Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4 Student Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've given PS CS4 Extended an overall four star rating. The breakdown is five stars for its capabilities averaged with two stars for the user interface.
Most of the low ratings for this student edition have to do with problems getting the software registered, rather than with the product itself. Please read the student license carefully on Adobe's site. As I recall, you have to be an active full-time four year (or graduate) student at an approved institution that grants four year college degrees. Adobe is very protective of this $199 price. Getting a retailer to ship you this software is just the beginning of the process. You then have to contact Adobe directly for permission to use it. Adobe takes its role as gatekeeper very seriously and will follow up on your student credentials. The burden is on you to prove that you fully qualify as to each and every requirement. I suspect that some of the low ratings come from people who didn't quite meet the requirements for a student license, but thought they would squeak by. Surprise.
Be aware that Adobe also markets an academic edition of PS CS4 Extended for $299. I own the academic edition. Other than the price, what are the differences between the student and academic editions? Well, the first difference is that the license for the academic edition is far less restrictive. The second is that the install code comes printed on the inside packaging. You do not need to go through Adobe for any further permission to use the software.
My understanding is that the academic edition is available to students at any grade level from 10th grade high school on up, as well as to academic faculty and staff. However, I note that one reputable retailer of academic software states: "If you are a K-12 Student, a parent of such a student or a school employee then this version of Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended is the lowest Academic pricing available." So, it's possible that some retailers are more liberal than others. Remember, the retailer is the only gatekeeper you'll have to deal with because the only code you need comes with the disk.
The full price for PS CS4 Extended is over $900. $299 for the academic edition is still a good deal, even if it is $100 more than the cost of the student edition. Many people will qualify who wouldn't have qualified for the student edition. Don't cheat yourself by trying to cheat Adobe out of a student license, or by purchasing from a vendor with a price that's too good to be true.
Update 12/8/2009:
I would lower my rating to two stars if I could. The problem is that the program has ceased to work since I upgraded to Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. $299 is a lot of money to throw out the window, and Adobe is not being helpful. If interested, please see the review that I posted today under the retail edition of Photoshop CS4 Extended.
Update 3/9/2010:
The problem noted in my update of 12/8/2009 took me about three weeks to solve. The issue turned out to be very sophisticated. Fortunately, the issue is also very rare and unlikely to affect you. See my review under the retail edition of PS CS4 if interested. To summarize, I received no assistance from Adobe, whose technical support of this product is greatly lacking in relation to the cost. My rating remains at four stars due to the simple fact that there really isn't an alternative to Photoshop.
Update 4/12/2010:
Today is the so-called "launch date" for Photoshop CS5 Extended. Little new information has been provided except that the actual release to sales will be in mid-May. It appears that Adobe will continue to offer a free trial period beginning on the release to sales date. Anyone who is seriously considering purchase of CS4 should defer to mid-May. The best information I can find states that the current "Student Edition" will become the "Student and Teacher Edition," while the current "Academic Edition" will become the "Institutional Edition." Prices will apparently remain at $199 and $299 respectively, with eligibility requirements similar to the current products.
When Adobe released sneak previews of CS5's new content aware fill feature, it was immediately obvious to me that this might (finally!!) be the solution for the ghosting problem that ruins so many HDR images. Adobe's new preview of automatic ghost removal during HDR merge suggests that its content aware technology is being used for exactly that purpose. Therefore, I suggest holding off on the purchase of Photomatix or FDR Tools until you've had a chance to experiment with the PS CS5 trial. Similarly, I would hold off on the purchase of Mask Pro 4.0 from On One Software. If (and it's a very big if) CS5 has really leapfrogged over both Photomatix and Mask Pro 4.0 -- both of which I was planning to buy -- then this is going to be a fairly easy upgrade to justify. On the other hand, CS5 could turn out to be no big deal. Be sure to try before you buy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4 Student Edition

Higher Ed Student Edition

Click here for more information about Adobe Photoshop Extended CS4 Student Edition

Read More...

3D-Album PicturePro Platinum Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I downloaded a demo version and made a few slideshows. First, it is very difficult to make simple changes. Not a typical interface software for performing simple functions that a normal program would have. There is no bottom for saving, nore a bottom to start new. You have to open a new sub-directory to retrieve pictures to start a new slideshow. And if you delete a set of pictures on the working directory, it actually deletes them from the actual subdirectory. You may have to get back to retrieve them from your recyle ben.
It took me a whole day to figure out how to change simple funtions since it really has a bad menu system. The slideshow runs so slow, can't find a place to speed up the show. THey need a 24 online support system since there is no place to find an answer.
There is no "find buttom" for the help menu for where or how to change the speed.
I can tell you more, but will end up writing a whole book about it. Before you think about purchesing this product, please download the program and see all that for yourself.


Click Here to see more reviews about: 3D-Album PicturePro Platinum

Want to push your creative motivation to a higher level? PicturePro Platinum offers a number of professional authoring tools through which you can do even more amazing works. Hot spot editor lets you define particular areas in an image to be engaged to take actions. Timeline editor provides experienced users the added control of accurate music synchronization. You have more choices to compose your photo album applications with advanced mixers.

Click here for more information about 3D-Album PicturePro Platinum

Read More...

Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For those who aren't professional photo editors, let's be honest with each other: how many of us have bought the professional programs that professionals recommend, and then find that the learning curve is so difficult that we don't use them? I have several other photo editing programs: Photoshop Elements 2.0, Paint Shop Pro. I kept buying the next one because the "pros" recommended them. I found that to learn EACH task it took from 1/2 to 1 hour. There is NO simplicity to anything with those programs. They can do awesome things, I just don't have the time to figure out how to do EACH and EVERY ONE. Using MS Digital Image Pro, it is set up so simple, you can just make a few clicks and almost every task can be accomplished. I've imported many photos into the program, modified them easily and quickly, and then placed them into a video which I burned to DVD's for projects at work. I received quite a number of complements from other "non-professionals" on the quality of the changes. I was also able to easily make modifications for pictures of my family which came out very nice.
If you're looking for a professional, extremely extensive program, perhaps you might want to look at the other ones. But if you're like me and want a fun program that also will deal with 90% of common tasks, this will save you a lot of frustration.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9.0

Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9 is packed with all the tools you need to edit, organize, share and archive your personal photo projects!

Click here for more information about Microsoft Digital Image Pro 9.0

Read More...

Adobe Encore DVD 1.5 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)How could ever Adobe release such a messy software? The same Adobe that created Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects we've known for their professionalism and reliability! I use Encore ver 1.5.1 and it looks like it can handle only simple projects with menu and bunch of chapters. Working with anything extra e.g. subtitles becomes frustrating and annoying, making projects hardly possible to finish. Expect tons of "Out of memory", "Abnormal condition" and other errors and eventually, corrupted projects and wasted time. Encore does not even seem like written by the same team that makes other Adobe products. Adobe, do something about it! Your reputation is at stake. Well, just to make it easier on them a little bit, competition is even worse in some cases, but still, that does not give Adobe any right to lower their standars. Just take a look on the web and you will find complaints from all over the world. Bottom line: from messed-up workflow through endless errors, Encore sucks!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Encore DVD 1.5

Encore DVD 1.5 makes DVD authoring more streamlined. This set of high-quality, professional DVD apps will take you to a new level of professional creativity. With its flexible interface and full-featured menu design tools, you'll create DVD masterworks in no time. Import and convert source files to MPEG-2 or Dolby Digital, or output your project to other DVD formats, for maximum playback compatibility. Stronger marker support creates chapter points from markers in AVI and MPEG-2 files created in Premiere and After EffectsFull integration with Photoshop CS

Click here for more information about Adobe Encore DVD 1.5

Read More...

Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 4 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Edit: I was pleased with it while I used it. But since posting the review below, I've stopped using it in favor of the (now free) program Picasa, available through Google.
``````````````````````````````````
I tried a bunch of other programs and free trials, and this one packed the most stable and useful features into the cleanest, most intuitive, and most convenient package.
I especially like the design of the cropping tool, the ease of assigning and customizing the categories while organizing, and the clean simplicity of the interface. I'm perfectly capable of using complicated programs, and figuring out how to use programs that aren't very user-friendly. But when you're trying to organize a ton of digital photos, why make it more work than you have to?
Paint Shop Photo Album 4 does what it does very well, and does all of the things I would ask a photo album program to do.
It makes it easy to print, share, and organize my photos. For quick photo touchups, resizing, rotating, adding captions, and the other kinds of edits that an average home user would want to make to their photos, the editor included in this program is quite suitable, and does a very nice job.
It also has a nicer format for creating web pages to share photos online than most of the other similar programs I tried.
I've been using the 30 day free trial, (which is a full version rather than a chopped down sample) and my time is almost up, so I am definitely going to by this program.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 4

Get your photos out of your camera and into your life with Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album. Now you can quickly and easily make the most of your digital photos. In just two clicks you can get your photos from camera to computer. Then enhance, organize, and share those digital memories in a flash with Photo Album's fast and easy-to-use tools.
Create CD albums to watch with family and friends on a TV with a DVD player. Add an MP3 soundtrack and a variety of background templates for a complete audio-visual experience. Or you can archive full resolution copies of your favorite shots automatically when you create a Video CD. Also, easily send photos to friends and family with enhanced e-mail capabilities that automatically optimize photos for quicker download. Now Photo Album is compatible with the AOL e-mail client.
Take control over photo enhancements with the new Adjust Wizard that guides you through key correction processes to get the best color and exposure correction possible. Correct imperfections with flash and backlight controls that brighten only the dark areas of photos or reduce backlighting in over exposed areas. Add an elegant finishing touch by framing photos, applying creative edges, or adding artistic borders. Plus, you can personalize your workspace with adjustable thumbnail sizes and background colors.

Click here for more information about Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 4

Read More...

Photosuite III Family Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great software for my digital camera. If I take a not so great pic I can go to the photo enhancer and enhance it to a better pic. I have never used any other photo software so I have nothing to compare it to but I think it is great.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Photosuite III Family Edition

PhotoSuite 3: Family Edition is designed for both the novice and expert user, combining power with ease of use. The suite of photo applications enables you to do just about anything you can imagine with your photos. It features handy storage and quick retrieval, powerful repair and restoration capabilities, and tools for composition, manipulation, and presentation. Its functions are seamlessly integrated with the Internet.

Click here for more information about Photosuite III Family Edition

Read More...

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Upgrade Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When Adobe first released the public beta of the original Lightroom, it seemed like a desperate attempt to compete with Apple's Aperture which Apple seemed to be using to target Adobe's flagship creative tool, Photoshop.
Upon using the beta, however, it became apparent that this was a tool that Adobe had been putting a lot of thought into and while the decision to offer the free public beta may have been an attempt to stave off possible Aperture defectees, the development of the software itself clearly was more than that.
Adobe's new tool would come to herald in a nondestructive editing and organizational workflow that simply would never be possible in the full version of Photoshop without seriously jeopardizing functionality and workflows for existing users.
Today, Lightroom 2 takes that original concept to the next level. Boasting even more powerful non-destructive editing, tighter integration with the full version of Photoshop and a revised and even more streamlined interface (Adobe listened), it is well worth the upgrade price.
If you don't have Lightroom yet and are wondering why you would buy it when you already have Photoshop, ask yourself this: Do you have a digital camera and do you take a lot of pictures with it? If so, does taking them all into Photoshop for adjustments seem time consuming? Does the added storage for saving originals and adjusted copies seem excessive? Do you wish that Bridge acted more like a database than a browser and maybe had the ability to keep track of files even when they weren't available (external or networked hard drive that aren't always available for instance)?
If so, Lightroom may be the tool for you. Will it replace Photoshop? No, but an easy way to think of it is as a tool for dealing with many images that need global adjustments with a few touch-ups where as Photoshop is the tool you'll turn to for composite images and major touch-up/cleanup.
Can you do what you need to in Photoshop without Lightroom? Of course - Photoshop is the top of the line Swiss Army Knife of image editing. Will you be able to work as quickly and efficiently in it as you would Lightroom? Seriously doubtful.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Upgrade

This upgrade requires Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v1. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 software is essential for today s digital photography workflow. Now you can quickly import, process, manage, and showcase your imagesfrom one shot to an entire shoot. With Lightroom 2, you spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the lens.

Click here for more information about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Upgrade

Read More...

