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Image Editing Programs For Mac OS X - Color It! 4.5
Crossover Cables
Kinesis Keyboard
iPhone Installer.app Beta - App. Tapp. Install
Re: We want iCards Service Reinstated In Mobile Me Online Petition
Re: Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac First Impressions
Image Editing Programs For Mac OS X - Color It! 4.5
From Geoff;
Interesting little program, Charles, but dare I say a little late? With OS X image editors practically a dime a dozen and a new one appearing every second day, all built on the OS X tools, what's needed is not another simple editor but something a bit higher up the market.
An enhanced Enhance with up-to-date features like auto red eye correction, the healing brush, lens error compensation (e.g. barrel and pincushion distortion), verticals correction, good tracing, and compatibility with current P'shop plug-ins would be the go.
And some bad news - you mention Canvas. As a long time and continuing Canvas devotee for DTP (print and web) and all vector and raster work, it pains me to have to advise that Canvas for Mac is dead. ACD Systems, which bought the program some years ago, stopped development of Canvas for Mac at Canvas X and has now withdrawn it from sale.
Damn their eyes. :(
Cheers, Geoff
Hi Geoff;
You're right about there being an excellent selection of Mac OS X image editing software these days.
That Color It! 4.5 review you're referencing was published back in 2006, long before Pixelmator, Acorn, Iris, or Photoshop Elements 6 made their respective debuts.
That said, actually, I still find myself gravitating back toward venerable Color It!, especially for light-duty stuff when I'm in a hurry. Color It! is well behind the cutting edge in image editing technology, being a carbon port of an ancient Mac OS app. that dates back well into the 68k era and doesn't have layers support, but it's lightning-fast, amazingly powerful and full-featured (it even supports Photoshop plugins), and IMHO no other image editing program can match it for user-friendliness and just plain niceness to use.
For depth of features and power, Photoshop Elements is still the one to beat for the money.
Charles
Re: Image Editing Programs For Mac OS X
From Geoff;
Dammit! I'm supposed to read dates too? Doh!
Actually, there is a very interesting program that leaves Photoshop Elements in the dust, I believe. I bought it to get a few up-to-date features for photo editing that Canvas doesn't offer (Canvas is still my daily workhorse on OS X.4.11).
This program is called PhotoLine 32:
http://www.pl32.com
Oddly, once I got it, I discovered that in many respects, it is like a junior version of Canvas but starting at the raster end (where Canvas starts at the vector end).
But it is the most frustrating program I have ever come across. It is developed by two German brothers who have an idiosyncratic approach to interfaces and some really odd ideas about a couple of other things. It is cross-platform and Carbon on OS X (but then, so is Photoshop).
A problem I have with it is that it can do raster stuff (and some odd vector/type stuff) that Canvas can't do, but I have trouble keeping myself up to speed with its peculiar interface. Hence I actually look for work I can do in it. Stuff I know I can do in Canvas, some of it, but I want(ed) to do it in PL32 just so I could use it more.
A little while back, I asked on the official forum if PL32 could do a particular thing that I can do in Canvas. "Yes," replied the developer, and put up a sample. No explanation! And none forthcoming until another user provided it! On another occasion I wondered about producing a web site using PL32 (I build websites in Canvas). The reply to my question: "You are right, there is no HTML filter." Full stop! I wrote back, "And? Will there be?" No reply.
I started out very enthusiastic about the program. It can do wondrous things for a very reasonable price, but I no longer recommend it and have taken down from my site a very favourable review I wrote. I won't be upgrading any time this century.
Pity.
Cheers
Geoff
Hi Geoff;
I've heard of PhotoLine, and linked to news of version updates, but have never used it. Looks interesting. I usually like German software.
They are the soul of brevity when it comes to details on the Website, although there is a 1.5 GB downloadable manual file available.
