Reviews (12)

Too annoying
I was using version 12 and liked it well enough. I reinstalled when I got a new computer that had XP on it and it would not install, so I thought upgrading to the latest version would help. It did install, but the software has more quirks than the last one. It has somehow linked itself with other programs and so when I try to use my CD burning software or Legacy software (a geneology program) it wants to open PrintShop first and considering how slow this program is at opening that isn't pleasant. I've reinstalled numerous times and the problem hasn't gone away. I also find this program more awkward in trying to create things like a simple greeting card. If you can tolerate the annoyances (like if you delete the icon from the desktop it thinks it isn't installed) then you might enjoy the features this program has, but personally I just now hopped online to find myself a program by a different company.

Will not run on XP - BEWARE
Purchased this product because I just got a NEW computer (with NEW drivers). Installed it. It will not display anything. I spent three hours running through all the "HELP" suggestions, changing everything they suggested, only to change it BACK when it did nothing. Then tried nevigating their site (good luck). When I FINALLY got to a screen where I could email them I demanded my money back. Still haven't heard anything. DO NOT buy this if you are running XP.

Don't Buy It!!
I'm sorry I did not read your reviews before purchasing this product. I'm not sure how bad the software is, but I'm sure the support or customer service is the worst. Their E-mail response = 3 days and does not answer your question but refers you to their web site. If you try to contact them by phone (your cost and their estimated wait of 20 min.), you get a computer response to review their web site and no option to talk to a tech. Tell a friend to save their money, Dont' buy it!

not as bad as previous reviews might lead you to believe
The entire PrintShop product line has it's problems. Many bugs, and support issues. The first thing that annoyed me with PrintShop 20 was that it is 'nagware'. if you dont' register it's going to ask you every so often to register (I think every time you boot, I'm sure there's a hack to get rid of it). Also, when you OPEN an existing project, it pops up the new project creation wizard anyway, right on top of your new project, so you just have to close out of that (again, probably a way to hack this out of existence for those who are bothered enough by it).

However! This is the ONLY line of programs my mother seems to get any use out of. MS Publisher has user interface issues (in terms of ease of use and intuitive design). PrintShop lays all the main features out under your fingertips, making it pretty simple to create what you want.

One reviewer here commented on not being able to get his/her own images into his/her project, this is a bit tricky if you use the user interface; your images need to be in a certain folder, and PrintShop won't let you 'browse...' for images in other locations. so what I recommend is just dragging and dropping your image files into the PrintShop window.

But I love the database of images that come with PrintShop20 (be sure to install them all!) and how they are presented as thumbnails in the clean interface for adding graphics.

No installation problems with PrintShop20, and no errors yet, which is an improvement from some other versions.

While this program isn't perfect, I think it serves it's purpose pretty well, I'd be interested to see some serious competition, since this package boldly advertises that it is the "#1 best selling" software of it's kind. (subsequent reviewers, please make suggestions)

Poor online access
I am a former PrintMaster Platinum 8.0 user so I thought being the same company would mean the same quality. Unfortunately I didn't read these reviews first. I bought the DVD format so that I wouldn't have to deal with a lot of disk swapping. The problem is when I don't find what I want on the DVD and try to use the online feature it is realy slow (I admit, I am still a 56K modem user), or I can't access it at all. I would have prefered having a second DVD to access all the images. ... Read more

Product Description

It's a challenge to find time to create new meals for you and your family. With MasterCook Deluxe 8.0, life in the kitchen just got a whole lot easier. Includes 7,000+ recipes with 400+ new baking recipes, grocery lists, personal nutritionist, and much more! ... Read more

Features

• Prepare hundreds of recipes in less than 20 minutes
• Easy meal planning with 7,000+ recipes and expert nutritional analysis
• Quickly search by ingredient, food type, cook time, and more
• Conveniently download to PDA, email, or print shopping lists
• Culinary experts give advice in step-by-step instructional videos

Reviews (3)

The best recipe management software out there!
I have used Master Cook for many years now, and I am very impressed with it's capabilities.I mainly use it for managing and nutritionally analyzing my own recipes, but the recipes that come with the program are also useful, and easy to customize to your own needs.There are many yahoo (and other) groups dedicated to sharing Master Cook recipes in a format that is very easy to download, and the recipe import feature makes it easy to copy and paste recipes in text format (or from websites - including pictures!) in just a few seconds.It can take a while to type in a lot of recipes from books, or initially typing in your collection if you choose to do it all at once, but I think it is worth the effort.I have tried a variety of other recipe software programs (Cook'n, ChefTec - EXPENSIVE, Meal Master, Instant Home Cooking, CookWare, among a few!) and I have found Master Cook to be by far the best value with the most customization abilities, ease of use, and user-friendliness.

Master Cook also has the capability to keep track of your pantry, create shopping lists, plan your menus, search for recipes based on very specific criteria (ingredients to avoid or include, single nutritional items, your personal rating or category, time to make, cost - if you use the shopping section, etc., and combinations of any of these things).

One thing that I don't like about Master Cook are that it *doesn't* include SUGAR or TRANS FATS in the nutritional information (or a custom nutrition capability - that would be handy for calculating weight watchers points!) I contacted ValuSoft about the possibility of adding these and was told that they do *not* expect to add these in the near future.I was disappointed by this because I think that sugar and trans fat are pretty basic items to nutrition - I hope they reconsider!

