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Cool Mac Gear• iPod Video • iPod nano • iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Garageband |
Surveys indicate that roughly one-third of Christmas gifts are unwanted by their recipients, and end up unused. Now there's a cheerful thought! However you should be able to find software or hardware accessory gifts for the computer users on your list that will be appreciated and used long after the lights are taken down and the tree is a pleasant memory, and the Internet makes it possible to shop for gifts right up to Christmas Eve without having to brave your way through crowded malls full of demoralized procrastinators. Here are some totally arbitrary suggestions for computer-oriented gifts in several price ranges. It is not meant to be exhaustive or comprehensive, and includes only stuff that I would be interested in receiving myself (or already own and like). I have also tried to stick with items that will appeal to a wide range of Mac users. Hardware And Accessories The Applelinks Store offers a number of gift ideas and stocking-stuffers for the Mac user. I'm posting this column a day earlier than usual this week because while time is short, you can still get in under the wire for Christmas delivery on Applelinks Store items. Software items of course are in most cases downloadable with online purchase.  A great stocking-stuffer is the iClock -- an electronic desktop digital alarm clock and thermometer in a mini iMac-like case. Time and temperature are displayed on the "iMac's" screen, and the alarm can be programmed to wake you up with Bach's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring,", "Strange Knight," "Happy Birthday," or a simple beep, in all cases accompanied by a spectacular light show inside the "iMac's" housing. The iClock is powered by two AAA cells (not included) rather than expensive mercury batteries. Mine seems to be well-constructed and works as advertised. Features: Main Display
Other Features
Alarms and Sounds
Size: 3 1/4" high by 3 1/2" Price: $15.00 two AAA Batteries Required. (not included) For more information, visit: To order your iClock visit the Applelinks Store: Applelinks Macworld Expo T-Shirt While you're there, also check out the Applelinks Macworld Expo T-Shirt. Show the world where you go for the latest news and information about Apple Computer with these 50/50 cotton/polyester T-shirts. The shirts, sized large or X-large, come in either white or green with writing on the back. $ 10.00 
Or get both the iClock and the MacWorld 2001 T-Shirt for $ 20.00 Laptop Laidback For the PowerBook or iBook user on your list, the newest item at the Applelinks Store is the The Laptop LaidBack, a product that happens to be manufactured just a few miles from where I live and work here in Nova Scotia. ÊThe Laptop Laidback is a portable workstation for laptop users. Features include:
There are five main components; two two-piece articulated, varnished maple legs joined respectively by knurled bushings that allow "knee-style" angle adjustments in five degree increments. The adjustment angle is secured by sturdy and generously sized thumbscrews for each joint. 
The tray section is a laminate surfaced with smooth Melamine. There are two angled slots at the back containing captive sliding anchors for the thumb screws that fasten the legs to the tray. This allows the user infinite adjustment of the Laptop Laidback tray height within the range of the slots. Once assembled an adjusted to the user's preference, Laptop Laidback is a solid and stable platform. It easily accommodates my WallStreet PowerBook, which is a relatively big and heavy portable computer. Included with the Laptop Laidback kit are self-adhesive Velcro strips that can be affixed to the bottom of the computer to secure read to corresponding Velcro strips on the tray's facing surface. The Laptop Laidback can also be used as a book rest for reading in bed or on a sofa, or as a portable writing desk. It could accommodate a keyboard for a desktop computer or PDA as well for persons confined to bed, with the computer monitor positioned nearby. A keyboard with an integral pointing device would be ideal for this sort of use. 
When disassembled, the Laptop Laidback's legs store neatly and securely fastened with Velcro patches to the Velcro strips on the unit's tray module. This creates a compact, unified bundle that will easily stored in many standard-sized computer cases or carry bags. Breakdown and reassembly takes just a couple of minutes. Laptop Laidback sells for US $89. You can check it out at:
You can read my full review of the Laptop Laidback here:
Road Tools CoolPad And Podium CoolPad G3-G4 PowerBooks and the 500 MHz-600 MHz iBooks can get pretty torrid. Many users find that literal PowerBook laptop use with bare legs or thin trousers can get uncomfortable. Comfort aside, heat is also an enemy of electronic component longevity, and anything one can do to minimize internal temperatures will likely enhance the laptop's service life. One way to improve cooling is by letting air circulate underneath as well as on top of the 'Book. Most laptops dissipate some of their heat through the bottom and the more air that's allowed to flow under the bottom, the better opportunity that heat will have to dissipate. Creating open air space under the PowerBook allows more efficient heat dissipation by convection. Hot air rises, and cooler air circulates in to replace it. 
