Features

• This suite of learning applications, games and lessons are designed to dramatically improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills
• Exercises and multimedia clips build students' vocabulary, grammar and comprehension skills
• Have fun and build language skills with Word and Sentence Pronunciation activities
• Advanced speech analysis tools compares your pronunciation to native speakers for superior speaking skills
• Talking dictionary includes thousands of native speaker Sound Dictation activities to enhance listening skills

Reviews (1)

Powerful suite although possibly too involved for some
This learning suite consists of about half a dozen programs, each of which does different things and offers different features. I found it very complete and full-featured but somewhat difficult to navigate around because of all the activities and separate modules. Also, it's hard to tell what some of the mouse buttons mean and you just have to click on them to find out what they do.

Four of the programs, such as the Spanish Alphabet Reference and the Spanish Grammar Basics, install as separate applications and can be launched either separately or from within the main program. You'll find the latter two under "Reference" from the main menu.

The main program is called Language Now! which has all the main features. These include My Spanish Adventure with Andre, which shows you a movie with Spanish narration; Conversations in Spanish; Fundamental Spanish, which contains 100 of the most common words and verbs in Spanish; and Survival Phrases in Spanish, which contains hundreds of phrases in English and Spanish.

Also part of the Language Now! program is the pronunciation program, or digital speech analyzer, which combines a wave form anayzer, pitch analyzer, a fricatives analyzer, and a vowels analyzer, which is even more sophisticated than the one that comes with my Instant Immersion Deluxe Spanish program.

The Survival Phrases section in the main program has phrases for over 30 situations, such as "Meeting and Greeting," "Restaurants," "Emergencies," etc. There is also an Activities area which has games like crosswords, word dictation, Vocabulous!, Unscramble, Verb Quest, Plug-n-Play, and Graffiti. In addition, there is a Pronunciation section and Conversation and Speaking section.

The four smaller extra programs include the "English-Spanish Lexicon" or dictionary, the grammar program, called "Spanish Grammar Pro," which is structured like the Windows Help facility, so if you know that, you know how to get around this one too. It might even be different from the one accessed within the "Language Now!" rogram. The third program is called "Shooting Gallery and Crossword," which are sort of self-explanatory. The fourth one is "Before You Know It," which is basically a vocabulary building module almost 40 different word lists on such things as animals, food, clothing, the weather, travel, and so on.

It also includes a "Flash Card" program which I tried, but didn't find very useful. It only seemed to have a few dozen words and it repeated them too often to be of much help, I thought. I liked the Spanish Grammar Basics program which covers in detail all the different parts of speech and defines all of them for you. So if you need to be reminded about what demonstrative pronouns are, a periphrastic verbal construction, or the preterite (past perfect) tense, this will do it for you.

Overall, this is a very full-featured and powerful Spanish suite that I can recommend although it may take some time for you to learn to use all the features productively. For someone that doesn't want anything this complex I recommend the Instant Immersion Spanish Deluxe edition with 8 CD's instead. It also has a speech analyzer but the entire program is structured somewhat differently from the present one. The lessons are sequential and you have to complete them all in order to progress from Beginner Level I to Level II, and from Level II to Intermediate Level I, the Intermediate Level II, and so on. (This isn't quite true as you can jump between levels and CD's if you want, but the program keeps reminding you to do exercises you've skipped within a CD or difficulty level until you do them). This makes it a little more structured and less flexible than the present one although I think most people will find the interface more intuitive and the progressively increasingly level of difficulty in some ways better for learning. But both programs are excellent and will definitely help you take your Spanish to the next level. ... Read more

Product Description

A new standard in professional layout design!It delivers faster production workflows and a more fluid creative environment for designing professional layouts with sophisticated graphics and typography. ... Read more

Features

• Carefully designed by music education professionals, it features 36 lessons that introduce all the important musical concepts
• Let Maestro Max teach you and challenge you while you develop your knowledge of important music concepts and skills
• Covers all the basics of music theory, rhythm, pitch, note reading, listening, and the keyboard
• Use the creative Doodle Pad for composing and hearing your own musical creations on the fly
• Easy-to-use self-paced lessons let you learn at the rate that suits you best

Features

• Web building software for user-friendly Web design
• Easily build, manage, and promote sophisticated Web sites
• Drag-and-drop simplicity; no HTML knowledge required
• Designed for novice users as well as experienced Web developers
• WYSIWYG design layouts; cutting-edge tools; e-commerce enabled

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Sometimes you get what you pay for...
After trying two language programs before this and being highly disappointed in their performance I finally put out the money for this program. It is comprehensive and I have found it very valuable in it's method of teaching the Italian language. I highly recommend it.