PhotoImpact 6.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I can't say enough about this program. If you read any of the other reviews I've submitted, you'll see I've tried a bunch pf editing software over the past several months. You'll also notice that I do photography professionally and that I use Adobe Photoshop 5.5 (now 6.0) for much of my work. At this point, I'm wondering why. Don't get me wrong, Adobe Photoshop is the Granddaddy of them all and a beautiful program, but there's a big learning curve and the need for some deep pockets. PhotoImpact doesn't require either of those. I got into the Ulead products with the 4.2 version that came with my H/P PhotoSmart scanner. Then I went to PhotoImpact 5.0 and loved it. Now 6.0 is what I use the most even over Photoshop. The program is much easier to use, it's loaded with palletes and effects, and the album feature is a Godsend. And it will take Photoshop plug-ins if I want to use them. As far as learning Photoshop or PhotoImpact, think about it....go to your local bookstore and see how many volumes are on the shelves to teach you how to use Photoshop. It's mind boggling! Then look for a book on PhotoImpact. You probably won't find one. I wish I knew why. Is it ignorance towards the program, or do the people that write these tutorial encyclopedias agree that Ulead's manual that comes with the program does an adequate job of giving you the basics and explaining all the fuctions? The manual is good, but there is a book out there that was written for PhotoImpact 4.2, but will work for 5.0 and 6.0. The only real difference between them all is the relocation of some of the functions. Basically, the programs all work the same. There are some additions to 6.0 that you'll have to learn on your own because they aren't in this 4.2 book. By the way, the book is called "Fun with PhotoImpact 4.2" and was written by Stephanie Baker-Thomas. I got a copy from Amazon.com. There is an excellent book for PhotoImpact 6.0 called "PhotoImpact Solutions" and can be ordered directly from Muskel & Lipman publishing.
Although I do photography professionally, I still like to forget that now and then and have fun with my pictures as well, and for that, PhotoImpact 6.0 comes with Uleads "Drop Spot" which puts an icon on your desktop which will then connect you to imira.com which is Uleads site for you to put you pictures on the web for all to see. Nice extra! That too is a breeze to use. You can email directly from the program, do a slide show in the album mode, scan directly into the album or the editing program, and do just about anything you want once you're in there.
I'm not going to go on and on with this. I think I've made my point. This is a great program at a great price that's easy to use and seems to always work. I've had no problems with errors, illegal operations, crashes or anything else like I've experienced with some editing programs. In short, if you want to have some fun with your pictures as well as do some serious editing and playing around with web design, buy this program. You won't be sorry.

Click Here to see more reviews about: PhotoImpact 6.0

PhotoImpact 6 is an image editor that addresses both image editing and Web-page creation. Edit your images and lay out professional Web graphics in real time, then optimize and output them as complete Web pages. PhotoImpact 6 features a full array of imaging and painting tools, vector 2-D and 3-D graphics, over 60 exclusive special effects and filters, visual Web-page layout, and one-click HTML output.

Click here for more information about PhotoImpact 6.0

Read More...

PhotoSuite 7 Platinum Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Yet another buggy and less-than-average program by Roxio.
This version fixes a few of the many flaws in the last version but nowhere near enough to justify using this product over MS Digital Image, Adobe Photoshop Elements, JASC PaintShop, etc.
I wish that I had never purchased this product. DO NOT use the one-touch photo doctor! It oversharpens your photos and they come out looking very poor!

Click Here to see more reviews about: PhotoSuite 7 Platinum

PhotoSuite 7 Platinum offers a complete set of great tools for photo results that are picture perfect every time. It has the advanced editing & organizing tools that meet every digital photographer's needs! Save your precious memories by burning them to a CD or DVD - and share them in the comfort of your living room

Click here for more information about PhotoSuite 7 Platinum

Read More...

Corel Paint Shop Pro X Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have used Paint Shop Pro in each incarnation from 7.04 Anniversary Edition onwards as well as Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.
I must say that while the latest version is very user friendly especially to a new user, if you've got Version 8 or 9 on your computer I don't think the upgrade is worth the money. The new browser is particularly horrible if you're used to the older versions of Paint Shop Pro. You have to resort to manual tinkering to get it to look like the earlier versions if you want to which is a fairly involved procedure. Even then it doesn't behave like the earlier version but acts like a permanently docked window. In the default it displays Windows folders as little pictures of folders in a row and I find it quite difficult to use as a navigation mechanism.
The Learning Center is a useful addition especially to begin with when you're figuring out where everything is because even if you've had PSP8 and/or 9 on your computer Corel have changed round the positions of some of the tools in the toolbar and there are quite a few tweaks in the menus and photo tools. I do like the noise removal tool which functions better than it did in PSP9 and I also like the Smart Photo Fix. Overall however I felt that the new edition wasn't really worth shelling out over £40 for when I already had older versions on my computer.
In addition, the Paint Shop Photo Album (which is included for free) has refused to function correctly on my computer and I am still waiting for Corel's programmers to come back to me after working with a technician for over three weeks and not resolving the issue. A free Album Creator program is included which is for ordering photo albums online; I found that this gave me error messages until I went online and then launched it. I don't have a RAW image function on my digital camera so have not used that software which is also included on the disk.
You will need a large amount of RAM - at least 1 GB and preferably more, as well as a big hard drive and a fast computer to run this software. I would also recommend a large monitor because of the over-crowded interface - when you have the browser up and running it refuses to allow the image to overlap it as the older versions did, and behaves like the edge of the workspace.
Corel have essentially concentrated on photo editing in this version of Paint Shop Pro although the graphics tools are still there. If you have PSP 8 or 9 and do graphics rather than photo work I would stay with that software for now but if you're a new user I think you'll find this version of Paint Shop Pro is well worth the money.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Corel Paint Shop Pro X

Corel Paint Shop Pro is the all-in-one solution for photo editing, organizing, sharing, and creativity. You will get tools for making your photos look just the way you want, organizing them so they are always at your fingertips, and making photo postcards, calendars, and more--advanced enough for a pro and easiest enough for a beginner. Version X is the best Paint Shop yet, with run times 50% faster than previous versions, more teaching resources (more than two hours of tutorials) for you to easily get the most out of the program, and 500 special effects.
See the Corel Paint Shop Pro X product tour
Fix brightness, color, and photo flawsNow you can have sharp photos filled with brilliant colors. You don't have to be a photo-editing whiz to get fabulous photos. Paint Shop Pro is filled with easy one-step fixes and advanced ultra-precise controls so no matter what, everyone can have the photos they always dreamed of.
Cover All the BasicsEverything you need to complete the most common photo tasks. Quickly rotate, resize, and crop photos to get the exact composition and size you need.
