“A lot of high-tech companies strive to be the hub of a digital lifestyle, but unless they’re pushing an expensive Media Center PC they mostly leave it to consumers to figure out how to make their products work with others,” Matthew Fordahl reports for The Associated Press. “Macintosh computer owners don’t face that headache.”
“Apple’s updated iLife ’04 suite of five programs lets you organize photos, play and buy songs, edit movies, burn DVDs and, now, create music. The programs all work well together and the suite costs just $49, unless you’re buying a new Mac. Then it’s free. And except for iTunes, these programs don’t do Windows,” Fordahl reports. “For me, the suite would be a bargain even at twice the price. How much would all this cost if bought separately?”
“In the Windows world, a very good DVD burning program, Sonic’s MyDVD 5, starts at $50. Adobe Systems Inc.’s photo organizing program, Adobe Photoshop Album, is another $50. Music mixer Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 is $129. iLife is a great deal, not to mention a convincing argument for the digital lifestyle. And from a company with a reputation for premium prices, it’s a refreshing bargain,” Fordahl reports. “It could even persuade some longtime Windows users to relent