No comments about Calendar Creator Plus, Gold Edition.

No comments about Vegas Movie Studio + DVD 6.

2 comments about Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.6 Mac.

1. Adobe Type Manager is one of those classic Macintosh programs which allows you to turn on and off fonts on the fly, as well as print out samples. It fixes a few minor bugs in version 4.6 (such as non-activation of some fonts) and makes it fully compatable with Mac OS 9.x. Identifying Postscript & truetype fonts is also a breeze.



2. I've used ATM Deluxe since it first appeared. It was great under OS 9.
   
   But Adobe decided not to update it for use with OS X, and under Classic in OS X it's a dud. If I'm in Classic and want to add or remove fonts, ATM runs so slowly as to be virtually useless. Luckily, my G4 can be rebooted in OS 9 native, so that's what I do to make Classic font changes.
   
   ATM also slows the opening of my Classic environment. It takes about one minute for Classic to initialize with ATM Deluxe activated.
   
   I've had more trouble over the years with ATM Deluxe and/or Type Reunion. From time to time one or the other becomes corrupted and wreaks havoc with my computer's entire performance. Reinstalling is the only solution.
   
   Unfortunately, there are few alternatives to ATM in Classic.
   
   Mac G4 867 MB, 1 GB RAM, OS X 10.3.9, OS 9.2.2.

5 comments about Pinnacle Studio 9 AV/DV.

1. Do not buy anything from Pinnacle. Their software deceptively leads you to believe that you need to purchase further programs to burn DVDs. I did so and got incorrect activation codes twice before requesting a refund which they have refused to give even though the product does not work and meets their advertised return policy. I have filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive trade policies and knowingly offering defective products.



2. The capturing from VHS worked fine. Pinnacle 9 creates MPEG files from your captures. However, the DVD creation options are -horrible-. After the captures were done, I had several MPEG files that Pinnacle had created. I sold Pinnacle (and uninstalled the software), and then bought a separate DVD authoring tool with which to create DVDs from Pinnacle's MPEG files. To my horror and then I discovered that no other tool can edit the MPEGs. Windows Media Player can -play- the MPEGs, but nothing can edit them. Not Windows Movie Maker, not Adobe Premiere Elements, not Sonic MyDVD, and not Muvee. So, I had to buy Pinnacle's software all over again, just so I could convert their (secretly encoded?) MPEGs into a format that other tools could understand: WMV.
   
   The only part of this product that is solid is the capturing video.



3. I've worked with various Pinnacle Studio versions since last decade, and they've all had two things in common:
   
   1. When the program works, it's superb.
   
   2. The other 50% of the time, it crashes frequently, and hard!
   
   For years, Pinnacle had designed the market's top, novice-affordable video editing/authoring platforms, but for some frustrating reason, they just can't seem to keep the bugs out. This verson is no exception.
   
   Lately, the competition in this market has mushroomed, and there are better alternatives available for the same price. At last, others have emulated the Pinnacle platform while eliminating the work/creativity-killing bugs.
   
   My advice? Shop around. Google the competition. But save yourself the frustration and steer away from anything Pinnacle.



4. Takes time to learn, but worth the effort. My only advise would be to always keep this software updated and to experiment with all of the many features.



5. Pinnacle manufactured great high end video boards for professional capture, overlay and editing... then they went after the home hobbyist. That's why their products all suggest you capture your home vhs tapes and burn them to DVD. That's when their reputation went south. The software crashed systems and was hard to set-up.
   
   It has not improved much but some users are able to download drivers and patches to make the editing\DVD software work fine, and report no problems. If you know how to do this, this product will work for you.
   
   You'll notice from the other reviews that half the reviewers rate it high, the other half, low. Some low ratings are from Pinnacle problems but many are because the system itself has too little RAM, too many background programs or has not been defragged.
   
   So why my 5 star rating? I capture from both analog (RCA TV type connectors) and firewire (camcorder DV) uncompressed AVI at 720 x 480 then edit it in Premiere. It's easy to do and results are great. The capture software controls most camcorders and previews footage. You can capture a TV program and make fun of it on UTube. Capture controls are easy to use and allow tweaking of input. Just make sure you go to the Pinnacle support knowledgebase site and download any recommended drivers, etc.

No comments about Phototune 2.

No comments about PAINT SHOP PRO 8.

3 comments about Sienzo Digital Music Mentor version 2.6.

1. It's clumsy and, more often than not, just plain wrong. I bought this primarily for a friend who is, in many respects, very much a beginner guitarist. I spend an inordinate amount of time editing the mistakes the software makes. I would not recommend this product to a beginner. An experienced player would not need the software because their ear would serve them better than the program. However, an intermediate player might find the product useful, especially the feature which slows down the song without changing the original key to the song. Good for practicing solos. But I understand there are other products that also have that capability. If you ignore all of the "noise" and by "noise" I mean unnecessary chord changes that the program picks up from other instruments or vocals, it will tell you the key of the song and (usually) the basic chord structure of the song. After that you're on your own.



