MacWorld0109September2001

PREVENT A DATA DISASTER Devise a Backup Strategy Before You Lose It All, page 62 SILVER BULLET THE POWER MAC G4 SHOOTS TO 867MHZ Plus ¢ Dual 8OOMHz G4 ¢ Mac OS X Update ¢ New 7OOMHz iMac REVIEWED FreeHand 10 Pioneering Illustration Program Leads the Way to Mac OS X 12 Affordable LCD Monitors 15-Inch Flat-Panel Displays Liberate Your Desktop Stone Studio Mac OS X-Native Graphics Suite Debuts Master Final Gut Take Control of Apple's Powerful Video Editor sq4adxg Jonpoldg DEW aYL Need more space? Try a digital solution. Back up your data, burn all your video, MP3s and multimedia presentation files onto CD. Anyone can do it with t” 5, by Roxio. The world’s best selling CD burning software for the Mac. Check out roxio.com/toast5. Use a PC? Look for Easy CD Creator” 5. THE DIGITAL MEDIA COMPANY (©2001 Roxio, Inc.All rights reserved. Roxio, the Rox logotype, pure burn and the pure burn mark ar trademarks of Roxio, Inc. Toast and Easy CD Creator ave raistered trademarks of Roxio, In. All other trademarks use burn everything. tod by thor respective owner in. which you oF Circle 140 on card or go to www.macworld.com/getinfo Jnt oF have the legal right to copy from the copyright owner XANTE’s * Photo Quality Color Printing * Graphics Printing * Computer-to-Plate * Computer-to-Film ¢ Desktop Film Processing ¢ Positive Film Systems & Heat Transfers for Screen Printing © Office / Network Printing - ae \; nt —— - ag wZeswBeuSsl XANTE® CORPORATION is proud to provide Macintosh® users with the quality and assurance of Adobe® PostScript? 3" on a complete line of printing solutions. We are dedicated to the Apple® Macintosh market by offering you superior printing products that not only include Adobe® PostScript®, but also boasts the highest resolutions available, incredible performance, oversized printing, and film capabilities - all part of the blueprint for success. 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Adobe www.xante.com/mw8 <> 300-926-8839 ext. 2169 WRYXANTE IMAGING Innovations in Printing Technology Circle 113 on card or go to www.macworld.com/getinfo 10. ba Opinion — 7 The Vision Thing ANDREW GORE Much more than a mere tool, the Mac inspires creativity. 15 Feedback Readers respond. 49 The Game Room PETER COHEN Three free (or almost free) games without blood, guts, or gore are this month’s lections. 136 Ihnatko ANDY IHNATKO To make great Mac software, just follow a few simple rules. faster 20 Inside the Apple Store, FireWire drives, RumbleFX headphones, and drummer Omar Hakim. 70 Ease the Wait with Flash 5 RUSSELL CHUN Use a progres- si preloader to keep your audiences informed about Flash 5 movie downloads. 77 Print Publishing Secrets BRUCE FRASER Reduce color- management-profile clutter in a few easy steps. 83 Web Publishing Secrets JEFFREY ZELOMAN Honor some basic HTML standards and tailor your Web sites to both new and older browsers. 91 Mac OS X Secrets SHELLY BRISBIN Set upa flexible network in Mac OS X without endangering your data. 94 Mac 911 CHRISTOPHER BREEN Control which applications open your files, improve your dial-up connection, and explore alter- natives to America Online. 4. September 2001 | | www.macworld.com Incorporating MacUser Final Cut Expert Guide JIM HEID AND TOM WOLSKY The newest release of Apple's powerful video- editing program takes it to even greater heights, but Final Cut Pro is not an easy program to use. Our expert guide will help you get better acquainted with the program’s best features and teach you how to use them more efficiently. 52 Save Your Data ADAM C. ENGST Never again lose files to a hard-drive crash, theft, a fire, or other disas- ters. Learn how to develop a backup strategy, choose the right technology, and config- ure Retrospect Backup to safe- guard your data. 62 On the Cover: Photograph courtesy of Apple Computer Clear the Desks f Reviews ANDREW GORE The 26 Illustration software $¥¢% FreeHand10 minuscule footprints; bright, flicker-free screens; and low prices 28 15-inch flat-panel displays of LCD monitors may $888 Acer Peripherals FP 563 tempt you away from $812 AG Neovo S-15V your CRT displ jour CRT display $88 Eizo Nanao FlexScan L350 28 $888 Envision Peripherals EN-5100e $88 jiyama Pro Lite TXA 38: $64%2 NEC-Mitsubishi 1530V $42 Planar PTISO3N #12 Princeton Graphic Systems LCDIS $869 Samsung SyncMaster 15OMP $8612 Sharp LLTISHA $$$ Sony Multiscan NSO $4$% ViewSonic VEISOm 32 DVD-authoring software $888 DVD Studio Pro 1.0 33 Multimedia-authoring software $88% Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio 34 Graphics-tools suite $88 Stone Studio 35 Multimedia-system software $888 QuickTime Pro 5.0 36 Video-editing software $8642 CineStream 3.0 4 Color handhelds $8$% Handspring Visor Prism $688 Paim m505 42 Mail-server software $8$% CommuniGate Pro 3.4 43 CAD software 6 $8881 VectorWorks 9 Mac Beat Special Report: / 1 New Apple Products 44 Operating system $8$y2 SUSE Linux 71 Get the latest on Apple's Macworld Expo f Pe cna 1 PowerPC Edition Power Mac G4s yet, anew round 4 45 MP3 player $82 lomega HipZip Digital Audio Player announcements, including the fastest i of iMacs, and plenty of details about the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.1 16 * . 47 More reviews online Macworld.com Reviews Macworld.com Find the most recent product information, knowledgeable reviews, and real-life opinions on all things Mac—updated daily at Macworld.com destination: Digital YOU HAVE ARRIVED. Explore more of your world with JVC’s far out new GR-DV2000. An integrated still camera, rotating LCD color monitor and a remote control make this camcorder quite a discovery. And as part of JVC’s brand new Video Community you're equipped to make contact with other JVC users, by broadcasting your videos Worldwide! So go ahead...let your imagination take off. It’s a blast! 7 POWERED b) ly "SBGRCASt REATIVITY: MORE THAN something that can define our place in the world and sometimes even outlive us, it’s also how we advance as individu- als and how we make things better— even in a small way—for the people around us and for generations yet to come. To bring something new into the world is the single most important human endeavor. Each of us is creative. Whether we're writing a memo or composing a symphony, taking thoughts and dis- tilling them into something meaning- ful is a uniquely human process. And the tools we use to transform an idea into action can be as much a source of inspiration as a means to an end. And the most flexible and pow- erful tool yet created for translat- ing dreams into reality is, in itself, a monument to human creativity. The Macintosh. Double Vision As I sat watching the July 2001 Macworld Conference & Expo keynote speech, T was struck by a thought: Apple is facing a terrible dilemma. The Mac is the creative professional’s com- puter of choice, but under Steve Jobs's guidance, it has also become the first computer for which fashion is perhaps as important a feature as any speci- fication, And as anyone in the fashion industry will tell you, no matter how clever the design, last year’s fashion is still last year’s fashion. So as Apple has employed processor-speed boosts and price cuts in its struggle to return the three-year- old iMac to the status of consumer juggernaut—while simultaneously selling the power of its latest Power Mac Gé4s to the professional crowd—what these products have in common has been largely unnoticed: it’s not completely about substance, or even about style. It’s also about what you can do with a Mac—and how a Mac, by its very nature, is a powerful tool for generating new ideas. One thing Apple’s two core markets—consumers and creative professionals—have in common is creativity. fs U's why both iMovie and Final Cut Pro have been tremendously successful, even though they serve entirely different audi- ences. And while Apple must pay heed to each market's ANDREW GORE Inspiration Starts Here The Mac Isn’t Just a Digital Hub. It’s a Creative Hub, Too. unique requirements, it must also look at where those markets overlap. Come Together We need a dramatically new iMac design. The old design, while bril- liant, has grown long in the tooth. Consumers and professionals both want something new. And _ since Apple has successfully become the Gap of computer makers, it must be aware that when fall comes, it’s time to release new fall colors. Though disappointed by the absence of sexy new hardware at Macworld Expo, I was intrigued by the continuing evolution of iDVD. Apple obviously wants users to be able to do more with their Macs. And iDVD is a tool that will inspire Mac users and allow them to do things they couldn't dream of doing before. Apple is unleashing the cre- ative spirit of Mac users. What was really missing from Apple’s Macworld Expo presen- tation was this message: Pro- fessional or consumer, the Mac is the best tool around for creating great stuff— even the stuff you haven't thought of yet. Creativity Server When I first heard Steve Jobs describe the Mac as a digital hub for a multimedia lifestyle, I was impressed. But I'd go a step further: the Mac is a creativity hub, too. It’s one thing to fill our lives with cool gadgets such as Palm devices and MP3 and DVD players. It’s another thing entirely to allow us to fill those devices with music worth listening to and movies worth watching. In this box is everything you need to mix music, edit movies, paint pictures, craft Web sites, write novels—or publish a magazine like Macworld. It’s your inspiration toolbox. And who doesn’t want to be more inspired? So don’t worry that a true second-generation iMac is not yet available. While we may still want Apple to wrap creativ- ity up in the computer industry’s most compelling package, it has always been what's inside the box that really counts. m For four years, ANDREW GORE has been Macworid’s editor in chief. To comment on this column, visit our Columnists forum (click on the Forums button at Macworld.com). www.maeworld.com September 2001 7 SHE CLICKED WHICH SENT THE IMAGE a a MHAT PRINTED WITH SUCH DEPTH AND CLARITY THAT IT EXQUISITELY CAPTURED EVERY SINGLE SLIMY DETAIL. May > > Xerox Phaser 790 Tabloid Color Laser $5199" XEROX PRINTERS MAKE IT HAPPEN. Photographic-quality color so realistic, it’s startling. Introducing the Xerox Phaser® 790 Tabloid Color Laser printer, the next generation in the award-winning Tektronix Phaser line. Built specifically for graphic designers, it has advanced color management tools and a broad range of colors for flawless continuous tones. Add auto duplexing, full color printing at 6 ppm, and paper handling up to 13 x 18, and you've got a printer as spectacular as its output. Xerox now has a full line of color and black and white printers for whatever your work demands. 