5 comments about Rapidweaver.

1. So much more than iWeb and far easier to master than DreamWeaver, RapidWeaver is a brilliant app for quickly putting together a professional looking website quickly and easily. The program comes with a nice assortment of templates and page styles to get you going quickly. But that's just the beginning. There is a great amount of add-ons for this program from templates, plugins, code snippets and programs that work with RapidWeaver extending it's capabilities. The templates have an assortment of options and can be modified. There's even a software development kit so you can create you own themes and plugins. Add the excellent and enthusiastic support forums as a bonus. Simply put, this is an excellent program, well supported and worth more than they're charging. It's a must have program for anyone interested in creating web sites.



2. I've been using Rapidweaver for several years now, ever since Don McAllister of ScreenCasts Online demoed it on his vidcast. The product was so amazing and filled my need so well, I actually swayed me over the edge to make the switch back to Mac. For years on the PC I had searched for web creation software that gave me power and ease, but nothing was availble. This amazing product changed all that, but it was and is Mac only. So I switched. It wasn't the only reason, but it was the final reason.
   
   The program is theme oriented with lots of choices and custimzations. The program comes with lots of themes, that are added to each time they update the product. Each update also comes with new and useful features.
   
   The program is nearly as simple as iWeb and 10 times more powerful. Updates have been regular and each well worth the time to download. At less than $50 it's extreamly useful and easy to cost justify. I believe I've paid for one update, but even that cost was low.
   
   The user community of the product is just as amazing and the software creators regularly chime in when needed. THere is also a thriving 3rd party market for this program, creating plug-ins and themes. The Themes are configurable and if you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty you can configure them far beyond their original foundation.
   The program works with your own domain, or with .Mac. So publishing is one touch simple. IF you want a blog, it's really easy to create. Want to add photos or videos to your site, that's easy too.
   
   I'm a very happy user and highly reccomend this product to any Mac user.
   
   All I can say is GIVE IT A TRY, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.



3. I can't say enough about the greatness of RapidWeaver. I've been using this product for nearly 3 years to create and maintain over a dozen websites, and I have never needed to look elsewhere. RapidWeaver is a great solution for experienced website designers and those going at it for the first time. Its flexibility through 3rd-party templates and software plugins make it a very dynamic application that can do just about anything you want to throw at it. Top that off with an outstanding support community that will help you along the way, and you have the best website creation tool for your Mac.



4. RapidWeaver is the one I use. I started with iWeb - to limiting, then Dreamweaver - to complicated, finally RapidWeaver - just right. Let me start by saying in a half hour I built my first website using RapidWeaver. It was a very basic site for my family. I used the stock RapidWeaver program pages and created a very nice site that included a contact page and a photo album.
   
   I next moved on to much more complex projects. RapidWeaver is theme based, but the only limitation is your creativity and ability. They make it very easy for you to use your developed graphic skills. The addons that are available are awesome. The community forum for support is the finest I have ever seen. I have been a Macintosh user for over 20 years, RapidWeaver is my favorite program. RapidWeaver is that good.



5. Questions and Answers on Life Insurance: The Life Insurance Toolbook
   
   As an author and consultant, having an independent and easy to work with web site is critical. RapidWeaver has finally allowed me to achieve this. You can build your site and then update it very easily and quickly. Rapid Weaver is an amazing software package Plus the best part are the user forums - very supportive and knowledgeable group. RW is an easy way to build and maintain a web site that can be quickly and easily updated for my consulting business. Any consultant can now do their website themselves.
   
   The link is to my book - you can visit my site [...] to see RapidWeaver in action. Hope it works for you.

1 comments about Print Artist Gold 22.

1. This is the program I have been looking for - easy, fast and loaded with ideas for both ready-made and from scratch projects. Up and running faster than I thought. So glad I found Print Artist Gold.

5 comments about Apple Aperture 2.0 Upgrade.

1. I've been using the free trial of Aperture 2.0 for a couple of weeks now. Within a couple of hours of working with the trial, I ordered the full product.
   
   I was given version 1.5 of Aperture for Christmas, so I was a little disappointed to find that Apple released a new version so soon after I got it. Apple also dropped the price by $100, which now makes it an incredibly good deal for anyone who hasn't bought this type of software before.
   
   However, after getting over the shock of having to spend another $89 to upgrade software that was only 1 month old, I downloaded the free trial to see if it was worth upgrading. In the month I'd owned Aperture 1.5 I had spent quite a bit of time working out what it could do and how to make it use it. I could quickly see that 1.5 was a power piece of software, but it would definitely take some time to get the best out of it.
   
   After upgrading to the trial of 2.0, and watching a couple of the Apple tutorial videos that are online, I was able to get impressive results very quickly. As I already had Aperture 1.5, I had already began shooting all my photos in RAW format on my Canon Rebel XT. I also tried editing some JPEG photos I had previously organized in iPhoto.
   