2. If you are looking for a "chord finder" software, then this is about the best you're going to get. Unfortunately, there isn't much out there that works. This software gives you an idea of what chords go where, but don't bet your house they will be right. This software DID NOT work on Vista. I tried several times to get it to work, but it never did. Don't buy it if you're wanting to use it on Vista! It works OK on WinXP, but there are still little things that aren't reliable...like the chords. I tried on several occasions to contact the "customer support", but I don't believe there is such a department. I never heard back from them a single time. As I said, it is about the best out there. It did help me to get close to what chords went where. Hopefully, in the near future, there will be a "chord finder" software that actually works.



3. I have used this software for years, and really had good luck with it. It does what it does better than anything else I've found. I have run this software on both WinXp and Vista with no problems, and its helped me out with some very tricky songs.
   
   I do wish that it did a better job at handling lyrics and lead/chord sheets.

No comments about Apple Final Cut Pro 5 (Mac DVD).

5 comments about A Portrait in Time.

1. Alexandra "Alex" Tibideaux receives a message that her grandmother: "I need you." Unable to get a hold of Grams, Alex rushes from California to New Orleans. Grams is fine; she only wants to attend the re-opening of the Dalton Plantation with her granddaughter. Alex agrees-since Grams is her only living relative and is 93 years old. Later that evening, Grams shows Alex a picture of Trey Dalton and how he fell in love with a woman in their family; one who had the same name as Alex... and had disappeared and was never found.
   
   While at the plantation, Alex sees a painting of herself wearing period clothing. Curiosity causes her to touch the portrait... which transports her back to 1878. She awakens in the same house... but Trey Dalton, his aunt, and their servants are very much alive.
   
   Trey Dalton doesn't have time for a woman who mysteriously shows up at his plantation; talking nonsense about how she's from the future. And he doesn't need his Aunt Rose to interfere by going around telling everyone that Trey and Alex are getting married. Both Trey and Alex have to go along with the idea to keep people from gossiping.
   
   But there's someone who wants to ruin Trey and will stop at nothing to do so. Trey believes he knows who is responsible... or does he? Only after a series of potentially disastrous events does he learn the truth.
   
   
   Stephanie's Review:
   
   Other reviews talk about how Bradley weaved "an engrossing tale of time travel, romance, and suspense."
   
   The time travel was typical: Woman from the present goes back in time where she has to adjust to her new life while wondering if she'll ever return to the present.
   
   The romance was unbelievable - and not in a good way: Trey and Alex spent more time bickering and arguing than anything else. I'm still wondering how the two fell in love. It just "happened."
   
   The suspense was predictable: It's easy to tell who did what when.
   
   Bradley also has a habit of not going deep enough into the story. There are lots of instances where things are just glossed over. Two examples: (1) Alex arrived in 1878, and basically just accepted everything that happened to her - except when she wanted to return to Trey. (2) Alex kept a journal of her time spent in 1878. When she returns to 1997, Grams gives her the journal. She starts reading... only to find a new entry on the last page from Trey. This could've been a very emotional moment, but Trey's entry was cut short.
   
   There's also a lot of typos in this book. I understand that no book is edited perfectly, but the typos here are beyond the norm. After awhile, they started sticking out like a sore thumb. Usually, with traditional publishers, the fingers can be pointed to the copyeditors. But it's questionable with e-publishers. I know of some e-publishers who do more editing beyond what an author does. And then there's some e-publishers who expect their authors to do all of the editing. I'm not sure where Hard Shell lies as this is my first Hard Shell read.



2. This book was an okay read. It's one that I'd have rather checked out from the library than purchased. The book has a lot of typos in it (ie. misspelled words, words left out of a sentence, ect.)
   
   I was a bit disappointed at first. Reading the description the book sounded like it was going to be very promising. I couldn't wait to receive the book and get started reading!
   
   The book is a very easy read. I kept hoping for it to pick up so I actually read the entire book in a day. It had some great moments, but the book didn't draw you into the story. I didn't feel the characters pain or happiness. I felt like I was reading a story. At first the descriptions start out well. You can visualize what they're wearing and how things looked. But by the 4th chapter, the descriptions of people, places and everything stops. I also felt like I was left hanging. There was a hint in the book that the aunt "knew" the truth, but then it never said anything more about it. It also mentions how she needs to get 2 people (I won't go into much detail so not to give the story away) to fall in love, but it never tells you if they did or not.
   
