5 comments about Broderbund Print Shop 21 Deluxe.

1. Broderbund Print Shop 21 Pro Publisher Deluxe [Old Version]
   Broderbund Print Shop 21 Deluxe
   Broderbund 3D Home Architect Home Design Deluxe 6
   3D Home Architect Deluxe 5.0
   3D Home Architect Deluxe
   Broderbund PrintMaster Platinum 16.0
   Broderbund Printshop 20 (Jewel Case)
   broderbund
   Broderbund Print Shop 21 Pro Publisher Deluxe [Old Version]
   Broderbund Print Shop 21 Pro Publisher Deluxe [Old Version]
   Broderbund Printshop 20 (Jewel Case)
   [ASIN:B0000A0PY0 Family Tree Maker Collectors Edition]]



2. As someone who has bought several versions of Print Shop, 21 Deluxe is a great program which produces a quality product while still being user friendly. You do not need a graphic arts or computer design degree to produce beautiful work with Print Shop 21 Deluxe. My only criticism is that the photo editing is somewhat limited compared to other software. Perhaps that is rectified in version 22, which is also available. To those who do not wish to spend the money for Print Shop 22, this product DOES work with VISTA. It just does not say so in the description or on the box.



3. About 10 years ago I got a piece of software from Broderbund and it messed up my computer. I bought this thinking may be they got it together over the years. However, When I put this on my laptop it messed up the registry and made my cd-drive not show up. I didn't realize that it was this software until I tried it on my desktop and the same thing happened. My new boycott of Broderbund will now last til eternity. They are the worst software company in all computing history.



4. I was hoping they had finally caught up with other home publishing and print programs but this is still really slow. I think Printmaster is and was better than Printshop.



5. Product does all described, I found it easy to learn and use. I haven't even come close to pushing the limits what is possible to make, and am enjoying all that I can design.

5 comments about Corel Painter X Win/Mac.

1. This product is the best graphic program ever. It works great in my operating system VISTA. The only limitations of Corel Painter X is the artists creativity.



2. I must admit I do love PS better, but once you learn the program it is really great! The different tools available are excellent.



3. I guess if you can get Painter X to work when installed it is a good product. If you can't (Vista, 8 Gig memory, 2T disk, Cintiq21), you have to pay for support by the call (for education version which is same base program w/o some of the bells and whistles). I kept trying and got it installed and working but pallettes would not move out of center of screen or dock anywhere but the center. Any attempt to change brush size/characteristics abended program. I am glad I was EDUCATED about Corel before buying the full price version.



4. This incredible software can do digitally any art media. Immense variety of brushes and tools from pastels to inks and all kinds of textured canvases make any former hands on art media methods a thing of the past.
   
   I have always liked to draw and paint, when I installed Painter X I started dabbling and tinkering, not knowing anything at all and was able -- after about 35 minutes -- to replicate a favorite Maynard Dixon western painting. You can see it in the image gallery.
   
   The huge options and abilities of Painter X are covered nicely in the product description.
   
   I am especially interested in creating animation cells using sequential photos that I have enhanced with detailed art and then putting them into iMovie of Final Cut Express on my Mac laptop.
   
   So far, the painting and airbrushing and pen & ink enhancements are dazzling using Painter X. I have barely tapped into the power and potential of this software and am looking forward to expanding this review and posting additional paintings in the image gallery.
   
   Currently I am using a Wacom tablet with about a 4x5 drawing area. I plan to get a larger tablet or a laptop monitior on which I can draw directly.
   
   I am not aware of any software for the price that comes close to what can be done with Painter X.
   
   Highest recommendation.



