Response to Donna Tracy's Blog

I am so happy the the term MAC in this case is not associated with the clown or the burger we as a country grew to obesity.

Donna presented this blog addressing and reflecting on innovations and usages the MAC products are making available to the end user. I am typically reluctant to venture outside the normal software package typically associated with new computer platforms other than the Apple. Perhaps, it's been a repercussion of things gone wrong with past PC products. But when it comes to Apple products, I'm quite at ease and feel secure of the software being created for it's platform.

WAY TO GO AND THANKS FOR THE LINKS!

http://dtracy2009.blogspot.com/2010/03/mac-software-bundles.html

WK 1 Blog Entry 3 - Mac Software Bundles

I know many of our class members never used a Mac before embarking on their Full Sail adventure. With the intensity of the course most probably haven't even had the opportunity to explore all the features and programs that come with the system or those that were shipped as part of our technology package.

However, even Mac veteran users might be missing out on exploring some of the fascinatingly useful (and some useless) programs that are available. I've been using Macs consistently since 1993 and have seen commercial products incorporated into system upgrades and wished that few others could be too.

Many of the programs I have tried over the years have seen the light of my screen only briefly before being discarded as useless (to me), clumsy, annoying, or downright dangerous to the health of my system! But a few have become firm favorites that I wouldn't do without. The first is MenuCalendarClock by objectpark software. It was probably THE first program I installed after receiving my PowerBook Pro.

Available in two flavors - free - and - not free - this unobtrusive little program's most useful feature is the date icon it adds to the menu bar. To tell the truth, I'm still puzzled over why such a feature still isn't a part of the OS X system. A paid registration adds some nice touches - including complete integration with iCal calendars that puts your upcoming schedule one click away to view and to hide. Anyone recognize this upcoming schedule??

The second program I'd most recommend is a wonderfully robust application whose features seem unending - every time I start a new project I seem to find another aspect to explore. Called NoteBook by Circus Ponies, and billed as "organization for a creative mind," this powerful program could be considered my most used tool as a researcher. Though it can be used for far, far more than that.

I have many favorite features with this program; two in particular. The first is the ability to create "clipping" pages in a notebook. Once this is done, highlight a portion of a document, web page, etc, and your right-click contextual menu in almost any program – including web browsers – will give you the option to send the information direction to your clipping page of choice. Along the way you can even annotate as you go, include hyperlinked web addresses and more. It's a fantastic way to keep track of the bibliographic reference information for all those website resources!

My other favorite is the program's automatic indexing feature. This indexes every word entered into the notebook and hyperlinks it for easy reference.

The possibilities and features of this product seem endless and I've seen people use it in so many different ways I recommend you check out it's 30-day free trial. Just be prepared - once the trial ends the only way to access the information in a notebook is to use a licensed copy of NoteBook. Of course - you can publish the entire thing as a website with a couple of clicks.

Neither of these products will break the bank. A full MenuCalendarClock license is less than $20, and Called NoteBook will set you back a mere $50 – or $30 for an academic license.

I originally discovered these programs as part of software bundles that effectively reduced their costs to pennies. Bundles are usually offered for short periods of time and offer a varying number of programs with varying degrees of usefulness. The bundle prices make it affordable to try out full programs and find potential gems that you just can't work without. The applications included are usually an eclectic mix and often include a well-known product as a bonus when so many bundles are sold.

Bundle sites to check out:

MacHeist nanoBundle 2
7 applications for $19.95 - available thru March 9, 2010.

The Mac Sale
10 applications for $49.95 - available thru March 15, 2010.

TheMacBundles
No bundle currently available.

MacFriendly
No bundle currently available.

Mac Bundle Box
No bundle currently available.

Mac Update Promo
No bundle currently available.

Caution:

Do a bit of research before purchasing a bundle. Sometimes there are free apps available that are very similar to those in the bundles. Sometimes you won't retain upgrade advantages and other license options with bundled software that you would in the full-priced versions. With my own experiences, however, purchasing software in bundles has helped me discover some very useful programs that I would no-longer choose to do without - along with a lot of software that I haven't had the chance (or sometimes, desire) to try out. Even so, by purchasing bundles I still paid far less for the programs I habitually use than buying them individually.

Some additional programs I have purchased through bundles and found truly useful include DragThing, Parallels (for when you really, really have to have Windows), Moneywell, NetBarrier, Posterino,

Happy Mac explorations!