IRC is one of those things that either you get or you don’t. You probably know IRC as chat rooms. But if you said that to a diehard IRC user, he or she would give you a dirty look or two because "chat room" is a term originally popularized by AOL. And to be technically correct, IRC has no chat rooms. They’re called channels. Maybe that’s a nerdy nit-picky thing, but it wouldn’t be the internet without nerds getting ticked off over minutia like that.

The best app for IRC depends on what OS you’re using. IRC is best used with a true client rather than the web-based way (like Mibbit, which seems to get increasingly banned on many IRC servers these days, hence the reason I don’t use nor recommend it).

On Windows, the best IRC client is mIRC. It’s been around seemingly forever (even as far back as the Windows 3.1 days) and has proven time and time again to be a solid, stable chat app.

On Mac OS X, the IRC app used most is Colloquy. Were I using OS X I would use that and nothing else for IRC purposes. It is the best for the Mac, no question. And you can even go mobile with it.

On Linux, XChat is the best. I have tried several different IRC apps over the years with Linux, but time and time again I keep going back to XChat whenever I’m using a Linux distro.

Platform independent IRC applications (works in any OS):

• Chatzilla - A Firefox add-on.
• Pidgin - Primarily an instant messaging client but also does IRC. Note for Mac users: Adium uses the same backend Pidgin does and also does IRC the same way.

Do you use IRC?

If you do, what’s your OS and preferred IRC app of choice? Let us know in the comments.

Mac users who are familar with Windows may have heard of the excellent tool Tweak UI which allows you to easily change tons of aspects of the operating system without having to dig through the registry or configuration screens. Mac users wanting something similar should take a look at TinkerTool.

TinkerTool is an application that gives you access to additional preference settings Apple has built into Mac OS X. This allows to activate hidden features in the operating system and in some of the applications delivered with the system.

While TinkerTool allows users to control their individual settings, power users looking to apply system wide tweaks can check out TinkerTool System.

TinkerTool System is a professional all-in-one maintenance tool for the Macintosh platform. It allows you to change advanced operating system settings and offers a wide variety of maintenance features. It strictly complies with the software guidelines for Mac OS X, and also uses Apple’s official instructions and recommendations for the resolution of certain system problems.

There are a list of features available on the TinkerTool System which cover the specifics of what this program can do. This tool is definitely worth a look for Mac users.

Didn’t get enough games in part 2? Here are some more!

Neverball

Described as “Tilt the floor to roll a ball through an obstacle course before time runs out. Neverball is part puzzle game, part action game, and entirely a test of skill.”

Basically speaking you keep rolling a ball by tilting the table before time runs out.

Nexuiz

This is a first-person-shooter, 3D, “deathmatch” style and has been around since 2005.

Here’s a video of the gameplay:

Pretty cool if you asked me.

Pingus

If you know Lemmings, you know Pingus.

Runescape

Runscape is role-playing style game - and the cool part is that it runs completely in the browser. For those with higher-powered computers, let me tell you - it’s not too shabby once you go full-screen with it. Very few in-browser games do a good full-screen mode, but Runescape does.

To note: While it’s free to play there are paid options as well. But at least you can play for free to see if it’s your thing or not.

XEvil

This is a 2D side-scroller game with possibly the most interesting description of the lot:

O.K., kids… let’s get this straight. XEvil is not for meek, peace-loving, “I love you, you love me…” types of people. The fans of XEvil enjoy it because of its shameless displays of blood and violence, of people getting lit on fire, getting shot, being ripped up by chainsaws, getting high on drugs, and burst open by aliens.

If that doesn’t say “wholesome”, I don’t know what does.

Did you get your fill of games from part 1? We didn’t think so! So here’s part two.

Freeciv

This has been mentioned on PCMech before and definitely gets a spot on this list because, well, it’s the best Civilization clone there is - and very addictive.

Freecol

If you liked Civilization, you probably liked Colonization as well. Freecol is a clone of the old Sid Meier classic.

Frets On Fire

Ever hear of Guitar Hero? Then you know what Frets On Fire is.

Globulation 2

This game is billed as “…an innovative Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game which reduces micro-management by automatically assigning tasks to units.”

For those that like strategy-type games, Globulation 2 will fit the bill nicely.

Gunbound

No, this is not a first-person-shooter. It’s a turn-based game and very “cutesy” in nature.

Strong warning: Highly addictive.

Stay tuned for part 3!

