Digital media deals

By Leonard Fischer
Gannett News Service

The battle between Microsoft and Apple Computer to convince consumers that their respective computer platforms provide the best choice for digital media heated up last week when both companies made same-day product launches.

Microsoft introduced Windows Media 9 and Plus! Digital Media Edition, a collection of tools for working with digital music and photos in innovative ways, as well as a new version of Movie Maker, the video-editing tool that comes bundled with Windows XP.

Apple's new lineup, which was introduced at MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, includes updated versions of iPhoto for enhancing and sharing digital photos, iMovie for making digital movies, and iDVD for burning movies or photos onto DVDs. Apple also introduced a simplified version of its professional Final Cut Pro video-editing software and a competitor to Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software.

The new software is a boon for consumers because it's powerful and either free or cheap.

"Consumers are the real victors here," said Michael Gartenberg, who tracks technology for the Gartner G2 research firm. "Whatever platform they're on, consumers are seeing updated applications and more and more reasons to get their movies, images and music into digital formats."

Microsoft is selling Plus! Digital Media Edition through online retailers for $19.95, before a $5 rebate that's good through Jan. 31. A boxed, retail edition will be in stores in February, and the software will be loaded on some new Windows desktops from Hewlett-Packard. Movie Maker 2 is available as a free download at Microsoft's site.

Apple will make iPhoto 2 and iMovie 3 available as free downloads on its site starting Jan. 25. iDVD 3 will cost $49 as part of the new "iLife" bundle that also includes the free iPhoto 2, iMovie 3 and iTunes 3 software.

APPLE (All titles require Mac OS X 10.2)

iLife

Availability: Jan. 25

Cost: $49

Information: www.apple.com/software

Includes:

• iMovie 3: Adds new features, including advanced audio controls and the "Ken Burns" filter, which allows users to create pans and zooms across digital photos. Adds sound effects from Academy Award-winning Skywalker Sound.
• iPhoto 2: This new version adds a one-click tool to automatically enhance a photo and a retouching brush for film scratches.
• iDVD 3: Includes new themes, can create chapter markers from iMovie scenes and reduces the time it takes to burn DVDs.
• iTunes 3: No upgrade, but part of the package

Final Cut Express

Availability: Now

Cost: $299

Information: www.apple.com/software

Final Cut Express includes high-end features for digital video enthusiasts and small- to medium-sized businesses, such as the ability to overlay video from several different clips into a single clip. Final Cut Express also includes the broadcast-quality audio editing and titling tools in Final Cut Pro. Movies can be exported to iDVD 3.0 or Apple's professional solution, DVD Studio Pro.

Keynote

Availability: Now

Cost: $99

Information: www.apple.com/keynote

Keynote provides video-quality animation and transition effects. It can accept information from Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and AppleWorks, and it also imports and exports slides to and from Microsoft PowerPoint. It includes a variety of professionally designed presentation styles and tools for creating 3-D charts and sophisticated tables. Presentations also can be saved in Adobe Acrobat format or as QuickTime movies.

Microsoft (All titles require Windows XP Home or Professional)

Plus! Digital Media Edition

Availability: Via download now. In retail box in February

Cost: $19.95 (before $5 rebate through Jan. 31)

Information: www.microsoft.com/windows/plus

Includes:

• Plus! Photo Story: Allows digital camera users to turn still photos into narrated slide shows with background music. The software lets users pan and zoom across photos to create video-like effects, resembling the style used by documentary director Ken Burns.
• Plus! Analog Recorder: Includes step-by-step wizards to transfer music on cassettes and record albums to the Windows Media digital format.
• Plus! Party Mode: Lets people use their PCs as a jukebox for parties, but it locks all the computer's controls except the music play lists so guests can't snoop or inadvertently delete or move files.
• Other tools include Plus! CD Label Maker, Plus! Dancers, Plus! Sync & Go for Pocket PC and Plus! Effects and Transitions for Movie Maker 2.

Windows Movie Maker 2

Availability: Now, via download

Cost: Free

Information: www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/moviemaker

Windows Movie Maker 2 is a redesigned version of the simple video-editing tool that comes bundled with Windows XP. The software takes advantage of the Windows Media 9 format to compress video during the editing process so computer users with smaller hard drives have more editing flexibility. The software also sports a redesigned interface with wizards that walk users through common tasks. An "auto movie" tool lets users load in their clips. Then the tool analyzes them, chooses the best ones and synchronizes those clips to music chosen by the user. Movies can be uploaded to the Web, sent in e-mails and prepared for burning onto CD or DVD.