The Road Tools CoolPad creates open airspace under the 'Book as well as elevating the back (or for better ergonomics, the front) of the computer. Six small rubber pads on the bottom of the CoolPad hold the laptop in place, making it helpful for air travelers whose laptops slide around on tray tables. There are two versions of CoolPad -- the basic, classic model, and the Podium CoolPad, which allows you to adjust keyboard tilt using LEGO-like spacer blocks. Both CoolPads incorporate a swivelling feature, which allows the 'Book to rotate 360 degrees on its base, allowing convenient slick access to a PowerBook's ports. 
The Podium CoolPad which lets you adjust the PowerBook's keyboard rake in half-inch increments using the stackable, Lexan "tube and cylinder" risers provided. Cornell University's Ergonomics Lab suggests that you try using a negative keyboard tilt. Just turn the Podium CoolPad around and adjust the height. If your CoolPad ever breaks, Road Tools will fix or replace it, -- guaranteed for life. The price is $19.95. The Podium CoolPad's price is $29.95. For more information, visit:
(Also available under the PodiumPad brand name from the Apple Store at: Software And Utilities Tex-Edit Plus Tom Bender's Tex-Edit Plus is the text editor that I personally like best and use for about 95 percent of my word processing and HTML editing. Indeed I'm using it right now to write and prepare this article. Tex-Edit Plus is a scriptable, styled text editor that fills the gap between Apple's bare-bones SimpleText and a full-featured word processor. It's fast, efficient, and has a clean, uncluttered interface. It's also great for cleaning up text which is transmitted over the Internet. Tex-Edit can also be customized into a powerful, mission-specific, text-cruncher and HTML editor through the use of its superb AppleScript implementation. 
Tex Edit Plus just keeps getting better and better, but my flat-out favorite Tex Edit feature is its wonderful implementation of AppleScript. There are many other Mac programs that support AppleScript, but I have not yet encountered one that does it with the simplicity and elegance of Tex Edit Plus, which is scriptable, recordable, and uses a fantastically well executed AppleScript menu. Consequently, Tex Edit plus is the benchmark by which I judge all other Mac OS text editors and word processors. You can write or record your own AppleScripts, or visit Doug Adams' AppleScripts For Tex-Edit Plus Archives and choose from hundreds of free AppleScripts posted there (including some written by me :-) )ÊÊ System requirements:
Tex-Edit Plus is $15.00 shareware For more information, visit:
To read my full review of Tex-Edit Plus, (older version), visit:
TypeIt4Me 4.8.2 TypeIt4Me is quick, easy, and intuitive to configure, and rather than getting in the way, it streamlines operations remarkably, especially for folks (like me) who suffer from typing pain or just like to save time. If you know anyone like that who doesn't already have TypeIt4Me, I know it would be a much appreciated gift. 
TypeIt4Me 4.8.1 is a Control Panel that allows you to define a set of abbreviations for specified words or phrases that they represent by copying them to the Clipboard and then choosing "Add An Entry" from the TypeIt4Me menu on the Finder's menu bar (you can also create entries directly in the "Edit Entry" dialog box). When you type the abbreviation (or select it from TypeIt4Me's pop up menu) and hit the assigned trigger key, the Mac expands the entry as you continue typing. For example, I frequently type my name, so with TypeIt4Me I have assigned it the abbreviation "ch." Now when I type "ch" and stroke the spacebar, the two letters change to "Charles W. Moore. When I want to sign off an email message, I can just type "ce" and the Mac will type: Charles W. Moore
And so on. TypeIt4Me entries can be as short as a single character (they can be even be shorter than the abbreviation) or as long as a boilerplate paragraph. Once you define an abbreviation, it is available anywhere text can be typed -- in word processors, Web browsers, paint programs, the Finder, address books, email clients, or any application. The latest TypeIt4Me version 4.8.2 supports MacOS versions 7.0 through 9.2.2 and is now fully compatible with AppleWorks 6 and Script Editor. Also works fine under Classic environment of Mac OS X. An OS X version X is promised soon. TypeIt4Me is shareware/demoware and sells for $27. For more information, visit:
To read my full review of TypeIt4Me, visit:
SweetMail SweetMail is an e-mail client for the Macintosh with a very attractive, customizable interface, and works a lot like Eudora Light -- high praise coming from me -- only modernized and enhanced with a slew of appearance and efficiency features. 
