5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS2 [OLD VERSION].

1. I could not activate it and Adobe told me there were a lot of good looking but pirated copies out there.
   
   The vendor credited my money immediately.



2. Product is difficult for the novice like myself. Booklet was included but I'm finding it difficult to understand.



3. Some of you may be wondering why I chose to purchase an older version of what is probably the most complete and versatile photo editor on the market today. The primary reason is that I still run Windows 2000 on my primary pc. The new version requires that you have Windows XP or Vista. I still run Windows 2000 for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is that I have a lot of DOS programs that will not run under XP. The next reason is that I have found Windows 2000 to be a much more stable OS. I do run XP Pro on a newer pc, but it is not configured as overall powerful.
   
   Now for the review of Adobe Photoshop CS2. The is far and away the most complete photo editor available (except for version CS3). I have tried just about all of the available products on the market. I even tried the condensed version of Adobe Photoshop called "Elements 6". The full version is feature rich. It also allows levels of undo, which is most helpful. I have just started experimenting with a collage and the software is simply great. Special effects available are the most complete set that I have seen. I cannot imagine what features have been added or improved to get to the new version. I am a semi-professional photographer that has only been working with digital for about 5 months. I have over 40 years experience with conventional film. I only wish that digital had been available 20 years ago at reasonable costs. I am almost convinced to start upgrading my newer pc or actually buying a new one to run XP Pro so that I can try the new version of this fantastic package. One downfall of the program is that it consumes enormous amounts of CPU resources and also memory, but that is the inherent nature of any graphical software.



4. Like other Photoshop products this is a good one but it is the old one now. They have Photoshop CS3 out already and I do not know how much better it is than this. I am satisfied with this one and it is as advertised. It is much better than Photoshop 7 and like that.



5. I am used to Photoshop 6 and purchased this as only 7 was upgradeable. It is just like the old versions except it has redeye reduction which you get in Microsoft Picture it for about $40. The spot healing tool doesnt work very well and areas pop in that you dont want. Sometimes I do not notice any difference between healing and the regular clone tool. The program is good like regular photoshop, but IMO all photoshop programs should only be about $100 not $1000 like the newer ones Cs3 extended. The thing I dislike about this program is the filter tab which brings up a larger edit window and doesnt let you minimize it compared to older versions for side to side comparison ( So you can see both at the same time,while you compare adjustments to the original). I also like the desciptions like Pressure before that they now call Hardness in the tool adjustment settings. I hate all software upgrades basically because they usually change everything instead of leaving it the same and adding to it. I was hoping this had new filters, but it had about the same amount and had alot of useless filters instead of more painting filters. I also like Picture it, because you can select a file and grab it and move it all around and set it on to another picture and stretch it up down and sideways without having to go through a lot of steps like photoshop. Photoshop does alot of other things that other programs cant do and the image warp and vanishing point make this a good upgrade. The learning curve is steep because the program goes through alot of steps that other programs like picture it do easily and quickly. I got this cheaper since it is the older program compared to CS3 extended which like I said is way over priced. Next is CS4 which will only work with 64 bit Vista and not the current 32 bit Vista and will be very expensive and I wont ever get it. Adobe will take a dive on this one and it will cost at least $1000 plus. Its pretty sad that after 9 editions that they had auto redeye correction when picture it had it long ago. This alone justifies the fact that Photoshop is full of itself and way over priced. Still Photoshop is a good program to have but it tells you how to make picture borders for instance while other programs have picture borders in their program and you can easily select from a multitude of different ones. Conclusion a necessary but hard program with a step learning curve that is way over priced for what it does. CS2 and Cs3 extended upgrade for 3D may be worth having after prices go down instead of the CS4 64bit pogram that wont work on most Vista operating systems. I basically use Photoshop for Cloning and Vanishing point and Image Warp and Picture it and MGI photosuite for Borders, colors, frames and manipulation of objects.

5 comments about Adobe Premiere Elements 4.

1. The program itself is extremely easy to navigate and understand. However, I had a lot of problems burning my projects to DVD. Adobe provided great service and they were always ready to help when I called their 1-800 number, but I am not happy with the many glitches I encountered with Premiere Elements 4. At first I couldn't burn my projects because my laptop and the program weren't communicating. After the problem was resolved, it happened again but this time a different technical issue caused the conflict. I eventually became too frustrated with the glitches to continue using the program.



