What is better than iDVD?

What is the top Mac program for making slideshow DVDs? iDVD seems not to be the best one.

Good question. FCS /DVDSP is the top apple Dvd authoring software available for the mac. iDvd is second. And Toast (w/ Fotomagico) is third. However that doesn't mean DVDSP and iDvd are the top slideshow applications for the mac. Just as iPhoto is not always the best slieshow app when exporting to iDvd. There are third party apps that specialize in slideshow presentations. Here are but a few:
1. Fotomagico http://boinx.com/fotomagico/overview/
2. Photo Presenter http://boinx.com/photopresenter/overview/
3. Photo-to-Movie http://www.lqgraphics.com/software/phototomovie.php
Disclaimer: Apple does not necessarily endorse any suggestions, solutions, or third-party software / products that may be mentioned in this topic. Apple encourages you to first seek a solution at Apple Support. The following links are provided as is, with no guarantee of the effectiveness or reliability of the information. Apple does not guarantee that these links will be maintained or functional at any given time. Use the information above at your own discretion.
Message was edited by: SDMacuser

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What's better than Illustrator?

I've been using Illustrator for many years and several versions. My usage is nominal and occasional/once a week, and I don't get very sophisticated for my needs, so it has been OK so far. I do not do commercial work but know Ai is the "de-facto std".
But I read this forum often and see many criticisms of Ai and I do have occasional issues with Illy with tools and UI....just not as easy or robust as it could/should be...cumbersome at times.
I see JET and others here make great use of Illy but also criticize (justifiably) it for not being as good as other vector tools.
I know there are competitors, Inkscape is free, others less costly than Illy; and seemingly better/easier/faster to use...at least for some things.
So my question: What is better than Illustrator (I'm using CS5) and why? What can they do better than Ai? Is it worth having a second program and learning (tho I suspect the learning curve should be easy as they do similar things but have different GUI). Or replacing Illy with something?
Pro's/Con's that would make one make the effort to try/use something else? I don't even know what out there is better than Illy. I've searched www and got a few hints but nothing very significant.
Am I wasting my time looking?
Your feedback welcomed to help me decide whether to explore/trial other programs.

