Apple iLife '05 (Mac)
by Apple Computer
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Software Reviews of Apple iLife '05 (Mac)
Customer Review: It only gets better...and better
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used both Mac and PC computers. I have also used software written for both. There is nothing easier or more intuitive than Apple iLife and '05 is a genuine improvement over '04. You would have to buy several software programs at $400-$600 each to do what iLife can but they will never match iLife or ease, simplicity, and intergration. It doesn't take a lot of computer savvy to maximize iLife and it does most of the work for you - and now even more quickly than ever. Other softwares we have used for loading pictures are slow, hard to manage, and really a pain. If you are looking for a software that allows you to manage your pictures, make movies, post things on the internet, and be able to access them, you will not find a more user-friendly program anywhere.
With iLife, you can edit your pictures. You can order copies with just a click of a button. With just another click, you can e-mail them to anyone in your e-mail address book. Another click you can post them on a web-sight for your friends to see. In addition, you can set your pictures, web sights to your favorite music in iTunes and load them on your iPod and taken them anywhere.
Speaking of iTunes - . if you haven't discovered iTunes yet go to Apple's home page and check it out. iTunes makes it easier and more affordable to buy music. With iTunes you can buy entire albums or only the songs you want from a particular CD. Once down loaded, you can arrange them in any order you want, burn them on your own CD or hook your Mac to your home stereo and listen through you speakers. In addition, whatever music you have in iTunes is easily used in iPhoto, iDVD or the other applications iLife and is fully intergrated with iWork. You will not be disappointed with iLife unless you love to spend tons of money for three or four different software programs that will not work together as seamlessly as iLife.
Customer Review: Create incredible new media - headache free!
Summary: 5 Stars
I really cannot believe how much iLife does for such a small price. Read that sentence again because it would be a shame for you to miss that concept. I would pay $200 for Garageband alone. But for under half that price you actually get 5 elegant, easy to use apps. And you WILL use them once you start playing around. iLife is reason enough to buy a Mac.Customer Review: Cooler than me, but thats not saying much
Summary: 4 Stars
iLife... it's hard to critique iLife because to me most of the applications are frivolous and fun and not much more... however, each shares a few common traits:
(caveat: I only use iPhoto, Garageband, and iTunes)
1) They are all very easy to use
2) They are all MUCH faster than previous versions
3) They are, relatively speaking, inexpensive
However, Tunes, awesome as it may be, is free to download on its own. Garageband is very cool... it allowed me to satisfy a mini-mid-life-crisis and drag the old electric bass out of the closet... but is it good for much else? iPhoto is cool - and well integrated with iWork (which I recommend highly, btw). In addition, iPhoto's book-making ability is better. Much better.
So, while I question why *I* own iLife, I have to say they are some top-notch applications. Why only 4 stars? Because GarageBand has faux wood. I mean, Faux wood? What were they thinking?
EDIT 1: After using iLife for a few months, I recently enjoyed some of the updates to iPhoto's book tools, which now allow you to actually build a photo album that prints on both sides and has much more fluid and intuitive photo editing (from within the book screens). Worthy of another half a star for that I think...
EDIT 2: I recently got tasked with creating a radio-show, and went to the Apple Store for advice on what to use for audio editing equipment and software. They looked at me like I had two heads and said "um... Garageband?" Sure enough, this app was able to do absolutely everything that I needed, such as record audio from a microphone or via a phone interview (although you do need some extra hardware for that), mix in background music and FX, and export the whole thing to an MP3. Its easy to create background music for ambience using the included loops (which are royalty free) which saved another headache. It was perhaps unfair to judge this application originally solely based upon its regrettable faux-wood exterior. To bad there's no way to change the star rating, because now that I've used Garageband and now how powerful it is, iLife definitely gets 5 stars from me. In fact, it's worth the price of admission on its own.
Customer Review: Why can't all software work like this?
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great suite of software. Each component is best-in-class, and taken together, they constitute a real value for your money. I haven't used the iDVD component, but the others are very simple and intuitive to use. I'd used iPhoto and iTunes in earlier versions, and the changes to the latter are relatively minor (and a free download, if you don't want the whole package). The iPhoto changes are the ones that have been the most useful for me. I'm hoping to spend a bit more time with GarageBand soon, but a couple of the changes there are already appreciated, even though I'm very, very limited as a musician. It's just fun to play around with.
One other note - another reviewer has rated this one star because he or she couldn't install it on a computer running OS X 10.2. First of all, I'd say the reviewer seems to be unclear on the point of these reviews. Following his/her lead, I suppose I'd have to rate a lot of Windows software at one star, because I can't install it on my computer at home. And I have to wonder whether that reviewer, and the others with the same problem, saw that the latest version of iTunes will run on 10.2 and just extrapolated that to the idea that all of iLife will run on 10.2. Of course, I suppose it is possible that the website wasn't clear.
Customer Review: A Great Upgrade
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this for 1 week now, great updates to all the programs,
iPhoto is fantastic along with the new books you can order, and
the new themes in iDVD are really cool. Like the other reviews
I don't use Garageband, so used the Custom Install and did not
bother to download that, no sense using harddisk space for a program
I don't use.
If you visit www.apple.com site, and go to SUPPORT, you can download Mac OS X Update 10.3.7 for free, it's been available since
12/15/04 and your ready to enjoy iLife 05 !