The Mac ReviewCast

Software and Podcasting: A Look Back and A Look Forward

By Tim Verpoorten Copyright © 2007

December 2007

Looking back at software in 2007 we saw a tale of a two-headed monster. The first 9 months of 2007 was near stagnant in Mac software development and the final quarter of 2007 was just the opposite. Of course, the reason for this was Leopard. Leopard brought so much to the table with its October release that software developers could let their imaginations run wild with ideas and features that they were not capable of achieving until Leopard arrived. Now that Leopard is here, we're all winners. But with every major update to an operating system, we're greeted with some new problems to solve. With Leopard the problem was updating all the shareware, freeware and major commercial applications to not only take advantage of Leopards new capabilities, but just to allow the applications to run correctly on Leopard.

Freeware applications such as Onyx and Applejack which I think should be on everyone’s Mac are still not Leopard-ready. Shareware apps that we all know and many of us depend on such as SuperDuper are still not Leopard capable. Then we have major commercial apps like Adobe products which may or may not run correctly on Leopard. Patience may be a virtue, but it's a dangerous virtue when it comes to system backups and basic computer etiquette.

Now that the Leopard floodgates have been opened, I expect to see more and more unique, attractive and functional Mac applications coming down the road. We'll be looking at as many as we can on the MacReviewCast podcast, so stay listening.

Talking about Podcasting, this year has seen continued growth in podcasting and more importantly, videocasting. With the new line of iPods being released in 2007, video podcasts are as easy to take with you and watch while away from your computers as never before. There is still one obvious advantage for podcasts over videocasts, and that's the ability to listen to the podcast while driving to and from work. Podcasting may seem a bit old-fashioned at time with the new access to video media we have, but there will always be a place for them in our everyday lives.

So let's look at where we're going in 2008. Mac software will continue to amaze and delight us. Leopard has created a solid footing for years of future development. The visual aspect of Mac development can only get better with core graphics and as more people migrate to the Mac, the opportunities for Mac developers to make a good living just increases. I expect to see more and more software products rolled out in 2008. As for podcasting, I feel that audio-only podcasts will continue to exist, but they may not grow at the numbers we've seen over the last two years. I look for more screencasts and videocasts to make their way into our iPods and our homes. The time is near when we find podcasts about what someone did last week or whom they chatted with online fall off of iTunes altogether. I think we'll see more and more interest-specific podcasts find a niche in your directory.

As Mac users, we must be ready for the steady growth in the user-base. The influx will bring both positive and negative online experiences to you and I. But, I can say with confidence that the Mac Software we now know and love will only be getting better in 2008.

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