Fix Any PhotoSmart Photo Fix is the best way to correct color, exposure, and lighting problems. With a single click, Paint Shop Pro analyzes your photo and makes suggested corrections. With this powerful, flexible tool, you can change the corrections to suit your tastes.
Improve Photos in One Step Most digital cameras produce some sort of noise and, in photos of high-contrast, a purple fringe can appear. We know these are common problems that plague everyone, no matter how great a photographer they are. With the One Step Noise Removal and One Step Purple Fringe Removal, Paint Shop Pro quickly gets rid of these pesky problems.
Instant MakeoverLooking great has never been so easy. None of us are perfect, but with Paint Shop Pro X's Makeover Tools everyone can look like they are. With this handy set of tools you can remove blemishes, whiten teeth, brush on a suntan, and remove wrinkles. It's so fun and easy that you'll just have to try it for yourself.
Get the Red OutRed eye is probably the most common problem facing photos. With Paint Shop Pro X you get a One-click Red-Eye Remover that even works on pets, or you can use Advanced Red-Eye Removal for the most accurate corrections.
Remove DistractionsWith the Clone Tool and the Object Remover you can get rid of distractions in your photos by just clicking and dragging.
Adjust in an Instant When the photo you have doesn't look like the photo you thought you took, you can easily Adjust Perspective and Straighten crooked photos to get the look you were after.
Restore Old PhotosTears, holes, and fading are no match for Paint Shop Pro's photo restoration tools. With Scratch Remover, Fade Correction, Hand-tinting brushes, and High-pass Sharpen you can repair and restore any old or damaged photo.
Add a Creative TouchPaint Shop Pro X includes all new Picture Frames and photo Edges for when you want to give your photos a little something extra. Plus, there are NEW Picture Tubes, this popular feature is the easiest way for you to add ready-made art elements to your photo and graphics projects.
Photo albums and moreOnce you've used Paint Shop Pro to make your photos look their best, you can jump to Corel Photo Album 6 - Standard Edition included FREE, to create fun Greeting Cards and E-Cards. With the drag & drop simplicity of Photo Album you can create and send cards for every occasion.
Turn photos into elegant projectsOnce you have fabulous photos, don't let them sit there on your hard drive doing nothing. With Paint Shop Pro you have all the tools you need to create everything from fun greeting cards to breath-taking collages.
Turn Ordinary Photos into Something SpecialCreating beautiful Scrapbook Album Pages and sophisticated multi-picture Collages is a cinch. Now you can just drag your photos into professionally designed templates and have stunning photo keepsakes in moments.
Fun Projects You Can Complete in MinutesEnjoy your photos all year long by using them to create your own Calendars. Or show the people in your life how much they mean to you by featuring them on Magazine Covers or Award Certificates. Plus you can print multiple images on a single sheet of paper using Print Layouts and create your own CD Labels.
Remove BackgroundsYou can cut people out of photos and drop them onto new backgrounds easily with the Background Eraser. This handy tool makes combining multiple photos a breeze.
The Selection is Yours With so many selections to choose from you're sure to find just the tool you need in Paint Shop Pro X. Use Freehand/Smart Edge Selection to find your edge or select it yourself, the Shape Selection to square, rectangle, circle, or elliptical shaped selections, or the Magic Wand Selection to make selections based on color, hue, or more.
See What You're Working OnLayers are the building blocks of any collage and now you can see exactly what you're using in your collage. With just a glance at the All-New Layer Palette you can see all the layers in your image and what each layer contains.
You Get to PickMove and resize elements of your image on the fly. The Pick Tool is the easiest way to make adjustments to layers without having to re-select them.
Give photos a unique, exciting look Your photos can be so much more than just ordinary pictures. Using Paint Shop Pro's graphics and effects tools you can transform photos into paintings, add words, create crazy caricatures, and so much more. With so many effects to use, you can have hours of fun just experimenting.
Say What You Mean Add Vertical or horizontal text to photos or even have text follow a path. With the Text Tool, you can choose how you want your message to appear.
Turn Your Photos into PaintingsWith real-life Art Media Tools you can turn your ordinary photos into masterpieces. With an easy Trace option you can trace your photos using Oil, Chalk, Pastel, and more. Plus, you can choose from different brushes and canvas types.
Draw with PrecisionAdding arrows, talk bubbles, stars, and other interesting shapes to your photos couldn't be easier. With the Symmetric Shape Tool, Pen Tool, and Preset Shapes you can add all kinds of fun to your photos without any work at all.
Create a Classic in an InstantNo darkroom is required to transform your digital photos into black and white masterpieces. With the B&W Infrared Filter and B&W Conversion Filter you get more options than ever before.
Transform Photos in a Few ClicksAdd special lighting effects, color pencil, or emboss your photos. With over 500 Special Effects Filters there is no end to the fun you can have with your photos.
Warp & Twist PhotosGive the people and pets in your photos big bulging eyes and huge goofy smiles with the Warp Brush. Just click and drag your mouse around your photo to create these fun and easy caricatures.
It's All a BlurAdd professional-looking blur effects to your photos. You can choose between Gaussian, Motion, Radial Blur, and more.
Find photos fast & share memories Paint Shop Pro X now includes Corel Photo Album 6 - Standard Edition. With this smart and simple software you can organize and share your photos easier than ever before. And with two applications at your disposal you'll be more productive than ever.
Your Photos Were Meant to be Shared Show off your photos using over 40 Print templates, create Slide Shows you can e-mail, send photos automatically resized for E-mail and Cell Phones, or Burn a CD of your best shots in just two clicks. No additional burning software required.
Photo Album Does the Work for YouAs soon as you plug in your camera, Photo Album's Photo Downloader gets to work downloading and rotating your photos, then asking you what you'd like to do next. If you like, you can jump right to Paint Shop Pro with a couple of keystrokes. The Photo Finder automatically finds and organizes your photo collection by the date you took the picture, and Photo Trays are a virtual photo to-do list - helping you remember to e-mail or print photos.
Find What You NeedYou can organize your photos by Collection, Folder, Favorite Photo, and Keyword to ensure that you can always find your photos fast. Plus, when you use Keywords, you can Search your entire using those keywords.
What's in the box: Photo software on CD-ROM, instruction booklet.

Click here for more information about Corel Paint Shop Pro X

Read More...

Photo Explosion Deluxe 3.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I used to have Microsoft's Image Composer (now discontinued) that came with FrontPage '98. What a great, intuitive little program that was for cutting out parts of photos and combining them into collages or new photos! It came with no manual, yet I was able to teach myself to use it just by playing around and trying things out. It was that easy, and it was a lot of fun!