Love Rosetta stone Italian software
I have had some knowledge of the Italian language so I am not a total beginner, but pretty close to it. The reason I purchased this software is that I found myself loosing the little knowledge I had. How this program works is through picture recognition along with coinciding speech. For an example they will show you a picture of a bird in different sequences such as: flying, swimming, and the color of the bird etc... They also show people doing similar actions. By picture recognition, repetitive patterns, and hearing the words, you do learn the language. The pictures do build in a methodical way and eventually you do learn to form the words, and then into sentences. But, there is no explanation in the how and why the grammar works. The word "the" is different in Italian with respect to masculine, feminine, plural, and the program does not explain this aspect of the language. You learn merely by rote imitation. This indeed is how a child learns to speak a language. A nice feature to this software is that the native speaker does speak in a slow pronunciation, in some parts of the program you can really slow the speakers voice down and hear every syllable. The program allows you to record your voice so you can hear your progress. Learning in this way is fun and I do not find my mind wandering.

Preety good
A very good software but nothing is perfect language always takes a long time and this does not signifigantly shorten the time. But you still learn it faster ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Their method works!
The Rosetta Stone people believe in total immersion. Nothing is translated; all meanings are conveyed by a clever use of pictures. You see a french expression, hear it spoken, and see its meaning illustrated, all at the same time. The method works. It allows the English compartment of the mind to quiet down and the French to take over. I felt that I was absorbing french vocabulary, pronunciation, and sentence patterns more efficiently with this program than by any other learning method I have tried.

For the most part the pictures make the meanings obvious, but when they don't you are on your own. I kept Google running in the background and used its translation facility to look up the occasional mysterious word. That usually worked, but the lack of English translations within the program is a design flaw in my opinion. Doubtless they would protest that including translations would go against the spirit of total immersion. Well, having to stop to look things up in a french-english dictionary is not total immersion either. But this flaw is not fatal. The program is so good otherwise that I was willing to put up with the inconvenience.

The method is not a complete approach in itself. No grammar is taught except for what you can figure out for yourself from the examples. French Now! by Transparent Language is another excellent program that complements it nicely. Rosetta Stone is expensive, but their "French Explorer" is modestly priced and provides a generous sampling of their fuller Level 1 and Level 2 programs. If you simply can't afford the fuller programs you might consider using French Explorer in conjunction with French Now!

only ok
All in all this program isn't bad but it doesn't seem to have anything on grammar. Without learning the grammar of a language it is almost pointless to learn it because you will sound like a fool to someone who knows the language. The only other program I have tried is French NOW by Transparent Language which is just as good as this program, has grammar turtorials, and is much more affordable.

You will be talking in no time.
I have tried a variety of language software titles to learn to speak French and I was beginning to get rather frustrated. After several months, I was still unable to put together coherent sentences. That's pretty sad, considering I've taught English to a variety of ages for 4 years and have a strong grasp on sentence structure. However, there's good news! Within a few lessons, I was putting together ideas with Rosetta Stones' French tutorials. The program uses photographs to piecemeal together ideas. You feel much like a child exploring the world in a new language and you will find yourself thinking in French in no time! In addition, you don't have to sit through boring grammar lessons, it just comes naturally. I highly recommend this product, even though it is considerably more expensive than some of the others, it is well worth the price of admission. ... Read more

Features

• Advanced map customization and printing
• Automatic routing on trails and roads
• Nationwide campground information
• GPS compatibility; USGS digital map data
• $50 of free aerial and satellite imagery included

Reviews (2)

Poor Printing Options
I found the software to be slow and have poor printing capabilities. I wanted digitized USGS 7.5' quads to print and use for offroad trips, but not with this software. Advancing to higher level of detail was slow and I had to go through each incremental increase. The largest map size for printing is 11x17 (I asked Delorme). You can select 2x2 or 3x3 mosiac prints, for manual assembly, but not what I wanted. I used the 30 money back guarantee.

