What is iLife

What is iLife?

iLife is a suite of programs that is included with every Apple Mac computer.
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The programs in the most current version are:

  • iPhoto ’09
  • iMovie ’09
  • iWeb ’09
  • and GarageBand ’09

Now many sharp eyed readers will be noticing that  the verions are all ’09 – and it is now 2010. The big question being – when is iLife 10 coming out?

Being that it is so late in the year – the speculation is that there will not be a 2010 version but a 2011 suite instead. I think it would make sense to do away with the year altogether and just go with numbers instead. I mean who really wants to buy outdated software?

The iLife programs are very useful for organizing a person’s digital life.

iPhoto can handle a large library of digital photos – and includes useful tools like photo tagging, face identification, smart albums, and even more tools to make organizing a snap.

iMovie is useful for creating a show out of all that raw camcorder footage. It is really a full bodied program that includes transitions, the ability to add music and sound, and the integration of still pictures as well. It is more than enough for an amateur photographer like me.

iWeb is Apple’s version of website development software. The templates that are included are fun and the drag and drop functionality makes publishing a website relatively easy – especially without any technical background. However I (and some of my readers) have had issues with the speed at which iWeb loads – meaning that it is way too slow. All in all, this is a nice program for family or personal websites but not so good for businesses.

And GarageBand is software for creating digital music. My kids love this – but I must admit that I have not spent much time playing around with this one. Here is a little piece that my son put together:  Bone Dead

As I mentioned before – these programs are included on all new Apple Mac laptops and computers. But upgrading to a newer version is a separate purchase. Usually Apple will offer the new version on a DVD with either a single user license or a family pack license – and it can be purchased at the Apple Store online or off – or for a small discount at Amazon.com. Sometimes downloadable options are available from Apple as well.
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Since the newer version of iLife is imminent – Amazon is currently selling iLife ’09 at a steep discount.

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