Have your say on all things Apple related
A BAD MOVE FROM APPLE?
I have just ordered – and received – my ninth Photo Book from Apple, and beautiful it is too. My son has made several as well. Imagine then my horror at learning that Apple intends to stop its print service at the end of September.
This is terrible, and I believe it wouldn’t have happened under Steve Jobs. Surely part of the iLife experience was that you could get these beautiful books and many other things? Sure, Apple has offloaded this to a third-party service, but have you seen the quality? Not to mention the interface. It’s awful.
I sense the hand of accountants here. If Apple keeps on like this and offloads any more services to third parties, there’s going to come a time soon when I might as well go to the (very inexpensive) PC route, since the reasons I have been with Apple for over 30 years are rapidly disappearing!
BY MALCOLM WEATHERHEAD
ALAN SAYS… When we learned Apple would stop handling photo book printing in favour of handing it off to third-party services, we were saddened too. Back when this was a fairly novel feature, I heard good things from friends about the keepsakes they paid for.
Apple has handed the service off to a third party, but not just one: rather it has opened up the Projects part of its Photos app for other companies to plug in to. Though it’s a well-intentioned change, given that it opens up the marketplace for specialists to make their services accessible within Apple’s widely used software, it’s disappointing to hear that your experience with one of those printers’ tools and the end results has left a sour taste.
Apple lists services that connect with Photos at bit.ly/photosproj, a few of which are US-specific. Note Apple’s carefully worded disclaimer on that page, which distances the company from responsibility for “the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products.”
When we looked at those services on the Mac App Store, two of them had poor user ratings – albeit from a very small amount of feedback. The one with the highest rating – four out of five stars, again from a small number of reviews – is ifolor Designer.
If any readers have experience – good or bad – with third-party printers for Photos projects, we’d be grateful to hear about it.
MORE LOVE FOR LUIS
I have been a MacFormat reader since the very early 2000s, during which time I’ve watched competitor magazines rise and fall, and seen MacFormat change over the years. In issue 330, on the Contacts page, we learnt of Luis Villazon’s career change. I wish him luck, but am going to greatly miss him. I feel envy and sorry in equal measure for the teenagers getting him as a teacher. Luis was very informative and his work on much missed sister magazine PC Format was genuinely my favourite part. He answered the questions with the responses most of us
have in our heads in the same position!
The magazine will stay fantastic, of course, but farewell to the man who made it that extra bit awesome. Thanks.
BY PHIL ARMSTRONG
PAUL SAYS… I remember Luis’s work on PC Format fondly as well. Everyone here misses Luis’s brilliant straighttalking contributions to our and other Future magazines. We’ve passed your letter to Luis. Of course, like you – and doubtless many other readers, we wish him all the best with his new career.
MISSING CAPACITY
I read with interest your review of the Verbatim Vx500 SSD on page 87 of the last edition of MacFormat. However, I could find no mention of the drive size?
Initially, I thought the 500 in the name referred to a 500GB capacity, but then realised it refers to 500MB/sec reading speed. I did some investigating and found that the Vx500 comes in three sizes: 120GB, 240GB and 480GB. Should you not have mentioned this?
BY WELSH LEGEND
ALEX SAYS… Thanks for asking about this. It was the 240GB version of the Vx500 that we tested. This detail was omitted, and for that we apologise to readers and Verbatim.
APPLE PENCIL
I found your email newsletter from 17 August interesting. About your call for thoughts on Apple Pencil: I think it’s great. I’m studying Spanish and do all my homework and study in handwriting.
I use a paid-for app called Notability, which I find indispensable. I use an STM case, which not only offers protection but has a secure slot for the Pencil.
I try to handwrite as much as possible. I’m not really interested in writing on my phone, although I appreciate those with a larger phone may find it useful, as many Samsung owners do. All in all, I’m a happy bunny.
BY TIM JONES
ALAN SAYS… Readers, the email newsletter (see p32) Tim refers to is one in which I talked about a rumour that the new iPhones would support Apple Pencil, and that I’d find that useful for noting down thoughts as they spring to mind.
Tim, it’s good to hear you’re putting Pencil to such great use. I can see why phone compatibility may not benefit you. Best wishes for your studies.