3 comments about Print Perfect Greeting Cards Deluxe.

1. I've used a lot of print shop programs, but this one is the best I've tried. I'll soon be ordering more of this brand. It's quick and easy to use.



2. It's an ok card program if you're not really serious about making nice cards. Might be good for teachers who don't mind a lot of cartoony clip art. Photos and other art work are pretty spare and lacking. If you want to be able to make really nice, attractive cards, I don't recommend this program.



3. This program offers lots of flexibility and options, but is much harder to use than some previous card programs we have had in the past.

No comments about Neuratron PhotoScore Ultimate 5.

5 comments about Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10.0 [Old Version].

1. After picking up this software I just had to write a quick review. I use this software to edit pictures, and to use them for flyers, graphics and logos. I used Microsoft Photodraw when it was in style, but knew that it did not have the layering capability of Adobe photoshop.
   
   The edits that I want to do are quick and easy edits, I normally don't mess around with pictures that are hopeless and try to turn them into Ansel Adams prints or somethig. Digital Image Pro is very capable of any of the editing, cropping, resizing, and color enhancing that adobe can do. However, this software doesn't make you juggle 10 differnt layers for each edit. It does allow you to create layers and use them in much the same way, but Image Pro lets you almost ignore the fact that you are using them.
   
   The tools for using text and adding your own drawings are much simpler and less time consuming than anything that Adobe or Corel has let you do in the Essentials Packet (Corel) or the Elements Packets that Adobe has done.
   
   Other cool features are a much more intuitive and accurate feature for removing an object from your photo. One of the earlier customer reviews stated that the guy had trouble with the red eye tool. It is the exact problem that you will have with the red eye tool in elements. The best way to deal with it is to enlarge your photo as big as you can get it when you do the red eye reducer. Adobe also just puts black or dark brown on top of the red eye, in this Image Pro, it is actually easier to edit the color that it added to the red eye. I am far more accurate with the red eye feature in this software than I am with the Elements software.
   
   The other great thing about this particular title versus the Image Suite is that you don't have to mess with Microsoft's photoalbum that is pretty much mandatory in the Suite software. The photoalbum is very comparable to the one that is so annoying in the Photoshop Elements pack.
   
   I personally am just blown away that I can get all of the features that I ever use in Elements for a third of the price with this software. It is definitely worth checking out.



2. I myself use Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 for organizing and editing my digital images, but my dad, a long-time user of Microsoft Picture It!, decided to go for this "upgrade." Even though the user interface has changed, he had no trouble getting used to the new interface and the new features, even though he's not computer-savvy at all. He really likes its simple interface and the fact the program does what he wants it to do.
   
   I've played with Digital Image Pro 10 a little bit and although I won't switch from Photoshop Elements 3, I admit that if you are just a casual user, or have little patience for the complicated user interface of Photoshop Elements 3 or JASC Paint Shop (not to mention the free open-source GIMP), Digital Image Pro 10 is a good solution for everyday digital imaging needs. I won't rehash the features you get; suffice it to say that most families should find the feature set more than adequate.
   
   My dad runs this on an XP Home PC with a 2.2GHz Celeron processor and 256MB of RAM, and it's pretty snappy and very stable. The old version of Picture It he used to use was slow, but he hasn't had any complaints about Digital Image Pro 10.
   
   My take: if you are a casual user of image editing software or want to save money, Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10 is probably the best bang for the buck. If you want more creative controls, consider Photoshop Elements 3. If you want ultimate controls (i.e., what the pros want), none other than Photoshop CS will suffice.



3. I purchased this product and wanted to get started editing my photos. Alas, although the specs listed here on the Amazon site, the specs on the packaging, and also in the manual all state that it is compatible with Windows 98, it is not. You must have Windows 98 SE or later. After a couple of frustrating phone calls to the Microsoft tech help in India, trying to make a tech with limited English speaking skills understand my problem, I was finally told that perhaps if I returned it I would be able to get a refund. I have to add however, that two days later I did receive a phone call from India informing me that if I packaged it up and sent it off to a refund center in CA, I would certainly receive a refund. This call came at 6AM. Poorly trained support I would say!



4. I am an artist and I love this software. It is really user friendly and has a ton of options. A+++++++++



5. Do NOT BUY THIS Mirosoft has discontinued all digital image progams and there is only support until april 2010. Not a very good deal. and the older version picture it, was much better. This one doesn't have the poster maker on it, and i used that a lot in my buiness. For the price, it was a waste.

5 comments about VideoWave 3.0.

1. this product is great, with a few glitches. i like the interface once you get used to it. i noticed that after producing videos, transitions have a bit of a 'hiccup' when the transitions start and end. my system is custom built with 256 mb ram and an athlon 650, and a quantum fireball 7200 rpm hard drive, so i know its not the hardware. my biggest problems however, have to do with interfacing the computer with my jvc cam. the dv capture works perfectly, but exporting the finished product to the cam can prove troublesome. overall, however, i think the videos look great, the interface is flexible and you can do a lot with this program. i have pinnacle's studio DV and adobe premiere, but most of the work i do is done with videowave because its quick and simple. i would recommend this product for almost all home and semi professional uses.



