Macgasm

Apple has come up with a new strategy and cost saving maneuver for those users who have a capable Mac that can support being upgraded to Leopard.  They’ve introduced the Mac Box Set.  This three part suite includes iLife ’09, iWork ’09, and Leopard 10.5.6.  The price for this little treasure trove is $169 for the single user pack, and $229 for the family pack.  They will be available in ‘Late January’ (read January 30th or 31st).  Probably more like the 30th, since it’s a Tuesday.

If you were to price each of these out separately it would cost you $287 for the single user pack and $397 for the family pack.  So you will be saving a significant amount when you buy the box set.

For those who are on the fence about buying it, it is well worth the cost.  However, it does bring a couple of things to mind since it is 40% off the cost of buying each individually.

How is Apple able to sell the Box Set so cheaply?  The answer is quite simple – they do not make that much, if anything, from the software.  Their entire profits are in the hardware.  The margins on the hardware for the quarter ending in September 2008 were around 34% on hardware.  So, making 34% for hardware alone allows Apple to sell the software cheaper, or even at a loss in order to gain hardware sales.

The second thing that I got to thinking is that they are probably going to do this with OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Why some ask?  Well, I’ve thought about this too and this is what I’ve determined.  OS X Snow Leopard isn’t as significant of an upgrade, visually, as 10.5 Leopard was to 10.4 Tiger.  So, in order to sell the upgrade, they’ll need an additional mechanism to generate sales.  This will be one mechanism to do so.

Third thing that got me pondering is whether they are going to offer this type of deal with more of their products.  This one is anybody’s guess.  I’d like to see more deals like this coming from Apple.  The key with any Mac is that it’s not necessarily the hardware that makes the computer super-appealing. It’s the software.  Anybody can make a computer, but software is an art form.

The final thought on this topic, from me anyway, is that bundling the software has to make sense.  In this case it does, since iWork ’09 and iLife ’09 both require OS X 10.5 or higher.  This is because they’re taking advantage of the core animation and core video features that are present in Leopard.

Apple could bundle other software packages together.  I’d like to see Quicktime Pro bundled with iLife right off the bat.  Maybe for a total of $89 for both, allowing a break on the price, even if it is minimal.

Overall, the Mac Box Set is a great deal if you’ve been putting off buying OS X Leopard and upgrades to iWork and iLife.  It’s definitely cheaper than buying all of them separately and Apple has added some cool new features.

Just like every other Apple release to date, there comes a whole slew of people pissed off about buying a Mac last week and not getting the newest version of iLife, or even more annoying, the latest version of the hardware.

My take, you should be paying attention to the news cycles if you’re worried about getting screwed. Geesh!

But, Apple seems to be a lot nicer than I am!

They’ve put together an upgrade program for the iLife package for anyone who purchased a Mac in the last couple of days and managed to get “screwed” out of the iLife ’09 update.

iLife ’09, a significant upgrade to Apple’s digital lifestyle applications, features updates to iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iWeb. If you’ve purchased a qualifying computer on or after January 6, 2009, that does not include iLife ’09, you can upgrade to iLife ’09 for US$9.95 plus tax.

Please check back on January 12, 2009, for additional information.

It’s a good thing I’m not running the show. ;)

It’s been a busy week with all the rumours and all the Macworld hype that I somehow missed a press release in my inbox.  Filemaker hit version 10 which is awesome news for me, because I skipped version 9.  Filemaker is a database application that allows you to create all kinds of applications and reports for your business needs.  I’ve developed a couple in my day, and I have to say… it sure blows the doors off of Access.

The program has hand an extensive gui overhaul that is much more intuitive and helps you get your data how you need it when you need it. I’ll reserve more in depth commentary until I’m able to get my hands on it and play around with it for a while.

Everyone has been lamenting the fact that Apple has decided to call it quits on Macworld.  No one really knows why, but I have a sneaking feeling that it has a lot more to do with release schedules than it does anything else.

Macworld has become a Mecca for Apple fans, and the hype seems to grow  every single year.  Pressures mount, and product releases have become expected at every single event.  Media and consumers freak out that Macworld events were letdowns no matter what Apple releases, stock continually takes a post Macworld plunge, and Apple is feeling the continued pressure of focusing their release schedule around an expo more than it is around products being finished.

Does it come as any surprise that on the heels of failed product releases, and mounting pressures for bigger and better products every year, that Apple has decided to take a step back from the event?  Apple needs to get its own house in order before it can put those products into anyone’s house.  It’s smart business.

I’m not saying that Apple’s house is in disarray, but what I am saying is that Apple might be making a move to ensure that products are polished before they decide to announce them to their demanding customers.  Without the spotlight of Macworld looming every year Apple can begin to operate on Apple’s timetable, and not a consumers.  I can’t fault them for that, and I certainly won’t hold it against them if it means that we get more of the flawless and great products that we’ve grown accustomed to previous to the last two years.

