2 comments about PrintShop: Newsletters, Brochures & More.

1. I bought Broderbund's product "The PrintShop Brochures, Newsletter & More" hoping it would be a good, inexpensive alternative to more expensive software programs such as Microsoft Publisher. I guess the old saying "you get what you pay for" is sometimes true. This product is hard to use, the help file is not user friendly, and the finished product is worthless even after figuring out how to create it. I tried to create a newsletter. The finished product cannot be saved in any common format, just a format that seems to be unique only to Broderbund products. It is worthless for sending out as an e-mail attachment. I could not even open a saved, completed newsletter. After attempting to open the saved document, for some unknown reason Outlook Express opens up (a program I never even use for e-mail). The newsletter itself finally appears as a bunch of letters and symbols. I attempted to create a business card with little success. There seems to be no way to print the cards yourself, though an advertisement appears offering to "have cards printed professionally and delivered to your doorstep." If I had wanted to have my cards printed instead of doing it myself, I would have gone to a QuickCopy or Mail Boxes, Etc. to begin with. Don't waste your money on this one. Spend more money and buy a product with a reputation for quality and reliability.



2. I guess the previous user didn't spend any time getting to know the software or was expecting something a little more automatic. I just got through making a beautiful newsletter for our sailing club and it was very easy to do. The software provide many templates to choose from and with all of the modifications available you could easily produce thousands of unique newsletters.
   It is true that you can't convert to a pdf with this but after printing it out on my computer I went down to a Kinkos and was able to order a beautiful set of prints with no problem.

No comments about Creative Clips & Fonts Software: Heritage, Vintage, Retro.

1 comments about Smokers Relight Deux (WAV, REX, Reason Refills).

1. The first Smokers collection quickly became a user-standard, filling every inch of its product with usable, well-crafted loops and loads of deconstructed hits. All of the hype for Smokers 1 was for good reason.
   
   No surprise that this sequel gets the same media treatment, much of it deserved. But a closer look at the collection exposes a slight flaw that keeps it from a 5-star rating: the beats are too much alike over too much of the disc. Sure, the drum SOUNDS are different, but the beats from folder to folder are mostly cut from the "Keep On Movin'"/Lisa Stansfield cloth. I'd have liked more variety in the rhythms themselves, more backbeats, more play. Some people would call this kind of one-beat regimen "working within the genre." Sure...if the genre is two songs deep.
   
   That said, they compensate a great deal by offering "dropped" variations of the main beat (notice the singular) and more one shots than you can shake your hard drive at. if you like building your beats, this collection gives you some great fodder. It's a worthy addenudum to the original collection, if not quite the classic stand-alone that the previous incarnation was.
   
   A final note: it's horrendously overpriced considering these flaws.

5 comments about Wacky Races.

1. I was very surprised about the quality of this game. The textures are smooth, the animation is clean and it looks almost like a cartoon. I recommend this game to anyone! To much fun!



2. this game is great. using the fantastic graphic technique called cel-shading (surrounding a 3d polygon figure with thick black 2d outlines) this game truly looks like a cartoon. The characters' cars are amazingly detailed and brightly colored. The same goes for the jaw-dropping backgrounds. Wacky Races controls in 2 different ways; kart and advanced. Kart controls are similar to those found in other games such as Mario Kart for the N64 and Crash Team Racing for the Sony Playstation. Advanced controls are more similar to those found in Ridge Racer games with the ability to powerslide. There are up to 11 characters to play, straight from the 60s cartoon. Each character has their own car and player-specific power ups, such as speed burts, pumpkin mines, etc. This game sounds great too, with an announcer that correctly comments on what is happening in the race, hundreds of character sound bytes, and catchy and cartoony tunes. This game is a must have for kart racing fans.



3. If you are old enough to remember the Wacky Races or Hanna Barbera cartoons (Muttley and his infectious giggle!), this game will give you nostalgic bliss.

   It is set up sort of like Diddy Kong Racing on N64, where you start out in a central area and have to drive to and open up new areas.

   The graphics are simply incredible, and the audio is good as well. The game uses the new cel shading techniques to make it look exactly like a cartoon, and it uses the Dreamcast's power well.

   It also controls well and is easy enough for anyone to pick up and play. Each car has some special functions that you get to select up to three of, and they cost "tokens" which you pick up around the track. For example, turbo boost is usually 1 or 2 but something more fancy would be 3 tokens. It adds a lot of strategy to the racing because the game is basically boiled down to a kart type racer in that you have to use your weapons/skills instead of pure driving skill. But that's what these types of games are about, fun!

   Even 2 player mode maintains a solid frame rate, which is very impressive indeed. I'd say if you enjoy cartoons and kart racers, this game is a must buy!