This program claims to have many of the same functions IC did: cutting out pieces of pics by tracing an outline, resizing or recoloring or otherwise manipulating these pieces, and then combining them into a new 'photo.' Unfortunately, this program is so counter-intuitive and inflexible that you can't just play with it to figure things out.
Which would be tolerable if the manual was helpful but, of course, it's useless. It spends 70 pages describing the 'workspace' and how to 'organize your photos' (as if any moron can't do that by creating directories on their PC). After all that, there are only 10 pages on how to use the selection/trace function, how to resize, etc. And it doesn't seem to explain anywhere what to do to 'select' something once you've cut it out of a photo.
The worst part of the program is that you have to create a separate file for the place you want to combine all your images. This is stupid. Why can't you just work on one base photo, add to and alter it, and then do a 'save as...'? That would be simple. This program makes you create a 'project,' which requires sifting through dozens of their templates to find one that you can twist into something like what you want. Why not just let me work without a template? Not fun and certainly not functional.
The templates are very restrictive. For example, you can't size the space of the project once you create it. So if what you create needs to be a little larger or smaller than the template size, you have to shrink everything to fit into the template.
Further, the program's logic doesn't make much sense. If I cut out a piece of a photo and then go to resize it, the program resizes the original picture only (even though the cut-out is highlighted as selected). There's no obvious way to tell the program what I want to manipulate: the original or a cut-out. This is just one example, but there are many others I could offer.
I think the program MIGHT be good if all you want is real basic photo editing (i.e. cut a square shaped piece out of a photo and plop it into some inane greeting card template provided), but otherwise this is very limited and difficult to work with.
I can't see shelling out the bucks for Adobe. And I don't understand why someone doesn't offer an inexpensive version of Adobe (like Image Composer was)? I think I'm going to hunt for an old copy of FrontPage '98 at used software stores and reload IC.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Photo Explosion Deluxe 3.0

Photo Explosion® Deluxe made history as the first software of its kind to deliver powerful editing features spectacular special effects and professional-quality photo projects all together in one program.Now Photo Explosion Deluxe 3.0 makes digital photography even easier. And it s packed with exciting new features all designed to let you get the most out of your digital camera.System Requirements:Windows 98 2000 Me XP or Vista; 32 MB RAM; Pentium 166Mhz or faster; CD-ROM DriveFormat: WIN 98ME2000XPVISTA Genre:PRODUCTIVITY UPC:727298403831 Manufacturer No:PRW

Get 44% OFF

Click here for more information about Photo Explosion Deluxe 3.0

Read More...

Arcsoft PhotoImpression 6 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)PhotoImpression 6 is easy to use and has most of the features I'm looking for in photo editing. I have been able to restore old black and white photo's that were damaged and this program works great in enhancing my older color pictures as well. I am very satisfied.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Arcsoft PhotoImpression 6

PhotoImpression 6 will manage your media for you -- it also gives you tons of fun and exciting new ways to enjoy it. It includes everything one needs to manage, enhance, print, and get creative with Digital photos. Scan & crop several photos in seconds, remove red-eye automatically, create animated 3D text and more. Photo and video management just got more simplified. Make slideshows with photos, music, and cool effects

Click here for more information about Arcsoft PhotoImpression 6

Read More...

Picture It 7.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I know people who spent a fortune on programs like Adobe Photoshop because they wanted "the best." But they end up using PictureIt! because it's just plain easier. Unless you're a professional graphic designer, you'll find that this program meets all your needs, and most importantly, it's EASY! I've used PictureIt! it since 2000 and it makes short work of scanning from digital cameras, cropping and adjusting photos, fixing red eye, compressing photos for the web, or creating fun projects like greeting cards. Can't recommend it enough.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Picture It 7.0

Like New - Factory sealed, never opened, box have some wear

Click here for more information about Picture It 7.0

Read More...

Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't get the bad reviews, unless these users are(no offense):
1. working for the competition
2. have hardware shortcomings
3. are not using the program correctly.
I used it right out of the box and was able to capture from my sony hdr-hc3 hd cam, even though it is not listed as compatible. I created a 5 minute flick in no time, had very good real time viewing of the unrendered product, and rendered it in about 20-30 minutes. I watched it on an 8' wide hd projection and it was perfect. All of the video correction I did was really an improvement to my cloudy day footage. This has been the easiest install, first-time use, hardware compatibility experience I have ever had.
Check the adobe Premiere user forumn and all of your questions will be answered. I posted today and got a response and an answer in about 5 minutes. I also have After Effects, Photoshop, and pagemaker and have been happy with all for years dating back to 1990.
I upgraded from Premiere 6.5, which I haven't used for years. The improvements are plentiful and very satisfying.
If you can swing it, spring for the productivity bundle. The programs really work well together.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 software sets new standards for digital filmmaking so you can make every frame count. Providing the tightest integration with Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop, and native support for HDV, SD, and HD, Adobe Premiere Pro effortlessly fits into high-end effects and editing work flows. Its rich set of advanced editing and effects tools ensures that you can produce whatever you imagine, and new time- and space-saving features help make you more productive. If you work in post services, in-house post production, videography, or multimedia services, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 delivers a rich feature set that enables you to tell your stories with the highest possible production values.Take a tour of Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0.