Ten million is a big number. So big, in fact, that Apple was only able to convert 8 million of 10 million songs before the announcment of DRM free music at Macworld today (Relax, the rest is coming). iTunes is the pink elephant in the room that is “legal” music downloads, and users have been crying foul that they were being locked in with their music.  Amazon and other companies have gone the no DRM route, and it was only a matter of time before Apple delivered.

There’s a caveat to the good news, but it’s far from a deal breaker.  Tiered payment options of music that’s six years or older, newer than six years, and non-DRM music: 0.69, 0. 99, and 1.49 respectively.   You’ll still be able to update your DRM’d music to non-DRM music using their upgrade tools in iTunes.

Before everyone goes getting their panties in a bunch, and before everyone starts calling out Apple’s price gouging, you should probably know that the price changes probably have a lot more to do with the record labels pushing for tiered downloads than it does Apple trying to gain an extra dollar.

AAC is still the file type of choice.

Phil Schiller announced today at the Macworld Expo that Apple will be shipping iLife ’09. A disproportionately large section of Schiller’s keynote was spent discussing and demoing the new features in iLife ’09. He broke it down into three of the apps: iPhoto, iMovie, and Garageband.

In iPhoto, Phil showed us two new ways of organizing our photos: “Faces” and “Places.” Faces is iPhoto’s face recognition implementation. Use a mix of automation, and manual manipulation to organize all of your friends and family by their faces on a virtual cork-board. Places is essentially a geotagging implementation. It takes the metadata from your GPS-enabled cameras (Like the iPhone), and it places it on a map that is powered by Google. Also included is built-in Flickr and Facebook support, and slideshow themes.

In iMovie, we’re shown the that there is now much more granular editing capabilities. It is now possible to overlay video from one clip with the audio of a second clip without a kludge. We’re also shown brand new effects for your video (Similar to Photobooth), and apparently it renders on the fly. No need to sit and watch a status bar.

In Garageband, we are treated to a new feature called “Learn to Play.” These are videos that will teach basic lessons about how to play an instrument. Besides the basics that it comes with, we will be able to buy additional videos online for $4.99 a pop. These videos are done by famous musicians such as Sting and Norah Jones.

The additions to iLife are fairly substantial. With today’s announcement of a $169 bundle with Leopard and iWork ’09, this is an upgrade you won’t want to miss.

You hear it tossed around all the time, “back up those files, because you’re gonna be screwed if your system crashes.”

I’m anal about my backup scheme, and I would certainly like to think that I’m at the forefront of backup procedures. Outside of purchasing a Drobo, there is very little else I could do. But, like all of you, I took a little too much trust in my backup system, and really failed to check the integrity of the files that I was backing up. This article is going to highlight three major aspects of the backup. First, it will provide you with a detailed list of my scheme, which in theory, should have been sufficient to restore my system. Second, it will highlight a point by point checklist of getting your files prepped for a backup, or in my case, a reinstall of an operating system. Finally, it will provide a quick list of available software to help you in your quest for data redundancy. I have spent the last week getting my files back in working order, and it’s something that you should not have to undergo yourself. Here we go!

The Backup Scheme

My backup scheme consists of three major segments: An image, a versioning system, and an offsite storage. It may seem a bit of overkill, but your data needs to be protected at all costs. These days our computers contain our financials, our memories, our music, and most crucially, our work. Losing one of the above or all will surely be devastating to most people. This is why I rely on a three pronged approach. If it worked for the Allies in WW2 it should work for my Mac, right?

An Image

An image is an exact copy of your drive, and it affords you the ability to boot from if your operating system crashes hard. Everything will be exactly the same, and in the exact same location.

The “image” is probably the most complex part of the backup plan, considering that you’ll never really have to use the data unless your computer goes belly up. Essentially, you’re making an exact copy of your main drive file for file. There are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself before you get to configuring your software.

• The Size of the Drive–The drive you’re going to be using as the “image” or “mirror” needs to have the same amount of space as the drive you want to backup. So, if your drive is 300GB, you’ll need a backup drive that is either equal to, or greater than 300GB
• The type of device that your going to back up too– do you have space in your computer to add an extra drive? Will you need to use an external drive? If you’re going the external route, will you be using a Firewire Drive or a USB drive?

So aside from in or out (withhold your “that’s what she said jokes please!”), it’s between the Inside, Firewire, and USB based drives. They’re listed in order of speed, but it’s important that you ensure that your machine supports the type of drive you’re going with. For me, I decided on a Firewire drive because it’s easy to transport to my “offsite” storage facility (my brothers apt…).

A Versioning System

Have you ever deleted an item on your desktop, emptied the trash, and went “oh, shit!” I do that almost once a month. Sometimes it’s not a big deal, other days I realize I deleted some serious design comps that I forgot to get off the desktop and into the correct files.