Missing Too Much Information
Within 5 minutes of trying to map my first route, I have already discovered a bridge that is missing from the map. This bridge was present in other versions of the program and I was hoping the data in the new version would be better than the old, not worse! ... Read more

Features

• Essential protection from viruses, hackers, and privacy threats
• AntiVirus; Personal Firewall keeps personal data in and hackers out
• Privacy Control prevents personal info from being sent out without approval
• AntiSpam filters out unwanted email and helps protect against email fraud
• Parental Control blocks access to inappropriate Web sites and newsgroups

Amazon.com Product Description

Deliver rich, interactive content from virtually any data source, publish it to the Web, and integrate it within applications with Crystal Reports. The professional edition of Crystal Reports allows you to design interactive, actionable content and deliver it to users across the enterprise. Generate report types like subreports, conditional, summary, cross-tabs, form, drill down, OLAP, top N, multiple details, and mailing labels. Build hyperlinks, charting, mapping, parameters, alerts, add-ins for Excel and Access, sorting, running totals, grouping, top N, and bottom N.

Crystal Reports Pro includes Crystal Enterprise Standard, which offers report viewers (including DHTML, ActiveX, and Java), a Web-based report management system, a Web server with licensing for five concurrent users, customizable Web desktop, and report delivery regardless of location or platform. Get driver and support for more than 30 SQL-, ODBC-, OLE DB- and PC-based data sources, including XML. Crystal Reports seamlessly integrates with Crystal Enterprise, the powerful, next-generation enterprise reporting solution from Crystal Decisions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent
this is an excellent product, It won't do Dictionary headers very nicely but perhaps their new 9.0 version will, I am going to look into it. ... Read more

Features

• Track and manage people, projects, images, and data
• Do more, faster with 30 starter solutions
• Exchange data with a virtually limitless number of applications
• Store, track, and archive files and documents
• Secure data with assigned accounts and privileges

Reviews (3)

Have been using for 2 months now.
I have been using Filemaker 7 for Mac for 2 motnhs now. I am so happy with all the improvements they have made. Hands down this is the best database program (Mac or PC) ever made. A must buy!

Great software!
This Filemaker is the best version yet! Highly recommended!

Filemaker Pro 7
I ran out an got this immediately when it was announced because I like to get the latest software and have been using Filemaker for over 10 years.
Now I want to go back to 6.
For some reason 7 is SLOWER than 6. All functions hang before executing from performing a find to changing between layout views there is a noticeable lag before the desired screen comes up and when you asked for it. Additionally once you perform the function you find yourself waiting. Especially performing finds I am noticing that it takes a while for the program to give me results. Since I use this function constantly that's a major pain in the ass. In 6 the delay between when I hit the find button and the results coming up was non existant. Performing finds in 6 on the same machine was lightning fast. In 7 it is not.
Since I use this function more than any other and because there is also an increase in wait times on many other functions in the program , like creating a new record, sorting and everything else, I would not reccomend this upgrade.
Ray ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

PaperPort Deluxe 9 is one of the easiest ways to turn piles of paper and photos into organized digital files that you can quickly find, use, and share. PaperPort Deluxe stores and organizes exact copies of your scanned documents and photos on the computer. Plus, PaperPort's native support for the standard PDF format brings you the power to scan, annotate and e-mail documents and photos in a format that ensures everyone can view and print them on any computer.

Capture local copies of Web pages on PaperPort's desktop using the WebCapture feature. This lets you save online receipts, directions, articles, and other important information from the Web. Also, you can turn your scanned images into editable Microsoft Word, Excel, or text files with a simple drag and drop to PaperPort's Send To bar.

The software virtually eliminates the need for retyping documents, as well. FormTyper automatically recognizes the fields on a scanned form. Simply tab and type in PaperPort to neatly fill all in the information. Print the filled-in form and PaperPort automatically saves an electronic copy for your records. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great program
I absolutely love this program. Easy to install and fast. I have converted many documents to electrons using Paperport version #9 and I love it. It converts them to .pdf files quickly and automatically and they print as fast as any other documents. I am in the process of converting all my files from paper to electrons and this software is the most saytisfying I have purchased in quite a while. No installation problems (Win XP pro and a Pentium 4 - 2.8.). Absolutely love it.

Good product, not perfect but improved over 6 & 6.
After reading all the negative review, I was going to pass on this version - that would have been a mistake. Installation on an XP Based Dell with HP7130 multi went quite smoothly. Loaded an update and rebooted - all were recognized and functioning quite smoothly. This was installed over Version 6.0 Paperport. While converting files from max to pdf was a bit of a problem - that was a one time (though fairly lengthy) procedure.
While it does create a default directory (which is differenet from the one I actually use) - in the options you can direct it to open up from where you left off. So I just directed it to my regular directory. The other one still is there but basically as an empty line.

