Filed under: Software, Odds and ends
Mac Bundle Box 4: A good deal that does good
So far, the bundled apps include:
- Relationship
- Code Collector
- DrawIt
- Espionage
- Cover Stream
- DEVONnote
- QuickScale
- Project Calculator
- Transcriva
- Magnet
- Involer
- Stuf
- Blog Assist
By purchasing Mac Bundle Box 4, you're also doing a good deed as 5% of each purchase is going to Charity:Water, a group that drills water wells for the 1.1 billion people on this planet who don't have clean drinking water.
Good apps, good price, good deed. It sounds like a heck of a good deal.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
dronkert said 8:04AM on 3-01-2009
I guess the link to QuickScale is: http://www.codingmammoth.com/quickscale/
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jenbo3 said 10:29PM on 3-04-2009
It's been over 72 hours and only 5 of the 14 vendors have sent serial numbers
gleep said 8:45AM on 3-01-2009
Wow... what an unexciting bundle.
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rgwc said 10:24AM on 3-01-2009
I agree: Rather disappointing. I guess I've been spoiled by past bundles where I wouldn't wait to use 3/4 of the packages. It's hard for me to find 3 here that I actually might use. :-(
oakie said 10:42AM on 3-01-2009
as useless as those all of those apps are, i'd rather just send charity:water the $2.50 "macbundlebox" would be sending on my behalf.
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Keith said 11:13AM on 3-01-2009
Um, take a look at the second screenshot for "Stuf" carefully and you can have it for free. Whoops.
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frankns said 12:24PM on 3-01-2009
Agreed ...
Nothing to see here ... move on.
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broadkarnage said 12:41PM on 3-01-2009
Making history?? Overhyping something doesn't make you look clever. This isn't even their best bundle, and they produce IMHO the least inspiring bundles in the Mac market.
More bundles isn't good for everyone if it mildly dilutes what might end up in other bundles. Having said that, I'm not sure which of these apps would be in other bundles that haven't been there already.
You may find the people involved hiding themselves somewhat on the site as they tend to go around forums acting like people who have just "found this cool site". Not a good way to carry on for me.
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BigMark said 1:07PM on 3-01-2009
I am entirely underwhelmed by the mix of software in this bundle. Some of the individual apps may suit individual purchasers, but I can't imagine there will be many people who will find a use for for than a couple of them.
It's not bad value for money though, and I may have considered it until I discovered that the MacBoxBundle promotional strategy has included posting a tagged derogatory comment on Twitter targeted at the far superior MacHeist bundle, whilst at the same time apparently trying to imitate them with this inferior offering.
In addition MacBoxBundle suggest they are "Making History"? I'd really like then to qualify that statement. How are they making history? Riding on the back of it perhaps, but not making it.
When MacBoxBundle can offer anything close to the value that MacHeist offers, or contribute a comparable percentage of their income to charity to that MacHeist donates then I may change my views, but for now... No Thank You.
I am in no way linked with MacHeist or any other software organisation.
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GiantTalkingCow said 2:01PM on 3-01-2009
@BigMark: And somehow the applications in Macheist's bundle complement each other? I don't really see it looking at either one of them. As for usefulness, I guess that it depends on what you're looking to do with your Mac; this looks to be a decent enough bundle for someone running a business. It may not be as hyped as Macheist, but the apps look useful enough.
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Dan Fever said 2:23PM on 3-01-2009
Ummmmmm looks like a great deal to me. I'm gonna use 5 out of the 13 and I feel i'm still getting a deal, BUUUUUUUUUUUUT, am i reading this right....? They are gonna POSSIBLY add more apps if it reaches popularity on twitter??? That means I would be a fool to purchase now correct? I don't get it....
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dance said 2:54PM on 3-01-2009
I've never seen a bundle where apps added later were not also given to the early purchasers. They would know who you are, they can send an email later with additional serials. I'm guessing they didn't clarify because it's become fairly standard practice, but you can email them to make sure.
dance said 2:29PM on 3-01-2009
Huh. I've bought a lot of bundles, but not one from these people before, and I was thinking this is a very nice assortment of software. It doesn't repeat too much from other bundles, I don't think, which is nice, and lots of the apps look useful to have around (QuickScale, Espionage)---even the more specialized ones like Code Collector Pro and Transcriva might be turned to different uses, eg, maybe just using the recording mode in Transcriva.
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Drunken Economist said 5:27PM on 3-01-2009
Whoa, shovelware comes to the Mac, and this time it's not Roxio.
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Quine said 6:29PM on 3-01-2009
Only app that looked useful to me on that was DrawIt, and looking at their website I got really excited about the nondestructive editing. Then I tried it...needs a few more versions before it'll be useful. Insanely slow on 2000x2000 image, no select tool to extract portions of a raster image (how can you forget that?), either not possible or excessively non intuitive ways to change the draggable parameters in effects like gradient. I still await the day someone with come out with a program that can replace fireworks for basic vector + raster editing and effects (that doesn't use a photoshop like layer system)
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Stephen P said 7:56PM on 3-01-2009
I'm trying Safari again after much use of OW and I'm desperately missing:
* The ability to set my browser to never open links in a new window. Never. Unless I specify.
* Being able to line my Bookmarks 'toolbar' with web site icons and no text (by creating a bookmark, saving it on the toolbar and then deleting its name)
* Being able to search in things other than Google, and being able to set up ultra-fast search shortcuts such as 'g' for Google, 'w' for Wikipedia and 'yt' for YouTube.
* Being able to permanently increase or decrease the size of type on a web site, without affecting any other sites.
There's Firefox, but I love the ability to press Control-Command-D over any word to get its definition, certainly much more than Firefox dictionary extensions I've tried. And text looks much better on OW/Safari than Firefox.
What to do? Each browser has its ups and downs. I wish OW would suddenly take off and convince site developers that it represents an important segment of the market and that they'd better include OW support if they wish to be relevant. I know. I know...
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Stephen P said 8:00PM on 3-01-2009
I'm trying Safari again after much use of OW and I'm desperately missing:
* The ability to set my browser to never open links in a new window. Never. Unless I specify.
* Being able to line my Bookmarks 'toolbar' with web site icons and no text (by creating a bookmark, saving it on the toolbar and then deleting its name)
* Being able to search in things other than Google, and being able to set up ultra-fast search shortcuts such as 'g' for Google, 'w' for Wikipedia and 'yt' for YouTube.
* Being able to permanently increase or decrease the size of type on a web site, without affecting any other sites.
There's Firefox, but I love the ability to press Control-Command-D over any word to get its definition, certainly much more than Firefox dictionary extensions I've tried. And text looks much better on OW/Safari than Firefox.
What to do? Each browser has its ups and downs. I wish OW would suddenly take off and convince site developers that it represents an important segment of the market and that they'd better include OW support if they wish to be relevant. I know. I know...
Reply
Stephen P said 8:10PM on 3-01-2009
I am so embarrassed. It took me the second time to realize the pattern; that 1Password saved my username, password and a previous blog comment. Therefore, when I log into to TUAW, it automatically enters all three of those pieces of information and submits them. TUAW people, please feel free to delete my last two posts, and this one too if you want. 1Password people, please don't save a blog comment when you offer to save a site's login info. TUAW readers, sorry for wasting your time. It turns out you need to be very, very careful before using 1Password.
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puhsitch said 9:17PM on 3-01-2009
Wow, I'm surprised that 1Password does that! I think that you should be able to work around it for now by finding the specific entry in 1Password and just deleting the contents of the saved "comments" field.
Grant said 11:06PM on 3-01-2009
MacHeist apps are WAY better.
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