   Results with RAW format photos are amazing. Aperture makes working with RAW so easy. I am able to correct exposure problems, which is just not possible with JPEG. I had a image that had lots of white in waves crashing over a rock. By adjusting the exposure in Aperture, and by using the highlight and shadow adjustments, I was able to bring out an amazing amount of detail, turn an average shot into a great one. The automatic correction of exposure levels makes a big difference to many of my shots.
   
   With JPEG images, the results are less impressive. This is not a limitation of Aperture, but a limitation of shooting images in JPEG which loses a lot of the information that was actually captured with the camera's sensor. You are still able to make adjustments, but making big adjustments quickly introduces noise into the image. The tools available in iPhoto 08 produce good results with JPEG, and I wouldn't pay for Aperture if I only shot JPEG images. The automatic exposure correction that worked so well on many of my RAW images is not available on JPEG images.
   
   If you have a camera that can shoot RAW images, such as almost all digital SLRs, and a few compact point-and-shoots such as the new Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, I would definitely recommend shooting in RAW and getting a trial of Aperture to see if it works for you.
   
   You should be aware that shooting in RAW creates much bigger files, so consider this when making your decision. Getting the most out of Aperture means you have to shoot in RAW, and the biggest cost in moving from JPEG to RAW will be larger memory cards and hard drives.
   
   Aperture is so easy to use that I'd recommend it to anyone with a basic knowledge of photography that wants to learn more. Download the free trial, shoot some RAW images with your camera, and only order the full version if it works for you.



2. I'm not going to go into all the bells and whistles and let other reviewers do that. All I can say is, that this is a MAJOR improvement over Aperture 1.5 with a much more intuitive user interface. I might go so far as to say that v2 is more like beefed up iPhoto than v1.5 which I found frustratingly difficult to wrap my brain around. I bought the upgrade after seeing a demo at the Apple Store in town.



3. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R12L93DK5GJFRY Aperture 2.0 was much expected and very much needed. The improvements to this program demonstrates that Apple indeed listens to its customers. Aperture 2.0 includes a better and expanded interface, with the kind of speed that makes it a work horse program for professional photographers who need to process hundreds of photos at a time. It's almost intuitive workflow makes a great program for almost any serious photographer.
   
   I especially like the new additional adjustment tools and the simplifier less crowded interface. The ability to interface with other Apple programs like iWork, iWeb, and Keynote is also a plus.
   
   Above all, for me anyone, is the image preview settings. Clicking this means that you can scan image files without them fulling loading into the program. This is the perfect setting for scanning, rating, keywording, and re-organizing image files. And the best is that you can get into image mode simply by clicking the keyboard shortcut key, P.
   
   Finally, Apple's upgrade of Aperture indicates that they indeed are not going to abandon this program. On the Apple website, you can view over two dozen short and to the point tutorials to learn about every major aspect of Aperture 2.0.



4. A tremendous jump from previous 1.5 version. Was avoiding even using Aperture cause it seemed like it had a lot of features that allowed variations in the looks of the program but did not have a lot of picture adjustment and editing tools. Not so with 2.0, like I said a tremendous jump in useful features. Aperture 2.0 is more than just a photo editor in the makes of Photoshop. More so it is a picture file management software. I beleive with forethought a medium to high level amatuer can move to the next level with this software. I downloaded the Users Manual from Apple.com/aperture under Resources tab. It is a 702 page PDF. You can check it out. It will give you detailed info about this softwares capability.
   
   I especially like the Publishing aspect of this software. You can create pages and publish directly to web, or create and publish Hardcover, softcove, or spiral bound books with relative ease. Using pre-loaded templates for both web publishing or book creation, getting your product exposure in a very short amount of time.
   
   For those of you who were overwhelmed and confused about the real direction 1.5 was trying to take you the 2.0 upgrade is worth pursuing.
   
   I congratulate Apple for taking this product seriously and remolding it to better suit a photographers creative thought and distribution processes, and not just a software that software designers could appreciate.



5. Apple Aperture 2.0 Upgrade This is a much improved version of a good product. It contains a section called "Image Adjustments" that is worth a print out. Using the example pictures will aid in understanding the adjustments. You will need to spend several months to become an expert. A printed manual would be nice to have. New books on the upgraded program would also be great.

No comments about Adobe Creative Suite 3.3 Design Premium Upgrade.

No comments about Adobe Creative Suite 3.3 Design Standard [Mac].

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 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!!!!

No comments about Adobe Creative Suite 3.3 Design Premium Upgrade from CS3 [Mac].

No comments about Adobe Creative Suite 3.3 Design Premium [Mac].

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.