Appletell

MacUpdate has unlocked Parallels Desktop in its Promo Bundle, making it slightly worth the money. It seems like sales might not be as great as expected, because it took quite a while to reach the 5,000 sales needed for SoundStudio, and somewhere before the 6,000 mark, it seems they manually unlocked the remaining two apps, BannerZest and Parallels.

The bundle now includes software that retails for a combined $475, though the actual value price is more around $100-$150, in my opinion. Parallels is the only real reason to buy this bundle. If you don’t need Parallels, I cant see a reason for buying the bundle. Other worthwhile apps include Hazel (review coming soon), Typinator, and MenuCalendarClock, but those can be had for much less than the bundle price. All in all, it seems most of the apps in there are filler.

Product Page [MacUpdate Bundle]

Not digging the MacHeist bundle? Well you’re in luck because MacUpdate has just released their OWN bundle of software. In my opinion, it is a much better deal than the MacHeist Bundle, offering more unique applications. The bundle is priced at $64.99 and will end April 29th.

The star of the show is Parallels Desktop, which at retail price of $79.99 is made a great deal in this bundle, even if you are only buying for the one application. The other applications included are Hazel (a task manager for OS X), Art Text (vectorized text creator for banners and logos), MenuCalendarClock (a date and time expander), Leap ("a combination Spotlight, Bridge, Finder, and more"), StoryMill (writing aide to visualize time setting, plots, etc.), Typinator (a text shortener), DVDRemaster Pro (DVD recompression), Sound Studio (multipurpose audio recorder and editor), and BannerZest (a WYSIWYG Flash editor).

As of this writing, Sound Studio, BannerZest, and Parallels are locked, and are set to unlock at certain sales levels. In the past, all levels have always been met. Individually, each program is over $20 (MenuCalendarClock is $19.95) so even if you only want a few, its still a great deal.

Check out the bundle [MacUpdate]

All Prices USD.

MacHeist is a fairly well known name around the Mac community. They have fun “Heists” with some free software, ending in a severely discounted software bundle after all the heists. Now they have released a “retail version” of the bundle, for the same $49 price. It includes some great programs, but a whole bunch of repeats from previous bundles as well. I’m not going to go into details here about the ethics, promotional schemes, or any other moral stuff about MacHeist here. What this article is for is breaking down for whom the bundle is worth it, and for whom it is not.

New Mac User - If you are new to the Mac world, this is a stellar opportunity to get your hands on a nice amount of applications designed with the Mac in mind. You get money management software, an iTunes front-end, a word processor, a shortcut/application launcher, a password and sensitive info vault, three games for the Mac (Nanosaur is especially cool in 3D) and more. If you have a fresh new mac and $50, I’d recommend this bundle in a snap unless you have absolutely no interest in any of these apps.

Previous Bundle Buyer - Chances are if you’ve already bought the MacHeist bundles, it’s not for you this time around. Over half of the applications in this bundle are repeats of previous bundles. It may, however, still be worth it. If there are a couple apps in there that you like that total up to more than $50 by themselves, then of course the whole bundle is a great buy.

Gift Giver - This also fits in with the previous. If you just want a couple apps, why not give the rest away? Hold a contest on your blog if you have one, or just give them away to friends as presents, or perhaps to a relative along with a new Mac. The games will be especially great for kids.

Who Else? Can you think of anyone else who would benefit from these apps? Sound off in the comments below!

For those of you who missed out on the downloadable MacHeist Bundle, MacHeist recently announced that a hard-copy version will be for sale soon.  At MacHeist.com, there is a teaser video, showing a vault with the Bundle in it getting robbed, and a line at the end that tells you to buy it before the time runs out.  Below are more info on some of the apps with which I have had personal experience:

Cover Sutra:  When paired with iTunes, Cover Sutra acts as a control for your music from the Desktop.  You can customize its great UI to your preferences, making this a good looking, though fairly pointless, app all the better.

MORE »

According to sources (specifically Financial Times), Apple is in the process of considering offering unlimited music downloads from the iTunes store at no cost to customers who purchase an iPod or iPhone at an inflated price. The concept is basically the same as Nokia’s “comes with music” program which they offer in partnership with Universal Music.

The program would allow customers who have purchased an iPod or iPhone from Apple for a higher price to download unlimited DRM-free music from the iTunes store’s vast collection. The deal is based on the concept of partnerships with record labels within which Apple would pay a fee to allow their customers unlimited access to the labels’ music libraries.