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Circle 124 on card of go to www.macworld.com/getinto 14 September 2001 www.maeworld.com Macworld HOW TO CONTACT MACWORLD Subscription Information and Services rom the Untea States US Mal Macworld jon Services Bouleer, co 80222-4829 Atoclade a malin label with correspondence) World Wide Web hite//servicemacweriscom or service) oF htto//subscrive macworidcom (to ordet) Ema macworidSneodata.com (Send yout fu name and the adress at which you ‘om the United States 8, thom al ether locations Subscriptions The one-year 12488 the United States he United States made payable in US. cutrency to Macworl to receive your {st ssue of for changes to be mage to an existing subeciotion Please alow 3t0 6 we Back Issues of Macworld ach issues (subject to ava sie lity are $8 per issue for US. deivery repayment in US. currency to order to Back Issues co goaze-t You must macnor sword, Reprints and Permissions, 301 Howard Stn ge aphone number Toorder ae, call Reprint 71399-8900; emai reprints of your company's editorial c Malling Lists We periodically make Tats of our customers avaiable to mates of (90095 and services that may interest you. 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To share tips and ascuss Mac problems with ther Mac users, ist the Macmori.com forums acwonLo conrenence & Exro pea ee SEPTEMBER 2001 orums and Feedback What’s New? Who knew that there were so many Power Mac 6100s and PowerBook 170s stashed away in the closets and attics of Mac relic hunters? Franklin N. Tessler, apparently. Our contrib- uting editor’s feature on breathing new life into an older Mac turned out to be one of our most popular stories since the days of the Duo Dock II. This came as quite a surprise to us, since the posts on our Macworld.com forums indicate that most—if not all—of our readers have bought new iBooks. Maybe you’re stashing those in the attic. m This Old Mac (2) STEVEN MITCHELL The article by Franklin N. Tessler (“Get That Mac Out of the Attic and Back to Work,” How-to, June 2001) was one of the clearest, most helpful articles I’ve seen in Macworld in a long time. I hope you'll run more of its kind, because a lot of us are looking forward to keep- ing our older Macs up and running. About That OS... [2] JoeEL M. ScIAMMA The coverage of Mac OS X in the June issue lacked an essential critical view and verged on sycophancy. Mac OS X is not a pris- tine canvas; rather, it’s a melange of legacy technology and ideas that were past their sell-by date ten years ago. The uneasy (and unsteady) relationship between a 20-plus-year-old kernel, a poorly implemented 15-year-old user- interface concept, and elements from Windows is not what I call innovation. Henry Bortman comes to the only pos- sible conclusion (“Are You Ready for OS X?” June 2001): Mac OS X is not remotely ready for people who need to get their work done. (J icuaet Kraus I bought a Mac because it gave me more options for doing things my way. Now Apple is telling me how I should access my files. Install almost any Mac OS 9 Apple software today, and you get a folder named “Applications (Mac OS 9).” Try to use iTunes, and you’re forced to have a folder named “iTunes” inside a Documents folder on the root level of your startup drive. Somebody needs to remind Apple that conformity is not compatible with the Mac OS. iLove iBooks © MARK PARIS Some have wondered whether the new iBook’s screen will stress the not-so-young eye. My own. 50-plus eyes now demand reading glasses, but the iBook screen looks pretty good to me. I think it'll be fine. I'm willing to accept the smaller screen to get the smaller form factor. © SHANE ST. HILL The experience of unpacking my iBook was great—the best moment in my life. Now I’m typ- ing on the wonderful machine, and it’s perfect, the best computer I’ve ever owned (much better than the Lom- bard G3 PowerBooks). I’m glad I got the iBook instead of the Titanium PowerBook. I hope you all enjoy your iBooks as much as I do mine! Toasting iTunes [2] STEVE COHEN You've reached a new low with your review of iTunes (Reviews, June 2001). You barely mention that iTunes can disable Toast. This is a showstopper. Any program that interferes with Toast is one I want to stay away from. So what are the details? Under what cir- cumstances will I lose the use of Toast? What can I do to get around this, if anything? What does Apple say about it? Does the mere presence of iTunes disable Toast, or is it an extension or other conflict? Give me some information I can use. ‘© Post your comments on our forums at www.macworld.com, or send them to 1 Letters, Macworld, 301 Howard St., 16th FL, San Francisco, CA 94105, or to letters@ ‘macworld.com. Include a return address and a daytime phone number, Due to the high vol ‘ume of comments, we can't respond personally to each one. We reserve the right to edit all letters and posts. Published letters and forum ‘comments become the property of Macworld. CORRECTIONS Ameta'’s density ("Still Faster Than a Speed- ing Bullet,” Feedback, June 2001) is expressed in pounds per cubic inch. A corrected Per! script for converting a Mac text file's line endings so that Unix can inter- pret them (Mac OS X Secrets, July 2001) is available at www.macworld.com/2001/07 Jnowto/osxsecrets.ntml. www.macworld.com September 2001 15 | Macworld Expo New York 2001 Apple Takes the Silver NEW POWER MAC G4S SOAR TO 867MHZ—THE FASTEST MAC PROCESSOR EVER ho says you can’t get some- thing for nothing? With Apple’s new silver-clad Power Mac G4s, the company’s line of high-end desktop computers packs a more powerful punch than ever— but the price tags remain the same. In early July, the most powerful Power Mac you could buy was the $3,499 733MHz Power Mac G4. Now a model with the same proces- sor marks the low end of the Power Mac spectrum at just $1,699—albeit 16 September 2001 www.macworld.com with a smaller hard drive and without a DVD-writing SuperDrive. Apple’s new midrange Power Mac, at $2,499, is a remarkable combina- tion of speed and versatility. It has the fastest Mac processor ever—867MHz —and 2MB of L3 cache (see “Does MHz Matter?” July 2001). At the top of Apple’s updated product line is a $3,499 Power Mac driven by twin 800MHz G4 proces- sors, each with 2MB of L3 cache. Due to ship in August, this model will be speedy in Mac OS 9, especially when running software that takes advan- tage of multiple processors (see “Double Vision,” November 2000). But the dual-pro- cessor G4 will really fly when it’s running Mac OS X, since Apple’s new operating sys- tem offers exten- sive support for systems with more than one processor. All three new models have the same 133MHz sys- tem bus that the previous generation of Power Mac G4s had. This means that you won’t have to buy faster RAM if you move to one of these new systems, but it also means there’s no performance gain beyond what the processor delivers. Silver Style To go with the changes it’s made on the inside of these Power Macs, Apple also has remodeled the outside. Dual-processor Power Mac G4s will really fly when running Mac OS X. You won’t save any floor or desk- top space with these G4s—they’re the same size as every model dating back to the blue-and-white Power Mac G3. And from the sides and the back, these new models are nearly indistin- guishable from their predecessors. But from the front, it’s easy to see that these are new Macs: they have a matte silver-tone face, flat drive-bay doors without any buttons, and a new, recessed speaker. Spreading SuperDrive Apple’s SuperDrive, which had been available only on the top-of-the-line Power Mac G4 model, will now be included on both the 867MHz and dual-800MHz systems. After announc- ing the SuperDrive in January, Apple A Year in the Life Since July 2000's Macworld Expo, Apple has made some changes to its G4 line. ANNOUNCEMENT | PROCESSOR HARD OPTICAL DATE SPEED BASE RAM | DRIVE oRIVE PRICE July 2000 400MHz 64a 2068 DVD-ROM | $1,599 450MHz (Dual Processor) | 12BMB | 30GB Dvo-RoM | $2,499 “SOOMHz (Dual Processor) | 256MB 4068 Dvo-ROM | $3,499 January 2001 466MHz 3068 CO-RW $1,699 533MHz 4-4 4068 cO-RW $2,199 667 MHz 6068 co-RW $2,799 733MH2 6068 co-RW/ | $3,499 SuperDrive July 2001 733MHz 126MB 4068 CO-RW $1699 B67MHz 1268 6068 SuperDrive | $2,499 ‘BOOMHz (Dual Processor) | 256MB 8068 SuperDrive | $3,499 coe Silver and Aqua The Power Mac G4’s new look complements that of Mac OS X. couldn’t even obtain enough of the DVD-writing drives to ship one with every 733MHz Power Mac G4 it sold. But now that SuperDrive manu- facturer Pioneer is better able to keep MAC OSXU ac OS X’s March release was just the beginning of the next-generation operating system’s journey. Now it’s time for Mac OS X’s first major upgrade, which features performance improve- ments, enhancements to the Aqua interface, and many additions that OS X’s early adopters have been cry- ing for—including the ability to play DVD movies and to burn CD-ROMs from the Finder. The update’s only drawback? You won't see it until September. Mac OS up with demand, Apple has begun to offer the drive in more models. (The same drive mechanism is now being used in external FireWire DVD-R drives that companies such as LaCie, EZQuest, and CdCyclone are selling for about $1,000.) Though the low-end 733MHz Power Mac G4 doesn’t have a Super- Drive, it comes with a built-in 12x10x 32x CD-RW drive—speedier than the CD-RW drives in the iBook and iMac. Graphics Power The new single-processor G4s feature an Nvidia GeForce2 MX video card with 32MB of SDRAM. But the most notable video support is on the dual- processor model: it has a GeForce2 MX with 64MB of SDRAM, and the single card can support two external monitors simultaneously. That will be particularly helpful if you use pro- grams such as Adobe Photoshop and Apple’s Final Cut Pro, which have an array of menus, windows, and floating palettes. When it comes to drive space, these new G4s are well appointed, with 40GB, 60GB, or 80GB internal hard drives. However, the 733MHz’s 40GB drive is a 5,400-rpm model, which might be an issue if you plan to use it for digital-video or other disk-intensive applications. In any case, all three models come with two additional hard-drive bays, so you can add a few hundred gigabytes of fast storage if the need arises. Although Apple was generous with the processor speeds on these new systems, it wasn’t as free with the base RAM allocations. Both single- processor G4s have only 128MB of RAM, the bare minimum for running Mac OS X. Apple was a little more charitable with the dual-processor configuration, giving it a base of 2S56MB. Each of the new models can support as much as 1.5GB of RAM.