5. I'm a Photoshop user but had read so many great reviews and tried the trial version of PainterIX and just had to buy this. I'm very happy with it. For me it was a very quick learning curve from PS to Painter. Painter is much more "painterly" than PS and the brushes and paints really do react very much like the real deal. Coming from studio painting using acrylics for my underpainting and oils on top I found that Corels' oil pastels actually gave me a very similar look and feel once I learned how to tweak the brushes to my liking. In my opinion the most important things to learn to really get what you want from Painter are learning how to adjust the brushes to your liking, learning to use "papers" as textures instead of the brushes as textures (that's how PS works), and getting used to the color wheel. But I found the color wheel indispensable once I got used to it. I actually found myself wishing I had the color wheel in PS when working in it.
   Oh yeah, and if you don't have a tablet yet, I suggest the wacom intuos3 6x11. IN FACT, you may want to check on Corel's website. They almost always have a bundle deal where you can buy Painter and get a Wacom tablet at a discounted price instead of buying them separately (sorry Amazon...maybe Amazon has a bundle price too though...?).
   I can't even imagine trying to use this software with a mouse. Spend the extra little bit to get the cd version of the software. It comes with a great book that covers a lot of Painters features, including their new "real bristle" technology, as well as some goodies on the cd.
   
   Overall if you're looking for a more "painterly" end product I think Painter is the way to go. You may also want to look on [...] for some great dvd tutorials on using Painter. I bought Ryan Church's and Puddnheads tutorial dvd's and although their styles and workflows are very different I learned a great deal by watching and working along with the dvd's and I'm sure I saved myself a great deal of time rather than just trial and error.

5 comments about Roxio Easy Media Creator Deluxe Suite 10.

1. This is a product deserves a class action suite. Lousy install followed by bugs and crashes then not starting. Downloaded the 719 MB 'update' and exactly the same problems - after spending over an hour cleaning the old one off the system. I think I am a pretty advanced computer user, network adminsitrator etc. Support is just as bad - you spend $1.80/min to hear silly time-consuming things you can do that will not solve anything.
   
   Never again Roxio products, no way.



2. At first glance I thought this was a specific video converting solution. It does do that and well but it has a lot of other digital media projects. On an old Intel Celeron, 512 RAM the tape to pc was so-so. The video converted but the speed varied. I had long enough av inputs to stretch the converter to my more powerful desktop. The tapes converted perfectly. The frame rate remained the same even on SVHS tapes.
   This program is perfect for archiving too. I put the raw footage on dual layer disks. I also used maximum comrpession to fit as much as I could. With the backups done I started the editing process. Home movies took time since there is a lot of junk footage. It took me awhile to figure out VideoWave but it is an accurate way to edit. I tried cinemagic and although it worked fast, I'm particular about the cuts. It worked fast and most of the auto-made chapters were on the money. Once though I figured out VideoWave it was faster to make the edits but at least there is a choice.
   The given specs are fairly accurate about the rest of the features. The audio/photo projects are elaborate enough to get rid of standalone programs. If you are aching to rid yourself of tape players and tapes this is a good way to obtain that goal.



3. I have purchased Easy Media Creator 8, 9 and now 10. I have been disappointed with them all but have always given Roxio a second chance with each new release.
   
   I recorded a TV musical in MPEG2 format.
   
   I used Roxio's MyDVD to make the DVD's. So far these are the problems you can expect to see when using this program:
   
   All the video is un-synced to the audio by half a second. It did not matter whether I used MPEG2 video or WMV video files.
   
   What you see on the screen is not what you get. Even though I meticulously manually made every chapter marker, the program decided to place them all one second ahead where I chose, creating unintended effects and losing the impact intended.
   
   The video quality varies and looks acceptable in some sections and looks unacceptable in others.
   
   Yesterday my first DVD attempt, for this project, produced a DVD that did not start at the beginning the the movie, even though I tested the playback of the DVD on the DVD Menu tester. It was supposed to start at the beginning as designed. Instead it started five minutes into the DVD, which was not even a chapter marker location. In fact, with that DVD I did yesterday I had not set up any chapter markers.
   
   Conclusion: Roxio MyDVD is a program to be avoided. It is unreliable and therefore unusable. If one program is unreliable in the suite, how can anyone trust the rest of the software? I have uninstalled the suite for good.