2. I am still trying to get this installed and open it to use it. This is the third Premier Elements version I have purchased and I have had no problems until now. This should not be so difficult.



3. I haven't used this product very much, but so far, it is doing a great job. My purpose in buying this product was to move my DV Cassettes from my camcorder onto DVD's and it's doing a great job. I wish more detailed instructions came with the product because sometimes I have a hard time figuring out how to make it do some things.



4. I had heard lots of good things about this software and found it at a great price. Once I downloaded it though, things started to go wrong. I played around with the options and effects, but the program would shut down at times. Also some of the themes that could be applied to slideshows made your pictures show up upside down. Also the pictures that I would import from my computer were really blurry.



5. I downloaded the Trial Version. It works. I read many of these reviews and people say it's not intuative it's not drag and drop. Well WRONG! If you launch Premier you can drag jpgs and mp3s and wmv files right into the work area. I had problems with avi's captured by Movie Maker so I converted them to wmv and problems gone. I suggest working with wmv files. Saying it's not inutative is like going into a High Tech Operating Room and saying you couldn't do the brain surgery because the tools weren't intuative. Nothing worth doing comes easy. There are tons of books and the Adobe Help works good. So... it's worth the $80 if you want better spend the $800 or more. There are lots of people selling software and hardware that should work and kinda does. This isn't as bad as most. I am an AdobeFanatic.

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS3 Upgrade.

1. I upgraded from CS and it was really worth it. It's not only that there are a lot of new features but they really improved the existing features a lot.



2. A good upgrade if it weren't for the unforgettable "printer driver" bug under Vista.
   Unless you want to suffer from horribly slow performance, you will need to install a "default printer" driver (there are links to more info on this in the Adobe support forums).
   Why Adobe has not made a patch available for this is hard to understand.
   Until they do, I cannot give more than three stars to this, otherwise fine, upgrade.



3. As an amateur photographer I don't have to keep up with the latest cutting edge version of Photoshop. The main reason I had to upgrade to CS3 was to be able to review and edit Canon Raw images from a Canon 1D Mk III DSLR. This is my only big gripe with Adobe is that the Raw file format does not appear to have changed, but because the camera model number in the metadata was different Photoshop/Bridge CS2 refused to show thumbnails or open the Mk III's .CR2 files.
   
   So, I had to upgrade to CS3 which cost about $200, which is much better than having spend $600+. At first, I didn't see much of a difference. Sure, there is a different color scheme for the PS and Bridge applications, some stuff has been moved around a little on the screen, but nothing big.
   
   Then I find the feature that made me happy that I had upgraded. Adobe Camera Raw ("ACR") now lets you manipulate JPEG images to almost the same degree as Raw images. You can do limited white balance correction, straightening, cropping, and sharpening of JPEG images--non-permanent changes just like with Raw images. White balance correction is limited to "As Shot", "Auto", and "Custom", though this limitation is understandable as JPEG images don't normally contain color temperature information. However, using the "Custom" option with a test-shot of a white-card now makes correcting the white balance for JPEGs a breeze. Plus, the ability to straighten and crop JPEG images so quickly in ACR is a feature I wish I had had a year ago.
   
   All these changes to a JPEG image are non-permanent meaning the original image is still there (you can verify this by viewing the image with another application, e.g. Windows Explorer with Thumbnail View). The changes you make using ACR appear to be stored in the JPEG file itself as a new metadata section. Caveat: Only applications that can see and use this metadata will render your changes on the screen so right now that is only going to be Adobe applications.



4. Elements is awesome, but Photoshop is worth the extra dollars if you're a serious photog. The lens correction filter is amazing--and I'm still learning the newer additions. Very powerful, too--it will automate adjustments on so many images at one time without a slowdown. Gotta have it--



5. What a joy to use and what an expansive artistic reach this permits. I may never learn all the tricks and details, but I am sure going to try.

5 comments about ColorVision Spyder2 Express Win/Mac.