   I'd suggest checking this book out from the library or going to a B & N store and grabbing a cappuccino and reading it there at the store instead of purchasing this book. It is an ok read, I just wouldn't suggest buying it.



3. This is truly one of if not the best book I have read as far as romance novels go. I am a tough critic when it comes to romance novels and this was packed full of all the necessities. Romance, mystery, thriller, murder, you name you got it! I am desperate to find more books from this author!
   
   Congrads on keeping me up all night!



4. I read this book in a day, was just plain fun! great summer relaxing reading.



5. The plot for this story line was cute once you figure it out in the end but it's a long boring read to get there. This story needed much work and editing long before being published. How did it happen? If the author actually got money for this, I'm going to try my hand at it, it couldn't be worse!

5 comments about Adventures of the Teen Furies.

1. This book really spoke to me. It reminded me so much of my teenage years and my friends.The boys, the fights, the confusion about who you are and what you want. It was very true to what teenagers think and feel. Ms Davidson, Have you truly gown up yourself? It seems like you are still thinking like a teenager.
   As a young adult my friends and I played "Dungeons and Dragons" (some of us still do). It was such an escape for us from real life. We could be strong when we really felt weak, outgoing and brave when we felt shy or be beautiful if we felt fat or ugly. This group of friends used their superhero alter-egos to work through some of their problems and insecuries, but once the game was over they still had to face each other and real life.
   The frienships you form in your teenage years may or may not last through to adulthood, but they help define your personality in some vital years. If being a teenager is about anything it is about discovering who you are and being comfortable with yourself.
   As great a book as this is for the young adult age bracket I think it is also an insightful peice of literature for a parent to read. In case you have forgotten what it was like to be confused about everything and torn between being an adult and a kid, take a refresher course in TEENAGER 101 and pick up this book. I think parents should take a look at what's between the lines here. It may just help you communicate with your child in a whole new way.
   Not to throw off the young adults here though. It is a hilarious and really entertaing book. Good job Mary Janice. It helped me remember what it was like to be a teenager with all the good, the bad and the ugly.



2. OK, I grew up with the author, so it was a given that I'd buy this book. I logged on and had it delivered to my house. Then I made her sign it and write something nice about me. Then I actually read it. It's a great read. Quick, funny and a little close to home.



3. This book brought back both good and bad memories from my teenage years, but isn't that what a good book is supposed to do? I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who has teenage children.



4. I am a 55 year old mother of two and I loved this book. It is teenagers all the way. It is exciting, well written, fast moving and a joy to read.



5. I have read and loved all of MaryJanice Davidson's novels and novellas and decided to give her Young Adult offering a whirl. This is a wonderful novel with a great deal of humor and some poignancy to boot. Andrea Grouper is a typical teenage girl going through growing pains while convincing her paranoid driving coach that she has been driving since she was eight years old and keeping her eye on her troubled friend Meredith. When she convinces Meredith to join her in visiting her old friend Brenda, she does not know how she would interact with her. But it turns out that not only is Meredith adored by Brenda and a new crop of male friends, she also becomes part of a game in which they pretend to be superheroes and villains. They also have some adventures with the male friends. Andrea accepts to become George's girlfriend while she drools for Kyle, the one Brenda has set her eyes on. Meredith hooks up with Terry, who is as eccentric as she is at times. However, how will the group cope with Meredith's suicidal episodes and the extreme side effects from her medications? How will they cope with the knowledge that she'd had a nervous breakdown a few months before? Will Andrea be able to break free from George and tell Kyle how she feels about him? And are their imaginary characters a way to escape from their sometimes troubled realities?
   
   This is one of the best Davidson stories I have read. She has a wonderful sense of humor, as all of her faithful readers are well aware, but she also adds some dark situations and poignant scenes in this offering. Meredith saddened me at times. She goes through some rather painful things brought on by her depression. She has a wonderful friend in Andrea. Speaking of whom, Andrea is the signature Davidson heroine in that she is a smart mouth and is fiercely independent. She likes the idea of having a randy boyfriend who worships her even though she is not that into him. Those scenes made me laugh. Terry is also hilarious. He is a hopeless flirt who is not afraid to voice his opinion on everything. Kyle is the quieter one of the bunch, but he also turns out to be as three-dimensional as the other characters. As said earlier, this is one of Davidson's best stories. This also happens to be one of her first writing efforts. She started out writing Young Adult books and then branched out into writing romance and fantasy (or a combination of both genres). But she will release another YA book later this year. Adventures of the Teen Furies is a true testament of just how talented and versatile Ms. Davidson is. She is now one of the most popular romance/paranormal authors out there and for good reason. I recommend this YA novel most highly.