Posted Friday, July 25, 2003

iDVD Now Runs on All G4 Macs

Apple quietly introduced an update to iDVD last week. Version 3.0.1 fixes some bugs, and that alone makes it worth installing.

But there's another, hugely significant change in iDVD 3.0.1: the program now runs on any G4 Mac or PowerBook, even if you don't have a DVD burner.

This tidbit is mentioned in an Apple Knowledge Base document, and it's huge. For the first time, you can create an iDVD project on a Mac that doesn't have a SuperDrive. You can't burn your DVD unless you have a SuperDrive, but you can design menus, add movies and photos, and otherwise fine-tune your DVD.

When it comes time to burn, copy the iDVD project file over to a Mac containing an internal SuperDrive. Don't forget to also copy the DVD's assets -- the movie files and so on that you want to be included on the final disc.

This new capability is a boon for schools and businesses that don't have a SuperDrive in every one of their Macs. It's a godsend for me -- I have a PowerBook G4 without a SuperDrive, and now I can demonstrate iDVD at user groups and our iDay digital media seminars, not to mention work on iDVD projects at 30,000 feet.

Get the iDVD 3.0.1 update from Apple's site. (If you don't have iDVD 3, you'll need to buy the $49 iLife package.) And while you're grabbing updates, don't forget to get the free iTunes 4 update to my book: 18 full-color pages covering iTunes 4, the iTunes Music Store, and the new iPods.