1. This is not what I would consider a "Pro" unit. But it does what it does very well.
   
   I calibrated both my MacBook screen and my huge 30" screen. Both look better then before. I checked the gamma best I could, as well as compared it to color chart printouts. The accuracy was better then before.
   
   I did notice it made the screen seem warmer by a very subtle amount. This was due to the fact my screens originally had a blue cast to them.
   
   There are no controls that allow for "tweaking" things such as gamma and color temp, but my video card supplies these so I can still adjust the look.
   
   This only calibrates at one point (center of the screen) so it will not fix spacial discrepancies.
   
   Overall, a very good buy if you are looking for a cheep way to calibrate your screen with good accuracy.
   
   --
   Kevin



2. I purchased this software from Amazon a week ago. It does everything that's claimed for a price I can afford. Can't ask for much more than that. It did an excellent job of calibrating my VeiwSonic VA1912wb monitor. Colors are more saturated now and it took the red hue out of the orange colors. Glad I bought the Spyder2Express.



3. Good tool. Doesn't make that much difference in LCDs but made a huge difference on my Dell laptop.
   
   Look into the Microsoft Control Panel color applet if you use a docking station.
   
   OVERALL, seems to be a good device and helps give you some piece of mind.



4. I read a lot about monitor calibration and asked several people their opinions before purchasing this product. I found good and bad reviews on every product out there. In the end I went with this one because a friend had purchased it and was very happy with it and the price was affordable. I have calibrated once so far and have been happy with it. The advice I received was to calibrate at night when you can make the room totally dark so the ambient light does not effect the colors on your monitor. I would recommend this product to anyone in need of an inexpensive monitor calibration software.



5. Used Spyder 2 Express on 20" lcd with total satisfaction.
   Could visibly see 2% deviation from full black/white easily.
   An easy set up and go no brainer....good value for the $$ IMO

5 comments about Adobe Photoshop CS3.

1. The process was simple and the product came in a short period of time.
   Have had no problem with the product a good buy at a reasonable priceAdobe Photoshop CS3



2. I do recommend this product, however if you do not already know how to work this program (like me) I definately recommend the book "Simplified tips and tricks for Adobe Photoshop CS3" by Lenette Kent It has helped me tremendously! I am trying to get a photography studio off the ground as a part-time business while holding a full- time job and raising two little kids. This program is a must for the business, and this book is a must for the busy hopeful. Thanks!



3. Received product promptly, item in perfect condition and as described. The Seller was even kind enough to email me when he shipped my item and give me a way to track it.



4. I am unable to write a review on this program because I never received my order. The order was through Amazon, but it was actually from No Limit Sales. Amazon however, was most helpful in trying to get my order and when it was several days past time for the last date of delivery, my purchase price was credited back to my account and I was free to place my order somewhere else.



5. I never received the item, I tried to contact this seller about getting a refund and returning this item, but they never got back to me.

5 comments about Final Cut Express 4.

1. While the editing abilities of Final Cut Express are okay, many of your projects will be destroyed due to FCE's badly designed file management system. It will not only put different parts of your project into different folders, making them very hard to find and rename into something useful, but should you rename or move even one file then Final Cut will throw a computer version of a temper tantrum and corrupt your project file, forcing you to start over again from scratch. And forget about archiving. I have worked on several projects using Final Cut and not once was I able to archive a project then open it again to do more work. Final Cut works on the premise that all video and editing will remain on your computer for all time, untouched, and that you will never need to archive anything in order to open up space for another project. It doesn't matter how good the editing features are when the file management part of the program is so badly made that projects self-destruct.
   
   I'm demanding my money back and using it to buy Adobe video software, _they_ know the importance of archiving and user-friendly file management



2. Before purchasing FCE 4, I had 3.5; the new version has some really great new features and plugins that make it well worth buying or upgrading. Given, it's not Final Cut Pro, but it's a good starting point for those of us getting into the advanced stuff of video and film without having to pay big money for the pro version.
   
   Delivery was very fast (it arrived a day or two early!), which I was thankful for.
   
   The only thing I was slightly disappointed about was that the open-frame-rate timeline doesn't support SD 24p, which I was hoping it would (it does support HD 24 frame rates, however). But I'm still giving FCE 4 five stars because it's a great product, I love working with it, and it gets the job done.