4. I have been using computers since the 80's and have used Creator 7 with no problems , this product unfortunately installed ok but everytime I tried to run it my system froze, I tried all the tricks I know but just lost a lot of sleep playing with it, I had read other reviews but thought they did not know what they were doing ,I should have listen to they



5. My first try with Roxio easy media was version 9 with the Dazzle video converter. The bundle gave me a method of turning all my tapes into digital media. I waited a bit for the price drop of 10 since 9 wasn't that old and I'm astounded at how different, yet similar it is. At first glance 10 doesn't look very different than 9 but there are now a bunch of new things that make it a different enough program.
   Video with Videowave and cinemagic: each program has a few more options from 9. The biggest change I found was the soundtrack. It is now much easier to do. It also edits HD video. None too soon considering tv broadcast changes.
   Music: Biggest changes here. It makes batch formatting changes and rips disks from several drives at once. The automix is more elaborate.
   Photo: It makes autofixes. If I don't like the results I can use the manual setting changes. More album adn slideshow formats.
   Gadgets: This is new and makes the program a step above others. I can take any media file and convert it to my phone and ipod. It works the other way by sending media to the pc from the gadgets.
   Disk burning: Burning is relatively the same but complementary tools are better. It catalogs the disk contents, something I felt was needed in 9. I see that it can copy HD and blueray disks, but I don't have the proper burners yet to test.
   For anyone wanting to convert tapes I would recommend this program, regardless of what converter you have. I don't see any need for any side programs to finish media projects.

5 comments about ScanSoft PaperPort 11.

1. I have used Paper Port for years, starting with Paper Port 6, and really like how easy they are to use. Paper Port 11 is especially great.



2. That should be the name of the company. I first started using Pagis Pro. When a new version of Windows came along Scansoft (nuisance). I bought PaperPort 9 and along comes Windows XP and the trouble started. I was able to use it as long as I did so as administrator. With Vista I can still use it but at times it locks up and I have to shut it down. it did not have print drivers and guess what? It isn't going to be supported either. A good way to make customers buy new software isn't it. After reading all of your posts on version 11 I'm thankful I didn't buy again. I think I'll stay with the free software CutePDF. Jim



3. I like PaperPort so much that, after a crash, and discovering I had lost the program key, I ordered & paid for a new one!!
   
   The price was OK and the service was great. We're up and running again.



4. This product will only scan and store documents, it doesn't provide OCR functionality. To get that you have to purchase OmniPage, too. Scan and store works well and is fast but it takes some time to get used to. Recommended if you need to eliminate stored paper documents. It is a heck of a lot easier to store documents on a disk than in a box in the attic!



5. after reading some previous reviews was worried that would have trouble with new addition on VISTA after having 5.0 and 7.0 in past. going to website and downloaded upgraded version wiht no problems at all and now scanning away happily ever after!!!!

5 comments about Surething CD/DVD Labeler: Deluxe ST5.

1. I found the software very easy to use and flexible - easy to import graphics & text, move things around, etc. My hopelessly computer illiterate fiance was maneuvering and designing labels within a few hours, with only an occasional cry for help - .
   
   The library of templates is great, and easy to modify. One tiny thing - text frames added to templates will show borders on the screen even after you've removed them - but, no worries - the borders won't print. For those accustomed to standard Office Suite graphics interfaces, it doesn't quite follow those conventions, but the minor differences are easy enough to figure out.
   
   It also prints perfectly on different supported label brands the FIRST TIME without ANY screwing around with alignment, something you can't do with Avery templates, even on their own labels. (Why, oh why, can't Avery get their s*** together? How hard can Word templates be to such a huge company???)
   
   Whoever complained about the label applicator - I don't get it. It's simple, but it works beautifully. Much more accurate than the seemingly better and sturdier load-and-press Memorex applicator I already own.
   
   I also highly recommend the SureThing lables - much better than Avery or Memorex, and much cheaper.
   
   So... if I could wave a magic wand, I would change some of the interface. But, in terms of features, and compared with what's out there - I give this 5 stars. Turnkey & well worth the money.