Edit Everything with Confidence With Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0, you're ready for editing, no matter how demanding the project. HD, SD, HDV, and DV -- every major standard and high-definition video format (including DV, Digital Betacam, HDV, HDCAM, and D5) is within your reach, with no compromise on quality, features, or performance. That means you're free to work with whatever media best meets your requirements in terms of budget, creative expectations, and intended delivery medium.Using native support for the AJA Xena HS card for real-time HD encoding, Premiere Pro 2.0 captures from and lays off to any HD-SDI VTR or device. With six channels of AES and embedded audio I/O, plus full-resolution SD and HD playback, Premiere Pro 2.0 and AJA Xena HS combine to provide a complete, full-featured capture and delivery solution for all HD and SD formats. Whether capturing from or laying back to Digi-Beta or D5, Premiere Pro 2.0 and the AJA Xena HS card are the perfect combination to accommodate diverse post-production work flows.Putting HD resolution within reach of even the most modest budget, HDV has rapidly become a popular acquisition format. With Premiere Pro 2.0, you now have a full-featured editing environment for HDV with support for logging, batch capture, trimming, and editing in native HDV format so there is no conversion or quality loss. Plus, Premiere Pro 2.0 supports the most popular HDV-format cameras and VTRs, including the most popular Sony and JVC models. Premiere Pro 2.0 also streamlines the process of encoding video and audio for your Macromedia Flash projects with new Flash Video (FLV) export. This allows you to create compact, vector-based SWF animations that include sophisticated text animations and shape morphing.Expanding Your Creativity Premiere Pro 2.0 delivers a comprehensive and powerful set of professional editing tools, including new support for multi-cam editing, enhanced color support, and GPU-accelerated rendering. This leading application also opens a whole new level of professional production by supporting the editing of multiple-camera shoots. The new quad-view monitor provides simultaneous display of up to four synchronized source tracks, plus a real-time preview of the switched output. Drop into Record mode and you'll be able to switch between source tracks in real time to create a sequence containing the edited footage from each of the cameras. Making adjustments is easy. Simply record the desired changes, and Premiere Pro 2.0 updates your edited sequence automatically. The clips can then be edited as usual with any effects, titles, and other tools available in Premiere Pro 2.0.Premiere Pro 2.0 introduces numerous enhancements to ensure that color in your video productions is as true to life as possible. For starters, Premiere Pro 2.0 provides new color correction tools that are optimized for different tasks, such as luma correction and limiting. For fine adjustments, the three-way color corrector provides precise control over shadows, midtones, and highlights. Use primary and secondary color correction tools to match shots, change colors, correct exposure errors, and modify highlights, midtones, and shadows across clips, sequences, or entire projects. Whether working with 8-bit, 10-bit, or 16-bit source material, the powerful new color correction tools process your changes at 32-bit resolution for maximum color fidelity.Workflow Integration and Support Premiere Pro 2.0 offers excellent integration with your high-end work flows. Film and video may be in different formats, but they needn't exist in different dimensions. Built-in conversion capabilities help bridge the two worlds by providing optional Feet + Frames timecode display (in addition to video SMPTE) for captured footage. If you originate on or deliver to 16mm or 35mm film, Premiere Pro 2.0 lets you choose whichever time reference system makes editing and conforming easiest for you.With an open architecture, Premiere Pro 2.0 easily provides support for new formats and hardware as they become available. Choose from a wide range of capture cards and other hardware today to build the HD, SD, and DV editing system that meets your needs and budget. If you're familiar with other Adobe products, working with Premiere Pro 2.0 will be a breeze. The software features panels that dock and group work with a redesigned user interface that's fully customizable. Tools, palettes, and menus are familiar and consistent with those in other Adobe video applications, and keyboard shortcuts remain fully customizable. Arrange everything you need using workspace panels that dock and group within the main application window, saving valuable screen space and eliminating the need to constantly reposition and resize multiple windows and palettes one by one. The audio capabilities in Premiere Pro 2.0 -- unequaled by any other video editor -- now allow you to apply multiple effects to audio clips or tracks. Adobe Premiere Pro even includes a set of VST-format plug-ins that will get you started on audio enhancement right out of the box. Deliver with Ultimate Confidence Now that it's done, where can you play it? With Premiere Pro 2.0, the answer is "everywhere." Whether your delivery target is the Web, DVD, tape, film, or digital cinema, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 helps you leverage your editing investment across more playback platforms. Plus, workflow innovations, such as automated review and approval, facilitate and streamline everyday tasks to keep your projects on the fast track without keeping you from your core mission. Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 also makes it easy to send both media and metadata to other video, film, and audio applications, making it more efficient to take a single project in multiple directions.And finally, getting fast, to-the-point feedback from clients is a crucial part of any successful production. Adobe Clip Notes streamlines the process with an elegant solution based on two easy, accessible technologies: email and the Adobe PDF file format. A sequence can be exported as a PDF file with embedded or streamed video in either Windows Media or QuickTime. The file is then sent to the reviewer, who plays it back with Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader software. Whenever the reviewer pauses the video, the current timecode is automatically entered into the comment box. Remarks can be entered at the exact point at which the video is paused. When the file containing these remarks is sent back and imported into the sequence, the comments appear as clip markers at the appropriate timecode locations in the timeline. Adobe Clip Notes facilitates collaboration, expedites the review and approval process, and takes the pain out of keeping everyone in the loop.

Click here for more information about Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

Read More...

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4 bundle is one of the best values for the home photo/video editor. I use the full version of Photoshop and a fairly pricey video editing (Sony Vegas) package at our business, but needed a powerful yet inexpensive (a relative term, I know) package to use at home. Here are my observations on each package:
Photoshop Elements 6:
At first glance I was disappointed and thought I had made a big mistake as the default interface is fairly simplistic (which is a GOOD thing for most users). Being used to the some of the more advance features (such as "Curves") and the ability to load in templates, the one click tools (while great for the casual user) were a little underwhelming. Not to fear though, the more powerful tools are still available by getting into a different editing mode, which I would have found faster if I had read the somewhat skimpy manual. All in all, it is nice to be able to "one click fix" all of my family photos, and still have the ability to get more powerful tools for the work I bring home with me. This is a fantastic value for the money!
Premiere Elements 4:
