AAUG Reviews

by Steve Nigl, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

The Griffin AirBase is an accessory stand for Apple’s AirPort Express portable WiFi base station.

Apple makes the AirPort Express as simple and portable as possible. The Express plugs directly into a wall outlet (as you would a PowerBook’s AC adaptor brick). You then connect your internet source via ethernet cable, and a printer and music speakers via USB and 3.5mm jacks respectively. It has one multicolor status light showing the AirPort’s readiness and network activity. The downside is that wall outlets are not always at the best height or orientation to facilitate optimal Wifi reception. Additionally, if the wall outlet is hidden behind furniture, the status light can be obscured.

Like many Apple products, the Airport Express boasts artful, elegant industrial design. Griffin Technology’s AirBase is the perfect compliment to the AirPort Express. It’s design and craftsmanship rivals Apple’s and it integrates seamlessly with the Express. To use: simply pull-off the Express’s AC prong module, and slide the Express into the AirBase’s socket. (more…)

by Steve Nigl, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

People milling about with white ear buds. You see them on the street. In the coffee shop. At work and school. If you have ever wondered about the appeal of the iPod, or wanted to know what it’s like to be in the inside of this new sub-culture - to ‘get it’; then, boy do I have the book for you! “The Cult of iPod” explores every facet of the iPod experience. Leander Kahney is an editor at Wired News. His new book, ‘The Cult of iPod’ culls the best information from his blog of the same name.

Before I get into the content of this book, I must take a moment to comment on the beautiful aesthetic design of the book itself, and it’s themed layout. The outer corners of the book are rounded - mimicking the curved corners of the full-sized iPod. The table of contents is presented in graphics resembling the iTunes interface. Nice. On the back cover, you will find a small caption inside a box with rounded corners, reading “160PP”. Turn over an actual iPod and you will find it’s capacity (20GB, etc.) printed on it’s back in the same fashion. Finally, as you flip through the pages, notice a printed battery icon in the margin going from full to empty in flip-book fashion. It is clear that Mr. Kahney wanted to lavish as much attention to detail in his book as Apple has in it’s legendary iPod line. (more…)

by Dave Enders, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

The book starts off with some simple modifications the author calls either hacks, modifications or customizations of the latest version of Mac OS X Tiger. I liked the way the book progressed from tasks that just about any user can perform to advanced tasks best suited to everyday programmers or extreme hobbyist. I liked the way each chapter starts out with a bullet of each topic to be covered. This makes it very easy to the reader to decide if this chapter is of interest to them. The illustrations in the book are large and clear to ensure that easily read and understood.

As I mentioned at the start of the article , the book is current with Apple’s latest release of OS X , so the book addresses SpotLight , Widgets and Automator. These are a few of the neat new usable features of OS X.

The book is broken into three parts which encompasses 22 chapters good stuff. (more…)

by Gerrit H. Dalman, AAUG Member
Reviewed November 2005

The internet is full of links asking your to download videos, Stuffit archives, disk images, and more. Handling such files is usually the responsibility of your favorite web browser’s download manager - but all are not equal. If yours seems insufficient, you’re probably in the market for a dedicated manager like Speed Download.

Most browsers - Safari in particular - have limited download windows. They are useful for seeing what files have been downloaded recently and observing the progress of current transfers, but little more. While this is sufficient for the most casual of users, any serious web surfer will eventually want something more.

Speed Download is more. It will handily replace the existing downloads window in Safari, Firefox, and most other popular Macintosh browsers (even simultaneously) and with it you can monitor, pause, resume, and search all of your downloads. Files can be added directly to the queue by URL and can be scheduled to take place at a specific time if you’re too busy to deal with them as you find them. (more…)

by Gerrit Dalman, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

Since my initial review of OmniGroup’s standout product line, they have updated all of their productivity apps. Perhaps the most substantial improvements can be found in OmniGraffle and OmniGraffle Professional version 4!

In my original review I declared OmniGraffle “best in class,” and it has only gotten better. I believe it’s the best diagramming application available on any platform. It’s a feature-rich application for brainstorming, serious flow-charting, and even drawing.