Here’s a list of free games you can get right now. All of them are ready for download and don’t cost a dime.

I’ve made a point to choose games that are at least somewhat recent (if not very recent concerning releases) so that they run a-okay on your computer.

Note: Many of these games run on Windows, Mac OS X and/or Linux. It’s not just “Windows only” stuff here.

Continued

If you’ve ever delved into the world of having your own web site, you will inevitably have a need to send and retrieve files from your server via FTP.

FTP is really (and I mean really) old and still widely used. While it’s true you can send or receive files from the command line in any OS, the GUI way of doing it is much easier because you get things like drag’n'drop, mass uploading or downloading with subdirectories with just a few clicks and so on.

Filezilla

Where to get it: http://filezilla-project.org/

Supported OSes: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Whether you’re using Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, Filezilla is a rock-solid reliable stable FTP client with many features and an easy-to-use interface. Most people if given the choice of which free FTP client to use would most likely opt to go with Filezilla first.

WinSCP

Where to get it: http://filezilla-project.org/

Supported OS: Windows

WinSCP has also proven itself to be stable and reliable. Its drawback is that it’s Windows-only but definitely gets the job done. If you’re a Windows user you may prefer this over Filezilla as the interface is a bit easier to understand.

Core FTP

Where to get it: http://www.coreftp.com/

Supported OS: Windows

Core FTP has many features with command line support, but its single largest drawback is that it looks terrible. In addition there is a small "nag" screen each time you start it. But it’s free so you really can’t complain.

Need more choices?

A list of many FTP clients (both free and paid) are available here.

No matter what your operating system is, a question many ask is "What should I have to do modern computing?" In this article we’ll address RAM specifically. Should you run 2GB or can you get away with 1GB or 512MB?

First, a quick look at cost.

Cost-wise, RAM is the cheapest it’s ever been. 2GB Desktop PC memory is under the 25-dollar mark, so assuming your computer can support it physically, there’s no reason not to go 2GB.

Second, a look at operating systems.

32-bit Windows NT, 2000 and XP will easily support 2GB RAM on-board. And although you could put in 4 it is unlikely you’ll see any difference performance-wise (assuming the OS can even access it).

The same can be said for Mac OS X and Linux on a 32-bit platform as a desktop OS. In general use you will not see any huge leaps in performance from 2GB to 4GB RAM. Maybe if you were running a server you would, but on the desktop side, most likely not.

Third, a look at performance (the performance that matters, that is).

The Big Question: Will you see a performance improvement going from 512MB or 1GB to 2GB? Yes - but not necessarily in the way you would expect.

For example, if you upgrade from 1GB to 2GB, here’s what you can expect:

• Faster application launch and shutdown times.
• The ability to run more apps at once without having your computer "think" about it as much.
• Smoother switching between apps.
• Smoother web browsing (especially on Flash-intensive web pages).

And here’s what not to expect:

• Better gameplay on high-end video games. (This is highly dependent on not only RAM but video card RAM, clock speed and hard drive access times - just the RAM upgrade isn’t enough.)
• Better video performance. (That’s the video card’s job - not the physical RAM’s job.)
• Faster large-file read/write. (Even with more memory, if your hard drive access times are slow, that has everything to do with the hard drive and nothing to do with physical RAM.)

Is 2GB RAM now the standard?

I say yes. The RAM is dirt cheap, the installation takes only minutes and there’s nothing in your operating system you have to change or adjust once installed. Just install, boot and enjoy.

If you have absolutely no idea how to fit RAM for your computer, head over to www.crucial.com, select your make/line/model and it does all the work for you. Or just use the System Scanner.

I’ve mentioned on the PCMech Live show many times my disdain for the fact that if you’re one of the few running a 64-bit processor, your options for native 64-bit applications are few and far between on the consumer end.

Chances are very high that the computer you’re using right now has a 32-bit CPU in it.

Here’s the short-short definition of the difference between 32 and 64 concerning your CPU: Continued

Since the release of Mozilla Firefox 3 there have been issues with the Adobe Flash player (currently at release 9), particularly with Flash video. What happens is that you’ll attempt to watch a video (say on YouTube) and the first 2 seconds will play and then stop. And you’re left with no choice but to restart the browser and sometimes that doesn’t even work.

