There are many password managers available for the Mac. Apple even includes its own built-in system, Keychain, with OS X. But when it comes to really useful, easy-to-use, and secure password managers, 1Password always rises to the top of the list.

1Password 3

1Password can operate in two distinct methods: as a stand-alone application or as a password manager that's integrated with your browser. You can also use it in both forms at the same time. Browser integration is one of the reasons I prefer 1Password over all the other password managers available.

1Password supports six basic types of containers for storing data securely: Logins, which provides an easy way to store passwords for and log into web sites and services; Accounts, for storing your account credentials for email and file sharing; Identities, which lets you have multiple logins for the same sites; Secure Notes, for creating encrypted notes for information you don't want unauthorized individuals to access; Software, for storing product serial numbers; and Wallet, for banking, credit cards, and other personal data.

The package includes a handy password generator, and the ability to sync with 1Password touch for iPhones and the iPod touch.

1Password is $39.95. A 30-day demo is available.

See other software choices from Tom's Budget Software Picks.

Just in time for the holiday season, Microsoft's Mac BU (Business Unit) is offering discounts on the various versions of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. The best deals are going to students, who can buy the business edition at 70% off ($119.95).

Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation

The rest of us will have to be content with smaller, but still attractive discounts.

Home & Student Edition: $20 off

Business Edition: $50 off

Business Edition Upgrade: $40 off

Microsoft's Mac BU routinely provides special deals during the holiday season. This year's deals may be just the thing to put a copy of Office 2008 for Mac in the hands of a friend or loved one this holiday season.

I'll be updating the Mac Gift Guide to include this nice offer from Microsoft.

You can find details about the offer, and how to redeem the discounts, at Microsoft's Office for Mac Blog site.

I found it funny to read that the Apple tablet has been delayed until summer 2010. Remember, there is no product from Apple called an Apple Tablet, nor has Apple yet made any statement on the likelihood of its existence, or when it might be released if it did indeed exist.

Nevertheless, rumormongers, in this case Digitimes, have decided that the Apple tablet that was supposed to be released in early 2010 will now be delayed until the summer. The reason? A new rumor of course. According to this rumor, Apple plans to use an OLED (Organic LED) display for the device. OLED displays are currently very costly, but not to worry, they say; by next summer, prices will have fallen dramatically and Apple will be able to use one in the Apple tablet.

I'd like to see an Apple Media Tablet (my name for the rumored device) as much as the next person, but don't you think it's getting a bit crazy when a rumored device has a rumored component that, rumor has it, will cost less by next summer, so, rumor has it, the rumored device has been delayed?

The prices of nearly all electronic components fall over time, so there wouldn't be much reason for Apple, or any other manufacturer, to wait on a price drop to introduce a new product. If a company keeps waiting for a price drop it will never introduce anything, because there's almost always another price drop around the corner.

And even if the rumor about the rumored tablet having an OLED screen is on target, that doesn't mean the rumors about the price or the price drop are correct. Right now, the price for bulk purchases of 9- to 10-inch OLED screens is still way above $1000. Does anyone really expect an Apple media tablet to occupy the same price point as a Mac Pro?

I certainly don't. With a price that high, a tablet would need to be paired with a subsidized pricing scheme, perhaps a phone company's data plan. I don't know about you, but a vampire business plan that bleeds the budget every month would kill the whole tablet idea for me.

Remember, though, it's all just rumors.

It's been a few weeks since Snow Leopard shipped, which means it's high time Apple developers got back to work. And now there's a wee bit of evidence that work on OS X 10.7 has actually begun. MacRumors spotted a reference to 10.7 in change notes inserted into the LaunchD framework, an open source module Apple uses to control the boot process of OS X. The change note lists an OS X build number that can be deciphered to read as 10.7.0.47.

Courtesy of Apple

While it's not news that Apple would be working on the next major version of OS X, this is the first evidence that 10.7 is a work in progress.

Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) was mainly a performance and stability tweak, but OS X 10.7 is expected to be a major update, with many new features and capabilities. If you were overseeing the development of OS X 10.7, what features would you like to see? Leave a comment and let us know!