—JONATHAN SEFF DATE X 10.1, announced by Steve Jobs at Macworld Conference & Expo in July 2001, features major speed boosts, especially when it comes to launch- ing applications. In his New York presentation, Jobs launched several applications, all of which opened dramatically faster in OS X 10.1 than they did in previous versions. Microsoft Internet Explorer launched with one bounce of its icon in Mac OS ra eae aS oI Mac OS X 10.1 The update is faster than a bouncing bullet. X’s Dock. Sherlock launched in less than a bounce. Resizing windows in the Finder and scrolling through menus also seemed to be significantly www.macworld.com September 2001 17 2) no] J 2 2 a @ mod ° 3 + 2) no] o 2: a ps] oO no] ° 3 + improved. “You name it, it’s faster,” said Jobs. The operating system’s Aqua interface has undergone a few tweaks as well, In version 10.1, you can reorient the Dock so that it runs In his presentation, Jobs launched several applications, all of which opened faster in Mac OS X 10.1. along the right or left side of your screen instead of the bottom. And the “genie” effect, which warps a window when you minimize it into the Dock, has been replaced by a new, faster scaling effect. Mac OS X 10.1 also offers some interface improvements in its menu bar: you can add icons to the bar's right side, making it possible to con- trol or monitor part of your system without using up Dock space or open- ing the System Preferences applica- tion. Among the items you can now view or control via the menu bar are modem connections, system volume, display preferences, battery status, and AirPort connections. Other new features in version 10.1 include support for 200 PostScript printers, the ability to connect to AFP servers over AppleTalk, a built-in SMB client for compatibility with Windows PC-based networks, the ability to hide file-type extensions at the end of file names, and a better-organized System Preferences.—JASON COX ple CEO Steve Expo to show er software. “SHIPPING — | ‘ot announced September 2001 | Tow not announced how (beta) ‘July 2001 2001 fail2001 ‘not announced New iMacs, Same Old Shell M usic trends seem to change from one moment to the next—and so do iMac colors. Apple's sixth revision to its three-year-old iMac design ditches its “inspired by music Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian patterns, introduced in February, for familiar solid colors—indigo, snow, and graphite (see “iMac, Take Six"). The new $999 iMac model has essen- tially the same configuration as the previ- 18 September 2001 www.macworld.com ous $1,199 iMac, but with a boost to the installed memory. The SOOMHz machine now has 128MB of RAM—a necessary addition, since 128MB is the minimum amount of RAM Apple recommends for a system to run Mac OS X. Moving into the middle slot for iMacs, with a price of $1,299, is a sys- tem similar to February's $1,499 iMac Special Edition. Again, RAM is the only difference between the two 600MHz configurations—the iMac announced in July comes with double the RAM at 256MB. At the top of the iMac line is the new $1,499 iMac Special Edition, which features a 7OOMHz G3 processor, 256MB of RAM, and 60GB of hard-drive space.—JASON SNELL iMac, Take Six BASE | HARD OPTICAL | Mopet. PROCESSOR | RAM DRIVE | PRICE | COLORS DRIVE iMac SOOMHz 1eMB | 2068 | $999 | indigo, snow | CD-RW drive imac 600MHz 256ma | 40GB | $1.299 | graphite. snow | CD-RW drive iMac Special Edition | 70OMHz 25eme | 6068 | $1,499 CD-RW drive SIT DOWN, $ ON TIGHT! PRETTY REALLY SMOKIN’ | WANT MY FAST FAST FAST MOMMY PORE AES 5) 5, oe SORENSON VIDEO 3 IS HERE—AND THIS SOFTWARE FLIES! WWW.SORENSON.COM Circle 145 on card or go to www.macworid.com/getinto, SORENSON VIDEO 3 What's New, What's in the Pipeline, What's Hot | Inside the Apple Store WITH 25 RETAIL OUTLETS TO OPEN THIS YEAR, HERE'S WHAT THE COMPANY HAS IN STORE: Most of the hundreds of Mac users waiting outside Apple's stores in Glendale, California, and McLean, Virginia, before the stores' May grand opening shared a common sentiment: It's about time. The way they see it, the stores finally give them a place to grab the latest Apple merchandise, load up on soft- ware and accessories, and obtain help from experts. GENIUS BAR This counter in the rear of the store is staffed by Apple-trained tech people who can answer shoppers’ questions and troubleshoot. And each store has a red phone with a direct line to Apple tech support in Cupertino, in case That's great, as far as Apple someone stumps the is concerned. But the company isn’t Apple Genius. planning to open 25 stores across m THEATER the United States this year just to preach to the converted. Not that Apple doesn’t want established Mac users to flock to its stores, cash in hand, ready to buy every last iBook and Power Mac in stock. But Apple's new retail ‘A 10-foot screen hangs on the back wall. Look there for product demos, how-to ses sions, and other in- store events. tm MUSIC/KIDS Macs with iTunes and strategy includes using the stores CD-RW drives are avail- as a way to reach other computer able so shoppers can buyers—that 95 percent who try their hands at burn- don't even consider a Mac when it's time for them to buy new hard- ware. By giving these shoppers [ a place where they can get their hands on its products, Apple hopes. = THE APPLE STORE—SECTION BY SECTION to convince new customers that ing a CD. This section £ also has an assortment 4 } e of third-party MP3 : rN players. iMacs on a low table allow young kids to try out the latest ms HOME/PRO ws SOFTWARE MMOVIES/PHOTOS —_in games and educa: Macs are much more than justen’ The front section fea- Taking up the middle The Solutions areas ~—_tional software. assortment of brightly colored, tures every hardware of the store—or the showcase what you mee. translucent boxes. product Apple makes. spine, asits designer can do with a Mac. he beck-correr:(aar So what awaits Mac users and It’s split into areas for —_caills it—are shelves ‘Shoppers can play tures a selection of Mac new customers when they visit the professional and home loaded with tech-sup- with iMovie or look at peripherals and other local Apple store? Based on the first users, to make it easy port books and more digital cameras and accessories, such as two stores in Glendale and McLean, for shopperstofind than 300Mac-com- camcorders from/ead- _ printers, cables, scan here is what to expect once you get the right Mac. patible applications. ing manufacturers. ners, and other tools, inside—PHILIP MICHAELS 20 September 2001 www.macworld.com CAMBELL LAIRD CHIP SIMONS MAC TO SCHOOL GRADE A Five years from now, Peter Tuana would like every student at Fremont High School, in Sunnyvale, California, to have a laptop to use. For now, though, the principal is pleased with the 75 iBook SEs already on campus. Those 400MHz iBooks get wheeled around on six mobile Mac-lab carts; each lab comes with AirPort technology, for wireless access to the Inter- net anywhere on campus. “Instead of you going to a computer lab, the lab comes to you,” Tuana says. Almost every teacher at Fremont High uses Web-based services to post assignments, link to homework sites, and prepare lessons. Teachers use projectors linked to an iBook to illustrate lessons with Microsoft PowerPoint presen- tations. Meanwhile, students use the laptops to complete Web-based worksheets. Teachers are finding that AirPort-equipped iBooks allow them to be anywhere in the classroom. Say a math teacher wants to see how students are tackling problems. Instead of walking behind their desks, the teacher can use Apple Net- work A: progress onscreen—even zap- istant to check their More Info: www.macworld.com /2001/09/buzz/fremont.htmI Read more about how Fremont " High School uses iBooks. ping a hint to a student with- out getting up. Tuana’s only complaint? Not enough iBooks to go around. “We have very little maintenance with them,” he says. “They're just great little machines.”—ADELIA CELLINI Rumble in the Jungle Some days, the sight of virtual rivals getting blown away just isn't vivid enough for the serious Mac-gaming enthusiast. Sure, you've got your stunning graphics for maximum blood ‘n’ guts visuals. But you can't fee/ the action. Rej ce, little shooter: the RumbleFX headphones from Evergreen Technologies (541/757-0934, www.rumblefx.com) let you feel the sweet, basso-profundo rumble of a frag grenade ripping a hole through your opponent's armored vehicle. RumbleFX headphones contain a built-in subwoofer, com- plete with vibrator, to maximize the bass—whether it's coming from a Quake explosion or the Jungle Brothers’ beats. Users can adjust the vibration and volume levels through the built-in power amplifier; you don't have to liquefy your eardrums. The $40 headphones connect via an audio minijack and will work with all of your current games and music. Just plug in and get ready to rumble.—MATHEW HONAN Commercial Interests iBook-toting travelers cluttering up airplane seats to edit iMovies, optical mice whizzing around to the strains of Steppenwolf, the awesome presence of Barry White—Apple’s TV commercials are certainly memorable. But do they persuade people to go Mac? We asked three experts—Hoag Levins, editor of AdAge.com; Michael Wilke, executive director of the Commercial Closet Associa~ @ MIDDLE SEAT _ The Ad: A lad annoys and delights airplane passengers as he puts together an iMovie on @ RIR MX. BURN _ The Ad: Aman brings together his favorite musicians to show how easy using iTunes is. his iBook, What the Experts Say: What the Experts Say: HL: “The message is HL: “An engaging, that you can use a Mac effective, and memo: to create a CD of your rable ad." favorite tracks, but it's MW: “It’s quite a departure from Apple's classic Volkswagen- type ads. The best in not instantly clear.” MW: “Who wouldn't be thrilled at pulling together all our favor- the campaign.” ite musicians in a con: BG: “It’s unexpected cert just for us?” and charming.” BG: “It’s a linear, logi- Our Take: Memorable, cal, and surprising way sure, Charming, maybe, to dramatize burning But if that kid sits your own music mix. down next to us ona ‘Our Take: People may plane, we're taking disagree, but one truth Amtrak. endures—Barry White is ‘one smooth cat. tion; and Bob Garfield, analyst and columnist for Advertising Age and AdReview.com— whether Apple should consider advertising different—JENNIFER SMODISH More Info: www.macworld.com/ e 2001/06/15/appleads.htmi Zz | Read more about Apple's TV ads. x @ OPTICAL MOUSE The Ad: As “Born to Be Wild” throbs in the background, an Apple Pro Mouse makes like a What the Experts Say: Formula One race car. HL: “The close and per- What the Experts Say: sonal view immediately HL: “Simple. Brilliant. demonstrates its amaz- And easy to dance to.” ing thinness and video- MW “This spot feels processing power.” more like Mac's earlier MW: “This onetakes ads, using a classic rock a plain and practical song with a white back- approach.” ground and laser focus BG: “A simple image —_on the product's looks. to demonstrate the I'm left wondering, simplest point. These though, why we need features are cool.” an optical mouse.” BG: “You see this, and you say, ‘Whoa, that mouse is wireless.” Our Take: Now if only the mouse actually were wireless. @ POWERBOOK G4 The Ad: The disembod- ied voice of Jeff Gold- blum sings the new PowerBook’s praises. much of a challenge to make a PowerBook G4 look good. www.maeworld.com September 2001 21 jeag 2eW Digital Drummer Q&A with OMAR HAKIM Omar Hakim has gone from banging on @ toy drum as a child to mastering a Roland V-Drums kit in his adulthood, never missing a beat. How has the jazz and pop percussionist kept on top of things as the music world has gone increasingly digital? By keeping an open mind and being willing to try new things. “The drummers that embrace this are going to discover a whole new palette available to them, sonically and crea- tively," Hakim says. This approach to change has certainly paid off for Hakim: he's played drums for an eclectic roster of musicians including Sting, Miles Davis, and David Bowie. And whether he's play- ing drums or producing records, Hakim never strays far from his SOOMHz Power Mac G4—a machine that helps him make beautiful music.