Charles
Crossover Cables
From Chris
I read your article on the crossover cables and learned a lot, however, I want to file-share with 2 OS X Macs. One is a new iMac with intel and Leopard, the other is a PowerBook in OS 10.4x. I just don't know how to do it. They sit 5 feet apart in my office and I want to attempt to share applications from the PowerBook with the IMac instead of re-installing all the apps. Is this possible? Can you help me?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris;
First, crossover cables are becoming passé, since Macs with gigabit Ethernet don't need them for computer-to-computer networking connections. Your iMac definitely doesn't need a crossover cable and your PowerBook doesn't either if it's a Gigabit Ethernet TiBook or newer.
Older machines with 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX Ethernet will require a crossover cable, and I use one with my own G4 PowerBook because I frequently network it with my older, non-gigabit Macs.
These days straight-through Ethernet cables should work between Gigabit capable Macs.
Basically, just plug either end of a cable (crossover or regular as appropriate) into both Macs. I just leave the Built-In Ethernet pane in the Network Preferences panel Configured "Automatic" and "Using DHCP," which are the defaults. Make sure File Sharing is enabled in the Sharing Preference panel and that both machines are booted up and awake.
Go to the Finder, and from the Go menu select "Connect to Server." A dialog will appear with an address field in which you can enter the other machine's IP address (you can get it from the Sharing Preferences panel). Click the "Connect" button, and select the volume(s) you want to mount on the remote computer. which should appear in the left pane of open Finder windows.
At that point you can open and navigate the remote system's files as you would on any local volume, drag stuff back and forth, and so on. You can also run applications that are located on the remote computer's hard drive, although in some cases you will have to configure preferences and registration on the host computer.
Note that it's also possible to set up simple networks like this using a FireWire cable between two Macs, although Gigabit Ethernet is faster.
Charles
Kinesis Keyboard
From Barb;
Hi,
I read your review on the Kinesis keyboard and wanted to ask you a few questions. I have been searching for a comfortable keyboard, and have not quite found it yet. I have tried the Saitek Eclipse II because the keys had a very nice feel, then I tried the Microsoft wireless desktop 6000 and feel that is pretty comfortable, but I still have pain at the end of the day.
Ive been thinking of the Kinesis Freestyle or Contoured design, not sure which one yet. Can you tell me how the key stroke compares to the other keyboards on the market? Are you still comfortable with it after the review you wrote ? Do you have thumb pain while using it, as some other people have reported ? Thanks, and I look forward to your response.
Barb
Hi Barb;
I still have an old ADB-compatible Kinesis Contour 'board, and I would rate its mechanical keyswitches as about the best of that type I've ever used, but I really haven't used that 'board for work for years now.
My current favorite keyboard( and for the past 3-4 years or so is the little Kensington Slimtype, which is the most consistently comfortable freestanding keyboard I've ever used - even better than a variety of purpose-built ergonomic 'boards I've tested. It's also rerlatively cheap
, and has proved rugged and relaible in use.My original review from several years ago is here.
Product page is here:
http://us.kensington.com/html/5463.html
However, keyboard comfort is nothing if not ideosyncratic, and what works for me may not work for you.
Charles
iPhone Installer.app Beta - App. Tapp. Install
From Jason
I tried to upgrade my iphone to v2.0 and found out that my unlocked phone became locked again.
What I did find was this site:
http://www.coderetard.com/2008/07/14/downgrade-iphone-v20-to-v114-firmware-and-baseband/
That helped me bring my phone back to 1.1.4 which could use the app installer.
I have tried the app installer many times and there are a lot of wonderful applications there
Thanks for the tip, Jason.
Charles
Re: We want iCards Service Reinstated In Mobile Me Online Petition
From: MacSmiley
There is a concurrent "Save the .mac iCards" online petition running as well:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ic110608/petition.html
Of course, don't forget Apple's feedback link
http://www.apple.com/feedback/
Cool; thanks.
Charles
Re: Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac First Impressions
From Jerry;
Thats a very good Photoshop.
i am considering to buy it.
Thanks for the good post.
Jerry
My pleasure!
Charles
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Charles W. Moore
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