VIC REVIEWS - Local feedback, answers from VIC members

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NEW! Reviews - Get the local word on hardware and software 

Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac

Pros:  Faster and more reliable than version 3.0. Great improvement with using USB devices in both the host and virtual pc environments.  Much improved use of graphics card.  Can now access more than one processor at a time.

Cons: Must pay the upgrade price.  $39.00 until the end of November 08, $49 afterwards.  THE ugliest icon in all of Macdom.

Having just upgraded to Parallels 4.0, I can finally say that this product has finally come of age.  It really feels like a mature product.  It was my experience that version 2.0 under TIGER was better than version 3.0 under LEOPARD.  While 3.0 added the much ballyhooed "coherence" mode, this feature seemed confusing and awkward and gave up some stability and speed of the prior 2.0 release.  Version 4.0 fixes this and more, adding a new mode call, "modality" which lets you see your windows in any size you want.

Another big feature is that Parallels 4.0 lets you have MAC OS X SERVER as virtual OS.  This is great when testing features on an new Server build and even possible Final Cut Server setups.

Another new and improved feature is "dragging and dropping" files between virtual machines, this is really cool and the Parallels team has somehow MAPPED out file types so that the move works seamlessly with multi-platform software.  You can even assign certain file types to open in certain virtual machines.

Finally, version 4.0 ships with some nice Windows tools(anti-virus, phishing, and disk fixing) for free.

Last note, they changed the ICON, this has to be the UGLIEST icon I have yet seen in Mac OS X. see above.

get the list of new features here:

http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/upgrade/

get the flash video of all the new feature explained here:

http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/pd40_tutorial-en_US

Got something good to share? Let us know!

Easy Green Screen?

Intensity Pro Black Magic review with Conduit Suite - By Patrick Wilson, McLane HS

I broke down and got an Intensity Black Magic Card for my Mac Pro. This is the card that allows for

HDMI input. I also bought a copy of Conduit Pro (this is the software Alex Lindsay from the Pixel Corps

showed off at the FCP supermeet).

All I can say is WOW. I have a very bad darkish green screen, and some really not very soft lights

and my students and I were able to pull a VERY GOOD live key. It was amazing. I used my Canon

HV 20 into a stock MacPro and it worked without a hitch. A few times I did have to reset the camera

in software, and figuring out the settings for your particular camera is tough at first, but once you

get is set you can SAVE your settings. We used Alex's quicktime tutorial and it worked like a gem.

It gets better, if you get the PRO card, it allows you to send ANALOG signal out, a component signal out,

and it can ingest ANALOG signals for capture. Black Magic supplies software called "On-Air" which is a

LIVE two camera switcher on your Mac! You will need two Intensity cards for this and two cameras,

but if you want a very simple two camera live set-up this could be the ticket for high schools on a budget.

Plus, the card is for MAC or WINDOWS. However, the Conduit Suite is mac only.

You can record to drive and it will compress to any setting in quicktime, but be warned you will

need a VERY FAST RAID. A single drive won't do, it just couldn't handle the HD.

Plus, Conduit has plug-ins for FCP, Motion, After Effects, Premiere so if you want to use it on

pre-recorded material it works just fine. This is some really cool software, especially if you need to

do a greenscreen. Nodal compositing is different that is for sure, and without the Pixel corps great

how to videos we would be at a loss, but I did have my students go above and beyond and shade the

subject green and had the 'incredible hulk' look. We were also able to put a face inside mount rushmore,

although our masking work needs some help.

This is a great combo. The card and the software. Very Cool. Kid teachable with the videos.

Here is the link to the demos and training:

http://www.dvgarage.com/prod/prod.php?prod=conduit2⊂=samples

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/