Overall, I highly recommend this product if you are interested in maintaining and sharing recipes and/or having control over your nutrition.I have enjoyed the ability to modify recipes so that they are healthier for me and my family, and have given this software (and my recipes/cookbooks from it!) to several family members as gifts.

A treasury of information
It's true there are not many pictures, but this software wasn't meant to be eye candy. It was created for functionality and to fill a void in the software market. The program has been around for years, and each edition keeps getting better. In version 8.0, MasterCook includes literally thousands upon thousands of recipes compiled from various cookbooks and textbooks used in home cooking as well as the hospitality industry (such as Food for Fifty, On Cooking, etc). I've found delicious and sometimes difficult to find recipes for petits fours, casseroles, and breads. There are even separate sections for "low carb" and vegetarian recipes. I honestly haven't prepared many of the recipes, but I don't think that could be accomplished in my lifetime!

Each recipe can be customized by adding your own notes, ingredients or modifications on the original recipe. You can choose recipes to compose an entire meal and print out a grocery list of all the ingredients required to make that meal. It makes meal planning on a daily or weekly basis a snap (if you have the time to invest). It also has chapters on preparation methods and definitions of terms used in cooking.

The best part is the nutritional analysis, my main reason for buying this software package. You can enter a recipe from your own archives and receive a fully detailed nutritional analysis of the dish. Despite its overly-complicated interface, it is chocked full of information and retails at an affordable price. This is a fantastic organizational tool for a computer-savvy foodie, a nutritionist, or even a chef. I recommend this software as one of the best recipe organizers and cookbooks available for your PC.

Very few pictures!
It has a lot of recipes, just very few pictures of them! ... Read more

Features

• Imports MIDI's; microphone headset included
• 20-lesson singing tutorial with real-time pitch recognition technology
• Automatically adjusts songs to specific vocal range; sheet music view
• Edit songs or compose new songs with compose mode
• Learn to sing with proper breathing and posture; measure performance

Reviews (6)

Awesome product!!!
I bought this product for my daughter who has wanted to improve her singing skills. She wants to be an actress. It has helped not only her singing skills but also her confidence when it comes to singing. In addition to be very educational it was also alot of fun.

Singing for joy!
I'm very enthusiastic about this product. Not only has Singing Coach Unlimited improve my awful singing, but it's just such a fun product to use. Since I bought it, me and my friends gather at least once a week (we call it our karaoke night)and just have such an awesome time competing for the best scores. Soon I will be entering a talent show at my high school, thanks to Singing Coach I feel confident that my performance will get lots of cheers!

Band player that couldn't sing
Singing Coach Unlimited is a great product, and I give it two thumbs up. I have always grown up with music in my family and I can play my Tuba great, but when it comes to singing my wife would say I'm no Elvis. I purchased this product to improve my singing secretly so that I could impress my wife at our anniversary. After practicing and practicing I felt and heard a dramatic change in my voice. And when I sung, "When a man loves a woman" to my wife I actually saw tears of joy as she had heard my newfound voice. When she asked me if I had hired a vocal coach I said no honey, I purchased singing coach unlimited and now we are both hooked on the software.

Software needs improvement
The concept of this program is excellent, however there are some serious shortcomings in the software.Once you enter a song in the compose mode and then go into the sing mode and sing with it you can no longer go back to the compose mode to edit the song with out changing it's title.Also if you enter a song in a given key, save it, there is no option to allow you to open it up in the original key - the program automatically changes the key to fit your voice and if that's not where you want it, the onus is on you to remember the key in which you entered it if you want to reset it back to that key.An extensive tutorial would be a welcome improvement.

Singing Coach
Singing Coach Unlimited is a great product.My girlfriend tends to make fun of my singing in the car and claims I've ruined many songs for her.Well since I bought the product, she thinks my singing has improved and I'm no longer ruining songs for her.I enjoy the easy format that the software enables and the ability to download songs from the online store.My little sister likes the cartoon characters and finds them very entertaining.Although I've only had the product for a few weeks, I think my singing has improved greatly.I would recommend this program for the singer in us all. ... Read more

Features

• Play movies, music, photos, and other media stored on computer
• Navigate PC from another room with full-screen interface
• Skip, fast-forward, rewind, and change volume like with current home theater
• Use SnapStream Spotlight to access online media services
• Compatible with over 80 media applications

Reviews (1)

Great PC Remote
I use this remote to control the Snapstream Beyond TV 3 application (great PVR software for live tv and recording TV shows) and the included Beyond Media Basic software (very similar to a Windows Media Center interface for viewing photos, playing music, etc). The remote works great, the button layout is very intuitive and the RF type- recevier and transmitter provides excellent range (I have tested at 40 feet through walls and it worked perfectly). On top of the that, the Snapstream website has an excellent support forum. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Features

• Includes PhotoSuite 7, VideoWave 7, Napster 2.0, and Easy CD & DVD Creator
• Organize with Media Manager; password-protect and encrypt private data
• Transform still photos with stunning pan and zoom effects
• Take complete control of video with advanced timeline editing tools
• Produce professional-looking VCDs, SVCDs, or DVDs

Reviews (93)

Must Have Product for Digital Video and Digital Camera Users
Easy Media Creator 7 integrates several full-featured applications together to create a software suite with a consistent user experience. In no time, I was using it and creating projects with it. I use Creator Classic all the time to burn data and music to CD and DVD and appreciate the automated backup feature. Even though I use those features all the time, I really bought Media Creator 7 for all the great digital media creation tools.

