iLife '09 Ships Today

Apple announced yesterday that iLife '09 was slated to ship January 27, 2009 – today. On its online store, the company has removed the "Ships: January" sign and replaced it with "Ships: Within 24hrs."

Apple revealed at the Macworld 2009 keynote address that iLife '09 features major upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand, offering new ways to organize and manage photos, create movies and learn to play music. More info on the individual apps within the suite, and the system requirements can be found below.

iPhoto ’09 builds on its predecessor's ability to automatically organize photos into Events by adding Faces and Places. Apple has chosen these innovative ways to offer users easy organizing and managing of their photos using face detection, face recognition and GPS geo-tagging technologies. In the same context, the new iMovie adds a fresh Precision Editor, video stabilization, advanced drag and drop, and animated travel maps, while GarageBand ’09 introduces 18 basic lessons and optional lessons from artists. The guides combine video instruction with animated notation and instrument views for a complete and interactive experience.

The remaining two pieces making up the iLife suite, iWeb and iDVD, have received a few enhancements themselves, such as new iWeb Widgets, a countdown timer, YouTube video, RSS feeds, and integrated FTP publishing, for iWeb, and Apple-designed themes featuring animated menus and more, for iDVD.

iLife costs $79 (US) and requires Mac OS X version 10.5.6 or later. Apple confirms that iLife ’09 is included with every new Mac and is available as a standalone product through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Additional system requirements include:

· 512MB of RAM; 1GB recommended. High-definition video requires at least 1GB of RAM.
· Approximately 4GB of available disk space.
· DVD drive required for installation.
· AVCHD video requires a Mac with an Intel-based Core Duo processor or better. Visit iMovie ’09 Camcorder Support for details on digital video device and format support.
· 24-bit recording in GarageBand requires a Mac OS X compatible audio interface with support for 24-bit audio. Please consult the owner’s manual or manufacturer directly for audio device specification and compatibility.
· iPhoto print products are available in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and select countries in Europe and Asia Pacific.
· Burning DVDs requires an Apple SuperDrive or compatible third-party DVD burner.

Visit Apple here for everything you need to know about iLife '09, or the company's online store here to make the purchase.