2. After trying many demo versions of different CD/DVD labeling software, this is the one I like the best by far. It has a flexible, highly intuitive and quirk-free user interface. Plus, it supports 24 different brands of labels which allows you to use whatever brand happens to be on sale at any given time.



3. CD/DVD Labler:Deluxe V5 is a great way to Jazz-up your DVD's and CD's ,either using Lightscribe or the Labels, plus the Jewel case inserts.They give you plenty of labels to get started and a little holder so you dont "Slip" putting the Label on.
   
   CON: It said on the Box "Guide book" but it wasn't in there so you have to use the help section of the program.
   
   If you want a Labler program you can't go wrong



4. This is a great program to use with Lightscribe discs, However it does not have a manual with it. The box states that it does have a printable manual included on the disc. There is no manual on the disc. When I called the company, they stated that the box was mis-printed and should not have stated that information. The only help you can get is to use the help files in the program itself. The help files come very short of having an actual manual to refer to. Other than that it is avery good software program.



5. I much prefer this labeling product to the Roxio Media equivalent. Lots of features/options and easier to use.

5 comments about Comic Life Deluxe: Comic Strip, Comic Book Creator (Mac).

1. Like many digital photographers, for years, I did a comic strip of my family. It was never easy stuffing everything into my made up frames so eventually I stopped (OK, really my family refused to let me take their pictures anymore, so unless I wanted a comic strip fully made up of upraised middle fingers, ...). So I purchased Comic Life Deluxe recently and this makes it all so easy - I am back in business! Am thinking of doing my life story in comic book form, its that fun! So, if you have a digital camera and an excellent printer, and a desire for notoriety, get this program! mz



2. First, to answer the inevitable question, "What's the difference between the standard and deluxe versions?" the answer is: More. The standard version of Comic Life gives you 7 fonts, 78 templates, and 78 styles (headlines, etc). The deluxe version gives you 40 fonts, 322 templates, and 180 styles. Otherwise the two apps are identical. (PS: The most current version is a Universal binary, and there's a free updater on Freeverse's web site.)
   
   This is truly a unique app, one which has the potential to be an awful lot of fun and produce surprisingly high quality results with a minimum of effort. On the surface the app is just a "fun" app with no practical purpose; it's great to make things like mementos for your kids' friends from a birthday party, or a fun vacation photo album. But in reality it's a Godsend to any aspiring comic book artist. Scan your artwork, place it in the prefabricated templates, add lettering and headlines, and you can very easily - and realistically - design and publish your own professional looking comic book. You can export your pages as high res PDFs thanks to OS X's built-in PDF engine and send 'em right to press.
   
   The app has fairly low system requirements. It flies on my dual 2GHz G5, but it performs quite nicely even on a 500MHz iBook G3 and is tolerable on a 233MHz bondi iMac (given sufficient memory). My ONLY wish for this app is an "auto-fill" button that will automatically populate the templates with selected pictures (or entire albums) from my iPhoto library. As it is now, you have to manually drag them over one at a time. While this is only the slightest of inconveniences when dealing with a simple one or two page comic, it gets to be a royal pain when you're dealing with dozens of pages and hundreds of images. It's for this reason alone that I give it four rather than five stars.



3. This inexpensive software is so easy to use, and is a lot of fun. I was developing comic type layouts of my photos within 1 hour of loading the software.
   
   I highly recommend it.
   
   Ed Astolfi



4. This is a wonderful and inexpensive bit of software! Although, I am not into comics I love the templates for my photography. There are all kinds of possibilities. Do have a go at it.



5. I have used this software on a Mac for several years but I understand it is now available for Windows users as well. This is a great value and offers a creative outlet for all types of projects. I have made photo pages for a scrap book, a comic birth announcement, and more. Not-for-profit institutions can purchase a "Site" license for all their computers for only $500 from the company (direct buy. Our local school district purchased that license for some 5,000 computers or .10 cents per machine. Many student with "writing problems" have enjoyed this software to write simple reports.
   