Photosuite is a wonderful photo-editing product. Since I am a casual point and shoot digital photographer, I use the autofix option all the time to clean up my pictures, plus of course the red eye removal tool and the clone tool (to remove the date/time stamp I forgot to turn off in some of my pictures). I use VideoWave to transfer/capture my video to my PC, and then edit it down to remove unwanted video clips. I also use it to add text using different fonts, styles and effects, plus add transitions between clips, and background sound tracks. When complete, I then send the output to DVDBuilder for authoring to DVD.

I could go on and on how I use it, but the bottom line, this product is outstanding. It is loaded with excellent features and is a must have product for transforming your digital content to marvelous DVD movies or slide shows.

Easy to Use, Great Features and for the Price it's a Bargain
Easy Media Creator 7 offers an easy to learn and understand interface that enables you to quickly use any of the applications that make up this integrated software suite. My daughter just graduated from high school and this weekend I created a video comprised of digital photos and video clips, select music, transitions, titles, etc. all blended together of all the events this past month leading up to graduation. I am so proud of my daughter but also have great pride and sense of accomplishment in what I just did by creating a great looking video that I burned to DVD.

Roxio provides many materials to help you find all the answers, such as how-to video tutorials, and PDF user guides. The Roxio web site knowledgebase also helps you find answers to any questions, and if you still need help, I found their tech support email responses were quick, only taking 1-2 days to get answers.

I recommend this product for people at all levels.

CD and DVD Media Creation Just Got Easy
Creator 7 has so many great features and capabilities that I suggest you do as I did and read the many pro reviews that thoroughly put the program through its paces. For me, my favorite and most frequently used component is storyboard, which enabled me to combine digital photos, video clips, and songs into a slideshow. It has creative features that include the ability to add transitions, titles, and a narration track. Then using the DVDbuilder component, I can create VCDs or DVDs to master my slideshow creation to disc. Overall, this is a great product for anyone dabbling or serious about working with digital media.

Recommend it to everyone
Installed fine on my XP system, although it was a slow process. Nice interface and the tutorials and help files made it easy to learn. Use Creator classic, Photosuite Videowave and DVDbuilder all the time and everything has worked flawlessly. Haven't used all the other features yet, but its nice to know they're there when needed. What a deal - all these features for the low cost.

works great after upgrade
had problems out of box ( mostly with DVD-r burning ) but after a 53MB download from website it's working great. Very easy to use compaired to others I've tried (U-lead, Movie maker). Tutorials are weak, more of an overview of what you can do than a how to, but help files are good. Great product for the money! ... Read more

Product Description

CAD Pro is the most cost-effective and easy to use CAD solution for Windows! Its a powerful drafting and design software designed with over 7,200 easy to use features that enables you to create virtually any type of drawing for print or the web. CADPro is developed for the beginner and advanced user so that anyone can quickly pick up on the latest features. Include are over 5,000 professionally drawn symbols and clip art, also included are quick reference cards, users manual and symbols/clipart manual in a PDF format. The CADPro Platinum Bundle is the perfect home improvement and drafting software, included; are ready to print professional plans (valued at over $10,000). Each project plan is included as a CADPro drawing, enabling you to modify any aspect to meet your specific application. Simply print these Do-It-Yourself Plans with the build of materials and have your local home improvement store give you a detailed cost, its that simple! CAD Pros compact, straightforward toolbox design gives you quick and easy access to all tools necessary to design anything the easy way. A full range of advanced drafting tools such as Join, Chamfer, Fillet, Extend, Trim, etc. save you time and effort while meeting the exacting standards of your design. Precise alignment is a snap, with just a simple mouse-click you can align and connect objects quickly and easily. The snap tools can constrain angles, draw tangent lines, align edges, and connect objects at any point. ... Read more

Features

• Superior Ease of Use
• Intelligent Tools w/ Floating & Dockable Toolboxes
• Over 5000 Professional Symbols & Clip Art
• Import DXF R12, 13, 14, 2000, BMP, JPG & TIFF
• Windows XP/2000/ME/98SE/NT

Reviews (1)

Simply Amazing
My husband and I talked about putting up a barn next to our house for years, but the commitment of hiring a professional architect seemed intimidating - as well as expensive.

CADPro is not just a listing of standard house plans that maybe you will like (or maybe not), it's a real blueprint design program. Yes, it does have some ready made plans, including a pretty cool tree house and outdoor kitchen - but this was not what I wanted.I started by installing the program - with so many buttons and features (over 8,000) I was not sure where to begin.Luckily, CADPro includes a separate training CD (with sound and video) in the box.I watched the individual video lessons while I had the CADPro program open on my computer so I could go back and forth to practice.This is not a program you will fully master overnight.

I still have not used all the features, but I was able to quickly access the tools I needed to design my barn in detail.One of my favorite features is the pop-up photo.By dragging and dropping the camera icon from the toolbar onto the floor plan the program automatically opens My Pictures.Since I wanted a post and beam look on the inside I took a digital photo (taken while eating at my favorite restaurant) and saved it in My Pictures.I also scanned in some photos from a post & beam brochure and popped these in too - there is no limit to the number of photos you can include.The photos show up on the floor plan as little camera icons - by clicking once on the tiny camera the photos open.

Although my intent was to just design my barn using CADPro, I found I could redesign my great room (or other rooms) by using the existing dimensions of my house and creating images of the furniture I already have (with their size to scale).I can now rearrange my furniture to see if it will fit - before I move my sofa 10 times.