Research has shown that customers are attracted to such bundled packages, and that these would most likely increase sales for both the music record labels and the manufacturer (Apple). However, bidding wars that are currently common are preventing programs like these from becoming a reality. Nokia is apparently offering the record labels approximately $80 per handset sold - divided between the record labels taking part and based on what material can be downloaded for free by the consumers. Apple is rumored to only be offering $20 for the same service, which seems surprising low when compared to Nokia’s and other similar partnerships.

Apple is also rumored to be considering a subscription model for the iTunes store, where users would be able to pay a monthly fee for unlimited downloads of music that is theirs to keep. No other details are yet known, and here is no indication as of yet whether the subscription offered would be for a fixed period or month-to-month. Apple, who many people agree is considering the move in order to boost iPod and iPhone sales, refused to comment on the Financial Times report.

The MacHeist Bundle has gotten even bigger, jumping from 11 to 14 applications. Now valued at almost $500, it really is a good deal at only $49. Granted, most people wont find use for even 25% of the apps in the bundle, but $49 is a great price to pay (plus, you can sell licenses later, technically.)

The Bundle now includes VectorDesigner (unlocked at $300,000 for charity, which is not far off at all), Snapz Pro X, Pixelmator, CSSEdit, AppZapper, Tiki Magic Mini Golf, 1password, CoverSutra, Cha-Ching, iStopMotion, Awaken, Speed Download, Wingnuts 2, TaskPaper, all for only $49. If you refer 2 friends, you will also recieve LaunchBar and Notebook, a $70 value.

There are only 2 more days to buy the bundle, however, so get in while you can.

Buy [MacHeist]

The MacHeist 2 Bundle is now underway. It is a great opportunity to support indie mac developers, yet not burn a whole in your pocket.

The Bundle Includes:

• 1password
• CoverSutra
• Cha-Ching
• iStopMotion
• Awaken
• AppZapper
• TaskPaper
• CSSEdit (Unlocked at 5000 Bundles sold)
• Snapz Pro X (Unlocked at an undisclosed time)
• Pixelmator (Unlocked at an undisclosed time)

Make sure you check it out at MacHeist.com.

As if MacHeist II hasn’t caused enough hype on the Apple blogosphere, here’s some more MacHeist II news. According to TUAW’s sources, they have learned that the contents of the final bundle will be announced on January 9, and it will cost the same as last year’s bundle: $49. Pixelmator is the only known app out of the 9 others that will be included in this bundle. But you’ll definitely be getting a good deal - an amazing deal in fact. Pixelmator alone costs $59, so combine that with 9 other apps and price it at $49 and you get the MacHeist bundle. Plus, as last time, 25% of the profits will go to a charity - so you’re donating to a good cause, saving money and getting more software than you could want - sounds good to me.

I think John Casasanta and Phil Ryu have got a guaranteed large paycheck from the second MacHeist. Although, there have been concerns about how much developers are receiving from this event. The MacHeist team should not be ripping the developers off, as they are making a large profit from this event. The developers are the ones who have put time and effort into making the software that is being distributed, and they should be credited equally for their work.

Via [TUAW]

With barely any effort at all, you can get at least 7 more presents this Christmas.

MacGivingTree.com is a site from MacHeist that gives you 2 presents that you can open on Christmas morning. It is luck of the draw what shareware you will get. With a simple friend referral, you can get a third present. For just signing up, you get BitClamp, a file encryption tool, WireTap, an audio recording tool, and other cool apps (valued at over $50) for free!

Just go to MacGivingTree.com, enter email and a username and password, and you’ll automatically have 2 virtual presents to open on Christmas Day.

Mac Giving Tree will be open up until Midnight EDT Christmas Day (early morning, not late at night), when the presents will be unwrapped.

Sign Up [Mac Giving Tree]

Mac Update added SRS iWow to it’s software bundle today, just after unlocking it’s last original app from the pack. SRS iWow adds a boost to your speakers so that music sounds better- great for MacBooks with tinny speakers. The iWow site says “[notebook] speakers are tiny and often lacking in bass. iWOW amps things up by adding more volume and bass to your laptop through iTunes.”

Mac Update’s software bundle now includes 11 applications valued at over $650 for only $49.99. These apps include ForkLift, RapidWeaver, Swift Publisher, Marine Aquarium, Xslimmer, MemoryMiner, Stabilize, PulpMotion, and more.

Purchase [