I see JET and others here...criticize (justifiably) it for not being as good as other vector tools.
I can't speak for "and others", but since I'm the only one you mention by name:
If you've already deemed the criticism justifiable, then you must already know what that criticism says. When I criticize Illustrator, I don't just say "Illustrator is crap" and leave it at that, unsupported. I'm careful to explain myself with facts pertinent to the context of the discussion. I actually own and know how to use the other programs to which I compare. I've often posted lists of comparitive features.
I've always used my real name here and sign all my posts with my initials. So finding my comments is not difficult.
I know there are competitors, Inkscape is free, others less costly than Illy; and seemingly better/easier/faster to use...at least for some things. So my question: What is better than Illustrator (I'm using CS5) and why? What can they do better than Ai?
Didn't you just answer your own question? Other than the broadly general things you just mentioned, what program do you want to compare, and for doing what? Surely you're not asking someone to do an exhaustive feature-by-feature comparison between Illustrator and all similar programs in this one thread?
All you've said about what you use Illustrator for is that your use is nominal, occasional, unsophisticated, and non-commerical. Mine isn't. Commerical graphics has been my livelihood for over 40 years. Vector-based illustration is both a speciality and a passion.
I...knowAi is the "de-facto std"
"Defacto standard" is self-fulfilling. It's effectively equivalent to saying "More people use Illustrator because more people use Illustrator."
So what? More people ride Vespa scooters than KTM motorcycles. But which one would you call "professional quality"? You can use either one to pick up a gallon of orange juice at the corner store. But if you enter an enduro, the KTM will get the job done with alot less stress.
The myth is that most software buyers choose the best. That's as naive as the faith that most voters do.
Illustrator has been slothfully resting on its "defacto standard" haunches since the dark ages (AKA the 80s). "Defacto standard" be hanged.
I do have occasional issues with Illy with tools and UI....just not as easy or robust as it could/should be...cumbersome at times.
Okay. What issues? State something specific and users actually familiar with other programs can compare.
This is the 21st century. There's really little new under the sun here. A 2D drawing program is just an interface pasted on top of mostly the same old geometric functionality. The competitive advantage goes to the offering that best (easy) and most fully (robust) empowers the user. The multiplication of easy and robust yields elegance. That's a term I've never applied to Illustrator. Illustrator is one of the oldest of the bunch, lounging under the sun for so long it's at risk of skin cancer. Yet it still fails to provide basic functionality users of other drawing programs have taken for granted for decades.
Examples that may be germane to your casual, non-commerical use? Try these things in Illustrator:
Star Tool: Draw a star. Now change the number of points it has.
Arc Tool: Draw 36 degrees of a circular arc.
Label that star with a dimension.
Distribute a group of different objects along a curve.
Uniformly space Blend steps along a non-uniform curve.
Attach a Blend to a closed path and have the first/last instances properly positioned.
Knife Tool: Cut across an open unfilled path.
Connect a text label to an object that stays connected when you move it.
Paste a simple graphic into a text string so that it flows with the text.
Perform a Find/Replace on carriage returns.
Round Corners: Apply it to an accute or obtuse angle and have it actually yield the radius you specify.
Crop a raster image.
Rotate something. Go back later and find out what its rotation angle is.
Pathfinders: Use them without wrecking existing fills/strokes.
I could go on (and have). How long a list do you want? All the features/functions associated with the above basic operations (and many more) are substandard, half-baked, or even non-existent in Illustrator. This is "professional"-grade software? No, it's largely consumerish rubbish sold at exhorbitant prices just because it's the "defacto standard."
Is it worth having a second program and learning...
Obviously, it is to me (and a third, and a fourth, and...). As I've said many times in this forum, I don't know how anyone can legitimately claim to compare two programs if they've only got workaday familiarity with one.
As with any other endeavor, the more drawing programs you're comfortable with, the less arduous it is to pick up another, because you tend to pick up on the underlying principles involved, as opposed to just becomming habituated to a particular program's command locations and procedures by rote.
But you've been using AI for "many years" and find it to be "OK". So if you're happy with it, use it.
I have a cheap, consumerish Ryobi table saw and it's "OK." But I didn't pay a professional-grade price for it, either. And I'm sure not going to write glorious reviews on it, call it "professional," and get all fearfully brand-loyal defensive about it if someone dares suggest I might ought to learn to use a different one. My use of it, like yours, is merely occasional. But I also presently need to build a TV cabinet, and I'm dreading it. If I were to open a cabinet shop, I'd be much more discriminating, and would do my own homework to make an informed decision.
Or replacing Illy with something?
One doesn't have to "replace." There's nothing any more wrong with using more than one 2D drawing program than there is with using more than one 3D modeling program, or raster imaging program, or page layout program, or word processor, or video edting program, or....
Pro's/Con's that would make one make the effort to try/use something else?
That depends on what one is doing with it. Not knowing that, I can again only offer generalities that matter to me: If you've only ever used one program of a particulat kind, you're rather in the dark regarding functionality that you may be missing that may be important to you. (Second-degree ignorance: You don't know what you don't know.) If you're mission-dependent upon that one program, you're also kind of captive to the whims and agenda of its vendor.
That very well may not matter to you, given your nominal, occasional, unsophisticated, and non-commerical use. And if so, that's fine.
I don't even know what out there is better than Illy. I've searched www and got a few hints but nothing very significant.
But you just said you've been reading a bunch of posts here which mention other programs.
Am I wasting my time looking?
Only you can answer that about your time. Time is all any of us have.
Your feedback welcomed to help me decide whether to explore/trial other programs.
No offense, but frankly it sounds like you're just not motivated enough to do your own homework. If you are sufficiently motivated, visit the websites of other drawing program vendors. Read the features lists. Dowload the demos, read the documentation, and try them out. Visit the programs' user forums. Or, if it's really not that important to you, don't.
If you've got questions about specific functionality and/or specific programs, be more specific about what you do (or want to do).
JET

What is better than Skype when two iPad users want to live chat?