SweetMail supports multiple email accounts and threading, and is also very fast, small, and has low RAM demands. It saves messages in a text file that you can open with SimpleText. SweetMail 2.1 now also supports SMTP authorization, so you can send mail through Apple's iTools mac.com SMTP server and other email providers that require authorization. If you know someone on your Christmas list who hasn't ventured beyond Eudora Light or the bloated Outlook Express, SweetMail would be a revelation to them. System requirements:
SweetMail is $28.00 shareware. For more information, visit:
You can read my full review of SweetMail (ver. 1.9.3) here: http://www.applelinks.com/mooresviews/sweetmail.shtml NotePad Deluxe 2.2 Desktop Database This is a wonderful little program from Sweden that I have been using every day since I reviewed it for Applelinks in December, 1999. It's a lot more than just a feature-enhanced version of Apple's Classic Mac OS NotePad -- a fast and convenient, feature-packed, compact database. 
NotePad Deluxe has built-in support for strong encryption, multiple databases, spell checking, web links, labelling, sorting, real tabs, nested topics, extensive drag and drop, find and replace, local/global text formats, quick-find, labels, lock, a floating database palette, contextual menus, real tabs, spell checking, and more. Most users will find the page browser with nested topics and extensive drag and drop intuitive and useful. There is also support for find with replace, local/global text formats, quick-find, labels, lock, a floating database palette, instant scrollbars, context menus, and a useful tab ruler (real tabs) in the main window. Version 2.2 mainly implements the WASTE text engine.
The removal of the former restriction to 32,000 characters is a major improvement, and eliminates my only serious complaint about NPD. System requirements:
NotePad Deluxe is $25.00 shareware. For more information, visit:
For my full review of Notepad Deluxe, visit:
Eudora 5.1 Eudora is the Great Granddaddy of all Mac e-mail clients, and in my opinion it is still unsurpassed for serious, heavy-duty e-mail management, but still small and nimble enough to be a great choice for the average user as well. Eudora has every feature you are likely to need in an e-mail client, and a lot more besides. There is too much to address adequately in this capsule format, so if you are not familiar with Eudora, please check out my full review here:
Eudora is available in three modes, a partially disabled free "light" mode; a full featured advertising sponsored version; and a paid commercial software version. If you have someone on your Christmas list who is using Eudora in the light or sponsored modes, I'm sure they would be delighted to have the registration fee paid and eliminate the streamed advertisements and periodic solicitations to upgrade to the paid version. The registration fee for Eudora is $49.95 For more information, visit:
Spell Catcher 8.1 The Cadillac (Mercedes/Lexus) of freestanding spellcheck programs is Casady & Greene's powerful and feature-laden Spell Catcher 8 for Macintosh v8.1. Spell Catcher 8 is much more than a spell checker, and its user interface facilitates looking up definitions, pronunciations, thesaurus entries, spell checking, and more. Spell Catcher 8 has spelling dictionaries that support 8 different languages including US English, UK English, French, Canadian French, German, Swiss-German, Italian and Spanish. It is extremely convenient to have a permanent spell check menu that works in all applications. The program includes Modify Selected modules, such as Strip Characters, Strip White Space, and Word Count for quick and easy text manipulation. You can combine these modules into powerful and speedy Macros to handle such tasks as email cleaning and formatting text copied from a Web browser. With Spell Catcher 8, while typing in English, you can look up words in both a thesaurus and dictionary. Spell Catcher 8.1 For Mac System Requirements are as follows: Mac OS 8.1 or higher At least 3 MB of available memory At least 15 MB of available hard drive space. Spell Catcher 8.1 has a suggested retail price of $49.00. For more information about Spell Catcher 8.1, visit:
You can read my review of Spell Catcher 8.1 here:
GraphicConverter GraphicConverter 4.0 is a shareware graphics conversion and editing product that can facilitate the handling and translation of over a hundred different file formats (see list below). My guess is that probably something less than 5 percent of people who own Adobe Photoshop actually need the incredible power it offers. For the rest of us GraphicConverter or Color It! (see below) are much more sensible solutions. As my friend Chris Long observes:
"I am (purportedly) a PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS ARTIST (actually, I consider myself a typesetter and book designer, but that's MY take), and so, naturally enuf, I have the latest and greatest Photoshop (v6) installed on my Mac -- you'd smile to know that I use Graphic Converter for much of my image editing needs -- it's FAR faster, simpler, and even does a few things that are more difficult/convoluted in p'shop. once again, it's the notion of overkill -- just as writing a letter to grandma does NOT require the 30,000-odd functions of ms word, rotating and cropping and brightening up an image does not require Photoshop -- it's a matter of THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB ..." Well said, Chris. Key features of GraphicConverter:
System requirements:
Graphics converter is $35.00 shareware For more information, visit:
Color It! 4.1 I'm delighted to note that http://www.microfrontier.com/ MicroFrontier has announced a Holiday Sale special on its Color It! and Enhance image-editing software for the Macintosh. Through the end of the year, CD-ROM versions of both products are available for 25% off the regular prices for both new purchases and upgrades. Color It! is my favorite image editing program, and I was delighted to hear from MicroFrontier's Wayne Davis last week that they are working on an OS X native version, which they hope to have in beta testing very soon. "Hopefully, we can beat Photoshop to the land of OS X!" says Wayne. I'm graphics dabbler at best, but I do frequently like to do some photo retouching and image manipulation, as well edit images for use as illustrations in articles and columns, and convert screenshot PICTs into JPEGs or GIFs for publishing on the Web. Color It! 4.0.1 has been aptly described as "Photoshop for the rest of us." Color It! works a lot like Photoshop, and skills you develop using one of these programs will to a considerable degree transfer to the other. Color It! also supports Photoshop plug ins, which work exactly the same in both programs. For instance, my scanner software is a Photoshop plug in that works with either program. 