I am still waiting to see if the town will approve the building permit for my barn, but I feel better knowing I only invested 70 dollars, and I know exactly how it will look, and what the materials and estimated labor will cost, before they pour the foundation.I would highly recommended this program for anyone who wants to design their own renovation (or house) exactly the way they want, with blueprint results that a contractor can work from.
... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Adobe may have the lock on professional graphics production withPhotoshop, but it has long been engaged in a drawn-out battle with Quark for thehearts and wallets of the desktop publishing crowd. PageMaker 7.0, Adobe'slatest effort in the desktop publishing arena, won't set it ahead of QuarkXPress4.1, but it does have plenty of appeal for small businesses and other audiencesthat have minor publishing needs.

PageMaker 7.0's user guide measures in at more than 400 pages, and itthoughtfully explains every aspect of the vast and complex program. A wide rangeof impressive-looking templates, which cover just about every type of documentimaginable (including business cards, labels, newsletters, ads, posters, andmore), makes PageMaker a little more accessible to users unfamiliar with itsfunctionality. The templates are divided into various levels of complexity, withthe lowest level containing helpful annotations for novice users.

While its improvements over version 6.5 are minimal, PageMaker 7.0 makes a fewworthy strides to justify its sparkly new version number. Among the most welcomeis a surprisingly intuitive data merge feature, which allows users to configuretarget areas in their publications and import respective fields from aspreadsheet or database. Unfortunately, it only recognizes comma-delineated CSVor TXT files; it doesn't import data directly from common file formats createdby Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3.

Ironically, another area of improvement in PageMaker 7.0 is compatibility withother programs. It easily imports and handles layered image files fromIllustrator and Photoshop 5.0 and 6.0, and features input converters for filescreated in QuarkXPress and Microsoft Publisher. PageMaker's PDF exportcapabilities have been enhanced both in the main program and with the includedAcrobat Distiller applet, allowing users to configure security and embedded tagoptions.

Even with its plethora of templates, PageMaker 7.0 isn't by any means anentry-level application. Nonprofessional users who have never used a high-caliberdesktop publishing program should probably consider a simpler package such asMicrosoft Publisher. While hardened, professional magazine designers tend toprefer QuarkXPress, Adobe PageMaker 7.0 is nonetheless a complex and powerfultool that packs a serious learning curve.

PageMaker 7.0 is perfect for small businesses that can't afford to hire outdesigners for promotional materials, or for companies that have the need tocreate professional-looking PDF files. Owners of PageMaker 6.5 might not feelcompelled to upgrade, but companies and creative folks newly in the market for amuscular desktop publishing tool will be well served by PageMaker 7.0. --JoelDurham Jr. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Upgrade Makes PageMaker a More Viable Product
Having worked in document production for ten years, using QuarkXpress, MSPublisher, and PageMaker on a daily basis, I have to say my preferred program has become PageMaker and the 7.0 upgrade confirms that. Most designers will say QuarkXpress is better but I have always found PageMaker to be easier to use because of its easy integration with the two other "musts" for design and illustration...Photoshop and Illustrator. The 7.0 version adds some more bells and whistles, updates some clunky code, and provides even better conversion capabilities. PageMaker is a very powerful program for the price and I have been able to use it for everything from large format posters to 2000 page technical manuals. PageMaker is by no means a beginner's program. The interface is pretty standard as far as layout programs go and you will find it familiar if you use other Adobe software... but there are many less obvious features that will be discovered only through regular use of the program or a detailed reading of the manual.

Have you ever heard of MS Publisher.
I have written almost three reviews for this product so far and Amazon did not post not even one of them. I have been using this product since version 6.0 and I have been using Publisher since version 3.0 and to be honest, I always preferred Publisher, PageMakers limited GUI, always made it difficult for me to understand and use. Adobe said that its aiming for the small business and home user, but what I think they are actually aiming for is our money. PageMaker has reached a stage in life where it is being abandoned and dethroned by leading and popular DTP prgrams such Quark, Publisher and even Adobes own Indesign. If I were to suggest a DTP program for small businesses and home users it would be Microsoft Publisher, its easy to use, cost less and does the same thing like PageMaker. If you won't a more flexible, powerful, well known product go for Quark. Why I do not really recommend the really highend programs is because their, price, non-intuitiveness. People want something that they are already familiar with.

Down With Quark!!!
PageMaker is simply a smarter, more logical and better program than Quark... by a wide margin. We are dumping Quark across the board, and nearly all print shops in our region accept files in PM7.0 for Windows (a big change from a few years ago). They are telling us that many of their customers are switching from Quark to PageMaker. And why not? Going pure Adobe for a fully integrated DTP operation makes perfect sense. Adobe is also far more responsive (and receptive) to customers than the Quark people.

I would like to be able to do a review--but can't!
I ordered this item on August 7th, today is Sept. 8th, my credit card has been billed, but I still do not have the product. I was eager to obtain this item since I've previously (and very happily) used an older version of Pagemaker on my Mac, and have lamented not having this software for my PC. My estimated 4 to 14 days cited in the order info has long passed, but I'm still patiently (?) waiting.