There is a Flash 10 beta available right now if you want to use it. It’s recently been updated for both Windows and Mac. Personally speaking I won’t be using it because all I have to do is that if Flash bugs up on me I just go into Internet Explorer 7 and everything is okey-dokey. I figure if I want to view a Flash video that bad, going to another browser just for that video doesn’t bother me.

So if you’re a Firefox user and have been experiencing that maddening 2-second-and-stop issue, it’s not your fault. When version 10 of the Adobe Player is officially released it should resolve that issue.

Continued

The fire that rages on concerning Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux as far as “which is better” continues to burn hotly. You will find zealots (a.k.a. “fanboys”) for each party, but the plain fact of the matter is this: that they’re all wrong because that’s not what the future of computing is about. Continued

One feature common to many Windows firewall programs is not only the network port filter but the ability to monitor and approve programs attempting to communicate to the Internet. For you Mac users out there looking a program to do this, check out Little Snitch.

Little Snitch is not a firewall, as this is what it does:

Little Snitch informs you whenever a program attempts to establish an outgoing Internet connection. You can then choose to allow or deny this connection, or define a rule how to handle similar, future connection attempts. This reliably prevents private data from being sent out without your knowledge. Little Snitch runs inconspicuously in the background and it can also detect network related activity of viruses, trojans and other malware.

This program is ideal for preventing any ’suspect’ network activity as you can completely block it from leaving your computer. Little Snitch is shareware but is probably worth the price for the security conscience Mac user out there.

As Rich reported yesterday, Apple finally got around to filing a lawsuit against Psystar. The lawsuit was filed in the northern district of California and alleges all of the obvious charges, including license infringement, copyright violation, etc.

Psystar very blatantly entered this market - almost as if they were wishing they’d get sued. They very blatantly poked Apple in the eyes and started selling hackintoshes. The only mystery is what took Apple so long to react.

But, filing a lawsuit isn’t enough. Now Apple is asking Psystar to issue a recall on all the Mac clones they sold since Psystar’s debut in April. “Psystar’s actions have been committed with intent to damage Apple and to confuse and deceive the public,” Apple claims (according to ZDNET). “As a direct and proximate result of Psystar’s infringing conduct, Apple has suffered and will continue to suffer lost sales and profits in an amount not yet fully ascertained in an amount to be proven at trial.”

IT goes to show that Apple is going for the jugular on this one. However, a recall isn’t practical. People paid money for Psystar systems (bonehead move, but they did). Do you really think somebody who purchased a system is going to send it back? So, a recall is likely wishful thinking.

Winning the lawsuit, however, is not. I expect Apple to wipe the floor with Psystar in court.

The interest in Mac is an at all time high these days. The public follies of Windows Vista, coupled with the superb marketing and positioning of the Mac by Apple, has led to an increased presence of the Mac in the eye of the computer user today. A tech bloggers like myself really enjoy covering Apple because they really are on the cutting edge of things and cause a lot of hype.

I pretty publicly switched to the Mac last year. A long time Windows user, I am now using 100% Apple hardware. But, the reaction to many might be: “must be nice to be you. YOU can afford it!”. So, the question is: How can you switch to a Mac without breaking the bank?

Continued

When Apple came out with OS X Leopard, one of the more innovative things they included with it was Time Machine. This is, of course, the automated backup utility with a snazzy graphical interface which automatically backs up and archives your Mac. You can restore your entire Mac if needed or simply a single file. To use it, though, you need an external hard drive.

So, Apple released the Time Capsule. It is an Airport Extreme Base Station coupled with a hard drive. In other words, network attached storage (NAS) with a pretty face.

Continued

There has been buzz going around that .Mac will finally (maybe) be updated to something that may be useful.

While Apple may score points for having the coolest looking computers on the block, they’re nothing but a big ball of fail in the web department.

I’ll put it to you this way: Compare .Mac to Windows Live Services. Then compare .Mac to Google’s offerings. Then realize that both Microsoft and Google offer a whole bunch of cool - and useful - stuff, FOR FREE while Apple charges $99 a year for the same stuff that doesn’t even work as well.

The fact Apple charges anything for .Mac just goes to prove that some Apple users are stupid enough to pay for something just because it’s labeled with a fruit.

For those that forgot, .Mac used to be free. Yes it was. Apple changed that. Why? One reason: Money.

Now here’s the rub: If Apple decides to “Google-fy” their .Mac service (which has been speculated,) there’s a problem. Apple would be charging for something that Google otherwise offers for free.