   Easy to use and ties into your iPhoto library for Mac users.

5 comments about Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition.

1. Deus Ex has very often been called the greatest Role Playing Games ever created, and with good reason. Though the graphics are incredibly dated if you can see passed this there is fantastic gameplay, and intriguing plot and, suprisingly, interesting questions raised about human nature and political ideology.
   
   The last may sound quite pompous but do not let this put you off. The game is a First Person Shooter and is filled with action. The detail in the game is astonishing. Many times I've decided to simply wander around and talk to other characters and investigate areas and found computers whose owners are having conversations about security, affairs or even mundane repairs. There is always something new to find each time you play.
   
   And you will play this many times. While the game can take about 40-45 hours to complete (if you take your time) there are numerous choices to make which will affect how missions go, or how certain characters react to you. This level of detail allows you to complete goals in several different ways. You can choose to shoot it out, use stealth or simply buy your way in. And, in the odd occasion, you don't have to do a thing. You can just walk away.
   
   You play as J.C. Denton, a UNATCO (United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition) agent. This group was formed after a terrorist attack in New York in which the Twin Towers fell and the Statue of Liberty was destroyed. Considering this game was made in the late 90s it is strange that the Towers are no longer in the skyline of 2054 New York.
   
   The plot is full of twists which you really do not see coming. The critically acclaimed soundtrack, which comes with this edition on a separate CD, fits perfectly with the mood of each moment of the game. The only problem? The second CD which contains the level editor and soundtrack can be a pain to get working. Other than that, this is a great game; still better than most games on the market today and only a fraction of the price. Every PC gamer should have this.



2. Deus Ex is a wonderful game. It was one of the first FPS-RPGs (First-Person Shooter / Role-Playing Game), allowing the user to add skill points in various attribute areas, such as weapons, first aid, the use of numerous protective equipment. Each open-style mission allows the user to find multiple entrance points to the target site, based on skill and play-style. The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure dialog also allows for a new set of choices for every replay.
   The graphics are now dated, but it is a classic game.
   
   If you like the style and gameplay of Deus Ex, you should also try Mass Effect.



3. So what is the fuss all about? Deus Ex was ahead of its time. It merged RPG elements into a First Person Shooter and allowed multple ways to finish every mission, which raised the reply value. I am actually upset because there aren't more games like this one. We see the same generic FPS formula redone over and over again. Companies can still learn from Deus Ex and they should. Deus Ex offers some very satisfying gameplay. Even though Deus Ex seems to be a FPS, it allows you to do things that you don't normally find in an FPS. You can hack computers, use lock picks on doors, and blow up doors. That is an example of how Deus Ex gives you multiples ways to accomplish an objective. The way you kill is also a factor. You can use melee weapons, pistols, heavy guns, and sniper weapons. You can actually increase you effectiveness with using these weapons by raising your experience level in them. This little tidbit makes the game quite addictive. The graphics have not aged well, but nonetheless, the superb gameplay should make you forget about that, even for the most shallow gamers today. So is it worth getting? YEAH!



4. Easily one of the greatest games ever made. A fluent and compelling storyline, amazing weapons and features still impressive 7 years later, great action, and an overwhelming feeling that you can solve a problem in this game in any way that you want to. There's more than one way to do just about everything. 5 stars out of 5



5. Favorites. Great game play & story.
   They don't makem like this any more except for maybe half life 2.

5 comments about Adobe Illustrator CS3.

1. I was forced to buy Adobe Illustrator CS3. Adobe gets way too much money for their software. Yes, it is the best, and it is the industry leader, but CorelDraw X3 Graphics Suite is an excellent performer for a fraction of the cost. X3 includes CorelDraw (competes with Illustrator)Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium Upgrade [Mac]Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium Upgrade and PhotoPaint (competes with Adobe PhotoShop). The only reason I had to buy Illustrator CS3 is because CorelDraw could not open some of the Illustrator CS2 and CS3 files I received and I needed them for my business. So if you don't need to open the latest version of Illustrator files, look into Corel and save yourself a bundle! You can download Corel trial software for free to try before you buy.