Adobe PageMaker 7.0 Myths Dispelled
I have written this review to correct errors or omissions in some of the previous reviews.
PageMaker will accept native Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files, Word or Publisher won't.
PageMaker will easily load and handle huge documents which would make Microsoft Word or Publisher simply crash.
PageMaker gives the user the ability to identify all of the graphics placed in a document and update them at will without dragging the computer down.
The GUIs for both Word and Publisher are ugly and impossible to learn. These programs are classic examples of very basic initial functionality with random add-ons.
Although, initially, the PageMaker GUI seems sparse, after multiple sessions and a little experimentation one soons learns that the program requires very few mouse clicks or commands to get things done.
Okay, so PM is a little long in the tooth, after all it is the original DTP killer app for the Mac. However. I think you'll find that PageMaker gives the user the freedom to design and produce beautiful looking documents, instead of shackling them to the whims and constructs of Word or Publisher.

Kill the Office Assistant and the Wizards! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Product doesn't live up to the hype
I bought this product based on what I thought were some good looking images on the box, but once I opened it... Yuck! If you want some really great clip art, best go to a site like Artzooks.com, where you can at least preview the images, buy and download only the images you need.

Watch out Mac G5 owners ....
I just got a Mac G5 with 2 GB of RAM and was looking forward to using this product. I would have to agree that from the book most of the clipart contained in this set is cartoonish, but my worst complaint is that I just couldn't install it. On install all you'll get is a window stating you don't have enough RAM and fail to continue.

Nova Development software support wasn't any help either. They were VERY familiar with the problem and the tech made it clear that a fix would NOT be coming out anytime in the near future. He immediately gave me the phone # to call and get a refund ... and I'll use it.

Useful, but still lacking
I bought this book mainly hoping I could find good illustrations of a diverse selection of people. I find that most of those illustrations are too cartoonish for editorial use, and don't show much variety. The high resolution photos were of no use either as they are actually only "medium" resolution. They would be great for web usage but not for print. Also, I wasn't able to use the electronic image catalog and was unable to search the photographs effectively since the file names are not descriptive.
If you're looking for illustrations of things rather than people, then this is a good source. The vector images are well organized and the print catalog is easy to use. Overall, I'd say this is a good product, but I don't think it offers much more than the 525,000 or 600,000 image versions.

Ton of clip-art.... good quality (great for the price)
You really can't beat the price on this set of clip-art. Many of the graphics are low quality vector illustrations which I wouldn't use... but the portion that is usable is well worth the price. The photos included are mostly useless for a serious graphic designer like myself. Most are 72dpi and many are poorly taken photographs. All of the business and people photos are outdated by about 10 - 15 years going by the clothing and equipment. The photos are not searchable by key word... you have to browse (which is very time consuming). Don't get me wrong - if you're looking for one set of clip-art that has just about everything, this is it.

All You Need
I used this collection when I worked at a major college newspaper. I never got tired of browsing the discs and I always found perfect images for ads. It has everything. The antique images are great, as are the photographs. I can't stress how many images this thing has! ... Read more

Features

• Powerful piano learning toolset
• Interactive feedback when using MIDI-connected keyboard
• Over 300 step-by-step lessons with 70 video demonstrations
• Develop sight reading, ear training, finger technique and more
• Over 100 songs included

Reviews (2)

Great product
I was completely new to music when I bought this set (CD-ROM and keyboard). I think it is great. It walks you through the basics and when you start playing the music has numbers on it that match up to your fingers (1-5) so you can play as you get the hang of reading music. Gradually they remove some of the numbers so your music reading skills improve.

The software grades your playing with a percentage score, and gives you details on your errors (if you want them).

Also, it includes short videos of a person playing piano so you can see proper posture and such. Each song comes with (optional) accompaniment, which can make it funner to play (especially with the simple songs).

The keyboard that comes with it (optional) has a solid feel, and is touch-sensitive (pressing harder plays louder). The keyboard plugs into the joystick port (probably on your sound card).

quality product
I got this product yesterday and started to learn by it.
after browsing it and using it for the first 17 lessons this is my impression.
what you get in this product is 100% of quality content and less emphasize on look and graphics.
and if you want to learn playing the keyboard, so the quality of the teaching is more important then other features.

the teacher leading the instruction process using video clips and audio tracks, is Irma Justicia MA which is a experienced piano teacher.
after 17 lessons i fell in love with her .it feels just lilke i'm in a real lesson with her.
for my non proffesinal impression this product is good for absolute beginners to the intermediate level.
it is also said on the product that it is volume 1 so probably they are going to issue more products in this piano keyboard line just as they done with the guitar.

cause of the simplicity of the graphics you can use it on any computer,old and new.
but still you get many sophisticated features like interactive feedback using midi cable.

for summary ...GOOD WORK. ... Read more

Features

• Sixteen powerful programs in one
• Includes Roofing Wizard, Topo designer, advanced lighting capabilities, and Deck Wizard
• Also includes Cabinet Wizard, Custom Texture Builder, and PlantFinder
• Enhanced user interface with 3D cut-away viewing tools

Features

• Inspire your designs with the Better Homes and Gardens Design Planning Center
• Create a Virtual Walk-Through of your home design
• Design and visualize in 3D
• Choose from a Library of more than 4,300 items for your designs
• Generate an Automatic Material List for project cost estimating

Amazon.com Review

Aspiring and seasoned writers take note: gone are the days of handwritten note cards, extensive plot revisions, and hand cramps. Dramatica Pro promises to be your writing coach, your secretary, your guide, and even your therapist as you develop sharp, focused storylines together.

Getting started in Dramatica Pro as a beginning user is intuitive and easy. In the StoryGuide segment, there are three levels of story forming, and we tried out the most advanced (which is estimated to take three to four days of work). Dramatica Pro comes with 32,768 potential "storyforms," all of which incorporate structural, thematic, and dynamic elements of your story. After answering about a dozen of the multiple-choice Dramatica Query System questions, we were able to decide on one storyform. For those that choose not to pursue the multiple-choice route, there is also the Story Engine, which allows for a more holistic and freeform method of sketching out your basic story.

