Rating: 
Summary: Incredible software--reason alone to buy a Mac.
Review: iLife is a suite of applications that turns a Macintosh into an amazing hub for managing and creating movies, music, CDs, DVDs, and photographs. And, like everything from Apple, it's truly "plug and play." Have a digital camera with some pictures on it? Plug it into your Mac through the USB port. That's it. iPhoto launches and the rest is so easy an eight year old could do it. It's fast, smoothy, easy on the eye, and flawless. With almost no effort, you can publish your pictures on the net, send them to your printer or to Kodak for printing, even create a hard cover book that will impress friends and family--a lasting keepsake. Edit your digital home movies on iMovie--a tool that is so easy and simple that you'll soon forget how powerful it is. When you're done, make a professional looking DVD with iDVD, complete with animated menus, music, and sound effects.
One warning, however, is in order. GarageBand is a full-fledged music studio that not only comes with a sizeable library of loops (from which you can construct songs), but also records real and digital instruments--along with amazing and flexible effects. However, you'll need a very powerful processor to keep up with this software. On a weaker machine, you'll run out of tracks if you try to make something complex. You also need a DVD-playing drive to install it. I'd recommend, at a minimum, a G4 Mac with a processor running at no less than 1 gHz. I wouldn't recommend it for a PowerBook or iBook.
These wonderful programs--except for iTunes, which you can download for free anyway--do not run on PCs--Macs only. And nothing for the PC even comes close.
Rating: 
Summary: Great concepts, problematic execution.
Review: Perhaps it's because I'm used to using professional programs like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, but each of the components in the iLife '04 package leaves something to be desired. The integration of so many formats of media into one network of interrelated programs is a good idea, but each program still has nagging issues that prevent it from being all that it can be.Let's start with the new flagship, GarageBand, the reason I bought this package. I loved the concept and jumped at the chance to get a low-priced music-recording program, but using it is just not an inviting experience. The ordinary computer user with no music-recording experience would be thrilled simply at being offered the opportunity to try out music composition and arrangement, but I've been recording for years and this program doesn't offer enough. The first piece I tried to record was a short, arhythmic orchestral string piece intended for a short film, and the program gave me problems left and right. The frame sizes are too large, preventing you from doing detailed editing (for example, my soundwaves tend to cross from one frame to another and I can't put the cursor to after the wave so as to be able to cut it off where it ends). Playback is extremely poor, even though I have a top-of-the-line G5 with dual 2.0 GHz processors; every time you click on the timeline and play, the track takes one to two seconds to kick in, an eternity in music recording. And even after buying the JamPack, which costs close to $100, the number of instruments available is small. Why would you offer "Chain Saw Bass" and "Telephone Lines" as available instruments but not something as basic as harp? Clarinet? Harmonica? Mandolin? Banjo? Playing guitar parts on a MIDI keyboard is admittedly questionable, but having only one distorted electric-guitar sound is also deficient. And no ability to rename tracks? Definitely a bad thing. Tracks have to be named after the instrument you're using! If you layer five parts with one instrument but different effects applied, you won't be able to rename the tracks the way you want. You can't even suffix the track name with a number just to distinguish one part from another. So GarageBand was a letdown. Perhaps not surprising given that it's part of a $50 package, but the things I'm talking about sound like design issues, not a limitation based on cost. I"m not talking about the ability to redraw waveforms or even to quantize here. The rest of the package: iTunes is the standard for "computer jukeboxes" and I've been using it for years. The layout is user-friendly and I like the ability of later versions to match name changes in libraries as well as playlists, but there remain several problems. Why no ability to determine what your destination disks are called? Instead, each import you do creates two, sometimes three subfolders, which makes for messy file management. And iTunes' interaction with GarageBand is horrible -- when exporting a GarageBand mix, the computer renames your files with impudence and sticks them into subfolders without telling you where. I've checked the options under GarageBand and it doesn't look like something you can configure to your liking. iDVD is a good resource for people to have, provided you can generate file formats compatible with this program. Inexplicably, though, iDVD doesn't recognize the MPEG-4 format -- the standard for DVD encoding! I had a long project on Final Cut that I wanted to compress into MPEG-4 before burning to DVD, and iDVD refused to recognize it. iDVD project files can also become bloated -- seems like it includes the encodings as part of the project file, rather than using the project-media separation so common among non-linear editing programs. Worst yet, iDVD can't be launched without trying to open the last project saved, which can result in a lot of wasted time if your last project is large. While I do use it, iDVD is far from being a good DVD program. iPhoto -- I access and edit my visuals with Photoshop, so almost all of iPhoto's features are useless to me. I use it to import digital photos and it works fine for the purpose, but it's probably more useful for other consumers. iMovie -- Since I own Final Cut Pro, I have no reason to use this program. The interface looks clumsy, though, so I was never even tempted to try it out. Overall, I think that Apple's designs in these programs underestimate the computer ability of their users. Most of these programs don't allow you ultimate freedom in file management, and I think most users are savvy enough to know how to organize their files in the computer to a certain degree. It seems to me iTunes is the most "mature" program of the bunch, with the fewest problems. GarageBand was a good concept but will require massive rethinking, and more input from musicians. I can't think of any recording musician I know who would be satisfied with the options on this program. For a package like this, I wouldn't have minded paying more money to get more options and for improved design.