Pros: PDF format is a big improvement of the max. Web capture to save my web pages in pdf files (either in color or B&W (save space).
Was considering buying a separate program to allow me to create pdf documents from MS Word. With this - you have a Paperport windows printer - that prints to a pdf format.
Only a couple of problems with system hanging up - vs. frequently on version 6.0.

Cons:
No serious ones so far - depending on my experience over the next 60-90 days the rating may go to either 3 or 5 stars.

Paperport... a re-packaged dog called Pagis??
.
I first went the [Scansoft] Pagis route, putting thousands of business docs in their format, hoping to get better at using it and all the supposed features. I was dutifully getting each new version, adding the scarce patches, hoping that the next would fix some of it's many problems... but it never got much better.

I am coming to believe that after ScanSoft dumped all of the Pagis users to the wolves, they re-bagged it and called it PaperPort.

I say this because all the program problems are there, and the same poor customer support is back with it - problems are sometimes acknowledged but never really fixed. If all you do is store and search, it might be ok, but if you try to use other more advanced features, they often don't work.

Just enough is done to make it work, kind of, and that seems to be where it stands. If you look back at the horror stories of those who trusted Pagis, you might want to be careful that this situation, looking a lot like the one we Pagis users went through, doesn't turn out the same way.

I have a clean, modern system and a powerful machine, and it had problems with printing, scanning and keyword scans. Also, data was lost.

Deja Vue all over again... ;-(

With my last experience with Scansoft,I can't take that chance again, can you ??

Ed Judge

I think this software is great!
I scanned a decade worth of personal papers like tax returns and such into Paperport 9 Deluxe. I move around a lot and I am glad to turn all those papers into electrons. I have a HP All in One printer, the HP 5510. I have never had any problems with the software. It parks all your documents into thumbnails which are easy to view without opening them. The software is just basically like having a big file cabinet. The only two critisms I can make is one: saved web pages into PDF do not come out very good. The text in a saved web page looks sloppy. And for me the web capture capability does not scroll the page down to capture the whole page like it is supposed to. It always only captures the visible portion of what is on the monitor. Paperport is making me buy PDF Create when I shouldn't have to. (It better work better!) Secondly, I wish Paperport had some backup capability built in.

Visioneer is trash
Great scanner, terrible software. Unfortunately, after the acnner works great for 6 months, the software stumbles and then errors and closes every time it is accessed. Visioneer is well aware of this and provides zero support for "older models" and requires customers to purchase new software. From what I have read on the web sites about Visioneer, the upgrades and new software fairs no better. Beware. ... Read more

Features

• Speech recognition software
• Dictation in normal tone of voice and at a normal pace
• Dictate, format and edit directly in any application
• Correct and Update your Voice Model in almost any Application
• Easy to install, train and use

Reviews (2)

works for me!
I do some pretty arcane dictation with lots of technical vocabulary, and have found the system up to my demands. I have worked at training the system, and it keeps on improving. I do find some of the interfaces a bit awkward to work with compared to the system I use with my PC (Naturally Speaking Standard Edition), but then, I've worked with that system somewhat longer. If the recognition of iListen improves with use as well as Naturally Speaking has, I will change my rating to 5 stars.

Be glad I didn't enter this with iListen
I purchased iListen about three years ago. I found that it might have been useful for verbal commands to control computer functions, but it was useless for dictation. I upgraded to version 1.2.1, patiently went through at least three, new "training" sessions, and still was unable to create useable text via verbal input. When iListen kept sending me e-mail solicitations, I offered to upgrade if they could demonstrate that they had improved accuracy. They replied, "Because there are so many variables, and everyone has a different definition of what is acceptable results, all sales of iListen software are final."

My definition of acceptable dictation was that accuracy was sufficient to permit replication upon proof reading. I would accept errors, but not so different from what I had said that I could not reconstruct my text from its translation. It never even came close. Perhaps my voice is incompatible with iListen, and maybe it will translate your speech accurately. In either case, remember, all sales are final. ... Read more

Features

• Precision OCR technology ensures over 99% accurate
• Advanced layout retention; edited text flows naturally
• Create PDF files from any application, simply print to PDF
• Use your voice to edit documents and activate workflows
• Digital signatures and encryption ensure file security and authenticity

Reviews (2)

OmniPage Pro 14 is amazing
I have been an OmniPage user for several years and find version 14 by far the easiest and most powerful version. Its ease of busting .pdf files is incredible. Although it took me a few hours of playing with the software to understand some of its nuances, I find that I can scan, edit, and transfer into Word with ease. If I'm scanning a clean copy of a document, with my adf on my scanner, I can very easily scan in a multipage document, OCR it, organize it, and save to Word. Once in Word it is easy to convert the .rtf to .doc, and wham! it is ready to go.

