eMedia GuitarPro 5.1 Win/Mac Review

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(More customer reviews)This review is written from the prospect of using Guitar Pro for Classical Guitar purposes. I have tried many notation programs for classical guitar. None are perfect. I've concluded that you need a high end music notation program for professional looking scores and another program for doing transcriptions for personal use or sharing.
On the high end, the choices are Finale, Sibelius, or Lilypond. I chose Finale for this purpose. You can do anything with it, but there is a steep price to pay. It is not intuitive at all, and it's expensive. The interface is a cluster of years of buildup. One wouldn't design a user interface like this from scratch. If I didn't already own Finale, I'd might go with Lilypond, or look more carefully into Musecore.
But I decided that I needed a notation program for simple transcriptions. Here are the ones that I tried in increasing order of my preference:
1) TablEdit - seen some decent scores for this one on the web. Deal breaker the UI is confusing. I'd just as well use Finale for everything.
2) Power Tab - interface OK, free, lots of features. Deal breaker most of the focus is on the tab representation, very little on standard notation.
3) Tux Guitar - nice interface, very similar to Guitar Pro, free. Deal breaker can't add fingerings. This program may eventually catch Guitar Pro.
4) Guitar Pro - nice interface, will do just about everything necessary easily. Can display/print standard notation only, tab notation, or both. Output is very good. ASCII import. Drawbacks for standard notation are that fingering are unconventional in location and labeling, bar can only be specified though text input, crescendo specified through volume control which is tied to a track(s).
In the end, the decision was an easy one. It just took a while to download all of the programs and try them out. Hopefully, I just saved you a little time.
Update 11-04-2010:
Since I wrote this review, I've switched from Finale to Lilypond. Even though I am a programmer, I was intimidated by Lilypond until I discovered using Frescobaldi (available on Linux only) as a front end. This system is just a pleasure to use and way easier than Finale. Lilypond doesn't do tab very well at the moment, so I'll likely continue using Guitar Pro when I need tab.

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Guitar Pro 5.1 has all the tools you need to improve, compose and accompany yourself on the guitar. It's got a multitrack tablature editor for guitar, banjo, bass and other stringed instruments. Scale tools and a chord diagram editor lets you create the perfect score and the guitar composition you've always wanted.

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Slackware 13 Linux, 4-disks DVD Installation and Reference Set, Ed.2011 Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been doing computer programming from six years. Got this package about 4 months ago, and have never regretted it! Well layed out, informative, and genuinely useful. UNIX is one of the best OS's in the world, it's so stable. Slackware is better than other Linux distros I tried. In overall comparison, Slackware satisfied my needs better than all other distros. With ultimate security and awesome interface, who can't ignore it?

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Do you know Linux? Are you new to it? Have you always wanted to try but were afraid, wondering if it was too geeky? Are you using it now but looking for a better installation? Are you looking for Linux books and clear instructions? Or maybe your Windows-based computer has caught another virus and you've had enough of that?Relax! DVDxDVD has some simple, complete and inexpensive solutions for you. Our Linux sets offer you the very best in effortless installation, so you'll be up and running in no time! If this is your first time with Linux, you will appreciate the beautiful, clear graphics that make custom installation so easy. Installations for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems are included. All our sets contain only the newest, most complete DVD releases. You'll find office applications, web browsers, email programs, instant messengers, graphics packages, audio and communication tools, you name it! No hassles, no license fees, no prohibitively expensive software! All our packages come with the video-DVD "Brief Introduction to Linux." So if you are new to Linux's command-line workflow and are in the mood for learning basic concepts and commands, you've got it! You will be amazed at how much you will learn from this brief presentation. All our sets include the "UNIX Academy Selected Training Library" in PDF format. These are the only books on Linux you will ever need! Whether you are a beginner or advanced user, you will find exactly what you need in these clear, easy-to-read guides. Study the material as you wish: Print just a few pages at a time, follow along on your computer screen as you type commands and learn, or open and read a guide on your PDA or iPhone when you are in the mood for learning!The set also includes a Quick Reference Card of Linux commands, so you'll always have what you need at your fingertips, when you need it! All DVDxDVD products are U.S. made and 100% covered by warranty.

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