Rating:
Summary: Another Apple hit... well worth the price.
Review: The iLife suite has been completely revised for the new iLife '04 release. In this review, I'll list some of the improved features. iDVD received a nice update with some new themes and other small features. I wasn't incredibly impressed by this particular update, but that's because I rarely use the application. Not a major interface overhaul, but some nice updates. iMovie has been significantly sped up along with an improved interface and new transitions, effects, and more. You'll quickly notice all the new features in this update if you use iMovie frequently. iTunes has been updated, but you can simply download the update... you don't need to buy the suite to get the newest version of iTunes. iPhoto previously suffered from extreme performance issues before this revision... if you had a large amount of images in the database there would be a large slowdown, but this revision fixes that issue. It allows you to rate photos 1-5 stars, which is handy but not a necessary feature. Another nice new feature is the ability to create "smart albums" like "smart playlists" on iTunes... you can make albums that only contain, say, five-star pictures containing the phrases "Katie" and "1st Birthday" with little effort. And, finally, the application that almost everyone is buying this for... GarageBand. GarageBand is Apple's new music editing program. It's a music mixing application that allows you to record songs on your Mac. GarageBand has a nice variety of realistic-sounding musical instruments which can be played using a MIDI keyboard or guitar plugged into your Macintosh. You can then add effects, use amplifiers, and so much more. If you don't know how to play any instruments, GarageBand also includes a wide variety of amazing-sounding loops for use in your songs. Not only are they nice for people who can't play any instruments, but they're nice if you're in a band and you want to hear how a song sounds but your drummer isn't there to play a drum track. GarageBand lacks a few features that would make it a professional music creation title... the ability to change the tempo throughout the song instead of using just one for the whole song would be nice; but one could even run a small professional band on this program if they had to. I can count the number of times I've completely crashed my Mac on one hand, but it did crash (not a kernel panic, just a crash) during the install. After a restart, all worked well again. Another thing to note with this software title is that while it does work on *most* Macs, GarageBand and iDVD require a G4 or better, at *least* 256MB of RAM, and a DVD player to use the install DVD. Actually, you can install GarageBand on a 600MHz (or higher) Mac with a DVD drive, but you can't use software instruments then. All in all, a nice package, and worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: I would have preferred an upgrade option, but...
Review: The latest update to "your digital lifestyle" is a great one. iMovie includes more options for editing and adding titles. iDVD adds more great themes, easier interfacing with iMovie, and ups the final production minutes from 90 to 120. iTunes is a free download anyway (cause Apple makes money through the iTunes Music Store. iPhoto, to be honest, I don't play with a whole lot because I already use PhotoShop, ImageReady and Fireworks. Then, there is GarageBand. It may not be the most necessary piece of software ever, but it certainly is the coolest. I managed to create a short song in less than an hour. Me! I can't make music with anything resembling an instrument. Apparently though, I can produce music. The ease with which the program works is astounding. Adding new loops is as easy as click and drag. The minor complaint here, at full screen GarageBand eats memory. My iBook starts to scream in pain when I open the program. On a G5 or my G4 iMac it works great though. You can ease the memory requirements by using less screen space for the program, but it only eases the issues, doesn't resolve it. Also, considering that Apple just made us buy the program to begin with last year, an upgrade option for those of us who did would be nice. At least they kept it at a fairly reasonable price though.