This is where versioning comes in handy. If you give yourself the ability to go back in history and get your files and restore them, you’ll be bulletproof. It might be quite obvious that Apple’s Time Machine in Leopard is the perfect tool for the occasion here, and I tend to agree. If there was any major reason to upgrade from Tiger to Leopard…this is it.

Once again, you’ll need another hard drive to use Time Machine, so you might have to go back and check out your options above. Once you’ve gotten through those options again, you need to tweak Time Machine to your liking.

Tweaking Time Machine

I only version the files that mean the most too me at this point. Things like work documents, and personal files. Time Machine gives you the ability to “exclude” certain files from there versioning process, and I utilize it to maximize my archives space. By limiting certain files, we’ll have more drive space, which means that you’ll ultimately be able to go further into the past to get at the files that you’re versioning.

Here’s a quick procedure for excluding certain folders from your Time Machine archive

1. Click on the Apple in your Menu Bar
2. Click on the System Preferences
3. Click on Time Machine
4. Then select the Options button
5. You now have the ability to add to the “do not backup” list. Click the +
6. Navigate to the folder you want to exclude
7. Click the Exclude button

I’ve decided to exclude the following folders to optimize my storage space:

• Applications
• Movies
• Music
• Pictures
• Developer
• All External Drives

Before you get up in arms about my exclusion list, remember that this is my second backup option, and that all of those folders are being completely backed up and “mirrored” on a drive already. Should a catastrophe happen, I will be able to access those files and restore them.

Offsite Storage

The safest backup is the one someone else has to maintain. Theoretically! I’m a freelance designer, so all of my design compositions must be saved at all costs. Losing those files means I’m thrown back into the stone ages, and money will be tight until I can restore them. There is not much of an option, but to ensure that I have a complete failsafe approach to backing up.

I use three offsite solutions to ensure my files are accessible:

1. Storing a drive at someone elses house
2. Storing files on a webserver
3. Using Amazon’s storage service

Using your friends as a storage facility

Think of your data as a spare key. Wouldn’t it be wise to give your neighbor or friend a spare key “just in case?” Sometimes it’s a little overkill, but I’ve been robbed blind in the past, and I can’t afford to have my entire life’s work in the hands of some skeezy teenager looking to pawn off my technology.

I’ve decided that every couple of weeks I give my brother a drive to keep at his house, swapping them out on occasion. It’s worked out well, and gives me peace of mind at night. Hard drives are so cheap these days that this has become the best failsafe solution I can think of to ensure that I’ll have everything intact should douchebags ransack my house.

Web server storage

If you have a website, and some spare space on that server, you might want to consider backing up some documents and essential files on the server, but be warned: Make sure your server is secure, and that your files aren’t available for public viewing. The last thing you need is Google indexing those naughty pics of your girlfriend, or your tax information.

Amazon’s Storage Service

Amazon offers dirt cheap storage solutions. I’ve been using them to back up finished websites, and I get billed under 2 dollars a month. It doesn’t come much cheaper then that. $0.150 per GB for the first 50TBs is a lot cheaper than any other option out there. If you’re serious about your files, you might want to consider this option. Just don’t rely on them fully. Who knows how long the service will be provided, and who knows when they’ll decide to cut everyone off.

The Backup Checklist

I’ve decided to put together a checklist for you to consider before you decide to wipe your machine clean and start a fresh install. I’ve looked over some things in the past, and a checklist has come in really handy

1. Backup Personal Files and User Accounts
2. Backup Email, and get your settings
3. Export Your address book
4. Export your iCal calendars
5. Backup your movies, music, and photos
6. Backup all your personal databases from your finance software, invoicing software, etc
7. Double check your application folder, and figure out what programs need data backed up
8. Make sure you have all your software licenses…really make sure… like… get them all out on the desk.
9. Back up work documents, databases, folders, etc.
10. Triple check your Applications folder and address data backup needs application by application
11. Check you have all your tax information backed up
12. Check the integrity of all your backed up files and drives. You don’t want to go through all this to realize your backed up files are borked
13. Go back to #1 and do the list one more time!

The list may seem like a lot of overkill, but you really need to go through it diligently. You never know what you’ve overlooked the first time. This isn’t a definitive list, but it’s a nice starting point. If I’ve overlooked something, sound off in the comments and I’ll add it. Let’s make this a complete list.

Available Software

• SuperDuper! – Drive Imaging Tool
• CarbonCopyCloner – Drive Imaging Tool
• TimeMachine – File Archiving Tool/ File Restoring Tool
• Amazon S3 – Storage Option
• JungleDisk – S3 application
• Drobo – Backup Robot

Google has decided to compete with iPhoto fully by releasing a full version of Picasa for the Mac.  Of course “full version” these days is synonymous with “beta” and buggy, but it’s better than nothing!  Here’s a video of the application and some of its features.