—DAVID FERRIS drum set and the Roland OctoPad, the Dynacord Add-One. | experimented with all these drums at one time or another while | was drumming for Sting. Q: What do all these changes mean for drummers? Az It does a lot for drummers if they're willing to open up their minds and move past the traditional aspects of drumming. There are a lot of drummers very attached to “Well, it doesn't sound like a drum. It doesn't feel like a cymbal.” That's something a lot of drummers will have to work past. What we're going to see is a whole genera~ tion of electronic drummers, and it's proba- bly not going to be that much different from the generations of electronic guitarists and electronic bass players we've seen over the last 20 or 30 years. There are guys that play electric guitar and electric bass that don't really deal with the acoustic version of the instrument. | guess that's no different from keyboard players in the sixties and seventies. You probably had diehard guys saying, “It doesn’t sound like a piano.” But then you had a few artists—like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Weather Report— who decided to take these electronic instru- OMAR HAKIM AGE: 42 RESIDENCE: New York, New York MAC: Dual-processor G4/500 with 768MB of RAM FAVORITE SOFTWARE: Mark of the Unicorn’s Digital Performer, Digidesign's ProTools MixPlus PERIPHERALS: MIDI instruments j ments and make them their own. Q: How important has the drum mach- ine been to your musical development? A: The drum machine came into my personal usage as a survival means. CLICK HERE Flash Crash Course If you have a burning desire to be a cartoonist but can’t get Disney on the phone, you may want to turn to ToddGallina.com. The home page of animator Todd Gallina offers plenty of sam- ples of his work, but it also shows how he whips up Macromedia Flash animations. Using his own cartoons as a guide, Gallina leads curious viewers through each step of the job—from hand-drawing There were a bunch of drummers when drum machines came out in the early eighties who felt very threatened by the whole thing. Once artists got their hands ‘on drum machines, there wasn't such a demand for drummers, particularly in pop music. So | said, "If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em." | thought, “Who's better to program a drum machine than a drummer?" Immediately | went out and purchased the most popular drum machine and learned how to use it and marketed myself around New York as a programmer. Then the machines evolved into drum devices that could be played with sticks—the Simmons electronic the initial storyboards to applying the finishing touches in Flash. ——_—_____— Along the way, you'll find helpful tips about tools and strategies for nurs Info: www.macworld.com/ 2001/09/buzz/hakim.htmI How did Omar Hakim’s music career start? Find out in Macworld's extended online interview. getting the right effect. When you’re done with the lesson, check out Gallina’s portfolio for a fresh dose of Flash inspiration. Watching Gallina’s hapless crocodile hunter get pummeled by loan sharks may not get you that high-paying animation gig, but it’s certainly a better way to end a lesson than taking a pop quiz.—KELLY LUNSFORD www.toddgallina.com JOHN P. CHRISTIN 22 September 2001 www.macworld.com Drive safely. (3) Drive 10 — C_ODRIVE 10 Pass Pass Testing Pending Pending > LQ y . » t Self-Diagnostic Format: Mac OS Extended Where: /dev/disk0s? Fest 38249 SST ‘Status: This drive 1s available for testing and | repar — Options » (Skip (stop) The first and final disk utility for Mac OS X Don’t entrust your OS X drive to ancient utilities. Protect your data and drive safely with C DOD DRIVE 10 From the creators of TechTool Pro” Wii Micromat Inc. 800-829-6227 707-566-3831 info@micromat.com www.micromat.com ©2001 Micromat, Inc. All rights reserved. Drive 10 is a trademark of Micromat, Inc. TechToo! is a registered trademark of Micromat, Inc. Circle 37 on card or go to www.macworld.com/getinto Firing Up FireWire Early FireWire drives were anything but fast, and many a Final Cut Pro pioneer ran afoul of slow first- generation devices. Dropped frames became an all- too-common Mac digital-video epithet. The problem was so bad that until recently Apple’s top brass advised against using FireWire drives for DV editing. Some of the blame goes to poorly written drivers. Updates such as Apple’s FireWire 2.7 helped. Even so, the fastest FireWire drives peaked at 13 MBps—theo- retically enough to avoid dropped frames but far shy of FireWire’s top speeds. The biggest problem is that pure FireWire hard drives simply don’t exist. Instead, you get an ATA hard drive hidden inside a FireWire enclo- sure. The ATA-FireWire bridge causes the bottleneck. Enter the Oxford Semiconductor 911. This redesigned ATA-FireWire bridge improves transfer rates to a real-world 29 MBps to 34 MBps, and it lets you use multiple channels and RAID options, product watch which can push data-transfer rates to 75 MBps and higher. Granite Digital was the first company in North America to adopt the Oxford Chip, for its $159 FireVue enclosure-case kit (510/471-6442, www.granitedigital .com). FirewireDirect’s Slim-Line Ultra drives start at $299 for 20GB (512/302- 0012, www.firewiredirect.com). Its Fire- Wire enclosure kits sell for $149. Other World Computing’s Mercury Elite drives start at $250, also for 20GB (800/275- 4576, www.otherworldcomputing.com). Transintl.com sells its 30GB drive for FirewireDirect's $259 (714/634-1583, www.transintl Slim-Line Ultra -COM).—ANTON LINECKER When Pets Go Bad Think of Minor Demons’ PortaPets, distributed by Eruptor (310/305-9966, www.eruptor.com), as vir tual pets that have developed bad habits and anti: social tendencies. These creatures, which inhabit your Palm OS, are ill-behaved monkeys, homicidal kitt: radioactive fish, and other critters unfit to appear in polite society. If you don’t take care of your PortaPets (which cost $5; PortaMonkey is available for free), watch out. They don’t simply wither away—they become prone to Ebola infections and bouts of clinical depression. The faint of heart may want to stick to caring for real pets instead of adopting virtual ones; they induce much le 24 September 2001 www.macworld.com DIGITAL CAMERAS @ A 44-megapixel camera from Olympus America (800/622-6372, www .olympusamerica.com): The ¢-4040 Zoom has a 3x optical zoom and a 7.5x digital zoom ($1,099). @ A42megapixel camera from Toshiba America (800/ 28841354, wwwtoshiba com): The PDR-MB1, which should be shipping by late summer, features resolu- tions ranging from 720, by 480 pixels to 2,400 by 1,600 pixels. it has a 35mm- equivalent lens with a 2.8x optical zoom and a 2.2x digital zoom. Toshiba priced the new model at $799. PRINTERS @ Three printers from Brother International (800/ 276-7746, www.brother .com): All three have print speeds of 15 pages per minute and resolutions of 1,200 by 600 dots per inch. The HL=1440 ($299) ‘comes with 2MB of mem- ory, which can be expanded to 34MB. The HL-1450 ($349) has 8MB of memory, which can be expanded to 36MB, as does the HL- 1470N ($499), which has a first-page print speed of less than 16 seconds. © Two multifunction print- ers from Lexmark (888/539- 6275, www.lexmark.com): The X83 ($199) prints at 12 pages per minute in black: and-white and 6 pages per minute in color. The X73 (S179) prints at 9 pages per minute in black-and-white and 5 pages per minute in color. Both have a resolu- tion of 2,400 by 1,200 dots per inch. @ Amonochrome laser printer from Xerox (877/362- 6567, wwwexerox.com): The Phaser 3400 ($649) has a print speed of 17 pages per minute and a first-page print speed of 12 seconds. STORAGE DEVICES © Anexternal FireWire drive from Maxtor (800/ 262-9867, www.maxtor com): The Maxtor Personal Storage 3000DV ($360) is a 60GB drive that spins at 7,200 rpm, That's 56 percent faster than the FireWire models Maxtor released in fall 2000. "| DESIGN SOFTWARE © Bryce 5, from Corel (800/772-6735, www.corel com): This update to the 3-D-landscaping tool ($30! upgrade, $159) runs on Mac OS 8.6 and higher and has native support for OS X. ‘Among other additions are network rendering capabili- ties, a Tree Lab feature for creating and editing trees, and metaballs support. © Carrara Studio, from Eovia (888/394-2307, www.eovia.com): The up- date to the 3-D-modeling, -rendering, and -animation software rebrands the one~ time MetaCreations prod- uct. Carrara Studio adds a fully supported version of Amapi 3D, a set of 25 new plug-ins, and an interactive tutorial ($399; upgrade, $99-$199), chats HOT A QUICK LOOK AT THE WORLD OF TECH 1. Steve Jobs takes the stage in New York for another Macworld Conference & Expo keynote. Apple’s CEO is still furious, however, about losing out to Nathan Lane for a Tony Award. 2. Audiences flock to see Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Cocky Hollywood executives push ahead with plans to cast Steve Guttenberg, Bo Derek, and Carrot Top in Sim City—The Movie. 3. Apple sues Church of Satan over “Think Different” parody. Rumor has it that Satan himself will testify in the trial, right after finishing up development work on Windows XP. © Aaraphics-editing appli access license) enhances adds controls that limit the cation from MacGIMP (www users’ ability to share sched- _ size of Rewind archives and macgimp.com): GIMP, or ules and contact lists among _ enhances stability ($100; Graphic Image Manipulation Macand Windows comput- —_upgrade, free). Program, is an open-source _ers. Microsoft also released application for Mac OS X. It's Word + Entourage 2001 SE used to edit animated GIFs ($149), a bundle combining and manipulate RGB-based —_its word processing appli file formats such as JPG and cation with its integrated TIFF ($25). e-mail and personal informa- MUTIMEDIA SOFTWARE _ tion manager program. © Sorenson Squeeze, from Microsoft expects it to be [ANNOUNCED _ Sorenson Media (888/767-_ shipping by the time you © The departure of Director 3676, www.sorenson.com): _read this. of Maya Technologies Squeeze ($249) isa VBR @ Sultcase 10, from Richard Kerris from Alias] compression application for __ Extensis (800/796-9798, Wavefront (800/447-2542, QuickTime 5. It runs.on both —_wwixextensis.com): This wwwaliaswavefront.com) Mac OS 9 and OS X and update tothe font manager The company said it does requires Sorenson Video 3. ($100; upgrade, $50) not expect his leaving to PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE includes an Auto Activation _affect the development of © Mimlo 1.6, from Virtual feature, a free copy of Font- Maya for Mac OS X. A Ink (877/696-4646, www Book, and support for Mult Macintosh version of the .mimio.com): The support tiple Master fonts. Extensis 3-D-animation software is software for the Mimio elec- will release a Mac OS X- expected to be ready in tronic whiteboard now runs native update by the end September. natively in Mac OS X. It also of 2001; it will be free to © Layoffs at Humongous lets users export whiteboard Suitcase 10 users. Extensis __Entertainment (800/499- content as video clips to also released Sultcase 8386, www.humongous iMovie. Version 1.6is afree Server 10 ($1,000) for work- ): The children's soft- download to users of the group font management; it ware maker—which pro- $599 electronic whiteboard. _ includes five copies of duces the Putt Putt, Freddi @ Outlook 2001, from Suitcase 10. Fish, Spy Fox, and Pajama Microsoft (800/426-9400, UTILITY SOFTWARE Sam adventure-game www.microsoft.com): The @ Rewind 1.2, from Power _series—laid off 80 workers, update to the messaging On Software (800/344- ‘amounting to more than and.collaboration client for 9160, www.poweronsoft, 40 percent of its staff. The Microsoft Exchange Server ware.com): This update to company will focus on its ($700, not including client _the data-recovery utility line of sports games. SOFTWARE UPDATES powered by Leas versiontrackercom Adobe Stroke and Fill Plug-in 1.5.2 Update to InDesign plug-in Aladdin [Clean 4.0.1 Tool for deleting cookies and cache files Apple Developer Tools 10.0.1 Programming tools for Mac OS X Apple DVD Player 2.7 Update for slot-loading iMac DVs, Power Mac G4s (AGP), and FireWire PowerBooks BBEdit Lite 6.14 Slimmed-down version of text editor BeHlerarchlc 4.2 Displays submenus for items in Apple menu Blizzard Diablo Il 1.0.8 Update to action and role-playing game Dantz Retrospect 4.3 Driver Update 2.2 Adds support for new devices Eudora 5.1616 E-mail client beta for Mac OS X Extensis Preflight Pro 2.2 Fixes prepress printing problems File Buddy 6.1 Desktop, file, and folder editing and task tool Firewalk X 1.3. Firewall configuration and utility for Mac OS X GraphicConverter 4.0.8 Tool for viewing, editing, and converting most graphics-tile formats HP DeskJet 1.0 Mac OS X printer drivers Iomega Quick Floppy Copy 1.0 Tool for copying floppies to Zip disks Lotus Notes Domino 5.0.8 Client for messaging and collaboration system Mozilla 6/13, Fizzilla version of Mozilla.ora’s browser MP3 Rage 3.4.1 Gnutella and Napster client and MP3 tag editor, player, and organizer Netscape 6.1p1 Preview release of Web browser update Nikon Scan 3.1 Drivers for Nikon film scanners Palm OS Emulator 3.2 Tool for writing Palm software on the Mac PowerTicker 2.1.1 Improves stability of stock-ticker utility Quake III Arena for OS X 1.29f New maps and network code for first-person shooter game TinkerToo! 1.325 Tool for altering Mac OS X's appearance For these and other current updates, visit: www.macworld.com/subject/updates wwy.maeworld.com September 2001 25 jeag oeW _ prod FreeHand 10 uct reviews Hands-on Evaluation and Authoritative Buying Advice Pioneering Program Beats Illustrator to Mac OS X BY DEKE McCLELLAND Ithough Adobe Illustrator was the first PostScript drawing program to market, Macromedia FreeHand is the application that comes to mind when I think of firsts. And of its many firsts—color, type on a path, parametric gradients, text and graphic styles, multipage layouts, and a free- hand drawing tool—its first first was the biggest. As trivial as it may seem by today’s standards, FreeHand 1 was the first program to preview Bézier paths as you drew them. Illustrator didn’t catch up for several years, and when it did, the feature appeared on the PC before we saw it on the Mac. 26 September 2001 www.macworld.com With version 10, FreeHand is first again. The only major publishing application so far to integrate seam- lessly with Mac OS X, FreeHand 10 beats not only Illustrator but also Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and Flash. Because the Carbonized Free- Hand runs natively in OS X rather than inside OS X’s Classic environ- ment, it can take advantage of new system-level features such as protected memory and preemptive multitasking. It also means that FreeHand doesn’t need to redraw the screen image when you move a window or switch appli- FREEHAND 10 Rating: $$$ 1/2 Pros: Persistent preview under Mac OS X; adds contour gradients; any page can be a master page; can output any por- tion of pasteboard. Cons: No automatic page numbers; print area invisible in antialiased preview mode; lame transparency capabilities; no live effects. Company's estimated price: $399; upgrade, $129; Flash 5 FreeHand 10 Studio, $599 Company: Macromedia, 800/457-1774, www.macromedia.com cations. Editable preview becomes persistent preview, which means less time waiting for FreeHand to show you what you've done. Gradients and Pages Fortunately for the vast majority of designers, who are using older operat- ing systems, FreeHand 10 also works with OS 8.6 and later. And most of its enhancements work as well in OS 9 as they do in OS X. For example, FreeHand 10 introduces contour gra- dients, which fill an object with a con- centric blend that updates whenever you reshape the path. Shape gradients have been around for a long time, but combined with FreeHand’s plentiful color-placement options, they let you easily create star bursts, neon strokes, MICHAEL MORGENSTERN and glows. Compared with Illustra- tor’s gradient mesh, they’re pretty lim- ited, but they’re also considerably easier to use. FreeHand has long excelled at cre- ating multipage documents; version 10 improves on that ability by adding two page-management features. First, the new master pages let you use one page as a template for other pages. That’s a common feature in publishing programs, but in FreeHand any page on the pasteboard can be a master page; there’s no need to copy and paste elements onto strictly ordained master pages, as in QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign. Also, you can share master pages between documents. The down- sides are that one master page can’t be based on another and that there are no automatic page numbers, eliminating the opportunity for repeating folios. Second, FreeHand lets you mar- quee any area of the pasteboard— including as many pages or partial Pages as you like—and request that it print on a single page. Better still, the program makes no attempt to constrain you to a specific page size or orientation. Suffice it to say, if you've been wishing for something beyond the standard 2-Up and 4-Up options, your wish has been granted. Mysteriously, however, the print area is invisible in the antialiased preview mode, so you may draw a boundary and see nothing on the screen. Fuel for Flash Just as Illustrator has lately been reach- ing out to Photoshop users (Reviews, September 2000), FreeHand extends special courtesies to Macromedia’s fastest-growing audience: Flash users. FreeHand 10’s Library palette lets you create and manage symbols, or reus- able graphics (see “The Implication of Symbols”). Edit the master symbol, and all other instances update auto- matically, You can also apply a symbol to a path to create a brush stroke, a capability previously seen in Illustrator 8 (though IIlustrator’s brushes are eas- ier to apply and edit). Using symbols as brushes, you can modify a symbol and watch as brushes update through- out your illustration. Finally, when you export a drawing to the object-oriented Web format SWE, symbols define repeating elements just once, cutting down on file size. Speaking of SWE, you can now preview SWF animations in FreeHand—great for check- ing your work after animating a blend. (In the past, you had to view your FreeHand-created animations in a browser or the stand-alone Flash player.) A new navigation palette lets you more easily assign links and Flash actions to objects. And what upgrade to FreeHand would be complete without modifications to the pen tool? As always, the changes make the pen behave more like the one in Illustrator. Execution and Interface While FreeHand is often first, Macro- media has a tendency to leave a feature unmodified after its introduction, giv- ing Adobe and others ample opportu- nity to leapfrog. Object transparency, arguably the most important advance in vector-based drawing in the past five years, is an example. FreeHand 8 introduced a very basic transparency option, after CorelDraw but more than a year ahead of Illustrator. Sadly, that’s the last time the feature got attention. As a result, compared with Illustrator 9’s broad support for transparency and color calculations, FreeHand’s small assortment of options seems piddling, inaccessible, and downright archaic. Nevertheless, as someone who regarded the previous version of FreeHand less enthusiastically than any that came before it (Reviews, July 2000), I must say that the program appears to be on the mend. Macro- media has obviously attempted to resolve differences between FreeHand on the Mac and its Windows peer. Macromedia loyalists will be glad to know that the new FreeHand bears a stronger resemblance to its siblings Dreamweaver and Flash. And several of the interface problems I’ve been grumbling about have been remedied: The Implication of Symbols After turning the top view of the SUV into a symbol (upper right), | intro- duced it into my architectural plan with a simple drag and drop. | could then replicate the symbol or export it for use in other drawings. palettes are better organized, icons are more recognizable, and—good news if you don’t have five monitors teth- ered to your computer—precious screen real estate is put to better use. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that FreeHand 10’s interface, particularly under Mac OS X, is downright pleas- ing to look at. Macworld’s Buying Advice For an artist who switches back and forth between Illustrator and Free- Hand, Illustrator remains the better program with the more compelling fea- ture set; its live effects alone make it a higher-order drawing program. But FreeHand gets points for speed and stability—issues that prompted two bug fixes for Illustrator 9. (To evaluate FreeHand 10 in Mac OS X, I ran it for several days straight without a single crash. In the same amount of time, Illustrator 9, running in OS X’s Classic environment, went down twice.) Free- Hand also offers greater control over screen previews, and it’s better at dis- playing thin black lines, which turn gray in Illustrator 9. On the other hand, if you’re a loyal FreeHand user trying to decide whether to upgrade, the answer is a definite yes. Whether or not you’re using OS X, you’re sure to appreciate FreeHand 10’s improved drawing capabilities and cleaner design. m www.macworld.com September 2001 27 15-Inch Flat-Panel Displays LCDs Triumph over CRTs in Battle to Free Up Desk Space BY TONY A. BOJORQUEZ AND JAMES GALBRAITH pple recently announced that it would abandon its line of tra- ditional CRT displays in favor of slender, lightweight LCDs. With such advantages as brightness, flicker-free screens, and small footprints, flat-panel displays are tempting alternatives to bulky CRTs—especially now that prices have dropped significantly. Macworld Lab compared a dozen 15-inch analog LCD contenders rang- ing in price from $399 to $800. These monitors plug directly into your Mac’s VGA connector, making them compatible with a wider range of desktops, laptops, and recent iMacs than digital models are. (The $599 Apple Studio Display, for example, is an excellent digital option, but its proprietary connector means it works only with recent G4 desktops.) The