4. This is a fantastic racer.The environments and texture mapping are amazing. They've really captured the look and feel of the cartoon. The character models are also very well done. Gameplay is addicting as you attempt to come in first and progress in the game. Its a little shallow in the sound effects department but thats a pretty minor complaint. Some of the races can be TOUGH so don't be fooled into thinking this is just a kids game.



5. just like the show i got my from ebay for 4 bucks buy this game it even has mutleys hiliarius laugh

1 comments about Video Edit Magic Express by DeskShare.

1. If you can't afford better, stick with Windows Movie Maker. What little Video Edit Magic Express' added in functionality is not worth $40.
   
   Do yourself a big favor - Spend $50 - 90 and get Sony Movie Studio Vegas. I purchased the Platnum version - easy to use, lots of features.Vegas Movie Studio 8 Platinum Edition

No comments about Punch! ViaCAD 2D/3D V5 [Old Version].

No comments about Personal Memory Creator Gold Collection (Jewel Case) (6-Pack).

No comments about Masterclips 101,000 Premium Image Collection.

2 comments about ProVenture Business Cards.

1. It did the trick, i didn't need all the fancy stuff the other ones had.



2. A caveat: I am inexperienced in computer graphics, attempting to acquire the quickest and least frustrating way of creating a camera-ready document.

   Approaching this program as an inexperienced user, my aim is to create a simple business card, professional looking and cost-efficient for printing (assuming 1-color ink vs. 4-color). This is a no-frills, user-friendly program, with a very low frustration quotient (extremely important for the unskilled user). With some knowledge of design and layout, and assuming a modicum of good taste, this program is more than sufficient. The formatted designs offer a broad range of styles, and a limited choice of colors. If the card is to be commercially printed, it is necessary to confine the colors to one or two, because of the expense involved, and this program appears to take this fact into consideration. In addition, in the "help" section, it is possible to locate (and print out) directions to change typefaces, styles, formatting, etc. For the relatively inexpensive cost, this program is well worth purchasing as a precursor to acquiring more extensive skills in graphics programs.

3 comments about Sibelius 4 Educational Edition.

1. I was able to purchase this NEW copy of Sibelius 4 for a fraction of the price I would've paid to the actual company. As a college student, a good deal is always so helpful!



2. I'm a long-term registered Sibelius user. Sibelius upgrades come fast and furious and this is a part of Sibelius business model. I buy every other upgrade. I suspect they simply hoard some features and space them out from one version to the next. Having said that, Sibelius is still the best notation software on the market. I've used everything from much-lamented Encore (RIP) to Finale. Finale has a WAY steeper learning curve than Sibelius. Finale has more tools and bells, but Sibelius is considerably more intuitive and easier to use.For instance, to add an octave above a note, press 8! Add octave below--press shift 8. So easy. For avant-garde scores, Sibelius is less time consuming, even with graphic and aleatoric scores. Caveat 1: Don't buy Sibelius' additional options, most are useless, especially the scanning. Caveat 2: Educational version will only allow one computer install. To move the software from one computer to another you need to call and get authorization. To run it on two computers ( say, my desktop and laptop), you have to pay extra. This is the worst part of the Sibelius soft. Otherwise it's out-of-the-box useful.



3. Nobody can complain about the time between upgrades when a company releases an upgrade like this. I knew my life would be fullfilled when notation software came with a "sync to film" feature. This latest version of Sibelius does that and so much more. I've been a Sibelius user since version 2, and nothing has excited me more than version 4. These guys continue to get it done right, upgrade after upgrade. I am a student, working toward my master's degree in commercial music, and I'm also a composer, and a copyist by trade. I use Sibelius for everything from lead sheets to full wind band scores, and for all of my personal and business needs. I can't imagine working any other way or with any other program. (I used to use Finale, too, but I've finally decided that it's not worth it to upgrade anymore... everything is more difficult to do, and they just keep copying Sibelius, anyway.) The new "dynamic parts" feature is a genius addition to the program, and it saves me and my colleagues a lot of time. (If it's not saving you time, then you aren't using it correctly!) And, while I am not really in need of many of the educational features in the program, I've found that if you're creative about the ways in which you choose to employ those features, you can make them work for you, whether you're an educator or professional. Besides that, with a focus on education, the company maintains an ease of use that nobody else can match. I like how they're striving to make their quick keys more universal -- turning the space bar into a "playback" quick key makes it easier for users like me to switch off between sequencing programs and Sibelius, for example. Personally, I can't wait to see what the next major upgrade will be like, especially now that they've merged with M-Audio...I'm hearing very exciting rumors of Pro Tools integration, and vice-versa. Very excited. Love it!!