One thing you'll notice right off is the unique language of Dramatica Pro. While many terms--motivation, pursuit, antagonist--will be familiar to most writers, there are a number of terms that are used in specific relation to Dramatica Pro's capabilities. Fortunately, at each stage of the story-creation process, there are a number of help buttons (such as Explain, Theory, Usage, and Context) that provide further definition of terms and their usage. And after a few sessions, we found ourselves thinking about "signposts," "journeys," the four "throughlines," and other features that bring a story into focus.

Dramatica Pro's main desktop is the portal for allstory-building activity. Its 12 tiles present users with options for developing just about every aspect, from character creation and polishing, to plot-progression charts and reports on your progress and story. Because Dramatica Pro does not try to be a word processing application, every nook and cranny is filled with developmental prowess to help hone your skills while discovering your story.

One aspect of the application that we appreciated was the opportunity for writer growth. After becoming familiar with the application's interface, we were able to use Dramatica Pro's Story Engine and Story Points to access our story's "master controls" without all the exposition and explanation. Also, Dramatica Pro offers a Brainstorming command that allows the program to intelligently tweak your storyform into something new should you experience writer's block.

Overall, Dramatica Pro is a great resource for writers. By enabling you to focus more on your stories and less on the mechanics of storytelling, you'll feel empowered to try new things and explore your creativity. --Emilie Dirks ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A very sophisticated approach to story development
Dramatica provides a tool to use the most sophisticated story model ever developed. The dramatica model is surprisingly general and adds quite a bit of force to your story without constricting creative freedom. Some structures, like a ladder, provide more freedom, not less, and Dramatica's structure is like that.

If the idea of following the dramatica story model still seems formulaic to you, you are free to tweak it or change it as much as you want, or even use it's best ideas to form your own model. The point is that a sophisticated model produces a sophisticated story.

The software is actually quite easy to use. The hard part is learning the model, because it is quite sophisticated. It will take a few weeks to get it, and probably a couple of tries to make it really work well for you. You can also get help from the community of dramatica users on the internet, who are supportive and friendly.

If you're the kind of author to employ both a creative and analytical side to your craft, you will learn to love this tool. You'll hate how hard it makes you work, exploring every nook and cranny of your story in new ways, but you'll love the result as it pushes you into forming characters and plot rich with dramatic tension, thematic development, and thorough development of your story.

Very useful tool.
Dramatica is a way to organise your thoughts about theme, plot-theme, and characters into a story form as opposed to something that isn't.

Using its own terminology allied to templates, the user is required to fill in a set of questionnaires, which act as the input from which their story is distilled. This can be amended at will if the user feels that they are being too boxed in.

The end result is more easily managed than stacks of cards and papers. It can also be easily shared with other Dramatica users by distributing files across the internet to each other (given that version sync isn't an issue).

It's like having a collaborator in front of you all the time - if needed - with regard to the structure, but won't be of any help with poor prose, prose-style, bad dialogue, lack of motivation or any other essential aspects that the writer would need to know about. A badly written story, which is bang-on structurally, as far as Dramatica is concerned, is not a useful end product. In other words, the user would need to be a decent writer in the first place, using Dramatica as a tool to refine and focus their work, and not regard it an easy way out. It's not.

So bearing that in mind, Dramatica shouldn't disappoint so long as the user is prepared for the discipline of story writing, in its strictest sense.

I have seen better!!!!
This program is ok. But FictionMaster better for pro's and WritePro is better for newcomers. I can't understand why Amazon doesn't seem to have either (try writepro.com for both.). Both have won alot of praise from both computer pros, and writting pros. And the Software is done by a real pro writer, one of the finest writing teachers around, Sol Stein. I have taken some of his workshops. He teaches the pros.

Gets me where me needs to be.
Noticing that quite a few contemporary made-for-TV movies have a distinctive and polished intricacy, suggested this was probably to do with Dramatica, that I had noticed a friend using for a novel-cum-screenplay. So I read the comprehensive manual from her installation, and concluded that this was a good way for me to go, too.

Progress was slow to begin with, mostly because one needs to be patient and go through it all, ( a few times) in good order, to avoid getting mightily confused, since a great deal of the explanation is often another way to convey what is already known - sort of - from many other sources. So it needs to be taken all as a piece to make satisfactory progress.

Which makes sense, because the Dramatica application is a self-contained system, with its own terminology, which responds to your accurate and considered input to a set of inter-related questions about the characters, plot, motivations, outcomes, etc. The accuracy of your answers is an important to the result, so clear thinking has to be applied.

I'm far from hero status with Dramatica, but have found its use to be extremely helpful because it makes me THINK about what I am writing about. It doesn't write the piece for me, or box me in, in any way, as others have suggested it does.

In conclusion, I am very satisfied with Dramatica and how it has improved my writing. It's also good to be able to discuss and share files with other users ( internationally), who are all pretty much on the same wavelength, which avoids/minimises having to navigate different terminologies and approaches.

Ahead of the curve.
Having worked with, and studied the Dramatica theory of story development, and also looked at and read a few of the examples it is based on, it seems to me that Dramatica 4 is a product somewhat ahead of itself.

