The two biggest rivals in the computer industry, Apple Computer chief executive officer Steve Jobs and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, were at separate conferences touting new technologies Jan. 7. But while Microsoft's latest technologies target the consumer electronics market, many of Apple's newest announcements are aimed directly at educators.

At the annual Macworld Conference & Exposition in San Francisco, Jobs highlighted new products intended to further establish Apple as a leader in digital video editing solutions and wireless computing for schools.

Among the announcements: new presentation software intended to rival Microsoft's PowerPoint program; a scaled-down version of Apple's professional-grade video editing software; and a wireless hub that supports networking speeds up to five times faster than current versions.

The presentation software, called Keynote, combines ease of use, professional-looking themes, and the ability to splice in video clips and other multimedia elements to a greater extent than PowerPoint, according to Apple. Users reportedly can import existing PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, QuickTime, and other media files into Keynote, making it easy for students, teachers, administrators, or school board members to create engaging, multimedia presentations. Keynote is priced at $49 for education users.

Apple also introduced Final Cut Express, a lighter version of its professional-grade movie editing software, Final Cut Pro. Students and teachers can use this software to create professional-looking digital video projects. Although its $149 price tag might be too hefty for some schools, the software marks a dramatic value over the Final Cut Pro version which costs about $1,000.

Continuing the theme of multimedia creation tools, Jobs announced that Apple has redesigned its iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, and iDVD software programs so they work together seamlessly. The company has repackaged these upgraded programs into a software bundle called iLife.

Before, users had to import and export files between the programs. With iLife, that extra step is eliminated.

The newest version of iMovie also includes a feature called the "Ken Burns effect," named after the documentary filmmaker who produced Public Broadcasting Service specials on the Civil War, baseball, and jazz. The feature lets users pan across a still photo, superimposing text or motion.

"You can send [movies] to your friends and family ... that will blow their mind, that are better than what they can get out of Hollywood," Jobs said to rounds of cheers from the crowd. iLife is priced at $39 for education customers.

Jobs also unveiled a faster wireless network system that takes advantage of new 802.11g technology. The AirPort Extreme offers network speeds of up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps), compared with the 11 Mbps users get with current 802.11b systems.