Apple needs to cut the crap and stop charging for .Mac because it simply isn’t worth it.

One final note: Dave has 3 Macs, one of which is a Mac Pro. He tried .Mac. It sucked. He uses Google instead because it’s better.

We all know that the OS wars will wage on until the end of time. You’ll have the Windows guys unenthusiastically entering the battlefield in their suits and ties. The Apple guys staggering into the battlefield in rainbow gear smelling like hemp. And the Linux guys will be tripping over their pocket protectors.

OK, see, I just fueled the debate. Again! And purposely so, yes. [David reaches up and feels his horns. Yep, they're still there.]

Continued

Apple has released two new additions to their “Get a Mac” series of commercials. One features a group of cheerleaders, but the other one is just plain funny. And for your Tuesday enjoyment, I bring them direct to PCMech:

You can view them all in their Youtube channel.

It has been a long time coming, but OpenOffice version 3 has officially been released to public beta. The current stable version of OpenOffice is pretty good, but as a Mac user, I have been waiting for a native Mac version of OpenOffice. I am currently running NeoOffice for the Mac, which is good but it is a bit of a tangent.

Aside from the native Mac support (no more running X11), OO3 is going to support the OpenDocument Format (ODF) 1.2 standard as well as be able to open Office 2007 documents (however, InfoWorld is reporting problems with opening Office 2007 docs). Also, according to the OpenOffice site:

The most immediately visible change to OpenOffice.org 3.0 is the new “Start Centre”, new fresh-looking icons, and a new zoom control in the status bar. A closer look shows that 3.0 has a myriad of new features. Notable Calc improvements include a new solver component; support for spreadsheet collaboration through workbook sharing; and an increase to 1024 columns per sheet. Writer has an improved notes feature and displays of multiple pages while editing. There are numerous Chart enhancements, and an improved crop feature in Draw and Impress.

I downloaded the version for Mac OS X (a 168 MB download) and installed it. I got a nice little start screen (as they said I would). The interface also looks more professional than does NeoOffice at this time. The app does seem a bit heavy at times, however.

I will, of course, be exploring it further.

I saw someone over at DailyTech ask a question about building a Mac and watched him take machine gun-like shots over and over from PC and Mac fanboys for asking a stupid question. You know it’s bad when you have both sides of the computer world bashing you. Of course you can’t build your own Mac.

But, Why not?

Continued

Last week, Jason authored an article on reasons why to use Linux. Jason is a real fan of Linux and I was part of the “heated discussion” he refers to at the beginning of his article. His article really did touch a nerve and has quickly become one of those most popular articles on all of PCMech.

Seeing as I was, indeed, part of said “heated discussion”, I thought I would shed some light on my personal choice of computer: the Mac.

Continued

First off, what is Welcome to Macintosh?

“Welcome to Macintosh” is a documentary that explores the many ways Apple Computer (now Apple, Inc.) has changed the world. Whether a long time Mac fanatic or new to computers, Welcome to Macintosh takes you from the early days of the Apple-I to the latest and greatest Apple has to offer.

Tony Walla, a reader of TUAW, probably didn’t realize some big tech sites were going to link to his blog the day he decided to cover this film. Tony, welcome to the world of Mac versus PC, where the nerds are a little too excited and the sheep are scared.

This, from the TUAW story, reads:

Rizzo and Baca’s goal is to tell the story of the Macintosh experience. “In order to do the Mac experience, you’ve got to put it in context of the Mac history,” notes Baca. Rizzo added, “You can’t appreciate where it is today without knowing some of the past and the fact that there is a sprit, a personality. There is a flame that lives in Apple, that lives through some of the products that is dispersed though the creativity of the people that make them.”

Oh, brother.

If I can get my hands on this film, I have to watch it. Should be comedic. I like Macs. I use Macs. Do I want to make a special dedication to it? No.

Here is a movie trailers for your enjoyment:

Well known internet marketer dude John Chow got a Mac not long ago and now he is beside himself with his utter coolness. Now, he has given us another reason to own a Mac: To easily get out of a Rick Roll.

OK, I posted this because it was entertaining - admittedly. Yeah, I own a Mac. Three, in fact. But, still, this is a really stupid way to brag about Mac ownership.

Probably drives traffic to his blog, though.

Yep, that’s right. I turn 33 today, so you can clicky-clicky on your mouse on over to here or here and send a card to rich@frostedside.com.