What is better than Skype when two iPad users want to live chat?

The built in app, FaceTime.

Better than iDVD please

Hi there friends,
I was wondering if you can tell me a better DVD burning program a little better than iDVD please.
I am ready to "up" my menu's ect and I looking for the best program.
How much are they??
Thank you

Hi
The Quality of DVD - is mostly not dependant on iDVD but on the DVD-standard
(can't be better than SD-video - There are no HD-DVD that plays on standard DVD-players)
If You need more
• in iDVD keep movie less than 60 minutes and use Pro Quality or Best Performances
• alt is Roxio Toast™ 10 Pro - where You can set higher bit-rate (less movie time)
• or incl BD-component to Toast and burn a Blu-Ray DVD or by using BD-disk/burner
a full Blu-Ray Disk (Need BD-player to be viewed eg PlayStation 3)
• Or Copy back to Camera and connect this to TV/Screen
• Or PlayBack via Mac on a large screen
Yours Bengt W

What is better than WAP 200

HI,
I have a small business, i use to have an Access Point from another brand, I had a lot of problems using it like every time it looks like it freeze, I can see the wireless but I don’t get internet access from it, and I need to reboot it to fix this issue, this issue might happen 3 days per week or more.
I removed it and installed the WAP200 and since that time the issue has been gone, i faced it on the WAP200 few times but its ok so far my wireless is good and everything is ok,
The problem that I am facing now is the signal range, the WAP as you know has 2 antennas, and 1 send and 2nd receive,
I used an 8dbi indoor antenna to make the signal go more in range but it still didn’t reach the range I need.
My question is: is there something better then the WAP200 in range and it might have 4 antennas (2 send - 2 receive)
Or is there any other solution to cover all my office using 1 AC only?
i don’t want to go on with repeaters as my office is not that big it’s a normal apartment from 6 rooms with a corridor between them.
Any help would be great.
Thanks for reading this

I used an 8dbi indoor antenna to make the signal go more in range but it still didn’t reach the range I need.
Good gosh. That's a very, very strong antenna.
I'm no expert with Small Business range, but with the enterprise range, I personally won't recommend this strong antenna. The reason is because the client can hear the strong signal from the WAP, HOWEVER, the WAP will NOT be able to hear the weak signal from the client.
My question is: is there something better then the WAP200 in range and it might have 4 antennas (2 send - 2 receive)
Or is there any other solution to cover all my office using 1 AC only?
How big is this office? I mean can you see your neighbor's wireless? What are the walls made of? What's above and below your office. These questions matters alot.

If JSP is an extension to Servlets then in what case is one better than ...

If JSP is an extension to Servlets then in what case is one better than the other... can someone give me an example?

i wouldn't want to argue with previous poster, because i'm not too over confident with this thing, but i have got an undersatanding that .jsp's are translated to servlates and then compiled...
so technicaly jsp does exactly what servlet does...
but when you work with .jsp pages, then you can create web applications more rapitly and indeed there are those special tags that you may define for your self... (though i've never used them -- but then again, i'm just a n00b to JSP technology)

FLV quality looks better than F4V, what am I doing wrong?

Hi,
I exported a small clip as a on2vp6 flv, a h.264 f4v, and a h.264 mp4 file with the adobe media encoder cs4. Each file is the same clip, exported with pretty much the same settings. Resolution: 640x480, 0.5mbps target bit rate, 29.97 fps.
Everything I read says that for a given file and a given bitrate, h.264 should provide better video quality when compared to a h.263 flv file. I would like to know what I am doing wrong, because the h.264 files look worse than the flv file. I have provided download links for a short demo clip in each format.
fl7756n_29_640x480_500kbpsbr.f4v
http://www.filefactory.com/file/af5gc7b/n/fl7756n_29_640x480_500kbpsbr_f4v
fl7756n_29_640x480_500kbpsbr.flv
http://www.filefactory.com/file/af5gc7e/n/fl7756n_29_640x480_500kbpsbr_flv
fl7756n_29_640x480_500kbpsbr.mp4
http://www.filefactory.com/file/af5gc71/n/fl7756n_29_640x480_500kbpsbr_mp4
Why does the clip look better in h.263? It seems that everything I encode at low bitrates looks better in h.263 which leads me to believe I am doing something wrong.