greater compatibility of VGA comes at the expense of image clarity: the computer's graphics card converts your Mac’s signal from digital to ana- 28 September 2001 www.macworld.com log, and then a card in the monitor converts it back to digital, resulting in increased noise. Digital panels deliver this signal in digital form from start to finish, resulting in less noise and a sharper, clearer image. (See our review of 15-inch digital flat panels at www.macworld.com/200 1s/reviews/ 0717-Icds.html.) Of the 12 models we tested, Acer Peripherals’ FP 563 and Envision Peripherals’ EN-5100e stood out with great image quality and reasonable prices, while Samsung’s SyncMaster 150MP, despite its high price, won us over with its TV tuner and fine pic- ture quality. At the other end of the spectrum were Princeton Graphic Systems’ LCD 15, which delivered a washed-out image, and Planar’s PT1503N, whose confusing controls and mediocre performance overrode its attractive price tag. The Setup Because analog LCDs are designed for general, everyday use in your home or office, we evaluated each monitor’s color image quality, its text sharpness, and the effect of viewing angle on its image quality. We also tested the on-screen controls for usability and popped in a DVD to gauge each display’s ability to play back motion video. After connecting these plug-and- play flat panels, we performed the manufacturers’ recommended auto- adjustments using the control buttons on the front of each display. The monitor reads the signal from the Mac’s graphics card and attempts to adjust the screen image’s position and size for the best overall image quality. (The Sony Multiscan NSO adjusts itself when you power on the display and whenever you change resolu- tions.) Most of the displays looked fine after automatic adjustment, although the Princeton required fine- tuning to eliminate noise and to cor- rect horizontal positioning. The displays’ front-panel controls vary in design and ease of use. We liked the elegant Samsung, with its stylish buttons and touch-sensitive on-screen graphics, and the NEC- Mitsubishi 1530V and ViewSonic VE150m, with their simple, easy-to- use controls. We found the Planar’s vertically oriented buttons confusing and hard to navigate, while the Acer’s BEVERLEY HARPER controls had us scratching our heads until we located a cleverly hidden thumbwheel. In addition, the large size of one button on the Acer misled us to press it whenever we wanted to make adjustments, but instead of bringing up a control menu, it started the automatic adjustment process. On the Eizo Nanao FlexScan L350 display, the control buttons are so well integrated into the front panel that they practically disappear. Image Is Everything We looked at the same high-resolution photographic image on all 12 displays (see “The Skinny on Flat Panels”). In our color-quality test, we checked for color saturation and for details in highlights and shadows. The Sharp LL-T1511A and the Envision scored well here, offering up bright, saturated images. Except for one, the rest of the displays fell squarely in the middle, with acceptable image quality, mini- mal loss of detail, and good color saturation. Only the Princeton did poorly, yielding relatively washed-out results (we couldn’t correct the prob- lem using the on-screen controls). To evaluate text quality, we dis- played a Web page that used a variety of font sizes and colors. We looked for crisp, sharp text that would be easy on the eyes over time. Most of the monitors displayed acceptable text quality. The Acer led the pack, with excellent contrast that made for good legibility. Princeton's offering received low marks for soft- looking text; when we tilted the dis- play upward, the text fared better but our necks did not. And although the iiyama Pro Lite TXA 38i did well in this test, vertical lines marred the lighter regions of the image. Front and Center In general, LCD displays suffer from viewing-angle constraints that can make a big difference in the colors you see on the screen. LCD panels are designed for viewing straight on, a little below eye level—a problem when several people look at the mon- itor simultaneously. The Skinny on Flat Panels GP |_isee: Excellent. cwe Acceptable: 9: Poor | cater quality Text Sharpness _| Viewing Angle [Acer Peripherals FP 563 eee oe AG Neovo $:15V °° Eizo Nanao FlexScan L350 o Envision Peripherals EN-5100e . iiyama Pro Lite TxA 381 oo NEC-Mitsubishi 1530V) a Planar PTISO3N oo oo Princeton Graphic Systems LCDIS ° ° Samsung SyncMaster ISOMP o o . Sharp LUTISIA oe Sony Multiscan NSO [ oe ViewSonic VEISOm ° o o Macworld Lab conducted subjective tests and ranked quality as excellent, acceptable, of poor. We rated each monitor accord ing to how well it displayed our Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Excel test images. We tested each monitor using a Power Macintosh 9500/200 with Mac OS 91 installed, 64MB of RAM, and iXMicro graphics-accelerator cards. We set displays to 1,024-by-768:pixel resolution and 24-bit color, at 60H2.—Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith and Jeffy K. Milstead In our viewing-angle tests, we looked at a color image from several angles to see how much the image changed. The bad news: viewing angle affects all the displays to some degree; they all lose saturation when you move your head too far off cen- ter. The good news: for all but the Planar (which exhibited a large shift to green with subtle changes in view- ing angle), it took an extreme viewing angle to change the image substan- tially. The displays that exhibited the least-dramatic shift in this test were the Acer, Envision, and Samsung. It's Show Time If you've ever used an LCD display, you know that they have a slower response—the time it takes for a pixel to go from on to off—than CRTs. Move your cursor arrow around the screen quickly, and you're likely to see trails as the display attempts to follow the movement. We played a DVD to see if this slower response affected motion video on these displays. We didn’t see any motion artifacts, but viewing angle was an issue; from extreme vantage points, the video looked dif- ferent as colors shifted and varied in intensity. Problems that showed up in earlier tests appeared in this test as well: the AG Neovo S-15V, for example, which had heavy text and generally looked oversaturated in our photo-quality and téxt tests, looked a bit dark during video play- back, and the Princeton still had a washed-out appearance. A major pitfall with LCD flat pan- els is their inability to yield the same picture quality across all supported resolutions. Unlike a CRT, a 1,024- by-768-pixel LCD panel is a fixed grid of 1,024 columns of 768 pixels; when you specify a lower resolution, the display attempts to fill the screen with interpolated pixels, distorting images and text in the process. None of these monitors support resolutions higher than 1,024 by 768. That isn’t a problem if you stick with the display’s native resolution, but you may run into trouble the first time you hook up your LCD monitor and the computer starts up in an unsupported higher-resolution mode. If you still have your old CRT lying around, hook it up and adjust your Mac’s resolution settings. Otherwise, zapping your PRAM should force your computer to start up in a view- able 640-by-480-pixel resolution. Not Just a Pretty Picture In addition to being thinner and lighter-weight than CRT displays, LCD monitors consume less power and emit less radiation than their pic- continues www.macworld.com September 2001 29 uy SMOIA9 Id YOU]-Sl q laueg-7e i [ sAejds uy SMBdIAd jaued-7e]4 YOUl-G} s sAeid ture-tube-based counterparts. Many of the displays we tested go a step fur- ther, offering features that range from truly useful to merely novel. The AG Neovo and Samsung models have an S-Video port for displaying video from a camcorder or VCR; the Sam- sung also boasts an integrated TV tuner with remote and picture-in- picture capability. The Sharp and Sony displays have built-in sensors that detect ambient light; they auto- matically pump up brightness for bet- ter viewing in daylight and decrease it in low-light environments. In addition, the Sony has a nifty sensor that puts the display into power-saving mode when the user isn’t in front of the display and wakes it up when the user returns. The iiyama has a powered USB hub, which let us attach a USB keyboard and speakers to the monitor. The Sharp panel also has a USB hub, but because it lacks power, it’s useful only as a USB extender or for very low-power USB devices (such as a mouse). The iiyama’s pivot feature allows you to change the screen ori- entation from landscape to portrait with the help of bundled software, although the software caused our computer to crash. Style Wars When it comes to industrial design, these displays cover a lot of territory. Seven models—the Acer, Envision, iiyama, NEC-Mitsubishi, Princeton, Sharp, and ViewSonic—have the more traditional look of a slim bezel (the frame around the screen) and a sturdy base. The Planar also has a traditional design but is available in five translucent colors. The other models break with tra- dition. The black Eizo, for example, has a textured bezel with a corru- gated appearance. We admired the Samsung’s sleek style and integrated handle. We also liked the AG Neovo’s scratch-resistant glass panel, which covered the actual LCD display, and the thick black bezel, which gave this model the look of a stylish, high-tech picture frame. The Sony has minimalist styling, relegating most of the display’s elec- tronics and connectors to a box you can tuck away under your desk, and just one slim cable connecting it to the monitor. This makes the monitor itself very thin and lightweight. Macworld’s Buying Advice If desk space and design are higher priorities for you than precise color and wide viewing angles, the latest crop of 15-inch flat-panel displays makes a good argument for switching from a CRT. Three models we tested are particular standouts: Envision Peripherals’ EN-5100e, with its bright, crisp image quality, just barely beat Acer Peripherals’ FP 563 as our choice for the best pairing of low price and great performance. And if you don’t mind spending more to get additional features, Samsung’s stylish SyncMaster 150MP is a good selection; it includes a built-in TV tuner with picture-in-picture capabi- lity, and it performed solidly in all of our tests. m Flat-Panel Displays Compared + = Editors’ Choice COMPANY'S Mouse | ESTIMATED COMPANY PRODUCT | RATING | PRICE CONTACT PROS CONS Acer FP 563 69% = | S549 888/723-2238, Good value; bright; great text quality: Confusing controls. Peripherals wwwacer‘com good viewing-angle range. AG Neovo SBV 40% | $599 866/246-3686, ‘S-Video port; good highlight detail; Heavy text; slightly over wwwneovo-usa.com _| attractive design. saturated images. Eizo Nanao Flexscan | 09@ | $749 ‘800/800-5202, Good overall image quality. Hard-to-tind controls. 