Mac Product Watch (10/9/00 - 10/13/00)

There are alternatives to Word: Nisus Software, Inc.'s Nisus Writer 6.0 is out. This word processor, long a favorite in academic circles for its integrated multilingual support, gains a grammar checker; an RTF filter; support for IBM's ViaVoice dictation technology; zoom; an automatically expanding glossary; and support for the Mac OS 9 Language Kits as well as for other Apple technologies such as Contextual Menus, Navigation Services, and QuickTime. This is in addition to Writer's long-standing features such as unlimited undos, non-contiguous selection, a macro language and more. Upgrades from previous versions are $49.95; the whole thing is $99.95.

For those with less demanding text-editing needs, there's Split Software's iWrite 1.5, a $14.99 scriptable text editor that incorporates custom styles, e-mail, and more. Version 1.5 improves the interface, adds quotes and other characters to the Selection menu, and fixes bugs.

Griffin Technology has released the free Super Res 1.0, a Control Panel and Control Strip combo that unlocks monitor resolutions. There's no information yet as to whether Super Res, like the similar shareware SwitchRes, can accommodate the resolution changes called for by 3D games.

Dr. Bott's $19.95 gHEAD VGA-to-VGA adapter restores resolutions otherwise unavailable with ATI video cards and allows Macs to run "headless" -- that is, without an attached monitor.

Gluon Inc. has released XPressImage 4.1, an update to its tool for exporting QuarkXPress files to other formats. Version 4.1 is QuarkXPress 4.1-native and gains a new, tabbed dialog interface; an HTML Export feature; and new EPS options. Pricing ranges from $59 for upgrades to $299 for a Pro version with full automation capabilities.

Riccardo Ettore's TypeIt4Me 4.8.2 adds compatibility with AppleWorks 6 and the Mac Script Editor to the $27 utility for creating and using simple macros for commonly-used words and phrases.

Connectix has released Virtual Game Station 1.4.1. This update to the Sony Play Station emulator for G3-equipped or newer Macs gains improved audio support. (Link is to a required form.)

VSE GmbH has updated VSE BeFound 2.1, a Web site-promotion tool. Version 2.1 gains more than 30 interface tweaks, fixes bugs and can now open up to nine simultaneous connections. A "Lite" version is $19.95, while the "Pro" version runs $89.95.

Public Access Software's $10 Tape 1.5, a developer tool for converting folders into application packages, can now cobble together a complete Mac OS X bundle.

ACTION Files 1.5.3, the latest version of Power On Software's $49.95 utility for enhancing the Mac OS Save and Open feature, now supports the most recent versions of popular Mac applications such as Office 2001 and Adobe Photoshop 6.

In the wake of Apple's introduction of the QuickTime 5 preview release, Microsoft has announced the availability of its Windows Media Player 7 beta for the Mac. It adds support for Windows Media 7 audio and video, MP3 playback, and sports a new interface. Might as well jump on what Microsoft calls "the leading digital-media platform."

Belkin Components has introduced its Apple Monitor Adapter (AMA), which allows owners of the latest Power Mac G4 and Power Mac G4 Cubes to use the previous, Digital Video Input (DVI)-based Apple Cinema Display, and Studio Display monitors. It's $39.99.

Webroot Software Inc. has released MacWasher 2.1, the latest version of the $29.95 utility for cleaning up hard drives and eliminating Internet caches, cookies, and more. Version 2.1 adds a "Cookies to Keep" function, support for the latest browsers, and an enhanced "Bleach" function, which overwrites deleted files for added security.

Impossible Software has released TypeTamer 2, the latest version of the suite of font-management tools. This update features an improved interface, a "Display Character Set" function, and custom font categories. It's $49.95 for the whole shmear.

Electric Rain Inc. has released their Swift3D 1.0 tool that lets users create 3D vector images for use in 2D animation applications such as Macromedia's Flash and Adobe's LiveMotion. The company credits interest expressed by Mac users after the introduction of the PC version of Swift3D earlier in the year. The Mac version contains features not yet implemented in the PC app, the company said, though the Mac version retains a Windows-like interface. It's available for $139; there are also educational and volume discounts.

InnoGear has announced its MiniJam MP3 Player for the Handspring Visor. The attachment (which comes in $199, 32MB and $259, 64MB versions) is Mac-compatible and comes in Ice or Graphite colors, the company said.

Curmudgeon's Eudora Fixer 1.2 returns the status-display icons in Eudora 4.0 to their natural, original state, the way they should be. Version 1.2 adds a "Reset Changes" option to ease updating the basic application. How much would you pay for this? A dollar? Good, because that's what it costs.

Jim Walker's Software has updated PrintToPDF 2.1.2 to rectify some crash-causing bugs in the $20 utility that allows creation of Portable Document Format files from any application.

Ton's Software has released DupliMizer 1.6, an $8 AppleScript-based utility that duplicates and optimizes your Web folder. Version 1.6 gains better compatibility with XHTML documents and fixes some bugs.

It's here at last -- anybody been holding their breath? Adobe Systems, Inc.'s release of InCopy 1.0, an editorial-content system and companion to InDesign and InScope, has finally made it out the gate. InCopy offers revision controls, the InDesign text composition engine and more. Don't go looking for a copy for your home machine, though -- InCopy is only available for professional use through the Adobe (adbe) InDesign system-integrator channel.

AVerMedia Technology, Inc. has announced the AverKit 2.5-inch IDE to FireWire conversion kit, which does just what you'd expect it to do: convert a 2.5-inch IDE hard drive for use with the higher-speed, plug-and-play FireWire interface standard. It's $149.99.

Trash Sack 1.0 is a $10 utility from Lazy Mountain Software that uses a caching scheme for recovering recently trashed files.

Black Diamond Products has released SockeToome 0.9, the latest beta of its $20 peer-to-peer file-sharing application for people with either static or dynamic IP addresses. Yet to be seen: whether this will attract the kind of attention Napster's been getting.