3. Final Cut Express 4 is a great program for anyone who can't shell out $1200 For Final Cut. It has most of the great features that are included with the real deal. I would suggest it without question.



4. Had to upgrade from FCE 2.x due to changes in recent Quicktime versions, so while I'm out the money for FCE 4, it still seems like a fine product although I haven't yet had the opportunity to use the new 3.x/4.x features.



5. This program is a fantastic buy for Mac video editors who are unsatisfied with iMovie '08. It retains many key features of Final Cut Pro. There are a few exceptions, however. You can't batch capture footage with this program. Also, the buttons for Insert, Overwrite, and Replace are removed. These gripes shouldn't affect normal consumers , however. And at at more than $1,000 cheaper than Final Cut Studio, you can't go wrong. My two favorite features are the ability to capture AVCHD footage and the ability to import footage into iMovie '08, drag it into a rough movie, and import that movie into FCE for fine-tuning. It runs very well on an Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with 1 GB of RAM, just be warned that working with AVCHD footage requires a very strong computer.

5 comments about Printmaster - Platinum Version 18.

1. Cannot print on a Canon Selphy with 6x4 postcard-sized sheets.
   Text only works with English characters.
   Software overall feels outdated technology.



2. This product is the quintessence of a product released upon the public before it's time. It certainly was not done cooking. The engineers designed it, but either they or no one reviewed it. I eventually found the program able to do practically anything you want, if you want to spend hours, and I mean hours learning how to navigate. This is not my life. Unless you believe that you are really 'savy' with a variety of software programs, I would not advise this version.
   Least I forget, Amazon is very cooperative at refunding - if you want to learn the hard way. TJS



3. I have purchased PrintMaster software since their first editions. Each edition gets better and better. They are easier, better, and more creative than photoshop or any other 'printing' software available.
   
   Version 18 brings you more options, styles, and just creativeness than you can imagine.
   
   You can trust the PrintMaster brand.
   
   Merna
   
   Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!



4. I use Printmaster pretty much daily. I couldn't live without it. It has saved me many dollars from having to buy unpersonalized expensive cards at the store, and has many things you can do otherwise. I highly recomend it!



5. The installation isn't complete and there is no one to talk with or get help from. Still haven't found a phone number and this version is not available on their drop-down menu for help.
   I like the fact that you can get all the art in the download and not have to reinsert other disks.

5 comments about Microsoft Publisher 2007.

1. Microsoft Publisher 2007 is a fantastic tool. I use it to create flyers for my business. It is easy to navigate and understand if you have had any experience with other publisher formats. I only wish Microsoft would have incorparated it into their Office Home and Student 2007 software. It is a little pricy but still a good return on investment.



2. Although I'm a Mac user, we loaded Parallels & Windows. Publisher is the only program I can use to do a booklet without having to purchase third party software . . . and the commercial printers can use what I e-mail them. Improvements are great over the 2000 version.



3. Great value for the money, lots of capabilities, I highly suggest it. I've been using MS Publisher since 2003 and love it.



4. Microsoft Publisher saved me from having to pay a graphic designer $2000 for a book cover. I publish my own books, and I learned how to use MS Word to format my books. But I had no idea how to create a cover. It's possible to create covers in Word, but I wanted my covers to look nicer. So an author friend of mine told me that he had spent $2000 on book covers for his second book but didn't like any of them. So he bought MS Publisher and created his own cover.
   
   Some people complain that Publisher doesn't come with instructions. I see how that can be agrevating, but if you've used other MS Office products, it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out. I learned how within a matter of days. I think spending less than $200 instead of paying $2000 really made me like Publisher a lot.
   
   I've been exploring other things Publisher can do, and now I know how to make business cards, flyers, and mailing labels. Highly recommended, especially to self-published authors who need to design covers and can't afford graphic designers. (Although, I would rather do my own covers. I'm very obsessive about my books.)
   
   Brandon Simpson



5. AS far as I am concerned Microsoft Publisher is a good product. It only has az fews problems. When you are working in columns I don't think you can move from one finished column to another finished column with out goimg down to the bottom of one column amt then up to the top of the second column. I have seen word processers that you could move from one column to another in a jump. It sure makes it handy.