2. this product is great! it is worth the money and i have been using this on a pc with no problems so far. if you are into designing it is worth it.



3. I am a professional Graphic Designer with a degree in Fine Arts & Graphic Design. I have been using Adobe Illustrator in one version or another for about 7 years.
   
   So far Adobe Illustrator is the only program I would recommend for people to upgrade to if they have previously been using Adobe Illustrator CS2. Several new tools, such as the eraser tool (new in CS3) make this a worthy upgrade. The eraser works on vector shapes the way the eraser in Photoshop works on bitmapped shapes. It cleanly erases whatever you move it over, and it accurately completes your shapes. It is a real wonder that has significantly improved my productivity in Illustrator.
   
   The improves Smart Trace is very nice as well for turning bitmapped images into vector drawings, although depending on the source image you might get less than perfect results. I find it very useful.
   
   Adobe Illustrator is not as easy to use as Photoshop, since with Photoshop you draw with tools that work like a pencil or paintbrush. Basically you can draw on the screen in a similar manner that you would on paper. I find the closest analogy to who Illustrator works, it building a collage. In Illustrator you create vector shapes using the various tools, each vector shape is like a shape cut out of paper, you then build up your images using these vector shapes and blending modes. Once you have your vector drawing you can scale it to any size big or small with no loss of image quality.
   
   Once you learn how to use it (and as previously stated in another review, it is harder to find online tutorials) it is a much more robust program for creating imagery for use in print, products or on the web. I use Illustrator for 90% of my image creation.
   
   The only reasons I give this program 4 starts instead of 5 are the new palette menu system is not terribly useful. Had Adobe adopted a "drawer" style palette setup like InDesign CS2 used, it would have been much more useful, I ended up just using the "Legacy" setting that makes the palettes work like they did in CS2. Also the new copy protection Adobe has installed makes it very difficult to install and register. It took me 3 or 4 days to get this program installed and working on my laptop (2Ghz Dualcore processor, 3GB Ram, ATI Radeon Mobile, fresh install of Window Vista Home Premium 32bit).



4. Lots of hobbyists use either Photoshop Elements or the full Photoshop application. Not all that difficult to learn. But Illustrator is another matter altogether. If you're a professional doing a lot of vector graphics, Illustrator is the only way to go. One of the best features of Illustrator is Live Trace. Scan a photograph into Illustrator, hit a few keys, and the pixels are rendered into vector paths. As we all know, vector images can be scaled from real small to real huge with no loss of resolution. Try to draw a red rose with the pen tool and bezier curves. For sure, not me. Just whip out the trusty digital camera, take a picture of a red rose, into Illustrator, and presto! Scale it. Color it. Make a big bouquet. Less than ten minutes. This is one of the best features of Illustrator and is something you certainly can't do in Photoshop. About the Bezier Curves Tool. Lots of people find this intimidating. Not to worry. It's like riding a bicycle. Wobble around for awhile then all of the sudden you have it. It's pretty much intuitive. I used it a couple of hours ago on a few characters of type that were overly distorted by applying the Warp Effect. Zoomed it up to 3600% and very carefully restored the outlines. Took only a few minutes. From talking to other people in the business, it seems people are put off from Illustrator because they think Illustrator is all about bezier curves. A big misconception. I use curves only a few minutes a day and then on simple things. Like the task of reshaping type I mentioned. Or drawing a curved path with a stroke to separate a text field from a photograph. Right now I'm using Illustrator to design political campaign buttons. Works perfectly for this. Illustrator has more than a few quirks and "work-arounds" but every application has those. I began using Photoshop at Version 4 so I know from quirks. A couple more quick tips. Get the biggest monitor you can afford. And a really good graphics card. I use a wide 24" Samsung (which I highly reccomend) and it's kind of cramped. Seems way smaller than when I use it for Photoshop. Also use a trackball. I use an inexpensive Logitech that works fine. I have a Wacom 9X12 that I use a lot in Photoshop but it kind of surprised me that I don't much in Illustrator. Moving around with the ball is way more precise and much faster. For a training manual the only one you need is Real World Illustrator 3 by Mordy Golding. (See my review there...I wrote it when I was slightly toasted... oh, well) Video tutorials are pretty much a waste of time IMHO. All you need is Mordy's book, the Adobe Help resource, which is great, and plenty of quiet time.



