There is a cliche that says good things come to those who wait, and many waited for the launch Screenflow 2.0-the much anticipated upgrade to the popular mac screencasting software. I have tested it extensively and I must say it is the premier mac screencasting application. I recently did a review for Camtasia for Mac 1.0 and I knew the Screenflow 2.0 was coming out and the bar had to be raised. I assumed that Telestream couldn't come out with something that hasn't been fully tested since the competition from TechSmith may be eating into their market share.
The main features I like with screenflow are :
Here are some of the great new features you’ll find in ScreenFlow 2.0.
Pause recording- this has been a pet peeve of mine for these apps and Screenflow got it right.
Adding 2D and 3D transitions- to add some flair to your presentation.
Adjusting speeds on clips-it is starting to feel like a NLE program.
Audio enhancements and ducking-You can't have a good screencast without good audio.
These are just a few-you can find more on The Screening Room blog.
Author Napoleon Hill said "Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."
If you haven't used a screencasting software by now you never will. There are many choices, and in my estimation Screenflow 2.0 knocks down the competition. Let's stay tuned for round 3.
I have posted a sample video I created in Screenflow 2.0 it's an iMovie Tutorial.
[/caption]
I picked up a copy of Apple's Snow Leopard today and I have to say it is an improvement. It's a hard sell to make "under the hood" adjustments seem sexy to the consumer, but here are my inital thoughts:
1. Hard Drive Space--I have an older Intel Mac and I run it like a workhorse, I only had 13 GB left now I have 30. That's a real bonus for any computer user.
2. Speed, I tested it against version 10.5.7 and iTunes and the native Mac apps respond a lot quicker. Most people won't notice, but if you run a lot of apps like me you will appreciate it.
3.Quicktime Player X--Screen recording. It's a nice set for a quick screen grab, no external software needed. If you want to do more in-depth tutorials with editing controls use Screenflow, Camtasia, or iShow U HD.
4. Exchange support--This is one thing that was missing in Apple Mail. I use Entourage at work because it is better, but for those of us who are are on corporate networks this comes as a welcome addition.Instead of using Outlook to access Exchange services such as email, calendar invitations, and Global Address Lists, you can use Mail, iCal, and Address Book.
5. Accessibility--Snow Leopard makes navigating OS X on a modern Apple laptop easier, by offering new trackpad gestures for newer laptops.
Mac OS X is renowned for its simplicity, its reliability, and its ease of use. So when it came to designing Snow Leopard, Apple engineers had a single goal: to make a great thing even better.
Here is another video tutorial I did with QuickTime 10. It was very user friendly and fast.
This week was a big one for for screen capturing software, especially if you are on a mac. TechSmith released their version 1.0 Camtasia for Mac and Screenflow announced their version 2.0 upgrade that will be available in September. There are spirited debates across the internet about what solution is better and what feature set works better. I am a fan of Screenflow and I do like Camtasia, but I think who ultimately wins is us--the consumer.
Many people blog about features and bugs and what is good and bad and tweet about it ,talk about and evangelize about it. No pause button on Camtasia, no export to YouTube on screenflow (version 2.0 says its coming) just to name a few.
For those who are power users of screencasts they will have even more feature requests. Mac screencasting software seems to be in demand and I am even seeing that my first screen recording software app I used Adobe Capitivate is working on a Mac version.
Whatever you use, videos won't be the same again. Here is a video below from the apple soldier that gives a good video comparison of the two programs. Happy screencasting!
Today Camtasia for Mac was released and I did a quick video on smart focus, one of the many impressive things that comes with the software. I have been following their blog often and waiting for a Mac version. Well here it is, I will be writing a more in depth review once I use more features. I am a little upset that the name is Camtasia for Mac instead of a new name --like the software is an ugly step child--but its not, so I uploaded a YouTube version and I opened a screencast.com account and embeded that version as well.
I am a big fan of screen sharing programs, and I use them often for tutorials and in videos. Camtasia for Mac is coming out this Tuesday, August 25th and I will be purchasing it. I have been a fanboy of Screenflow, and have used iShow HD, but Screenflow by far has been the best in my estimation.
By looking at various videos on the TechSmith's Visual Lounge Blog, Camtasia for Mac looks to cause a stir in the market.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="250" caption="Camtasia celebrates launch of Mac product"]
[/caption]
I will be in line (virtually) getting my copy and will post my review on this blog.