Rating:
Summary: I would have preferred an upgrade option, but...
Review: The latest update to "your digital lifestyle" is a great one. iMovie includes more options for editing and adding titles. iDVD adds more great themes, easier interfacing with iMovie, and ups the final production minutes from 90 to 120. iTunes is a free download anyway (cause Apple makes money through the iTunes Music Store. iPhoto, to be honest, I don't play with a whole lot because I already use PhotoShop, ImageReady and Fireworks. Then, there is GarageBand. It may not be the most necessary piece of software ever, but it certainly is the coolest. I managed to create a short song in less than an hour. Me! I can't make music with anything resembling an instrument. Apparently though, I can produce music. The ease with which the program works is astounding. Adding new loops is as easy as click and drag. The minor complaint here, at full screen GarageBand eats memory. My iBook starts to scream in pain when I open the program. On a G5 or my G4 iMac it works great though. You can ease the memory requirements by using less screen space for the program, but it only eases the issues, doesn't resolve it. Also, considering that Apple just made us buy the program to begin with last year, an upgrade option for those of us who did would be nice. At least they kept it at a fairly reasonable price though.
Rating: 
Summary: iCrash
Review: This is a huge step back for Apple's iApps, particularly iPhoto, which is an absolute disaster in this release. We typically cannot launch iPhoto without crashing unless we trash three catalog files. Importing more than once a day is impossible - the app says it cannot access .../iPhoto Library/month/date the second time you try to import. Add to that the continued game of keep-away with iDVD, which will not work with external DVD burners. If you bought anything less than the highest-end Macs, or models like the Cube or iBook that have never had built-in DVD burners as an option, well, too darn bad! Kind of obviates the coolness of FireWire when peripherals are deliberately not supported by Apple. Crashing and losing user data is NEVER acceptable. Apple, more than anyone, is supposed to know this. The company should be absolutely ashamed of this pathetic product, and should not offer it for sale until they work out the bugs and stop being such jerks about DVD burning.
Rating:
Summary: iCrash
Review: This is a huge step back for Apple's iApps, particularly iPhoto, which is an absolute disaster in this release. We typically cannot launch iPhoto without crashing unless we trash three catalog files. Importing more than once a day is impossible - the app says it cannot access .../iPhoto Library/month/date the second time you try to import. Add to that the continued game of keep-away with iDVD, which will not work with external DVD burners. If you bought anything less than the highest-end Macs, or models like the Cube or iBook that have never had built-in DVD burners as an option, well, too darn bad! Kind of obviates the coolness of FireWire when peripherals are deliberately not supported by Apple. Crashing and losing user data is NEVER acceptable. Apple, more than anyone, is supposed to know this. The company should be absolutely ashamed of this pathetic product, and should not offer it for sale until they work out the bugs and stop being such jerks about DVD burning.
Rating: 
Summary: Garageband should be called "i-casiotones"
Review: This is a review of the garageband application in ilife. It is a big disappointment. Modern music is suffering from a surplus of hooks, loops, and grooves and a dearth of melodies. Here comes Apple with a software program that allows any tone deaf and musical illiterate to pile samples and loops one on top of another and put a beat to the mess. Change chords? Nope. Melody? Nope. Modulate? Nope. Hey! This is music that requires no instrumental playing ability. Think of it as an audio collage tool. The result is mind numbing. Now anyone can be Philip Glass and have endlessly repetitive cells of notes. There is an onscreen keyboard (laughingly called "grand piano") that will let you hunt and peck whole notes (if you can see the keyboard - the keys are so small you will need great fine motor control to hit the right key).
Remember those annoying keyboards that allow you to add endless rhythmn and background arpeggios to whatever you are playing? Here is one for your computer. DO NOT buy this thinking you are getting a sophisticated mixer and tracker. You aren't. This is for kids only or idiots who want to inflict their noise on everyone around them. Next to this, cleaning spam our of your inbox seems like a worthy use of one's time.
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