5 comments about Final Draft 7 Professional Scriptwriting Win/Mac.

1. My screenwriting coach advised me to bump up my work by converting to the industry standard, which I did: Final Draft V7.3.1.
   
   The product works exactly as expected.
   
   As a long-time geek, familiar with software documentation, I found theirs seriously lacking -- obviously written by programmers. (Limited English, abundant screenshots, third-person, talk-down-to-you voice.) That's okay, if you speak geek, they don't change the interface and you don't mind being talked-down-to.
   
   This means that their customer service team must work harder than necessary, holding hands with people learning how to use product features.
   
   Be prepared for first-tier contact challenges that infer you might be a pirate 'user', who has innocently 'borrowed' a friend's copy of their product. (Even if this is not true.)
   
   Ultimately, the contact experience that we developed left me with a sweet taste for a company that works hard at catering to and handling creative types.
   
   I'm smart enough to work my way around faux file-save challenges; to crank up automatic saves and e-mail myself a daily copy of my work. And generally, I can hack my way into features and discover how they work.



2. I haven't tried any other scriptwriting software but this one worked well for me. It's time-saving and makes your script look the way it's supposed to. It's easy to use and I like the format check it will do for you before you print. I think the voices feature is a cool idea but in reality the voices are useless because they don't sound human or have a clue as to inflection. There are more applications and features that are probably awesome but I haven't checked them out yet. Overall,I do recommend it.



3. I'm a professional screenwriter who started on FD back in the day and then converted to Movie Magic. I'm having to use FD 7 on a project I'm collaborating on and it's crashed 5 times now. I hate the interface, it's glitchy, and it doesn't have cool MM features. I do like the format when you print, but man, it ain't worth it. Wish I'd talked my partner into going w/ Movie Magic.



4. From what I've seen of this product, it has everything that I need to write professional looking plays. I just need to find the time to explore all of the features...and to write in general. I've written one script, and re-formatted another using this program, and have been very impressed with how much time this program can save you once you know what you're doing.



5. I started using Final Draft7 immediately. The instructions were simple; the tutorial was practical and effective. I was able to begin the work on my screenplay in a short period of time. It is easy to use. I did my outline in WORD and wish I'd had Final Draft from the beginning.
   SJW

5 comments about Paint Shop Pro Photo X2.

1. I have used PSP many times before, but this new photo version is the best...I kept my older version simply because this version doesn't come with the animation stuff.
   I would definetly purchase it again if I had to.



2. WAS BOUGHT FOR MY DAUGHTER . WONT WORK ON HER COMPUTER SO AM SAVING IT WHEN THEY GET A NEW ONE SOMEDAY.



3. I waited a while after purchasing this product before writing my review because I wanted to have time to check out all of the components of the program. I've used Adobe Photoshop for a long time at my job and love it. When it came time to buy a photo editing program for my personal use at home, I couldn't justify the cost of the Adobe programs. After researching and comparing features of the available photo editing programs and reading numerous product reviews, I decided to purchase PSP Photo X2. So far, I'm happy with it and have been able to easily reproduce many of the photo effects I've used in Adobe. I did have a problem with installation, but once I went to the Corel website and made the suggested changes, it installed without a hitch. Overall, I find it about the same to use as Adobe and I much prefer the price of X2! Adobe Photoshop Elements is a good program for anyone wanting to do simple photo edits, but it lacks many of the in-depth features that are included in the pricier versions of Adobe and in this version of X2.



4. I purchased this for my son's birthday and he was totally caught off guard. He loves is and didn't realize his mom could pull off something like this!! have enjoyed much.



5. I first downloaded PSP X2 from the Corel web site on the internet. My computer crashed, so I decided to purchase the program. Then I had not used it maybe 5 times, and it locked up and would not even allow the most simple funtions (to crop and edit a photograph). Went to Corel web site download a patch, that only made matters worse, then I could not even open PSP or uninstall it. I used the older PSP and loved it. I'm extremely disappointed in this PSP X2!!! Needs a lot of work & improvements! After weeks (literally) of going back and forth with Corel, I finally have it back on my computer, but I've not even tried to use it. It will open, that's all I can say at this point.