Okay, that is true, they are different codecs. But even adobe says:
Q: How does H.264 compare with the current video formats supported in Flash Player?
A: Flash Player supports the Sorenson Spark video codec (based on H.263) and On2 VP6. H.263 is the predecessor of H.264 and was designed for teleconferencing applications, at 64k rates. H.264 delivers even higher quality at lower bitrates. H.264 will deliver the same or better quality when to compared to the same encoding profile in On2. Factors you should consider when choosing a format include the complexity of the content, the desired reach, ability to archive, and licensing considerations.
at
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flash_Player:9:Update:H.264#Q:_What_is_H.264.3F
Are there any tricks to getting the h.264 to look "better" than the h.263? Like, the h.264 version of the video doesn't even look close to as good, and I think that the f4v version looks worse than the mp4, which I don't really understand since they are both h.264 files. The footage is from a canon XL2 and the original source is ntsc 720x480. Is there anything special I should be doing for encoding in h.264 instead of h.263. The video is going to be only for the web.

What makes iPad better than other tablets

Hi there! i am planning on buying the new iPad 2 but i want to ask and talk about what makes the iPad better than other tablets particularly Android.
Since its first outing the iPad has come from strenght to strenght with featrures and apps only a smartphone (or even a PC) could dream of.
But in the past few months there has been a tsunami of Android tablets vuying to topple Apple's device. with better features like:
1. Divx support (in some devices)
2. better front & rear cameras
3. better multitasking and customisation options
4. Android being an "open" platform
5. video chat with ANY similar device (and not confined to only Android)
6. better bluetooth option and features (like sending files to ANY device and not confined to only Android)
7. full DLNA support (in almost all devices now)
......and the list goes on.
sure it's not a contest and sure some makers have "copied" features from Apple and made it into their own but i still love Apple devices not because of the lack of features but because the technology really works and the OS just flows really smooth.
so, i want to ask you guys....what makes Apple devices such as the iPad 2 special, unique, desirable and better in many ways than an Android device?
what makes the iPad an investment for me and my family?

Don't get me wrong i am fan of Android but i also am a fan of the iPad 2. but i still can't help with the things the device is lacking and lagging behind with with the Android devices.
sure, the iPad is not a Xoom or a Transformer or a Galaxy tab.
sure, the iOS is fluid and smooth and it just works
sure, Honeycomb 3.0 is full of bugs and it freezes more often than not (i heard)
sure, the Apps Store is still miles away when it comes to apps, games, etc. (although i heard it will be overtaken by the Android Markt by this year in terms of sheer numbers but also quality apps designed/dedicated for tablets by next year)
the Android Amrket might not have "rogue" apps or "stealing user data" but doesn't Apple products have that and do that as well?
sure the iPad doesn't support Flash but even though its a battery hogging software you still enjoy the "full" web (the way it was meant to be viewed) on an Android tablet.
sure, the iPad does have a below 1-megapixel camera which is jurassic really.
but it still doesn't hide the facts like what i mentioned on my previous emails.
for the cheapest wifi-only iPad 2 you pay GBP399
the equivalent 7" Galaxy Tab (which came out months before the ipad 2) you pay GBP399 and that's with 3G, better front & rear facing camera, full Divx capability (without the need of an app), full DLNA capability (without the need of a separate device or server), better and more "open" bluetooth, full Flash compatibility amongst others.
basing on my example above can someone tell me without being biased...what makes the iPad 2 better in many ways?

What is the range of an Airport Express 2nd generation? The range is better than the 1st generation?

What is the range of an Airport Express 2nd generation? The range is better than the 1st generation?

150 feet in clear space with no obstructions in the signal path. It is not possible to predict range with any obstructions in the signal path.

In what way Exchange Server 2013 archiving is better than the other 3rd party application ?