I have some difficulty in editing graphics linked to text in multiple columns once it is in Word, but it is becaue I don't understand the complexities of how Word does formatting, not because of any deficiencies in OmniPage 14.

Yes, there is a learning curve with the program, but that is to be expected when purchasing or upgrading any software, isn't it?

Significantly better than prior versions.
Over the years, Scansoft has developed an ugly reputation for shipping software before its prime (Omnipage Pro 12 locked up under Windows XP), but this version runs clean out of the box and the accuracy is excellent.

The interface is still not user-friendly, so you'll spend a lot of time trying to understand it. The translation from PDF into Word works sporadically. In some cases, I had to translate from PDF into TIFF and then back into Word using OCR.

All in all, a useful program, but could be better. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Buy this right now!
I was interested in learning Latin, and my high school only offers Spanish and French. I resolved to learn it on my own, and this product was invaluable. It was amazing how fast I picked up Latin! Within a couple of weeks of study, the language seemed to flow off my tongue. Buying this product is the single most important step you can take to learning Latin. My only criticism is that there isn't a Latin II product to continue my studies. ... Read more

Features

• Software for corporation, partnership, and fiduciary income taxes
• Step-by-step guidance; easy-to-understand language; simplified navigation
• Prepare and print W-2 and 1099-MISC forms for employees and contractors
• Automatically import and easily edit QuickBooks data for 2003 or higher
• Comprehensive Business Tax Library; checks for accuracy

Features

• Essential productivity tools for the home PC
• Word processor; spreadsheet; database; email/Internet tools
• New dictionary tool with thesaurus; enhanced calendar
• Share and edit documents with Microsoft Word and Excel users
• View PowerPoint presentations; auto-save and document recovery

Features

• USB interface, PC and Mac compatible
• Text-to-speech technology in 10 different languages
• Scans up to 3.15 inches or 1,000 characters per second
• Supports up to 55 languages
• CardIris Limited Edition and ReadIris Pro trial software

Reviews (3)

Believe it!
I did hours of research on hand held scanners and almost did not purchase ANY do to all the confusion.I took a chance and Bought the IRISpen Executive scanner.In only a few minutes I had the software loaded (painless) and was scanning material from everything I could get my hands on.Once I learned how to hold it for my hand posture (5 minutes)it was a snap.I have read other reviews and can not figure out why anyone would not want this... it is fantastic.It is much faster then typing.In a few minutes I had scanned pages of material that I had collected for over a year.I am not a techy kind of guy so this was awesome.I give it 5 stars!I can only scratch my head If someone cannot figure this out.

Not that great
After two days with the IRISpen, and many, many attempts trying to make it work properly, I found I could type my notes from my textbook much faster than dealing with the IRISpen. The pen does what it says, but can also make a mess of what you are trying to scan. When you are reading and studying, you need a flow of concentration. You can get a flow of concentration by highlighting text and/or typing what you see as important in the text. However, if you are using the IRISpen, you are concentrating on seeing if it did its job and fixing its mistake.

The pen also lockups and causes Windows and Word to act funny, which is not reassuring.

I gave it a shot and decided to stop wasting my time and just type my notes the old fashion way. I even conducted a little test, and sure enough my notes were clearer and took less time when I typed the same information I was struggling to scan.

I am thinking about looking into the hand-held scanners... but sadly those don't look much better.

Think twice... and be ready to return if things don't work out. Mine is going back in the morning.

EXCELLENT PRODUCT!!!
I have had this for over a year, and after a little getting practice, it works great. It is almost like highlighting text, and it works with any application. ... Read more

Features

• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Help and advice for investments, Schedule C businesses, and rental property
• Extra guidance on business asset depreciation and home-office deductions
• Assistance with reporting stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
• Maximize 401(k) contributions without decreasing take-home pay

Features

• Easy-to-use personal finance software
• Automatically consolidates online financial information
• Works with bank Web site to access account info
• Create budgets; track expenses; pay bills online
• View the big picture or quickly drill down to details