[drolldurham]

Right now I'm running OS X 10.4.11. A couple weeks ago I sat down and watched Apple's long introductory video to 10.5. Later I went into my local Apple store to check it out. Unfortunately in both cases, what I saw was an abundance of iLife features that I would not use, and a lack of customization options that I was hoping for.

The thing is, I don't use iLife.

For e-mail and my calendar, I use Google. Yes, I know that both Mail and iCal can sync with Google's services, but that synch seems too awkward (at least in its present state). For example, when you use Gmail in Mail, you end up with a local copy and a remote copy of each message. It's little things like that that bother me. And I've found that I don't use Address Book either -- I've got contact info on Gmail. Again, why try to synch everything up when you can just keep it online (of course, if you are a believer in the "Google Invades My Privacy" Conspiracy Theory, you wouldn't)?

Speaking of online, I use Firefox. I'm pretty sure that Safari loads pages a bit faster than Firefox, but that disadvantage is quickly overshadowed by the community behind Firefox. With Firefox, I've got Tab Mix Plus, I've got Forecast Fox. I've got middle-clicking to open and close tabs. I've got freakin extensions, man.

What about iPhoto? Well, I honestly hate it. I've got a DSLR, I take thousands of pictures, and I want a professional digital processing environment -- frankly, Adobe Lightroom is freaking awesome. So I do'nt really use iPhoto anyway. Nothing more to say there. [EDIT: Chuckit points out that this is indeed an unfair comparison. iPhoto isn't intended to be like Lightroom, so in many ways it's apples and oranges (no pun intended...). Aperture is a Lightroom competitor, but I've read that it's an extraordinary memory/processor hog... anyway, I admit to an unfair comparison.]

And then there's chat. I use Adium, which has customization features up the wazoo.

So that's where I've found myself. Apple has made Mail and iChat and Safari and iCal and Address Book and iPhoto all very closely integrated. If you use all those iLife apps, you will get some nifty features (especially in 10.5) here and there that you won't find with other apps. But if you find that just one or two iLife apps lacking in certain important ways -- like I do -- it seems like you're better off forgetting iLife all together. (OK, except for iTunes.)

So while I'll upgrade to 10.5 at some point (those smart folders in the dock looked particularly exciting -- that's the kind of features I want more of! no more HimmelBar!), my reason for upgrading will not be the new iLife features -- features which I won't use. I wish Apple had focused on more "higher level" system customization (do we still only get to pick between "graphite" and "blue" in the appearance preferences?!), rather than those little iLife tweaks.

So finally, I ask: What do you use?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by drolldurham 

For e-mail and my calendar, I use Google. Yes, I know that both Mail and iCal can sync with Google's services, but that synch seems too awkward (at least in its present state). For example, when you use Gmail in Mail, you end up with a local copy and a remote copy of each message.

In IMAP mode?

Originally Posted by drolldurham 

Speaking of online, I use Firefox. I'm pretty sure that Safari loads pages a bit faster than Firefox, but that disadvantage is quickly overshadowed by the community behind Firefox. With Firefox, I've got Tab Mix Plus, I've got Forecast Fox. I've got middle-clicking to open and close tabs. I've got freakin extensions, man.

The only extension I've found to be useful and not completely shitty is Web Developer. But I only need that sometimes, so otherwise I use Safari, which is better in every way I can measure. Apparently lots of people find some set of extensions useful in everyday browsing, but not me so much.

Originally Posted by drolldurham 

What about iPhoto? Well, I honestly hate it. I've got a DSLR, I take thousands of pictures, and I want a professional digital processing environment -- frankly, Adobe Lightroom is freaking awesome. Nothing more to say there.

These programs are not aimed at the same market. Apple's Lightroom equivalent is Aperture (which has existed since before Lightroom, by the way). Knocking iPhoto because it's not equivalent to Lightroom is like slamming Lightroom because it doesn't browse the Internet as well as Safari.

Otherwise, I don't use any of that stuff.

[drolldurham]

You're right about Lightroom and iPhoto... I made an edit to the original post.

[MacNNUK]

I don't like iPhoto at all.

I use Graphics Convertor for all my sorting, especially slideshow with delete, after using PS7 for editing, less so now my new digital camera requires less manipulation to get decent images.

I also quite like Preview for quick crops and file size reduction, which I used to use GC for a lot.

Camino has been my fav brower for some time now, mostly due to efficient blocking of ads and pop-ups. And it doesn't crash on websites like others do, apart from the UK Sun website, for some reason, some pages.

I prefer the "destructive editing" I get using iMovie 3 above all the later versions, cos it clears my HD as I edit large files, from camera tapes.

Here's my recent list>>>>>>

[medicman55]

I like Apple's Mail program. It does exactly what I need it to do, without the millions of buttons like Outlook.

I use Adium, I love its customization abilities.

I love camino. Block what I want, I can't really explain it. It just does what I want.

[Kevin]

Yeah Apple. ... look at those Adium numbers. iChat is a GREAT application. But it not being able to connect to multiple servers like Adium does is it's great downfall.
Apple worked some hack into it so it could attempt to connect to other IM protocols in a awkward and non-intuitive way but it just stinks as far as usability goes.

And it's a shame, I really liked the way iChat WORKED.

BTW good thread... I was always wonder what said statistics where among Mac users.

[Person Man]

The big features of Leopard are the under-the-hood enhancements, which are most visible in Apple's iLife and other included applications... for now.

These enhancements are available to all developers, however, so you'll start to see them be used in other programs. Don't expect to see them in cross-platform stuff like Firefox or Thunderbird, though.

Take a look at this list of features and you'll see a whole bunch of stuff that's not related to iLife apps.

Oh, and Safari and Mail and iCal and iSync and Address Book are NOT iLife apps. The ONLY apps that are iLife apps are iTunes, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, and iWeb, and the only one of those included in Leopard out of the box is iTunes.