Today's Apple event
We weren’t going to post about Apple’s Back to the Mac event, assuming it would be irrelevant to iOS devices… we were wrong! Like never before, Apple are converging their two platforms to bring the user experiences and capabilities closer together. FaceTime for Mac launches today in beta form (yay!), iLife ’11 goes on sale today with a new version of iPhoto that very closely resembles the Photos app on iPad, and an App Store for Mac with the same one-click-install and home screen icons as iOS is coming within the next 90 days. Keep reading for the details.
FaceTime for Mac
Possibly the most exciting and immediate development for iPhone 4 / iPod touch 4G owners is the launch of FaceTime for Mac which is available right now in beta form. FaceTime for Mac is a whole new application, not a direct replacement for iChat but seeing as nothing has been mentioned of iChat, our guess is that it will slowly dwindle away and FaceTime will fully replace it.
This is the first time that a true cross-platform video calling app has been available meaning that Mac owners can talk to their friends and family on iOS devices and vice versa. It’s a pity that no Windows version has been announced but you can’t blame Apple for wanting to keep the Mac as inviting as possible for that massive iOS user base. Having said that, as FaceTime is an ‘open’ platform we wouldn’t be surprised if it makes an appearance in a 3rd party application on Windows in the not-too-distant future.
App Store for Mac coming
Further down the track but just as exciting is the announcement of an App Store for Mac which is based very heavily on its iOS counterpart. Jobs promises the same buying, installing and user experience with full-screen, resuming apps that can even live on your homescreen in a layout almost identical to iOS, right down to the folders. It’s unclear at this stage whether we will be able to use the same apps as those on the iPhone / iPad but it’s a great concept that we can’t wait to try out. The App Store for Mac will run on the existing version of Mac OS X Snow Leopard and will be out within 90 days. As an aside, we predicted something along these lines back in March in an opinion-piece – interesting to see how close to the mark my terrible Photoshop job was!
Look familiar? The new iPhoto
As part of this round-up we thought we’d take a quick look at iLife ’11. Now you may be wondering why when we are predominatly an iOS site… well iLife ’11 integrates with your iOS devices and now looks and feels more and more like the apps that you find on your iDevice.
It would appear that iWeb and iDVD didn’t make it into the new iLife, there was no mention of them from the event and there is no mention of them on the iLife 11 site. (Okay so iWeb and iDVD are part of iLife ’11, but don’t appear to have been updated). Interestingly these two haven’t found their way to iOS, because they probably couldn’t, but iPhoto (Photos app) and iMovie (iMovie app) have and we are pretty sure GarageBand will be on it’s way soon, afterall the iPad would be the perfect device for it.
iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand have all had major overhauls and iPhoto now very closely resembles the Photos app on your iPad from the icons, to the album ‘stack’ icons and the new slideshow themes.
Here’s a bit of a breakdown of some of the new things they can do:
- Full-screen views in iPhoto make distractions disappear, so you see what matters: your photos.
- Projects view in iPhoto displays all your photo books and cards for quick, easy access.
- Easy-to-use tools in iPhoto let you make edits with one click and add effects in full-screen view.
- Home video goes Hollywood with easy-to-create movie trailers in iMovie.
- If you can drag and drop, you can make a movie in iMovie. And edit audio, too.
- “How Did I Play?” in GarageBand lets you test your skills while you learn how to play guitar or piano.
- With Groove Matching and Flex Time, GarageBand helps you make a great-sounding song
iLife ’11 is available via the Apple Online Store from today and retails for just $99. If you’ve bought a Mac on or after October 1st, it’s yours for $15. iLife ’11 will be included on Macs sold from today onwards.
Apple also announced a new version of OS X (Lion) and a new MacBook Air, but we’ll leave those to the usual sources such as Engadget and Gizmodo.
So… what’s on your shopping list? Grabbing the FaceTime beta? Ordering iLife ’11 this morning? Counting down to the App Store for Mac? Let us know what you think of these developments in the comments.
Nice round up guys. I got up and watched the event this morning purely out of habit really and wasn’t expecting to much ground breaking stuff or stuff that interested me personally but I was wrong!
FaceTime for Mac was the choice announcement for me and with immediate availability! Got it installed on Mac now but haven’t had chance to test it yet, waiting for a few UK pals to install and I will test iPhone to Mac FaceTime call later.
I am a big iPhoto user so the improvements and new features were greatly received by me.
Very disappointed iWeb didn’t get a mention / update as I use this a lot. Looks like this may dwindle out. I hope not though. I wouldn’t be without my MobileMe membership but if iWeb and web hosting dwindles away that will be a big feature of MobileMe gone and I am pretty sure the price won’t come down. I just checked the iLife 11 site and iWeb looks like it is still included and there is a link at the bottom “See What’s New in iWeb 11″ but as far as I can see nothing new. If there were improvements I am sure they would have been mentioned.
So excited for OS X 10.7 Lion, looks like they have the iOS and OS X blend perfect, certainly looks like the best of both worlds.
I’m due for a new Macbook but was holding off until I had seen the Macbook Air, now that I have I will still be getting a MBP and not an Air, the new air is very nice but my Macbook is pretty much my full time computer and a Macbook Air just isn’t going to cut it, the MBP iPad combo suits my needs better but I am sure the Air will sell.
FaceTime installed and I will buy iLife 11 later today. Other than that it’s the big wait for 10.7
(Paul has made 337 comments)
I was happy with the distinct difference between OSX and iOS..
The new launchpad is pretty redundant, most people have their most used apps sitting on the dock and for other apps just use finder, spotlight or the likes of quicksilver to run it so it’s just another useless feature imo.
Fullscreen apps, isn’t that against apple’s philosophy in that it’s a “primitive” way of working. Quite ironic really.
Mission control is just expose renamed.
App store, boring.
All in all how this justifies a new operating system is beyond me, but that’s apple for you. The more OSX tracks towards becoming like iOS is when I stop using macs all together.
(raab has made 24 comments)
I suspect the new Launchpad is probably aimed at non-power users who don’t use third party quick-launchers – the same people the iPad is aimed at probably. I really like the sound of it.
I am SO glad that the app store is coming out of iTunes into its own app, sounds much better.
And finally, redownloadable apps! Hurrah!
I’m looking forward to the new look Mac OS, I really love the look and feel of iOS.
(Bebe has made 15 comments)
I’m looking forward to the FaceTime for Mac.
Can anybody please explain to me how that works over WiFi?
It uses your contacts, I know that, but which part?
The phone number? Will be expensive to ring overseas!
Skype address?
Or do you have to have MobileMe which I haven’t.
To expensive.
Some of this stuff is just a little to technical for me.
(Tulip has made 35 comments)
@ Tulip:
FaceTime for Mac is out now — give it a try!
(Steve Lawrence has made 648 comments)
The app store could have huge ramifications to the home programmer tinkerer.
If they lock it up like the mobile apps, and they probably will, it will cost an annual fee to run your own programs or fiddle with programming. It will go mainly to professional programmers or people who don’t mind paying for programs they write themselves.
(falcogeorge has made 13 comments)
Checking the iWeb page at Apple; even though you see “iLife ’11″ at the top of the page, it still says “iWeb ’09″. On the sales page in the Apple Store, only iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band have the “NEW FEATURES” icon next to them. So iWeb and iDVD are going to be stuck at the ’09 versions for a while, I guess.
http://www.technologiez.net/2010/10/20/apple-ilife-11-with-updated-imovie-11/
(jennifersydney has made 1 comment)