The Mac Bundle 5.0 at StackSocial, a “Name Your Own Price” bundle, is one of the better deals for Mac-using genealogists, even if it doesn’t have any Mac OS X genealogy software in the bundle.
It ends on May 7th, and it comes with several applications, including software that would let you run Windows apps on your Mac (without needing to install Windows or run Boot Camp), an application that can remove unwanted objects from photos, as well as fix damaged photos (tears, scratches, etc.), data recovery software, and PDF/OCR software.
The apps I listed above are all very handy to a lot of genealogists, and can be had for under $10 (or more deepening on how much you feel it’s worth to you). If you paid full price for all of the apps, it would be over $800, and even the apps I singled out would cost $280.
Applications Included:
– CrossOver 13 for Mac – Use Windows software on your Mac
– Disk Drill Pro 2.0 – Data Recovery
– MacX Mobile Video Converter – Work with HD Video for your iPhone, iPad, Android, or other mobile device
– mSecure for Mac – Password Manager
– PDF Converter Pro for Mac – PDF converter with OCR capabilities
– Projects in iOS E-Learning Course – Learn iOS development
– RapidWeaver 5 – Website editor/creator (can be used to work on family websites). Has 45 different themes, 11 page type plugins, and can upload the content directly to the site.
– Snapheal Pro – Image restoration/repair application
– TuneUp – Organize iTunes Music
– Voila – Mac Screen Capture Tool
Below are some of my thoughts on these apps.
CrossOver 13 for Mac
CrossOver is basically a software layer that allows you to run Windows applications under Mac OS X, such as a genealogy utility like GenSmarts, or a Windows genealogy application like Legacy or RootsMagic (for those switching to Macs, or who need to temporarily run a Windows genealogy app). It is not a fully virtualized environment like VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop for Mac. It does not require you to reboot into something like Boot Camp either. From my experience, it can handle the majority of Windows genealogy apps. If you have a specific question about a Windows genealogy app you may need to access, and whether it works, contact me.
Requirements: OS X 10.6 or later, Intel Mac.
Note: It does not require a copy of Windows
Disk Drill Pro 2.0
Data recovery software for recovering deleted files, or in situations where you are having problems accessing data on a drive, USB flashdrive, or memory cards (cameras, tablets, etc.). It also supports hard drives formatted for Windows systems.
Requirements: OS X 10.6.8 or later
PDF Converter Pro for Mac
I have not worked with this software, but I have worked with a lot of PDF files, as have many of you. It can convert to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), iWorks (Pages, etc.), HTML, ePub, other formaters. It has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) functionality, to make PDF files editable/searchable.
Requirements: OS X 10.6 and higher, 1GB of Hard Drive space
Snapheal Pro
Snapheal is a app that is focused (pun intended) on working with images, specially in “healing” them, as MacPhun LLC terms it. That is, removing objects, fixing damaged areas. If you don’t have Photoshop or something such as Akvis Retoucher, this app alone makes this bundle worth it, and it’s very easy to use.
Recent Changes:
– Support for OS X 10.9 Mavericks – tags, multiple display support, improved performance, better handling of large image files
– Exports to Aperture
– Improved Erase function with 20% increase in speed
– UI improvements and bug fixes
Requirements: OS X 10.7 or later, 64-bit CPU
Voila
Voila is a Mac screen capture tool, that allows you to capture your screen, record action on your screen (complete with audio), capture full webpages. I have not used this application, but have used similar, and it can be handy when you are trying to show somebody how to do something, and you don’t have access to their computer.
Requirements: OS X 10.8
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Full Information: StackSocial