Being that I was born smack dab in the mid-70s (1975), my generation was literally the last that experienced the world before internet. As a matter of fact, my generation was also the last before the advent of pagers (remember those?), cordless phones, cellular/wireless phones, cable television, satellite television/internet, home video (VHS/Betamax), compact discs, GPS and so on.

Computers were around, but it was a for-enthusiasts-only club (i.e. nerds) up until well into the 2000s.

Do I long for the days past when we didn’t have all of today’s modern technology around?

Absolutely not.

My opinion is that technology has matured in a way that has without a shadow of a doubt improved life.

Unofficially, consumer-available internet wasn’t widely available until 1996, so let’s turn back the clock to 1995 and compare tech then to tech today in 2008. We’ll also throw some other modern-day tech into the mix here.

Confirming the balance on your checking account

1995: Manually keep a record of your balance in the back of your checkbook, by hand. Wait until the bank opens on a day when you’re not going to work (usually Saturday) and either call or visit to confirm the actual balance is correct - and it usually wouldn’t be.

2008: Login to your bank’s web site and check the balance - anytime.

Placing a phone call for a tow service when your car breaks down

1995: Lock your car and literally abandon it, walk to the nearest payphone, grab the attached phonebook (assuming it has one), find a tow service listing, put a coin into the phone (assuming you have one), place a call to the tow service, walk back to your car and wait.

OR

If there are no payphones around, go to a stranger’s house and do the EXTREMELY awkward thing of knocking on someone’s door and pray to God it’s someone nice that will let you use their phone to place a call to a tow service.

2008: Grab your wireless phone, dial 411 (in the US), be auto-connected to a tow service and schedule a truck/lorry to come by and get your car to the nearest garage. The wait time is the same but at least you don’t have to abandon your car.

Getting turn-by-turn driving directions to anywhere

1995: Use a fold-out map, physically draw your route using a “highlighter” marker, assuming your vision is good enough to read the jumble of lines.

2008: Internet and/or GPS. If using internet, print your map just for the area you need to know (far easier to read). If using GPS, get in the car, punch in the address and go.

Communicating with anyone by voice in a different country

1995: Place a phone call and cringe knowing you’re spending an obscene amount of money every minute you’re connected just to say “hello”.

2008: Use free client-to-client voice communication via internet. Smile knowing that you’re saving loads of money compared to a phone call. And it sounds better than a phone, too.

. . .

The above are just four seemingly insignificant examples but are in fact very significant.

If you use internet and tech in a way that serves (keyword there), you have the advantage of using communication and data mediums that make life easier and better.

Simply put, I don’t miss the pre-internet/pre-tech world and look forward to what tomorrow brings.

As a final note, I still to this day love the fact that the internet is truly a world-serving thing. When I see something as simple as blog comment from people across the USA or from other nations (Canada, UK, Australia and anywhere else that has internet access), that’s just plain awesome.

AppleInsider is reporting that the Mac Mini will be getting an upgrade. This is contrary to previous assumptions that Apple might kill off the Mac Mini in favor of some other form of mid-range desktop.

Ever since the Mac Mini arrived on the scene, it has failed to really take off. It is a machine in limbo, leaving a lot of people scratching their heads on exactly what they can do with the thing. It is a real Mac. I personally use one for the purpose of running PCMech LIVE. But, it isn’t a super duper Mac by any means and I wouldn’t want to use it for daily work.

So, what is rumored to be coming to the line of mini Macs?

• New 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo processors starting at 2.10 GHz
• 800 MHz front-side bus (previously 667 MHz)

• Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics processor (same as the MacBook)

Anything to get excited about? Not really. The Mini is still going to be a niche machine and these updates will at least keep the little thing current for a little while longer. I still doubt the Mini is going to see much play in consumer circles.

I was hoping Apple might kill the Mini and, instead, focus on a mid-range desktop tower. Sure, we have the Imac, but the integrated screen offers little customization and there is no gap between that and the much beefier Mac Pro. Apple needs to give us a Mac Pro LITE…something that looks more like the Mac Pro, but perhaps with lesser specs and a lower price tag. That thing would sell.

Dave got a Macbook Pro (15-inch version) so I called him up and asked some questions about it. Some good discussion happened during the course of conversation. If you’re interested in getting a Macbook Pro yourself, you may find this interesting.