2. Originally bought this to upgrade VideoWave SE that came with my Iomega Buz analog capture card. Unfortunately it was not compatible with the hardware. Well my analog camcorder died and I ugraded to a Sony digital 8 and a firewire card. Have been using 3.0 now for 4 months making home videos and the familiar interface from SE has been added plus. Haven't had time to dig too deep into this program but for making quick home movies, it is easy to use if you at least take a quick look at the instructions or use the packaged tutoring cd. The only problem I've had is when I plug the camera in or turn the camera on after the program is started, most of the time it does not recognise the camera is there. So, make sure your camera is plugged in and turned on before you open the program. Other than that I have not had any problems.



3. I have used all of the versions of Video Wave and I even have Version 4.0. I've also used the Ulead products and the Home Video from Canon.

   Video Wave III works, if your pc is configured for it. It has a limited number of video cards with which it works well. It doesn't seem to like AMD processors as much as it does Pentium III's.

   The instructions are almost useless and you can get four very different sets of instructions from their technical support people if you call with the same question four times because the first three solutions made things worse.

   I was able to turn out an acceptable industrial video (28 minutes) with it. There is no good way to add narration.

   The learning curve is more in getting your hardware and the needed drivers from MGI and others to match the many settings you can make inside of Video Wave IIII than in actually using the software. The interface is good. And it can do many things very well.

   It doesn't like Windows 98 2nd Edition or Windows 2000. I have to wipe it clean and reinstall it quite often. But, it is the best of what is out there at the advanced home video producer level.

   I just tried to install 4.0 and it wouldn't install on a system which did the best job with 3.0. So, I'll be back in touch with their tech people. It took over 23 hours of actual back and forth with them to make 3.0 work acceptably.




4. Put nicely, Videosuite 3.0 is terrible. It took me a couple days to figure out how to bring in video (MGI is so smart that they don't include an instruction manual with the software). After I finally had to have a computer-expert friend come over and make the thing work, it made me want to cry. The process of puting clips together is basically impossible, and adding music...forget about it. All I wanted was a little program to help me get started in making skate videos. Usually, when software falls short, the effort itself is worth some praise, but Videowave III...holy crap. I repeat: avoid at all costs, except if you need a really expensive coaster. On second thought, it's so bad that it would probably make a terrible coaster too. I returned the thing a week after I made the mistake of buying it....



5. I bought a copy for $10 several years ago to give to my son who was about 12 years old at the time. I didn't have to help him very much at all and he was mixing his own animated cartoons with clips of himself and friends using our old camcorder, mixing the Simpsons with The Matrix, mixing in different sound clips, etc.
   
   For $10 at that time, the ability to produce MPEG2 along with other types of video (which allowed my son to enter a contest for short clips for TV) was pretty impressive to me. Now, several years later, it's more the norm.
   
   From reading the other reviews it seems that there are some systems which don't support it very well (or vice versa). This leads me to believe that the main flaw may be not clarifying system requirements. We used a Pentium with Hauppauge's WinTV.

1 comments about Riverdeep The Print Shop Zoom DVD.

1. Well, there was another review here, but that one seems to have been removed, this is very, very, basic software, no font effects really (has some 3D effects, but does not always work), it looks like this was just a stop-gap measure to get something out that is Vista compatible (it is that), lots more missing in this then probably Print Shop version 3 (19 versions ago)

No comments about Garritan Steinway - Professional.

No comments about Benjamin Moore Paints - Personal Color Viewer.

1 comments about Proventure Label Maker.

1. This is a review of ProVenture Label Maker v4.0, which may be the product that some Marketplace sellers are selling here, here, here, here, and here. Amazon may display this review on the page of another version of this product, for which this review may not apply. After reading this review, please click on the links and e-mail the respective Marketplace sellers to find out what version they are selling, so that you can be assured that the product this review applies to is the same one you thought it was for.
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   I will be reviewing ProVenture Label Maker v4.0, which was released in 2006 (according to the copyright date on the blue and white box).
   
   Product Information
   * Developed by: ProVenture
   * Published by: Avanquest
   * UPC: 018059051249
   * Serial/SKU/Model: 5124
   
   System Requirements:
   * Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
   * Pentium III or higher
   * 95 MB disk space
   * 128 MB RAM
   * CD-ROM Drive
   * Inkjet or laser printer
   
   I bought this product because I wanted to have a 32-bit replacement for the label making component of the old 16-bit Print Shop Deluxe that I've been using (it came out in 1994 and was designed for Windows 3.1!!!). I saw this on the shelf at MicroCenter, and although I don't buy boxed software anymore (at least not without downloading a trial first), I couldn't resist the ten dollar price tag, so I bought it.
   