5. After using illustrator for a few weeks i finally started learning some really cool features with the pathfinder tool to make those perfect vector shapes. (I'm still learning) But now my software doesn't want to export eps files, or save ai files. It just constantly says unknown error. It 'acts like' it exports eps files but none are ever where I save them. Then when I export as eps i get "The operation cannont complete because of unknown error [Imer]." When I research all of these problems it seems many many people are all over the adobe forums as long ago as November 2007 and and as recent as May with the same issues and Adobe techs haven't addressed these issues. Several comment they have phoned in and adobe can't fix it. So I am left deleting preferences, reinstalling, and holding keys while i boot illustrator to no avail, pretty much going off of people's advice off of forums. Not good. Very frustrating for how much I paid for design premium, which the rest works great.
   
   I would probably wait until all of the "Unknown error has occurred" problems are fixed. Right now I am copying and pasting my work into tons of new files and basically going to lose my work if I get a power outage!
   Some say this is attributed to the Zune software, but i have no such software.
   
   Other than those MAJOR flaws, i give it 3 stars for the premise it will get an update eventually and work perfect. The color guide is really neat because it helps you select harmonious color schemes, which is easy to plop into designs and try. Also you can choose historic color schemes like renaissance, baroque, pop art, etc. Loads of symbols like networking and web which would be so easy to color in for instant icons, and just fun symbols like maps if you ever felt like making a map in illustrator.
   
   Overall, I wish I had waited. That's a lot of money for my small, one person graphic design business and I will have to think of an alternative for logo creation.

5 comments about Sibelius 5 Educational Edition.

1. This is a wonderful notation software for any musician. As a Middle School Orchestra director, I use it to compose, arrange and transpose appropriate materials for my students. In addition, I can create and customize worksheets that focus on specific skills, concepts or techniques that I'm addressing in their performance materials and method books.
   
   There are quite a few ways you can input your notation making it a fairly swift process. You can input using the piano scroll, midi, microphone, mouse, computer keyboard or you can even purchase an add on software that allows you scan music in.
   
   One thing you need to keep in mind when you are purchasing this software is that you will need a DVD rom to install this software. It is Vista compatable, but Vista has some issues that can make it difficult to install. My laptop has Vista and I had all sorts of problems with installation and ended up getting help. This software is well worth the hassle you may encounter when installing under the vista operating system.



2. Sibelius 5 is essential music notation software for anyone who needs this sort of software--professionals, educators, students and amateurs. Sibelius is, quite simply, as powerful as it is easy to use. While, I think, many more people are familiar with Finale, and while the end product of your score would probably be the same if you used Finale, with Sibelius, it's much more fun because it's so extremely easy.
   
   Here are a couple of specific things I like about it: Cross-staff beaming is a breeze. If you make a change in a conductor's score, the change is instantly updated in the individual part. Formatting is instant if you move things around.
   
   Also, if you're a film score student, Sibelius 5 has several videos, complete with scores, built in, and video instructions teach you how to do it.
   
   If you're an educator, Sibelius 5 comes with hundreds of worksheets that I find to be extremely useful.
   
   In fact, the best way to see how easy Sibelius is to use is to go to their website, www.sibelius.com, and download a demo version. Please note, this demo is the full notation software. Unlike other demos that hold back many of its key features, this demo will let you do anything and everything--with the obvious exception of printing and saving. Try it out for yourself and see just how easy it is.
   