I’m going to say first that Apple’s Time Capsule - even never having used it - is a good product for the fact it’s easy and it’s got a crapload of space for backing up your stuff. A problem that has plagued computer users for years is that there’s really been no easy backup solution, but Time Capsule truly does make it easy.

I personally couldn’t care less if what’s in it is considered "server grade" or not. The fact it’s simple is in itself the main selling point.

However..

Apple has stated - quite directly - that the hard drive in it is "server grade".

Server grade, for all intents and purposes, means "not consumer grade". It should be a hard drive that is used in server-specific applications that can take a pounding.

As it turns out, the Time Capsule absolutely does not have a server grade hard drive in it.

What hard drive does it use? Hitachi Deskstar. Very off-the-shelf. Very consumer grade. Big and huge, yes, but still nowhere near server-grade HDD specs.

So anyway, the big deal is that Apple states Time Capsule has a server grade HDD when in fact it doesn’t.. unless Apple thinks "server grade" means "a big honkin’ hard drive". The term is relative. But as anyone knows, "big" doesn’t translate to "server grade" - at all.

Will this hurt sales?

I doubt it.

It’s still the easiest consumer backup solution there is.

Just as a quick comparison:

If you bought just a 1TB Hitachi Deskstar HDD alone, the highest price is $319.00.

The Time Capsule 1TB version is $499.00.

If you have a Mac Pro, buying the drive outright and using Time Machine is the better option. You save $180 and it’s faster (no wi-fi lag).

If you have an iMac and/or Macbook Air/Pro, Time Capsule is the better option because of the wi-fi and the fact you can’t add hard drives in those applications, so you have to have an external solution of some kind. Time Capsule is it, no question.

And if anyone’s wondering why I put "duh" in the title of this post, the moment I saw Time Capsule I knew from the get-go it’s not server grade. I mean, c’mon, seriously.. is a little white pretty slab supposed to have the same ability as Xserve? OF COURSE NOT.

As you can see, we do a lot of screencasting here at PCMech. Rich does almost all of it, but he uses Windows. Windows is lucky to have a program called Camtasia which is the de facto standard for screencasting on the Windows platform. But, once you get to the Mac side of things, you’re left scratching your head.

This isn’t to say that there are no decent options, but Mac users will immediately be stumped by the fact that there is no Camtasia available for OS X. Not yet anyway…I hear they are working on one.

In the meantime, what are the best options for an OS X user? Let’s jump right to some links because I know you are reading this article for solutions.

• iShowU. iShowU is a nice little utility for doing screencasting. I have purchased this application and have used it. It works quite well for me. You can capture either a section of your screen or the whole thing. If you are using multi-monitors, you can select which screen to record. It does not do a great job if you try to span more than one screen, but this is something I would expect with any program. IShowU offers easily configurable presets for quick export of your videos. You can even re-size them on the fly, which is convenient.

  

• Snapz Pro X. This is another decent option, but on my trial I ultimately decided I didn’t want to use it. The problem I was having was losing the recording window as I was recording. Also, I would start the program and be unable to find it. You have to call it up using a keyboard shortcut and I found it counter-intuitive. I’m not going to rip on the product, though. Many people swear by it. It just didn’t fit my personal preferences.

  

• Jing Project. Jing is a Techsmith (the company behind Camtasia) service that DOES work on OS X. This obviously means the company is doing OS X screen capturing so it is only a matter of time to see a Mac version of Camtasia. But, for now, we have Jing. Jing operates like a little OS add-on that allows you to quickly record a video and put it up on Techsmith’s servers at Screencast.com.

  

• ScreenFlow. ScreenFlow is perhaps the closest thing to Camtasia that I have found so far for the Mac and it is quite impressive. It can record pretty much anything and offers no hiccups at all (I’ve tried it). You can even perform after-recording editing functions like adding callouts, zooms, pans, trims, drop shadows, etc. It is not a full-blown movie editor, but there is nothing from stopping you from doing the convenient stuff with ScreenFlow and then exporting to MOV and editing in iMovie. ScreenFlow can only work on OS X 10.5 Leopard. I highly recommend ScreenFlow and I, myself, plan on purchasing the program soon.

  

So, those are the options I have played around with. Expect to see some more screencasts done by your’s truly using my new Mac Pro. Honestly speaking, Techsmith probably waited too long to tap the Apple market. Camtasia will definitely be a big kahuna in this market when they finally release for the Mac, but ScreenFlow is a great application that does things Camtasia can’t - even on Windows.