By this I mean, that to convey the principles of Dramatica the prior art examples are either too archetypical with no real requirement for the use of Dramatica by those who intend writing such archetypes, or are too flawed so that they do Dramatica no favours due to them being little more than the nearest point of common reference.

But by treating Dramatica as a philosophy and an abstraction, and not using it to see how prior art can be aligned to its principles, one can quickly see how Dramatica will enable the writer to create stories and forms hitherto unattainable, simply because the organisation of the story's elements and form would have been too difficult to keep track of.

Therefore, in order to get the desired results from using Dramatica, the user has to gain expertise in the way of defining and structuring a story's elements with Dramatica, and not be trying to defend the outcome on prior art which is a close call. This is the hard part to Dramatica, since ideal prior art probably doesn't exist, from which to refer, except for the possibility of future works skilfully created with Dramatica.

Now there's a chicken or the egg paradox. ... Read more

Features

• Media server that changes PC into a TV/DVR combo
• Pause live TV; use instant replay; skip forward or back
• Program guide; search for shows by title
• Skip commercials or parts of TV shows in one click
• Shrink files and replay them on portable devices

Features

• One-on-one training experience with personal trainer, Maya
• Build a personal profile for creating health and fitness program
• Tutorial mode; fully customizable workouts with 6 focus areas
• Multiple workout locations and music options
• Customizable meal planner; goal oriented with progress monitor

Features

• Street-level map content for all of North America
• Create new maps and analyse geographic trends
• Communicate location-based information by embedding MapPoint documents in PowerPoint, Word, and more
• Integrate maps and other location data into other applications using ActiveX Control or COM APIs

Amazon.com Product Description

Share your faith by personalizing and sending store-quality greeting cards you've made with Art Explosion Christian Greeting Card Factory. It's a complete collection of spiritual cards, with more than 2,000 exclusive Christian greeting cards and customizable projects. It also includes more than 10,000 spiritual graphics, 700 inspirational sentiments, and 300 fonts to use in your designs. Combine spiritual greetings you've selected or verses from the Scripture with any one of a variety of card templates or create your own from scratch. Choose from greeting cards, invitations, announcements, and other projects like church fliers, certificates, newsletters, and pocket devotionals. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Awesome graphics!
I was so happy with Art Explosion Greeting Card Factory Deluxe that I jumped to buy this one and was quite thrilled with all the new cards available. (Just ordered the new #2 too!) Like the other, this can be fully installed so you don't need to hunt the CD every time you want to make a card. Easy to change card sizes too. More variety of ready-mades than most of the competition (I own them too). I highly recommend Nova's products and their online support has been right there and very helpful.

Explosion is a good thing!
This product has all the same goodies as the others of this type, great clipart and fairly easy to use work areas. The one outstanding feature with this software is it can be completely loaded onto the computer. You don't even have to use the CD to run it! That alone made it worth the buy. ... Read more

Features

• Fully integrated home and landscape design tools
• Ideal for new homes, remodeling projects, and landscape design
• Create ready-to-build plans; unlimited custom design options
• Visualize your project in bold 3D; new 2D designer's view
• Convenient wizards and tutorials; user-friendly tabbed interface

Reviews (10)

CAD that's fun? That's crazy!
I'm adding a room to my home, and wanted to play around with some design ideas before contacting a professional. I've tried a few cheap CAD applications and finally bit the bullet and purchased 3D Home Architect 6. This software is by far the best I've used. It's helping to visualize exactly what I want, and teaching me a few things about architecture as well. On top of that - it's fun! (My wife is starting to think that she's a '3D Home widow' because it's such a pleasure drafting with 3D Home Architect...)

This is a must for anyone serious about designing plans for their home.

Don't buy this unless you want to design a box with windows
I upgraded to this program assuming that the new roof tools and better wall angles would allow me to design the simple modern concrete home with loft that I was interested in creating. NOT SO, especially in terms of the roof option. Try designing a simple A-frame like structure and the roof wizard continually creates a roof with 4 surfaces instead of two..And where did all the furniture and ability to create fences and patio's with a click go? They were in the earlier version. This one is actually stripped down for more money!

About the only thing that is better is the ability to scan in a floor plan....but why do that when the program keeps adding the same boring roof line. There is also no way to design a round room, something I really wanted and I shudder to think what the program would do with the roof if you could.

Welcome to Frustration
I have spent the better part of the day trying to download this program from Broderbund's site, only to have their server reset itself, twice. The second time, I had almost 25% downloaded before I was kicked off, and it only took nine hours! Gee, at that rate, I can only imagine how long it would take to actually use the software if I were able to download it! And this was for the "free" trial. Needless to say, I certainly won't be wasting any money towards the purchase, especially after reading all the other reviews. Trust me, I have been staring at the computer screen for hours, and have read every review of every software type for this sort of application. I am convinced that I would be better off spending less and buying an older version prior to 5, or trying the latest Chief Architect software, since it seems they designed the prior versions of 3DHA. Even some of the other programs, such as IMSI's Floor Plan 3D, or the Punch programs are looking better than this, which has been an aggravation, to say the least. What good is it to offer a free trial if it can't be downloaded and viewed? Had it worked, they may have gotten a sale. I guess I should be thankful that it did't; I believe their failure to deliver saved me money and even more irritation.