Color It! will do almost anything I would ever do in Photoshop, and considerably more besides, and it does it at little more than the price of average shareware. Not only that, but Color It! is a fast. It launches on my not exactly bleeding edge 233 MHz PowerBook in less than four seconds, Great when all I want to do is quickly convert an image to another file format or clear clean up a downloaded JPEG. A whole lot better than twiddling my thumbs while ponderous Photoshop lumbers to life. Color It! 4.1 is only 2.9 MB for the application (3.4 MB for the entire installation) and will run in 2,048k of memory (both cited memory partitions are with Virtual Memory on). System Requirements are happily modest, making Color It! 4.0 an excellent choice for older 680X0 Macs:
The list price for new users of Color It! 4.0 is $49.95. If you have a registered previous version of Color It!, you can upgrade to Color It! 4.0 for just $29.95. Take it from me, Color It! offers an incredible value in powerful graphics software at shareware prices, never better than these Holiday Sale prices of $37.45 for Color It ($22.45 for upgrades ) and $75.00 for Enhance ($52.45 for upgrades). Users must own a previous version or any other MicroFrontier product to qualify for the upgrade price. All products come with a 30-day money back guarantee. To order, call MicroFrontier toll-free at (800) 388-8109 from 8am to 5pm Central time Monday through Friday (international customers may call +1 (515) 225-9800). Holiday Sale prices are good through December 31, 2001. For more information, visit: http://www.microfrontier.com/products/colorit40/ Nisus Email 1.6 Nisus Software has released just in time for Christmas the most comprehensive upgrade yet to its unique Nisus Email client software. One of the most significant new features is support for SMTP authentication, which facilitates sending mail through Apple's iTools mac.com SMTP server and other email services that require this protocol. 
The other big news is of course OS X support, and I look forward to checking the X version out. I'm addicted to Nisus Email's quick send and preview features, and OS X support fills in another piece of the software mosaic I will require in order to switch to X for production work. However, I have been using beta builds of Nisus Email 1.6 for several months now, and I can affirm that the SMTP authentication works like a charm, and the program even in prerelease versions has proved admirably stable. Nisus Email sells for $29.95. A 14 day, free evaluation version of Nisus Email is available. This version is not disabled in any way, and allows you to try Nisus Email before making a purchase. If you do decide to keep Nisus Email, no additional downloads are required. Simply obtain a serial number and enter it into the version you already have. Minimum System Requirements
For more information, visit:
For my full review of Nisus Email (version 1.09), visit:
Nisus Writer 6.0.3 Nisus calls its Nisus Writer 6.0.3, which now supports older 68K Macs as well as PowerPC. "the number one multilingual word processor for the Macintosh," which is an accurate description. Along with the Apple Language Kits (found on the Mac OS 9 CD) and Nisus's own Dictionary Collection CD, Nisus Writer gives you a complete multilingual writing solution. 
Features in Nisus Writer 6 include;
System Requirements
Nisus Writer 6 sells for $99.95 US, or $49.95 for an upgrade from any previous version of Nisus Writer. A competitive upgrade price of $69.95 US is also available. You can also download a 30-day demo of Nisus Writer 6.0.1 from the Nisus Website or download an older version of Nisus Writer (4.6.1) for free. For more information, visit:
You can read my full review of Nisus Writer 6 at:
And finally, for some more whimsical and seasonally oriented stocking stuffers, check out my column about decorating your Mac for the holiday season here: Merry Christmas!
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