   I continue to be amazed at how powerful and easy this software is. Try the demo, then come back here and buy it.



3. I have had absolutely no problems installing this on Windows Vista. I am even running the 64-bit version of Vista Home Premium and i have not encountered any problems so far. Excellent product. Much better designed and user friendly than Finale. I don't remember anything in the install process or registration that "Required" me to be a student. Even though i am. The whole label that talks about you not being able to use it if you aren't a student/teacher is a load of crap. They just want to charge you more money for the same product if you are not.



4. Sibelius 5 is incredibly good. I've been using Finale (2000) for quite a few years now, and there was a moment in using it a few weeks ago when I asked it to do an arpeggio in 4/4 time with 3 groups of triplet sixteenths in the space of three triplet eighths and it f***ing EXPLODED. I threw up my hands, and downloaded the trial version of Sibelius 5. Granted, it took a little getting used to, and I'll probably still be discovering some of its secrets for years to come, but from off the bat, it's good and fun to use.
   
   I can copy a figure and repeat it (But it doesn't want to let me copy parts of measures that involve triplets, you have to copy the whole measure.) without trouble. After you figure out how to use the voicing tool (or layering as it's called in Finale), it's quite good. I have some trouble writing acciaturas at the ends of measures when the music changes clef, but for that one instance it wasn't a big deal.
   
   The above issue that caused Finale to explode was a cinch on Sibelius 5. This is worth every penny, and I look forward to exploring more of its capabilities in the future..



5. Installation on both a pc and a mac was easy. Getting the USB MIDI driver installed on the pc was annoying and time-consuming - but that's not a Sibelius issue.
   My biggest complaint now is that I am unable to use the supposedly superior "flexi-time" note input mechanism. I am a pianist and professional piano teacher, my fiancé is a computer professional, and between the two of us and way too many hours of trying to make this work, we still haven't figured out what is wrong. Apparently I am not the only one with this issue. Online I found this cry for help: "When I use flexi-time, there's a delay between when I play the note and when I hear it over headphones. Unfortunately, the delay appears in the score, in the form of a persistent eighth rest preceding the first note, which bedevils the entire arrangement. Much manual fixing and re-inputting required, rendering flexi-time more or less useless."
   "Useless" is what this program is to me at this point. Sibelius's online helpcenter does not cover this issue, and the phone support is only available during business hours Mon-Fri, except holidays (this is Saturday before Memorial Day).
   I googled and found several online help sites but none has an answer to this problem. Some say to "fiddle with the preferences" - tried that, didn't do diddly.
   Ideas, anyone??

5 comments about Pantone Eye-One Display 2.

1. This little bippy has helped me get colors right for graphic and web design. It creates ICC profiles which can be loaded in on design programs.
   
   One bummer: As of July 1, 2007 there doesn't seem to be a Windows Vista 64 bit driver.



2. Easy to use and the difference shows on my screen. Got this on the advice of a local, very good graphic artist who uses their products (much more expensive ones). I set it up to recalibrate every two weeks because screens change over short periods of time. I am happy with my purchase.



3. This unit is a solid performer. Works well with little involvement from the user. I will strongly recommend it to anyone who is working with pictures. It's pretty much everyone in this world.



4. After checking various web sites, I found this item to be among the best and was not disappointed. Easy to use and more than lived up to the great things said about it. My 24" LCD looks great.



5. Instructions consist of ... load the software and follow the instructions. That's it! No explanations, no troubleshooting ... no nuttin!! After I finally got the software loaded (had to find updated drivers on their website for Vista), there were three options, none of which were intuitive. I opted for "Diagnostic" and that was wrong. I should have selected Match3. Then I was instructed to "press the button". There was no button anywhere. Turns out I was supposed to click an arrow at the top of the page.
   
   Customer Service was responsive when I eventually got through to them, but their phone options were as confusing as their product instructions.
   
   So far, my prints are way warmer than my monitor so I'll be contacting CS again tomorrow.
   
   Be prepared to get very frustrated.