Mac & iPod Articles

Mac Computer Programs

Mac OS X Leopard

The program behind the applications on your computer is the operating system. On Macs, the latest version of this is Mac OS X Leopard; on PCs, it’s Windows Vista.

Mac OS X Leopard comes as one comprehensive version. Windows Vista, however, has a number of variations: Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Business. From this point of view alone, Mac OS X Leopard is the more straightforward operating system.

Apply further criteria to Mac OS X Leopard and Windows Vista, and the gap between the two widens. In practical bench tests that take account of speed, software support, security, and reliability, Leopard consistently outshines Vista.

Safari

One of the most commonly used programs on a computer is the web browser. Mac’s Safari is the acknowledged leader in the field.

Safari, for instance, is faster than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, and offers unbeatable support for new and developing web standards such as CSS (cascading style sheet) animations. Such support means you can use Safari to view the latest advances in web design technology without downloading additional software. In other words, you can browse the Internet quickly and easily.

Mail

For sending and receiving emails, PCs have Outlook Express. Macs use Mail, a program that includes stationary templates; the ability to create to-do lists from the text in email messages; RSS news feeds from Safari; and a secure archive facility. Mail also holds the settings for 30 of the most popular email providers. This makes the process of setting up new email accounts far simpler.

iChat

Many people, of course, like to supplement email communications with video chats and conferencing. With a PC, you can download services such as Microsoft Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and SightSpeed. iChat is already part of Mac OS X Leopard, however, and lets you hold video chats with up to three other users free of charge.

iChat is fun to use and has a host of extras. For example, iChat supplies photo effects and backdrops; allows you to browse the web with another Mac user; lets you move files from one computer to another; and enables you to run an online slideshow or film presentation.

Front Row

Increasingly, people expect computers to provide a multimedia experience. PCs use Windows Media Centre, available on Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate Editions. Macs have Apple’s digital media software, Front Row, built in to every Mac OS X Leopard operating system.

With Front Row, you can connect your Macs to a TV and use the Apple Remote Control to enjoy DVDs; view and listen to the content of your iTunes library; and look through your photos. Front Row provides everything you need, and is HD compatible.

iLife

Like the other programs mentioned here, iLife comes free with your Mac. It incorporates iWeb, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand. Windows Vista may offer equivalent programs depending on the version.

For many people, iLife is central to the purpose of owning a Mac. iWeb allows you to make customised websites that look great and are easy to publish on the Internet; iPhoto gives you various options to help you edit and arrange your images and photos; and iMovie provides tools to turn your videos into highly watchable films in just minutes.

On iDVD, features such as animated menus and professional style encoding boost the quality of the DVDs you burn. And with GarageBand, you have one of the best pieces of music creation software available.

Security

If you have a PC, you more than likely need to buy and run a security program such as Norton or Panda at least once a year. Mac OS X Leopard has built-in security. You don’t have to purchase and install additional software.

The security features of Mac OS X Leopard are considerable and have given Macs an unrivalled reputation for resisting hackers and viruses. Even if you’re part of a network that has Windows-based servers, or are using the Internet, Macs maintain a high level of security without affecting ease of use.

Time Machine

One of the great worries about using any computer is losing your data. On Windows Vista you can back up your files on an external hard drive or to a third party system, but there’s always a danger of forgetting to do so.

With Mac OS X Leopard’s Time Machine, backup is automatic. This applies to everything you do, including any work on films, music, and applications. Time Machine is the ideal fail-safe mechanism, and is just what you need if you ever want to transfer your data to another Mac.

iWork

iWork doesn’t come free with every Mac but is a cost-effective alternative to Microsoft Office applications (which you must buy separately for PCs).

iWork contains Pages for word processing, Keynote for creating presentations, and Numbers for making spreadsheets. All three are completely compatible with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. PCs, as well as Macs, can also open any iWork document.

Parental Controls

Mac OS X Leopard and Windows Vista both have parental control programs that restrict access to inappropriate material. With Mac OS X Leopard, you can determine the precise amount of time your children spend on the computer, vary this from day to day, and apply filters that bloc access to unsuitable websites.

With Leopard, you can also check the websites your children visit; the programs they use; view a list of people they speak to on iChat; and see transcripts of any conversations they have by text. The Mac OS X Parental Controls give you complete peace of mind.

Mac programs

The above are a selection of the programs available with a Mac. In total, Mac OS X Leopard has 32 different software categories, and at the last update received more than 300 innovations.

These programs, together with other Mac applications, cover everything you require from a computer. They also set quality standards that are hard to beat.