By taking advantage of several Mac-only technologies and interface elements, OmniGroup offers an app that, though heavy-duty, is so sleek it seems too accessible to be a major pro title. But don’t let their clever work fool you. It more than stands up to the competition, yet it’s extremely fun to use. (more…)

by Steve Nigl, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

Podcasting. The hobby or profession of blogging in downloadable audio. It is, of this writing, about one year old and has taken the internet by storm. A year ago there were a couple dozen podcasting pioneers; now the podcasters number over ten thousand. The first generation podcaster had to learn the trade by trial and error. The school of hard knocks (to coin another cliché). For the aspiring would-be podcaster in late 2005, written guides are now starting to appear. Jack Harrington’s Podcasting Hacks is one such resource. What is a podcast? How do I listen? How do I become a podcaster? Can I podcast with equipment that I already own? Which mic’s are recommended? Mixers? How to I upload the podcast to a server? What is RSS? How do I combat bandwidth costs? How do I structure a format for my show? Can I make money at podcasting? This book answers these questions. It provided answers to questions that had never even occurred to me (after having ready another book on this subject!). Mr. Harrington even outlines how to build a home studio and make your own TelePrompTer!

As with other books in O’Reilly’s “hacks” series, this guide is not so much a book written for ‘hackers’ as a resource providing valuable shortcuts from lessons learned. (more…)

by Shannon Weiss,vAAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

I’ve used Toast for quite a while, but didn’t make the upgrade from 5 to 6 because I didn’t hear great things about 6 and Apple’s Burn worked pretty well for most of my simpler needs.

I did, however, fine it necessary to use Toast 5 for more complicated tasks and struggled through its rather arcane interface. When Toast 7 was announced, I began my normal review process and read everything I could find. What struck me most was the lack of cons the pro reviewers were reporting. That’s always a good sign.

Apple’s Burn function is built right in to the OS, and with Tiger, it too got an overhaul. Data copies and simple backups are easily handled from the Finder, but if you want to build a DVD or Slideshow with music, you need something else. Enter Toast.

Installation is completely Mac. Drag to your Applications folder, double-click to install and follow the very clear instructions. One caveat; if you already have a MyRoxio account, be sure to log in before you register. That was the only bump I experienced in the installation and registration process. (more…)

by AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

I have read many manuals over the years and it’s not a stretch to say that most of them were poorly written and difficult to follow. This is not the case with this book. If you are new to Mac OS X or switching from the Microsoft Windows this book is for you. This book covers all the basics of Mac OS X Tiger in a lighthearted how to style. In addition, this book covers the very basics of iTunes and the iPod. The authors assume that you have some experience with a computer with an earlier version on Mac OS or Microsoft Windows. This book is not for Mac OS X power users because it does not go into much depth or detail on any one subject.

This book is comprised of 395 pages of easy to read text and is divided into 14 chapters. I found the book well organized and could navigate to any topic with ease. The book has hints for Microsoft windows users that are switching to using the Mac. I enjoyed the tips sprinkled throughout the book and found them very helpful. The authors also have recommendations on 3rd party solutions, for example, setting up a wired net working (Apple only sells a wireless network) and software for syncing non-palm PDA with your Mac. The authors also discuss how to sync various devices such as cell phones to your Mac. This guide is not a great reference for Mac SO X because it does not have too much detail. If you want a reference guide I would recommend “The Missing Manual Mac OS X Tiger Edition” from O’Reilly. (more…)

by Lynda McConnell, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

GarageBand 2, The Missing Manual is a guide to the GarageBand 2 software. The software does not come with a printed manual. The book is organized in a way that makes it very “user friendly.”

The introduction explains what can be done in GarageBand (record, edit and playback). There is an explanation of the difference between digital audio and MIDI data. Pogue also notes that GarageBand uses much memory and processor power. He details the “enhancements” that make GarageBand 2 different from GarageBand 1. Pogue also addresses how he organized the book and goes over some simple definitions of basic computer terms and shortcuts for the novice. (more…)

by Elaine V. Robinson, AAUG member
Reviewed 11/2005

I have been a GoLive user since it was known years ago as GoLive CyberStudio.
I am also familiar with the author/host, Lynn Grillo, as I subscribe to the
free GoLive Digest (golive@lists.blueworld.com) and Ms. Grillo is always there
to answer a question or offer helpful advice.

I’ve always been a big fan of the Total Training series of training CD’s and
DVD’s. I own several as I think they are superior in quality and content and
Total Training for Adobe GoLive CS2 certainly doesn’t disappoint. I highly
recommend this training DVD and I’ll explain why. Installation was straightforward
allowing you to choose what you want to install. I installed both the training
application and the supporting project files. QuickTime 5.0.2 or higher is
necessary and it is also suggested that you have an internet connection. You
can follow along with Lynn and do the exercises as most people learn best visually
and "hands on".

(more…)