mac

MacHeist have made available another of their terrific Mac software bundles. Since buying my MacBook Pro, I’ve been lucky enough to get some outstanding Mac software for fantastic prices due to promotions on MacUpdate and now MacHeist.

I’ve been thinking about getting Pixelmator for some time. It’s now included in the MacHeist bundle, which sealed the deal for me. The usual price for Pixelmator is $59, and I got that plus 12 other applications for only $49!

As well as Pixelmator, you get the following applications included in the bundle:

• 1Password (I already had this, but it’s a “must-have” if you haven’t already got it)
• CoverSutra
• Cha-Ching
• iStopMotion
• Awaken
• Speed Download
• AppZapper (a great little uninstaller)
• TaskPaper
• CSSEdit
• Snapz Pro X (fantastic screen grabber)
• Wingnuts 2
• Tiki Magic Mini Golf

You’ve only got 4 days left to get this deal, so if you want a quick boost to your Mac software library for a stupidly low price, go grab it now!

This might sound a bit like an advert, and I guess it is to some extent. If you order through the links on this page, I’ll get a couple more apps thrown in, so there’s my disclosure

Update: Thanks to everyone who signed up. I’m not sure how many of you did, but it was at least two, as I’ve received the unlocks for the 2 additional applications. MacHeist have also just announced that they will unlock VectorDesigner should they reach the $300,000 figure for charity. They have already reached $281,000, which is a remarkable achievement. So, if you know anyone with a Mac, send them over and let’s try and reach the magic 300k

2007 was a good year for my gadget collection. I managed to add 3 superb bits of kit, all of which I’d happily recommend to anyone. In no particular order of preference:

1. MacBook Pro. I took the plunge and finally moved to Mac OS. I now wish I’d done so years ago, although in fairness I needed to wait for the Intel models, as I still boot into Windows to go flight simming and for some other games. Read my more detailed post about this exquisite piece of kit here.
2. Nokia E65 mobile through the 3 UK network. This is a simply stunning bit of gadgetry. I went through 3 rather than any other network, as they gave me a free Slingbox (yet another wonderful gadget) which allows me to watch my satellite TV pretty much anywhere on my mobile. This is terrific for those odd moments when you just want to catch up with the news, or maybe watch a movie! I can browse the web on it (I’m using Opera Mini), I have Push email, Instant Messaging, games - pretty much everything I want on the move. Additionally, it makes a perfect modem for my MacBook Pro.
3. Panasonic FX55 camera. I love Panasonic cameras. I also own an FZ30, which is a fantastic camera, but I wanted something I can carry with me always, so I never have another of those “I wish I had my camera” moments. The FX55 is beautifully built and takes stunning images. The 28mm wide angle end of the zoom is superb and the Intelligent Auto mode is something else. True fire and forget. You can check some of my test shots over on Flickr.

So, there’s my brief round-up of last years technical wizardry. I’m sure there’ll be lots more goodies for me to play with this year.

Yes, it’s true. I’ve kept it quiet for the past month or so, but now it’s time for me to confess. I bought a Mac. A MacBook Pro, in fact. Here’s one of the reasons why:

What we’ve got here is the Safari browser (fastest in the world? probably…) in the background, Slingplayer playing my satellite TV and VMWare Fusion running Fritz 9 (a chess program, in case you hadn’t noticed, using Direct X 9) in the foreground under Windows XP.

If I’d tried this with my previous XP based laptop, it probably would’ve melted.

There’s also half a dozen running apps in the Dock.

There’s a ton of reasons I decided on a Mac after using Windows machines since 3.1. I won’t bore you with all the details - they’ve all been covered elsewhere. Suffice to say that, after using it for a month, I can’t see myself ever going back. There was a pretty steep learning curve for me, but now I’m used to it, it does seem more intuitive. It was more a case of un-learning “the Windows way”.

My main fear was all the Windows apps I’ve used and, err, loved over the years. I needn’t have worried. There’s usually a Mac equivalent and if there isn’t, there’s VMWare (I first tried Parallels, but found it a bit unstable) or Bootcamp. I’ve also got a separate XP install using Bootcamp, which I use exclusively for my flight sim stuff and with great success.

If, like me, you’ve spent ages thinking about getting a Mac but had nagging doubts, go get one. You’ll love it.

Happy New Year.