Apple has made good on Vice President Philip Schiller’s promise at Macworld to release iLife ‘O9 this month. Beginning Tuesday, all new Macs will have an upgraded version of iLife ’09 with iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand. The software suite is for Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later.
For those who already have a Mac, Apple is making iLife available through the online Apple Store, in its retail stores, and through authorized resellers.
iLife is one of the main reasons customers purchase a Mac over any other personal computer, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said when iLife ’09 was announced.
iLife ’09 costs $79 for a single license, but a five-computer family pack is priced at $99. Apple is also making the suite available with the Mac Box Set along with iWork ’09 and Mac OS X Leopard for $169.
The latest version of iLife is loaded with high-tech features.
iPhoto, which allows users to view, edit and store digital photos, now can organize photos with face detection. The feature, called Face, allows a user to easily search for a photo using geo-tagging technologies. It posts family and friend photos on a digital bulletin board for easier viewing.
iPhoto also can create themed slide shows. Apple added a social-networking element to iLife ’09, and users can upload photos to Facebook.
iMovie, a video editor, includes a new precision editor, video stabilization, drag and drop, and animated travel maps.
For those who enjoy jamming with Garage Band, a music-creation and podcasting application, Apple has added 18 basic guitar and piano music lessons.
Additionally, users have an option to get lessons from the experts, including Sting, Norah Jones, and Fall Out Boy at the GarageBand Lesson Store for $4.99 per lesson. Users who buy a lesson also get a little inspiration from the artists, who explain…