   This review will actually be a quick list of notes I wrote up as I was testing out the program. Some are criticisms, and others are notes on using the program. These are somewhat organized in the order in which you'd come across these issues when installing and running the program, though the information on the registration nag is at the end so it is easier to read.
   
   -- Run setup.exe to directly install the program without having to go through the trial screen interface (trial copies of other programs are available on the CD). You still will be nagged to install a payment service (to accept credit card payments for your business) and the NewsFlash program (used to send you company updates). You can easily say NO to both.
   
   It would be nice to not have ANY kind of nags like this.
   
   -- The program doesn't copy the clipart folder from the CD to the hard drive, even though it makes an empty Clipart directory in the program directory.
   
   -- Some program settings are found in mylabels32.ini in the C:\Windows (or C:\WinNT) directory. This file is not deleted if you uninstall the program.
   
   -- The program saves _FOUR FILES_ for every saved label (the files have the extensions .lbl, .bcf, .fsif, .msif). Even if you just have a label with one piece of data on it, and nothing in the databases, it still saves it as four files. For a simple label with just a name and address on it (no database entries), the combined size of the four files is 35 Kb. Other label making programs save only one file, with a size between 1 and 6 Kb.
   
   This is the primarily deal-breaker for me. This is the reason why I'm no longer keeping the program. If I make 10 labels, I will have 40 FILES(!) to deal with. That's just not right.
   
   Unfortunately, MicroCenter won't take the item back because they don't take back opened software (as is the usual policy for most stores). I can't take advantage of the publisher's 30-Day Money Back Guarantee because I didn't get a chance to install the software until a bit more than 30 days after I bought it. Granted, ten dollars isn't a big loss, but it's still a loss.
   
   -- To print an entire sheet of labels containing the same data on each label (just a single name and address - hard-coded to the design, not from a database), you must set the number of copies on the Print dialog box to the number of labels on the sheet (30 for the Avery 5160/8160/8660/6460 layout). This is not very intuitive, as the Copies field normally selects the number of PAGES to be printed (as it is standard in all Print dialogs for ALL Windows programs).
   
   This is the other deal-breaker, especially since the number of "copies" resets to 1 every time you run the program (as that is what Windows normally does in the Print dialog window of ANY program). So every time I open and print one of my labels (as I tend to create labels with singular data, not from databases), I have to remember to change the number of "copies" to 30. The program won't even save that information to any of the four files that it creates for each label.
   
   -- If there are multiple records in your database, and you just want to print one, select the record you want to print by entering the same record number in both From and To fields in the Print Range.
   
   -- How to remove the registration nag without registering (which is free but shouldn't be necessary): Amazon wouldn't let me include the text in my review that you'd need to copy and paste into Notepad, so you'll have to go to this product's forum (near the bottom of the product's main page) and read the instructions that I posted there. Look for the topic entitled "ProVenture Label Maker Registration Nag" and you'll get all the information you need. I wish I could have included that information in my review, and I really tried, but Amazon blocked all of my efforts. Shame on you Amazon!

2 comments about Scansoft PDF Converter 3.0.

1. I buy all kinds of software and I never, never... well hardly ever throw away software even after several years and then I usually donate it to the Friends of the Library bookstore before I throw things away. I threw this away within two weeks of installing it.
   1) Surprise!
   In teeny, tiny small print on the package you will see that you are strongly encourage activate your software. While I don't think you *have* to activate it, it does annoy you.
   2) Surprise, again!
   In activating the software, the e-mail address field is case-sensitive - the ONLY situation I have seen this problem AND the error message didn't tell me this, the error message was "invalid domain". I just tried it and it worked.
   3) Now, that I've got you.... Questions, questions, questions....
   How many friggin questions can a software company ask in signing up for software??? Scansoft... oh... I'm sorry NU-ANCE asked me how much I made, where I lived, who lived there, how old they were, how long had I lived there, what I did... etc. etc. Like I am going to tell you all that stuff for a piece of crappy $40 software... I don't think so!
   4) You change your name from ScanSoft to Nuance... a name more appropriate for a perfume.
   5) All the other stuff would be ok if the software were superlative... ok... good... ok... passable... wasn't crap... I used the same file with Acrobat Professional 6 and with PDF Convertor. Acrobat Professional got over 90% of the words, PDF Convertor was lucky to 60%. Go get Acrobat Professional 6 on eBAY and you will be happy. PDF Converter isn't worth the effort to throw it away. A complete waste of money and time.



2. The software is straightforward and easy to use from within almost any software. Just choose it when you print and you're all set.
   
   It's less awkward than some of the other PDF converters I've used, and can even handle some documents that seem to baffle Adobe Acrobat.
   
   A friend at work has Acrobat 6.0. When she runs into a problem making PDFs, she sends the file to me and I handle it quickly and easily.
   
   I took away a star because I find the PDFC3.0 toolbars, installed in most of my software, annoying.

No comments about The Print Shop Deluxe.