Hi All,
Can anyone here please share some thoughts and comments regarding of which feature of Exchange Server 2013 archiving is better than the 3rd Party application like Symantec Enterprise Vault ?
Any comments and suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
/* Server Support Specialist */

It's free.
Ed Crowley MVP "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems."
yes, as long as we are using the Exchange Server 2013 Enterprise Edition.
/* Server Support Specialist */

DVD looks different/better than imovie

I did a quick search in this forum to see if this has been discussed before. I'm sorry if it has; I'm new in this forum. Anyways...
I'm trying to edit video that I dumped from a video camera and DVD onto my powerbook g4 1.33ghz w/1.25ghz ram. I'm not having any real issues with the editing process itself. My problem is that, when I burn a DVD of the movie (using iDVD) it looks entirely different than on the laptop. I've even tried using a secondary screen to do the editing on (regular computer monitor). The secondary computer monitor looks the same as the laptop. But, again the burned DVD looks totally different. On the computer, it looks kinda like it's in dropframe but I'm using 29 (or whatever that higher setting is). But when I burn the DVD and play it in a regular DVD player, it looks much crisper, smoother and less pixelated. Will it help if I max out my laptop RAM to 2ghz or is this just a problem inherent in the preinstalled 64MB video card? If it's the video card, I'm thinking about upgrading to a macbook. Will a macbook video card be powerful enough not to have this problem? Any help/suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

bobwex123 wrote:
I use DV tape (not HD), import to iMovie 09 and burn to DVD with iDVD....
... If I upgrade in FCE and spend some time with the interface, will the final DVD quality be better than iMovie 09?
definitively YES.
as widely known, iM08/09 has this little *skip-field problem* with interlaced sources (miniDV imports are always i, independently, what camcorder marketing says), plus a gamma-prob.
details on our website:
http://sites.google.com/site/theimovieoutputproject/
you avoid these probs by using a 'real' dv-editor, as iMHD6 or FCE ..
sidenote: settings in the editor, on transfer and iDVD have to be correct for best quality. as: sequence settings 'fit' to camcorder, NO 'Export using QT conversion', iDVD is set to same standard as camcorder (PAL vs NTSC); project length <60min (=for highest bitrate in iDVD).
+disclaimer: I may profit from linking to my site.+

Open DNS better than Comcast xfinity DNS?

Is OpenDNS better than using Comcast/xfinity's DNS? If yes, how do I switch over?
I go to into Airport Utility and enter in the 2 openDNS numbers, something like 222 and 220, but at the bottom of the page right now (because I am using Comcast's DNS) there's a web address something.comcast.net Do I need to change that info too? If so, what do I put in that field?
Thanks!

How did you add them?
If you are using a single computer: Open System Preferences/Network. Double click on your connection type, or select it in the drop-down menu, and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' add the following two numbers:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
(You can also enter them if you click on Advanced and then DNS)
Sometimes reversing the order of the DNS numbers can be beneficial in cases where there is a long delay before web pages start to load, and then suddenly load at normal speed:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2296
If your computer is part of a network: please refer to this page: http://www.opendns.com/start/bestpractices/#yournetwork and follow the advice given.
(An explanation of why using Open DNS is both safe and a good idea can be read here: http://www.labnol.org/internet/tools/opendsn-what-is-opendns-why-required-2/2587 /
Open DNS also provides an anti-phishing feature: http://www.opendns.com/solutions/homenetwork/anti-phishing/ )
Wikipedia also has an interesting article about Open DNS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDNS

What is better: Builder 2 oder Plug In

Hi guys!
As i couldn't find much about that, here is my question.
Maybe it is interesting enough for some experts to have smal
discussion.
What is better to use: builder or th plug-in.?
I don''t really need the to have a design view, so pure code
would be enough for me. And what I hate about the builder is the
performance when compiling large projects. Is this better if you
use Eclipse (which version) together with the plugin. Can you have
both installed and use the same project workplace to "share" the
projects, depending on what you want to do?
What gives me the best performance for writing, compiling,
debugging?
THX