GREAT UPGRADE TO PREVIOUS VERSIONS
I've seen some of the reviews on this forum. They range from very bad ones to excellent remarks. The last one from "A Software used from Seattle" is exagerated and obviously he did not take the time to read the manual. When you render a 3D image with the 3DTrueView option, the BMP file with this image is saved in the "Samples" Directory under "Program Files/3D Home Architect/Design Suite Deluxe6/Samples". Also, if all you want is a snapshot of the 3D image on the screen, you can press the Alt key, hold it and press "Print Screen" on your keyboard, then you simply "Edit-Paste" the image into Word, excel, etc.

Now to the review part:

RESULTING IMAGE
I've used Punch AS3000 extensively, and while the rendering of shadows is much faster than with 3D Home Architect, AS3000 lacks the ray-tracing engine therefore cannot render surfaces that reflect such as mirrors, glossy marble, etc.
The resulting images from 3DHA Design Suite are VERY, VERY close to a photograph. The ones from AS3000 tend to look Dull because of the lack of reflective surface support.

Also, 3DHA allows for many different views, 2D with textures, 3D from top view, real-time editing in 3D of the location of objects, etc.

FLEXIBILITY OF THE TOOLS
First of all, Punch's software is VERY limited in the configuration of items such as Doors, Windows, Kitchen Cabinets, Fences, Stairs, and all pre-loaded objects in general.
3DHA has all the dimensions and features of each object available for change.

Punch AS3000 offers a built-in 3D object editor but cannot import popular industry-standard formats such as 3DS files, whereas 3DHA does, giving access to thousands of free objects available on the WEB.

Textures are all pre-defined on Punch AS3000, meaning you cannot easily (without messing with file sizes, pixel counts, directories, etc.) add textures. On 3DHA you can add a texture from a BMP file with a few clicks and apply to object on the screen. Also, Objects have their surface groupings defined so you can for example, change the color of the wood of a Sofa without going leg-by-leg.

3DHA can also export to DXF AND 3DS, allowing your design to be used / rendered on industrial / professional level software. Punch AS3000 can only export to VRLM in 3D and to DXF on 2D.

I sincerily believe 3DHA is a more professional software (actually it is a down-sized version of a professional package from CADSOFT).

This is to me the best VALUE for the $99 retail price.

Marco.

Buyer Beware!
This product is so bad, it's insulting.

I'm not even going to mention how bad the user interface is (aggravatingly so), or how you can't simply rotate your 3D view (without getting it into some bizarre orientation), or how you can't attach objects (clocks, pictures) to a wall (they float around and change position when you change your view), or how you have to use the VERY unintuitive tools they give you (no semblance of any type of standard), or how many times the product crashes (I can't count that high).

No, those are the least of this product's problems.

What I am going to mention is how cheated I feel that "3D Home Architect Design Suite Deluxe 6" DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO EXPORT YOUR 3D VIEW! This means you cannot include your 3D view in a Word document, or email it to someone. JPG, BMP, etc. formats are reserved for the 2D view only! All you can do is print it - not to a file, but only to the printer!

Excuse, me? What good is that? The whole selling point is that it's 3D! Hello? Anybody home at Broderbund? Do these people even use their own product? Are you telling me I spent $100 only to be forced to print my images out on paper, just to scan them back in, and then email them, with each looking like a blurred copy of a copy of a copy? Tell me this is a joke product! I've looked all over the box, but can't find the fine print: "Sorry, sucker! We KNOW what you want to do with this product, but we've engineered it precisely SO YOU CAN'T DO IT! BWA HA HA!"

C'mon, Amazon. Allow us to assign 0 stars.
This is one time I'm getting my money back. ... Read more

Features

• An easy way to do more with digital photos
• Organize collection and find photos fast
• Fix and enhance photos easily
• Drag and drop to create impressive keepsakes
• Back-up and protect photos on CD

Features

• Piano Suite is your best option for learning to play piano no matter what your age
• With a full compliment of customizable and expandable tools Piano Suite will guide you into the rewarding world of making your own music
• Piano Player will help you through the learning process with the help of an interactive voice tutor and provide continuous feedback on your play until you master the piece
• Personal and musical biographies of over 150 composers and performers will enrich your learning experience
• Challenging interactive games sharpen your piano playing skills and develop theory comprehension

Reviews (1)

Great Software-Highly recommended
These guys have definitely put a lot of thought into this product and must be dedicated music instructers. Set up is easy. Worked perfectly out of the box. I did have one minor problem with producing sounds other then piano, but I went to the Adventus website and downloaded a patch. It works great now! Theres lots of info there and a phone number for tech support.

This is great software for beginners. No big jumps in lession difficulty, just a steady progression. Lots of user interaction with the software (ie, feedback about your playing, etc), games, computer generated vide, lots of songs to play and lots of different styles from classical to rock.

I'm not even using the suggested Adventus set-up, that is, using a internal soundblaster wavetable sound card. Adventus warned of a lag in hearing a note after it was pressed and when the sound was produced if you didn't have an internal wavetable soundcard. I'm not having any "latency" issues. Maybe it is because I have a 1.7ghz computer, with a external M-Audio Firewire soundcard. This is a "pro" external sound card (it has no built in sounds of its own it just processes digital sound files that come out of your computer. For access to sounds you'll need software or you can rely on the internal Microsoft GS WaveTable Software Synthesizer built into Windows XP) and Firewire is fast. For those people using the external Soundblaster Audigy cards, I've read that there may be a "latency" issue.

Read the magazine reviews at the Adventus Website if you don't believe me - www.adventus.com.

Also, I recommend http://www.tweakheadz.com/ for lots of info on equipment for making and recording computer music. The forums are great, especially.

This is quality software. ... Read more