1350 wwwelzo.com Envision EN-5100e « | #99$ = | S449 510/770-0468, Offers good performance for its price; No extras; stripped-down Peripherals wwwepius.com bright; great image quality. feature set. liyama Procite |99@ | s785 ‘800/394-4335, Powered USB hub; pivot feature. ‘Subtle vertical stripes in light TXA 381 ‘wwvw.iiyama.com regions; expensive. NEC-Mitsubishi | 1530V $90 =| S549 800/632-4662, Good controls, price, and image quality. _| Minimal feature set. ‘www.necmitsubishi.com Planar PTIsON | #v2 | $399 866/752-6271, Least expensive in our roundup. Confusing on-screen display and www.planar.com controls: green color shift related to viewing angle. Princeton LeDIS tn $47 800/747-6249, Decent controls; inexpensive. Poor image quality; soft text. Graphic Systems worwprgrcom Samsung SyncMaster | $¢$¢ $799 800/726-7864, Integrated TV tuner; multiple video ports; | Expensive; loses detail in 150MP www.samsung.com 400d image quality; attractive design, _| highlights. Sharp LUTISHA 990% =| S649 800/237-4277, Ambient-light sensor; excellent color USB hub lacks flexibility. www.sharp-business.com | quality; bright. Sony Multiscan | @9@¥2 | $800 800/571-7669, ‘Sleek design; ambient-light and user- Expensive; muted colors. N50 www.sonystyle.com detection sensors; dual inputs; good video playback. ViewSonic VEISOm 90% = | S479 800/688-6688, Good price; easy-to-use controls. Middle-of-the-road performance. ‘www.viewsonic.com 30 September 2001 www.macworld.com ST — soem we kine =, Sewctat guidelines sn than EME with todayy wR hich corres Wh today's typical apc SaTesPonM cations and bi] Sm aa CP Pir es my Upgrading your memory doesn't have to be complicated. You need Crucial RAM. Select your system make and model at Crucial.com, and youll fnd memory guaranteed to be compatible with your system or your money back. I's that easy! Best of all, you'll get the same top-quality memory the world's leading computer makers install in their systems, Visit Crucial.com and get great memory upgrades at low, factory-direct prices. $ 69 128MB PC100 SDRAM for today’s most popular systems Price reflects an automatic 10* discount for ordering online. Price was taken on 6/25/01 from Crucial’s Web site; however, prices can (and do) change daily. Prices may vary according to specific system requirements. Order on : Tu C la www.crucial.com TRCIEREOMEGIGRY or call toll-free 1-888-363-3082 a Deveson of Micon The Memory Experts uy SMOIAd) DVD Studio Pro 1.0 Professional DVD-Authoring Tool Breaks Price Barrier BY CHRISTOPHER BREEN pple has in recent years released a series of respectable multi- media applications meant for amateur and professional users: iMovie and iTunes for video and audio dabblers, and Final Cut Pro for video professionals. Now it has released an application targeting the professional DVD-authoring crowd—DVD Studio Pro 1.0. Given the program’s power and the fact that it’s priced thousands of dollars less than hardware-based, Mac-compatible DVD-authoring. products, DVD Studio Pro has every likelihood of becoming another Apple multimedia staple. Like the Pros Like its entry-level sibling, iDVD (Reviews, July 2001), DVD Studio Pro creates DVDs compatible with most home DVD players, but these discs have more in common with those you find at Blockbuster than with those cre- ated by iIDVD—you can create DVDs with as many as 99 separate tracks, and each track can have as many as eight video angles, eight discrete sound- tracks, and 32 subtitle streams. DVD Studio Pro supports variable bit-rate encoding, so you can record more than two hours of high-quality video per disc (iDVD limits you to one hour). DVD STUDIO PRO 1.0 Rating: $886 Pros: Creates professional-looking DVDs without requiring additional hardware; attractively priced. Cons: Interface can be daunting; doesn't support previews of DVDs on external monitor; no Mac OS X support. Company's estimated price: $999 Company: Apple Computer, 800/692- 7753, www.apple.com 32 September 2001 www.macworld.com The program supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios and the NTSC and PAL video standards, You can create DVD-S and -9 discs with compatible recorders, and you can output your material to a digital linear tape drive for delivery to a DVD-mastering house. How It Works DVD Studio Pro doesn’t require encod- ing hardware—just a Power Mac G4 with an Apple-supplied AGP graphics card. You encode video source material via the included QuickTime MPEG Encoder codec and convert audio files into DVD-com- patible Dolby Digital (AC-3) format using the bundled A.Pack app. You then bring the encoded source material into the main app: the Graph- ical View window shows how the components of your DVD project are linked, the Project View window lists the components, Property Inspector displays the settings for selected items, and Preview Mode lets you audition project elements. The program does not support previews on an external monitor. Putting It All Together Assembling a project requires the cre- ation of tracks—each one including video, audio, and subtitle assets, as well as markers. To add assets, just drag them from the Assets window into a track. Linking tracks and but- tons can be more difficult and time- consuming—you may have to con- figure scores of pop-up menus in the Property Inspector window. Creating your project’s interface may be harder still. DVD Studio Pro doesn’t supply assistants or menu tem- plates; instead, you have to create inter- face elements in Photoshop and save them as layers. One shouldn’t expect a pro app like this to offer much hand- holding, but part of its intended audi- ence may resent having to become adept at Photoshop and DVD Studio Pro. Other potential users—those who have installed Mac OS X—may resent the fact that the program requires Mac OS 9.0.4 or 9.1. Property Management DVD Studio Pro's Property Inspector (right) is the gateway to your DVD's settings. Macworld's Buying Advice Despite its sometimes overwhelming interface and failure to support project previews on an external monitor, DVD Studio Pro earns its place among its creditable Apple kin. Priced far more affordably than the competition, it also doesn’t require that you buy special MPEG-encoding hardware. If you want to create professional-looking DVDs without breaking the bank, DVD Studio Pro is the tool to use. m Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio Multimedia Authoring Tool Takes a Leap into 3-D Worlds BY PHILLIP KERMAN ultimedia authoring tools have it rough—they need to sup- port every new media type that comes along. Macromedia’s Director lets you import any popular media—including, as of version 8.5, 3-D models—and write scripts that specify how the media will animate or interact with viewers. Although 3-D support is the program’s flashiest addition, Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio’s sup- port for Real Media and Flash 5 con- tent may be a more practical feature. A 3-D World Wide Web Director’s theater metaphor involves importing media (such as images and sounds), turning them into cast mem- bers, placing them on a stage (the viewing area), and writing scripts for them to perform. You can export your assembled movie as a stand-alone application (a projector) or as a Shock- wave movie viewable on the Web via the free Shockwave Player. (To create projectors that run on PCs, you'll need the Windows version of Director.) Director’s new 3-D capabilities allow viewers to inspect 3-D objects from any angle and to play games fea- Planet of the 3-D Models Director now supports 3-D media, but its modeling tools limit you to simple shapes such as these. turing real-time collisions, But this 3-D technology is different because the graphics stream over the Internet and take advantage of the acceleration provided by modern video cards. Though Director lets you display and synchronize 3-D media, you'll need a separate 3-D-modeling pro- gram to do the creating. Sadly, no modeling programs for the Mac cur- rently let you export models in the Shockwave 3D format. Most popular modeling packages (on all platforms) will support this new format soon; in the meantime, you’ll need to create models in Windows, using Discreet’s 3ds max or Caligari’s trueSpace. Making Director Behave To script your movie, you can use Director’s Lingo programming lan- guage or you can simply drag and drop prebuilt behaviors ‘onto cast members placed on a stage. Version 8.5’s 23 new 3-D behaviors, added to the exist- ing library of 100 behaviors, let you program 3-D interac- tions—fly-throughs, rotating objects, and camera move- ments—without programming. Of course, creating sophis- ticated movies requires pro- gramming skill. The good news is, Lingo has been expanded to allow complete control of the 3-D environment, although DIRECTOR 8.5 SHOCKWAVE STUDIO Rating: $$$ Pros: Supports 3-D graphics; new behaviors make programming easier; supports Flash 5 and Real Media. Cons: Doesn't run in Mac OS X; some recently added features still not refined. Company's estimated price: $1,199; upgrade from version 8.0, $199 Company: Macromedia, 800/326-2128, www.macromedia.com programming in 3-D is much more difficult than using behaviors. Version 8.5’s emphasis on 3-D comes at the expense of other needed improvements. Director 8.0 intro- duced a new interface, as well as sev- eral new features, including imaging Lingo (for pixel-level manipulation of graphics) and sound controls. Macro- media doesn’t seem to have given pri- ority to updating or revising those features, though it did squash many related bugs. To Macromedia’s credit, it added support for Flash 5 and Real Media. You also get updated versions of Fire- works and Multiuser Server, which now allows as many as 2,000 simulta- neous users and includes new features such as server-side scripting and mul- tithreading for better performance. Macworld’s Buying Advice Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio’s new features are limited to support for new media types, and it’s not yet Carbon- ized (although it’s stable in Mac OS X’s Classic mode). But if you want to include 3-D models, Flash 5 movies, or Real Media content in your multi- media projects, this upgrade is well worth its minimal cost. m www.macworld.com September 2001 33 uy ® = ® = wn uy SMBdIAD Stone Studio A Suite of Strange Tools Meets the Strange World of Mac OS X BY DEKE McCLELLAND onsidering that Mac OS X is based in part on OpenStep tech- nologies that Apple acquired from Next, it’s not surprising that one of the first software packages created using Apple’s Cocoa development environment likewise stems from OpenStep. The package in question, Stone Studio, is a collection of seven print and Web production programs (also available separately) that run the gamut from art creation to client invoicing. Although new to the Mac, some of these applications made their debut on the Next platform more than a decade ago. Perhaps asa result, the competent but prosaic Stone Studio feels less like the latest trend in graph- ics software and more like a run-of- the-mill port from another platform. New Ways to Create At Stone Studio’s core is Create 10.1, a vector-based drawing program. Though less robust than its version number might imply—both Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia FreeHand offer several times as many features— Create does have a few tricks up its