Since most of my editing is done on higher dollar packages at work, I was just looking for a home software package to quickly assemble clips, make photo slide shows, and to convert clips for upload to YouTube. This package surprised me with it's drag and drop ease of use. It is fantastic for the home user and does exactly what it says it is going to do. One note about the YouTube integration, it is nothing short of fantastic! I had a clip that was just too big to upload and my expensive work software just was too hard to get the file size and quality they require. Using Premiere Elements, I was able to drop in the large clip, indicate it was for YouTube, and the software did the rest...Including logging in and uploading it to my account right from inside the program. No muss, no fuss, just as advertised!
All in all, I think this is one of the best home user packages available. Simple enough for the basic user with access to the more powerful tools if needed.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4 software combines two powerful yet easy-to-use products to deliver the most complete photo and video-editing solution. Enjoy all the great functionality of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and Adobe Premiere Elements 4 software as well as additional functionality that lets you easily create with photos and videos. Take advantage of one-click fixes, step-by-step assistance that makes editing easier than ever. Then explore advanced options for making finer adjustments; add artistic effects; and experiment with easy-to-use compositing tools. Make customized photo creations using new themed layouts and even create dazzling interactive web galleries. Take advantage of online offerings to upload photos and creations directly to the web, order prints, and more, and easily share on mobile phones and other devices. Easily share your movies on DVD or Blu-ray Disc, broadcast far and wide by uploading your movies directly to YouTube or your personal sharing website, or play movies on mobile phones and other devices.Share photos in fun, imaginative ways Easily find and view all your photos and video clips Get started quickly with easy moviemaking options Show your style with amazing effects Share your movies on YouTube, your own website, disc, and virtually anywhere else Access files from a central location, no matter which product you're using Use new compositing tools to create perfect group photos Jump-start your video editing with Movie Themes System requirements -Intel Pentium 4, Pentium M, or Intel Centrino 1.3GHz or compatible processor, Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista, 256MB RAM, Color monitor with 16-bit color video card, 1024x768 monitor resolution at 96dpi or less, Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible display driver, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Netscape Navigator 7.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.5, 4.5GB of free space, DVD-ROM drive and

Get 57% OFF

Click here for more information about Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4

Read More...

Adobe Photodeluxe Business Edition 1.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First let me correct a comment made about Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Edition 1.0: It works just fine with JPEG (.JPG) images in fact I use it to import other graphic format files and then save them as .jpg files. PhotoDeluxe Business Edition does everything that 90 percent of folks need to do. Plus they can do it easily because, unlike so many other graphic programs, PhotoDeluxe is completely user friendly and easy to use. Every task from touching up old photos to making photo collages have guides to take you from step one to the finish. This is the program I always use for scanner output and it has camera and photo processing support as well. This program has templates to make your photos work with cards, calendars, business cards, and much neat and fun stuff but the real news is how easy it is to use PhotoDeluxe in every basic aspect of manipulating images. By using guides and filters to do things like "warp" or "sharpen" or edit with paint tools, you are firmly in control of your task. There are too many tools to list them all here. I use this program without templates because it is my primary image editor. Once I have a finished product in PhotoDeluxe(with or without text added) I am ready to share my graphic output with others as email attachments or web graphics. If you make your living as a graphic designer please do use other very expensive tools. But if you are a recreational home user or a serious soho user, this is the only program you need and forget all those other graphics programs that are so complex they are of no use. You buy this, you will use. My credentials? I have a BFA (a fine arts degree) and have been doing computer graphics since 1983.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Photodeluxe Business Edition 1.0

Click here for more information about Adobe Photodeluxe Business Edition 1.0

Read More...

Photo Impact Pro 13 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was looking for a replacement for the Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10 program that I had been using for years. I figured that after all this time, software technology undoubtly had made improvements that would be noticeable. Not so in this case. While it is true that there are a few powerful tools in this software, it is not as user friendly as should be expected and learning these will take some time. Not so with Microsoft's program as within minutes you will easily be erasing unwanted objects (which can also be done in Nova but with extra steps, etc), cropping, and so forth.
In all fairness, it should be noted that the auto adjust function of Nova's program does work pretty well, especially the fix levels option which will correct colors, lighting, etc. (but is this worth $70?) Beware though that although sometimes the pictures will look good on the screen, when printed, some have looked like a poor "touch up". One reviewer said that in about 2 hours he got a slideshow together - although he thought this to be a positive, that about sums it up. In Microsoft, once you learn the Photostory program, it will literally take 5 minutes to compose a beautiful slideshow complete with music.
To Nova's credit, they stood by their 90 satisfaction policy. I returned the product and they issued a complete refund less tax and shipping charges. Well done. Now create an easier, user friendly program. As for me, I'm going back to my old Microsoft standby.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Photo Impact Pro 13

PhotoImpact Pro 13 is the ideal choice for digital photography, creative design and web graphics - all in one powerful suite. You'll get everything you need to organize, edit, manage, and share digital photos - and so much more!Whether you're new to digital photography or a seasoned professional, you'll appreciate the award-winning power and flexibility of PhotoImpact Pro. It not only delivers state-of-the-art image editing for enthusiasts, but it also caters to first-time users with SmartGuide and 2,000 photorealistic scrapbook embellishments. PhotoImpact Pro 13 also offers dozens of new and improved features including drag-and-drop text effects, Photo Projects Wizard, Cool 360 Panorama tool and more!Equip yourself with the same tools and techniques professionals use to make photos come alive!

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Photo Impact Pro 13

Read More...