See iPhone. See iPhone charged to 100%. See user using iPhone. User opens an app and uses it. When done user goes into recently used list and "closes" app. User does this each time when using an app. User gets 145 texts. 71 hours later iPhone only has 8% battery charge. See the battery in red. User charges it.
See iPhone. iPhone is charged to 100% See user using iPhone. See user opening apps and never closing them on the recently used app list. See recently used list grow to 66. User gets 141 texts. User gets 2 more phone calls than last time. 71 hours and 1 minute later iPhone has 8% battery charge. See the battery in red. User charges it.
See user get only 1 minute difference in battery life. See user not bother to close apps anymore. See user also explain this is not exactly scientific. See user release Spot to chase down Dah-veed. See user and Jane get busy now.

What is better for security? WPA2 or Access control

I have a Airport express and 2 computers; a Mac and a PC.
When it come to securing your wi-fi connection so you don't get unauthorized clients on your network.
What is better
A- Just using encryption like WPA2 or some other password based system or
B- Just entering the "Airport ID" (MAC) of the computers I want to authorize in my network on the Access control panel.
Seems to me like the later is easier on the clients since they don't need a password or anything, It's completely transparent for the client. And I believe encryption slows down the connection a bit and create overhead for the computer. But maybe I don't have the full picture of the situation.
Is there anybody who can illuminated this subject for me?
thanks
PowerBookG4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

WPA2 is virtually uncrackable only really vulnerable if you use a real word as a password.
When using access control, MAC addresses are sent unecrypted can be read and spoofed and therefore do not add any security.
Unfortunately "Closed" networks, MAC access control lists, and reduction in transmission power are all more "feel good" security rather than real security. All these various approaches are dated and mistakenly lead to overconfidence.
WPA is your friend if you value wireless security.

Are the screens on white iMac 20" better than those on new 24"?

I have read so much about the troubles with the 20" and 24" Aluminum iMac screens that I'm afraid to buy one now, and was thinking of buying a refurb'd white (plastic) iMac from Apple. Is the screen tech in the white version better than that in the 24" Alum? I have an old 2.0 white iMac and have never had any trouble with the screen at all.

Pier Rodelon wrote:
Thanks for these pix. I have two more questions,
1) Previous poster suggests that specs for the white iMac screens were lower
than specs for ALU iMac screens--is this true and in what particulars?
Other than viewing angle and brightness, Apple doesn't publish any meaningful
screen specs.
The ALU screens are a little brighter -- entirely too bright -- and they don't have
sufficient adjustment range to reduce the brightness for comfortable viewing with
normal home lighting levels.
The 20" ALU viewing angle specs are much poorer than the white 20" or any of
the 24" models. In practice, the difference is easily noticable even to the most
casual observer.
2) Does the 24" white iMac have the same screen that the 20" white iMac has?
All 24" iMacs have expensive S-IPS LCD panels. That's the same basic technology
and from the same manufacturer as the Apple Cinema Displays. (As discussed
previously, some (many?) 24" ALUs have/had problems with uneven backlighting.)
Some white 20" units use exactly the same S-IPS panel as 20" Cinema Displays;
some others came with an excellent-quality S-PVA display. I believe all 20" iMacs,
at least as far back as the G5 PPC, used similarly high-quality (gorgeous!) panels.
The 20" ALU iMacs all have much lower-quality TN panels (from various sources).
The 17" white Intel iMacs also use the lower-quality TN panels.
To see what display you currently have, cut-n-paste the following command line
into Terminal.app -- then look it up in the panel database at tftcentral.co.uk:
ioreg -lw0 | grep IODisplayEDID | sed "/\[^<\]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6
I don't know if the 24" white iMac refurb would be a better choice than the 20"
white (or the 20/24" ALU).
IMO, there's no contest in 20" size -- the white iMac displays are vastly superior.
If you're lucky enough to get a good display, the ALU 24" is very attractive; OTOH,
I have no performance complaints with my white 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo -- and it
was $600 less than my 24" ALU reject.
Looby

What is better than iDVD?

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