AT&T to simplify iPhone bills; Apple release iMovie '08 update

[AppleInsider]

After taking heat from customers and subsequently the mainstream media, AT&T on Wednesday said it plans to save some trees by simplifying its monthly iPhone statements. Meanwhile, Apple has released a minor update to its new version of iMovie.

AT&T iPhone statements

Many iPhone customers were taken by surprise last month when they received their first paper statement (bill) from wireless carrier AT&T. As the guys at ArsTechnica have been reporting, some of these things were just massive and ridiculous in length.

"One of our bills is a whopping 52 pages long, and my own bill is 34 pages long," wrote Ars's Ben Kuchera. "They're printed on both sides, too."

It was even worse for other customers, some of which reported that their bill arrived in a "box" and was in excess of 300 pages. Essentially, AT&T for whatever reason was itemizing some iPhone customers' data usage every time they hopped on the Internet via EDGE -- even if they were signed up for the unlimited data plan.

"AT&T goes into an incredible amount of detail to tell you—well, almost nothing," Kuchera explained. "For instance, I know that on July 27 at 3:21 p.m. I had some data use that, under the To/From heading, AT&T has helpfully listed as 'Data Transfer.' The Type of file? 'Data.' My total charge? $0.00."

The matter soon gained national media attention from the likes of USAToday and ABC television news, which appear to have hit their mark. AT&T iPhone customers on Wednesday began receiving text messages from the carrier explaining that it plans on "simplifying" future bills by "removing itemized detail."

iMovie 7.0.1

Meanwhile, Apple on Wednesday afternoon release iMovie 7.0.1 [9MB], which addresses issues associated with publishing to .Mac Web Gallery. The update, which targets the version of iMovie included with iLife '08, also improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[MacTel]

Is there anybody with iLife '08 that actually likes the new iMovie?

[mrpiddly]

Originally Posted by MacTel

Is there anybody with iLife '08 that actually likes the new iMovie?

im sure there are alot of people who arnt involved in this forum who actually like the update.

[tundraboy]

Wait a minute, you are an internet service provider and you send ultra-itemized PAPER bills to your internet service providees?

[EruIthildur]

Originally Posted by mrpiddly

im sure there are alot of people who arnt involved in this forum who actually like the update.

You see, it takes the poeple who aren't on the forum to like it... At least so I hear.

[imacFP]

Most people consider it a new program rather than a update since it's so totally different. If you take it for what it is: a easy to use video editor and way to organize video than it's a good 1.0 release. But if you consider it the successor to 06 HD it falls short on flexibility. Honestly in someways I find it to be easier to get projects done than I did with 06.

[MacGregor]

Just change the name of iMovie '08 to iMovie Express and that's that.

[floccus]

Hmm, is the mighty RDF finally cracking? Outrage over the glossy displays on the new iMacs, and iMovie '08... Looks like The Steve is human after all.

[Bacillus]

About the AT&T statement

I have not got a IM on it, but if they owe it to me, damn straight I want it - a FULLY itemized bill. If the bloodsuckers want to charge me 65.00 a month, and if there is some FCC reg that says they must do give it in the form they have before, then I will file charges against them if they try to deny me a full printed bill.

Every penny from ATT makes me much happier

[solipsism]

AT&T
I'm surprised they weren't doing paperless billing by default. It saves the company money from the medium, to the printing process, to the department that handles it and mailing costs; and helps get people on AT&T's site where well placed advertisements may garnish a new sale or two.

Originally Posted by MacTel

Is there anybody with iLife '08 that actually likes the new iMovie?

I found iMovie '06 too difficult to use for most of my projects (ie: home movies). I simply love iMovie '08 for it's ease of use and relative speed to iMovie '06.

[Avor]

Lower the bill by $6.00 (Money saved from paper) and send a short, reasonable bill IMO.

[Project2501]

ah, never mind

[macFanDave]

Originally Posted by MacTel

Is there anybody with iLife '08 that actually likes the new iMovie?

I do. I prefer it over iMovie HD 06. I felt that iMovie was getting into the bloatware realm. I exerted self-control over those Video FX (i.e., didn't use them) but I saw the products of serial FX abusers. The results were hideous.

I find the rendering to be very fast and I feel I have easy access to the features I need (instead of having to drill past those I didn't).

I'm pleasantly surprised!

[jonparadise]

Originally Posted by MacTel

Is there anybody with iLife '08 that actually likes the new iMovie?

I love it.

Just been away on a quick holiday, got back and had the video of it done and in my web gallery in about 30 minutes.

Yes, a couple of things need improving, but all in all, it's fast and useful.

[Phizz]

Originally Posted by MacTel

Is there anybody with iLife '08 that actually likes the new iMovie?

My non-techy sister-in-law couldn't use '06 (at least without having to ask lots of questions) ... once she got used to it, '08 is much easier for her and she's over the moon. That's what Apple's thinking is with iLife - ease of use that 'just works' for the average home consumer. Does a professional web designer making e-commerce site use iWeb? Hell no. Does a professional recording studio rely entirely on GarageBand? Hell no. You get my point. I think the problem with iMovie 06 was that, although being very good, it developed in the wrong direction and 'outgrew' its role in iLife. Apple have now addressed that. I guess semi-pro users will just have to stay with 06 or make the transition to Final Cut express.

[TerrinB]

I am sorry, but if you had problems using iMovie 06 you likely had problems doing just about anything on the computer. The rest of us shouldn't have to suffer for that small amount of people. iMovie 06 was a great program, and it was easy to use. Look hard enough, and you will find people who find the new iMovie hard to use. Perhaps Apple will dumb it down even further.

It is not fair to your customers to get them to rely on a certain product, and then needlessly take that product away. Unfortunately, Apple is very good at that. If Apple thought another alternative to iMovie was needed, it should have called this new product something else, and still continue to develop iMovie, which has been around for a long time and is used by many people.

Originally Posted by Phizz

My non-techy sister-in-law couldn't use '06 (at least without having to ask lots of questions) ... once she got used to it, '08 is much easier for her and she's over the moon. That's what Apple's thinking is with iLife - ease of use that 'just works' for the average home consumer. Does a professional web designer making e-commerce site use iWeb? Hell no. Does a professional recording studio rely entirely on GarageBand? Hell no. You get my point. I think the problem with iMovie 06 was that, although being very good, it developed in the wrong direction and 'outgrew' its role in iLife. Apple have now addressed that. I guess semi-pro users will just have to stay with 06 or make the transition to Final Cut express.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by TerrinB

It is not fair to your customers to get them to rely on a certain product, and then needlessly take that product away.

Then this is your lucky day. Apple didn't take iMovie '06 away and also offers it as a free DL, They just aren't going to be updating it anymore. And with such high praise about how great it is then there is little improvement that you could possibly want or expect from iMovie '06.

iLife is focused on the average user so shouldn't the apps be usable by the average user?

I'm quite proficient in every aspect of OS X, iLife and iWork apps but have found iMovie to be quite complex, cumbersome, and time consuming until v7.x came along. For my simple needs (the majority of people who shot simple home videos) it's the perfect solution. iMovie '06 is more of a prosumer app not a consumer one like iPhoto, iTunes. It needed to be simplified.