sleeve. Document-level layers serve as master pages, allowing you to add type and graphics to several pages at once. An object can comprise multiple STONE STUDIO Rating: $68 Pros: Wide range of capabilities; excels at converting documents to PDF and generating HTML photo albums. Cons: Drawing application ignores tried-and-true Mac conventions; lacks context-sensitive pop-up menus. Company's estimated price: $299 Company: Stone Design, 505/345- 4800, www.stone.com 34 September 2001 www.macworld.com fills and strokes, which in turn can contain a mix of opaque and translu- cent colors. And unlike Illustrator and FreeHand, Create lets you animate transformation effects, such as move- ment and rotation. The program then passes the frames to GIFfun, another program in the suite, which con- Money handles job tracking and invoicing; and SliceAndDice can sub- divide an image into an HTML table or image map. My favorite, PhotoTo- Web, generates a slide show or HTML photo album from a folder of images (see www.macworld.com/2001s/ reviews/0713-phototoweb.html). Stone Studio’s best and worst attri- bute is its reliance on OS X. If you’re already using the new system, Stone Studio gives you not only enough good features to warrant its price, but also a feel for the way native OS X applica- tions behave. Sadly, until a host of OS X-savvy applications, font managers, verts the artwork to an animated GIF file. The process is so fluid, you scarcely notice that you’re moving between applications. One gets the feeling that despite Stone Studio’s exhaustive support for OS X, its creators have little idea what today’s artists expect from a graphics program. Traditional editing and navigation shortcuts go unobserved, the type tool lets you create text but not edit it, and there’s no such thing as a context-sensitive pop-up menu. In short, it makes the already unfamiliar environment of OS X feel more alien than ever. Brave New Tools If that doesn’t bother you, then other programs in the suite may appeal to your frontier spirit. For example, PStill lets you convert EPS and PostScript documents into PDFs, which can be viewed inside OS X as easily as raw text. You can even convert Illustrator and FreeHand documents that use standard Type 1 Mac fonts. PackUp- AndGo compresses files; TimeEquals- Different Strokes Create 10.1's answer to the eye- dropper: load an image into the Colors palette, lift a color from it, and assign it as part of a fill or stroke. and drivers appear, OS 9.1 will remain the more practical environment for professional designers. Macworld's Buying Advice The first design program written exclusively for Mac OS X is likely to seem as foreign to Macintosh users as the new system itself. Even so, the reasonable price and wide range of tools make this an attractive suite for designers on the prowl for native OS X applications. m QuickTime Pro 5.0 Multimedia Architecture Improves Streaming and AppleScript Support BY JIM HEID n the cusp of its tenth birthday, Apple’s multimedia platform has turned 5: QuickTime 5.0 is now available for Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, and Windows. The new version improves audio and video authoring and playback for everyone from broadcast professionals and Web publishers to Internet and iMovie users. As a streaming platform for the Internet, QuickTime still has some disadvan- tages that Microsoft’s Windows Media and RealNetworks’ RealSystem don’t, but this version narrows the gap. As with previous versions, Apple is distributing two flavors of Quick- Time 5: a free version that simply plays media, and the $30 QuickTime Pro, which allows authoring and lets you save downloaded QuickTime movies to your hard drive. I tested the Pro version, but unless otherwise noted, everything in this review applies to both versions. Better in Every Way QuickTime 5’s improvements include an enhanced DV codec, which dra- matically improves image quality and speeds rendering, and virtual-reality technology that now allows cubic panoramas, which let users look up and down as well as left and right— More Than One Way to Skin a Movie The two movies at left are wearing a QuickTime 5 media skin; the movie at right is playing in the QuickTime Player window. like Internet Pictures’ iPix but without the inferior image quality and expen- sive licensing requirements. Alas, nei- ther Apple’s QuickTime VR Authoring Studio nor VR Toolbox’s VR Worx can create cubic panoramas yet. QuickTime Pro now lets develop- ers wrap movies in custom frames called media skins. A media skin can be a simple graphic that replaces the standard QuickTime Player window, or it can contain clickable buttons cre- ated in Totally Hip Software’s Live- Stage Pro or Macromedia’s Flash. (Skinned movies won't play in Quick- Time 4 or earlier versions.) Speaking of Flash, QuickTime movies can now include Flash 4 con- tent. Though Flash is at version 5, Flash 4 support lets developers give QuickTime movies interactive features, QuickTime 5 also offers greatly enhanced AppleScript support. The QuickTime Web site offers more than 100 scripts that do everything from writing HTML that embeds QuickTime movies to creating a QuickTime slide show from a folder of still images. Most scripts require QuickTime Pro, however, and aren’t compatible with the Mac OS X version. A Better Internet Player Version 5’s QuickTime Player is dramatically improved, with QUICKTIME PRO 5.0 Rating: 6669 Pros: Greatly improved player; enhanced authoring features; skip protection. Cons: Inferior streaming-audio and -video quality. Company's estimated price: $30 Company: Apple Computer, 800/692- 7753, www.apple.com a cleaner, more straightforward inter- face. The Pro version adds controls for video brightness, contrast, and tint. To improve the playback quality of streaming (versus downloaded) content, QuickTime S offers skip- protection features—it preloads and caches incoming data to reduce dropouts caused by Internet conges- tion and transmission vagaries. But these features require that content providers use the new QuickTime Streaming Server 3, and most don’t. Compared with the latest stream- ing codecs from Microsoft and Real- Networks, QuickTime’s deliver infe- rior audio and video quality. There’s hope, though: some third-party com- panies are working on new streaming codecs for QuickTime, and Quick- Time 5’s new updating mechanism enables it to receive and install codecs as they become available. Macworld's Buying Advice Although QuickTime still falls short of competing streaming-media tech- nologies, it remains the platform of choice for delivering downloadable movies. This is the best QuickTime release to date, and the Pro version— with its video-quality controls, Apple- Script support, and enhanced author- ing features—is the best reason yet to upgrade from the free package. m www.macworld.com September 2001 35 uy d SWILYOINO BBE uy ® s ® = u CineStream 3.0 EditDV Gets Better Editing Features, Web Support, and a New Name BY JIM HEID ack in the last millennium, a company called Radius released EditDV, the first video-editing program designed specifically for the DV format. Radius changed its name to Digital Origin and was subsequently bought by Media 100, which has updated EditDV and renamed it CineStream. Got all that? Don’t sweat it. ‘What matters is that a first-rate pro- gram has been updated—and that video producers deciding between Adobe’s Premiere and Apple’s Final Cut Pro have a third alternative. Cine- Stream doesn’t have Premiere’s tight Adobe-family ties or Final Cut Pro’s sophisticated compositing features, and it has a few rough edges. But it also offers some advantages over its competitors, and—although it’s likely to be less popular—it’s too good a program to dismiss. Same Face, New Features CineStream’s interface resembles those of other video editors. The pro- gram stores video clips and imported media in folderlike bins, a Monitor window previews clips and edits, and a Sequencer window displays a time- line and editing tools. Although the interface seems less cluttered than those of Premiere and Final Cut Pro CINESTREAM 3.0 Rating: $$$ 1/2 Pros: Efficient interface; slick Web- interactivity features; cool effects. Cons: Incompatible with Apple DV extensions; can't use Premiere or After Effects plug-ins. Company's estimated price: $499; upgrade, $149 Company: Media 100, 800/773-1770, www.medial00.com 36 September 2001 www.maeworld.com (Reviews, May 2001 and July 2001, respectively), it has all the features necessary for efficient editing. And it’s fast: in my tests on a 667MHz Power Mac Gé4, a S-second cross-dissolve that took 106 seconds to render in Premiere 6 took 41 seconds in Cine- Stream (but just 21 sec- onds in Final Cut Pro 2). With CineStream 3.0, Media 100 has brought some major enhancements to EditDV 2.0 (Reviews, October 2000). You can now divide a project into multiple sequences, each with its own timeline. And there are other new fea- tures, including a History window with multiple lev- els of undo, a pan-and- scan effect that lets you import and pan across large graphics, and a scene-detection tool that cap- tures each DV-tape shot as a separate video clip. And CineStream supports Media 100’s EventStream technology, giving movies Web interactivity. Doesn't Play Well with Others CineStream is unique among soft- ware-only video editors in that it uses its own DV codec. That isn’t a bad thing; the problem is, the codec is incompatible with Apple’s FireWire DV Enabler extension, required for capturing video with Final Cut Pro, Premiere, and Apple’s iMovie. Cine- Stream users who also use other DV software will have to make frequent trips to the Extensions Manager to switch between Media 100’s DV extensions and Apple’s. CineStream can’t use effects plug- in modules designed for Premiere or Adobe’s After Effects. Fortunately, it includes all the common transitions and effects as well as some uncommon and very cool ones. And, like Final Cut Pro and Premiere, CineStream isn’t compatible with Mac OS X. Media 100 hasn’t yet decided whether to deliver an OS X version. Diving into CineStream A clean, efficient interface makes the program well-suited to long-form video projects. Macworld's Buying Advice CineStream’s closest competitor is Premiere 6, and the two are engaged in a tug-of-war for market share. Pre- miere offers tight integration with Adobe’s other products, support for third-party plug-ins, and audio filters and a real-time mixer for excellent sound, But CineStream is better suited to long projects, with its support for multiple sequences, and its Web-inter- activity features are superior for online publishing. These advantages make CineStream a versatile workhorse for video storytelling. m inrrovucineZOMESS: UP TO 20GB OF REMOVABLE STORAGE. It’s fast (up to 15MB per second with FireWire’). it’s portable (take it between home and work). It's spacious (can back up an entire hard drive). It’s flexible (USB and FireWire* compatible). it’s Peerless. 2 | Copyright ©2001 omega Corporation, All rights reserved, ToLtt FREE 1-866-794-7690 WWW.IOMEGA.COM Peerless SURPRISINGLY VERSATILE. INFINITELY EXPANDABLE. The company that practically invented