive
design and development including the new versions of Adobe
Dreamweaver CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Fireworks CS3,
Adobe Contribute CS3 - along with major releases of key design
tools such as Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe Illustrator CS3,
and Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web
Standard edition is also available today to serve the professional
designer and developer focused on design, development, and website
maintenance. Loaded with new and innovative features, Creative
Suite 3 Web editions offer users faster, more productive workflows
across the applications. Now, for the first time, web professionals
can import native Photoshop and Illustrator files directly into
Flash and Fireworks with full fidelity.
Users can also create consistent experiences across all
browsers, operating systems, and a range of mobile and handheld
devices with the new Spry Framework for AJAX, a prebuilt,
cross-browser compatible library of widgets and effects that make
it faster and easier to build rich, interactive websites. Fireworks
CS3 boasts new workflows for rapidly prototyping RIA layouts for
websites and web applications, intelligent Photoshop and
Illustrator integration, and a library of common and customizable
graphics assets.
New and Enhanced Integration Technologies Boost
Performance
Both the Creative Suite 3 Design and Web editions include Adobe
Device Central CS3, designed to boost the productivity of creative
professionals developing content for mobile handsets with essential
tools to design, emulate and test content across a wide range of
mobile device and handheld frameworks. These editions also
incorporate an updated version of Adobe Bridge CS3, the hub of
Adobe Creative Suite, which provides instant access to Version Cue
CS3, Acrobat Connect and an expanded Adobe Stock Photos
service.
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web
Premium, and Web Standard are immediately available to customers in
the United States and Canada, and are available through Adobe
Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store.
Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design
Premium edition is US$1799, US$1199 for Creative Suite 3 Design
Standard edition, US$1599 for Creative Suite 3 Web Premium and
US$999 for Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Standard. There are numerous
upgrade paths available for Adobe customers. For more detailed
information about features, upgrade policies, pricing, and
international versions please visit:
Link: Adobe Creative Suite
3
Yellow Dog Linux 5.0.1 for PowerPC
PR: Yellow Dog Linux is an open source, Linux operating
system for home, office, server, and cluster users. Built upon the
Fedora Core, Terra Soft has since the spring of 1999 developed and
maintained YDL for the Power architecture family of CPUs. This
focus and dedication has lead to the world's leading Linux for
Power OS. What is included?
Yellow Dog Linux combines a no nonsense graphical installer with
support for a wide range of Power hardware, leading (but not
bleeding) edge kernels and stable, functional compilers for code
development. And of course, the foundation applications and servers
expected for web, database, email, and network services. Greater
than 2000 packages are included on the Install DVD.
Proven worldwide as the preferred Linux OS for the Power
architecture, YDL v5.0 brings Terra Soft into its 9th year of Power
Linux operating system development and support. What's more, v5.0
introduces E17 as the default desktop environment, granting users a
new kind of desktop experience.
Built upon Fedora Core 5/6, YDL v5.0.1 integrates the "E17"
desktop to provide an unprecedented level of function and interface
aesthetic. Designed for users of all ages and all levels of
experience, Yellow Dog Linux v5.0.1 gives new life to displaced
Power Macs.
Yellow Dog Linux v5.0.1 offers:
- Support for Apple PowerPC G3, G4, G5 systems.
- USB storage, USB camera, & FireWire automount.
- 802.11b Airport auto-configuration.
- 802.11g Airport Extreme (requires configuration).
- PCMCIA card WiFi support (requires configuration).
- Audio support for all tested machines.
- E17 installed by default.
New in version 5.0.1:
The new release adds more than 500 package updates to the
Linux-based operating system. It supports PowerPC G3, G4 and G5
based systems, offers USB storage, camera and FireWire automount,
auto-configuration for 802.11b and support for 802.11g-based
wireless networking, PCMCIA WiFi support, audio support and more.
Yellow Dog Linux now features E17 for a desktop interface.
Yellow Dog Linux is priced starting at $39.95 for a download
version, $49.95 for a version on DVD.
Yellow Dog Linux v5.0.1 for the Apple PowerPC systems adds
greater than 500 package updates to the next generation Linux
operating system released last fall for the Sony Computer
Entertainment PlayStation®3 with support for the former Apple
PowerPC product line.
The 535 new or updated packages over v5.0 will this week be made
available for existing v5.0 PS3 installations via the public
mirrors.
The YDL installer enables anyone to install without instruction.
Post-install, the default application set includes the Firefox web
browser, Thunderbird email client, OpenOffice, and a suite of
personal accessories, development tools; sound & video,
internet, and networking applications.
Desktop Mac
Deals
Low End Mac updates the following price trackers monthly:
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
We also track iPad,
iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle deals.
