Appletell

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!

I just received a 23” Cinema Display. I bought it off of eBay for the “cheap” price of $600. This is a steal compared to Apple’s list price of $899 before tax and shipping, but a rip-off when comparing it to a similar monitor.

Before the Cinema Display, I had a 24” HP. Cost? $369, before tax and shipping. It had four USB ports compared to the Cinema’s two. It could tilt from perpendicular to the desk all the way to parallel to it. It could move up and down. It could swivel. It could even rotate to portrait mode. It was very feature-paced for only about $400, but I got a Cinema Display anyway. I’m a sucker for the Apple brand.

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Many iPhone users dislike typing with its built-in touch screen QWERTY keyboard, and finally, a man named Ruddy Ugarte has come up with a practical and affordable solution. The new product, called My Touch Keys, is a transparent protective screen protector, with cut-outs for for the iPhone’s keyboard. This amazing product lets you feel where each letter is located on the textured surface, reducing typo errors that are common among the iPhone among most other mobile phones.

The best part about it is that this practical screen protector only costs $7.99 USD for a pair and is definitely worth investing in. Even if you don’t find that the product is suitable for your needs, at least you wouldn’t have spent a lot of money on it.

Unfortunately, shipping is free for US residents only, so you’ll have to pay a bit more for third-party and international shipping services.

The picture shown is only an illustration, as the actual product itself is completely transparent, and Ugarte claims that you won’t even notice the cut-outs; plus it won’t affect the iPhone’s multi-touch interface, which may be a problem among thicker third-party iPhone screen protectors.

[Via iPhone Buzz.]

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]