Viveza 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Nik Software just released version 2.0 of Viveza, a very powerful tool that let you selectively modify and edit images using their exclusive UPoint control technology to select the areas you want to edit.
U Point control point technology is the reason I've been using the Viveza older version, because the easiness of use and ability to build "behind the scenes" layer masks by simply adding a point on the part of the image you want to edit, then adjust the size of the area by simply dragging a slider, beyond that Viveza will affect only the pixels in the area that are similar to the one you selected. This allow enhance the saturation, contrast and brightness of an image very quickly, selectively and without the pain of building complex masks.
The Viveza 2 is even greater, as incorporates more powerful controls and is even faster than the previous version, so what is new:New, Interface with Global Image Adjustments: Now you can also globally apply any brightness, contrast, saturation and structure (more on this below) very quickly before start applying changes to specific areas, giving you an overall better starting point, it also incorporates a levels and curves window to have more control over contrast and tonality.
New, Structure Adjustment: I really love this one, as you can bring or reduce details between edges, this can be very used to reduce blemishes in skin, or to accentuate textures in skies, grass or any other textured part of the image.
New, Shadow Adjustment: This new feature comes very handy when you need to recover detail from shadow areas, it works pretty much like Highlights and Shadows in Photoshop or Lightroom, but you can easily use it selectively in specific areas by using a control point.
New, Warmth Adjustment: With this new feature you can cool or warm the overall look of the image, or you can also use the control points to adjust any part of it.
New, Grouping the Control Points: In my opinion this is one of the most nice improvements, as you can now group a series of control points through the image and make adjustments all at once, instead of one by one as before. This is really great for images with big variation of tones.
If you are a Photoshop user you'll like the smart filter support and selective brush tool. Layer masks are automatically created so you can use the selective brush tool to apply any filter or correction selectively.
Viveza works with Apple Aperture, Photoshop and Lightroom, and it's very easy to install. During the installation the software will look the applications that you have and will allow you to install it in all of them all once.
I just downloaded the upgrade today and I can tell you that, as with the previous version, this one will be in my list of preferred tools because it's very precise and easy to use.El Viveza 2.0, un plugin que vale cada centavo.
Recientemente Nik Software, ha lanzado la versión 2.0 de Viveza, una herramienta de edición muy poderosa, que permite editar imágenes utilizando la tecnología U Point exclusiva de Nik Software para seleccionar áreas especificas que necesitan ser modificadas.
La tecnología de control U Point, es la razón por la cual he venido utilizando la versión anterior de Viveza, fundamentalmente porque es muy fácil de utilizar y por su capacidad de construir "sin que sean vistas" mascaras en los layers o capas, simplemente colocando un punto en la parte de la imagen que se necesita editar y luego arrastrándolo para seleccionar la superficie a afectar, pero mas allá de esto, Viveza solo afectará los píxeles que se asemejan en valor tonal al seleccionado. Esto permite trabajar en forma selectiva la saturación, contraste y brillo de cualquier imagen en forma rápida y sin la tediosa tarea de tener que construir mascaras.
Pero Viveza 2, es aun mucho mejor, mas poderoso e incorpora nuevas herramientas que lo hacen mas veloz. Que hay de nuevo?
Nueva, Interfaz que permite ajustes en forma global: Ahora se pueden aplicar cambios de brillo, contraste, saturación y estructura (mas sobre esto abajo) rápidamente sobre toda la imagen antes de comenzar a aplicar cambios en forma selectiva, generado un mejor punto de partida, también incorpora una ventana de curvas y niveles para tener mas control sobre el contraste y tonalidad.
Nuevo, Ajuste de estructura: Realmente me encanta esta nueva adición, este ajuste permite reducir o incrementar detalle entre bordes en forma muy práctica, puede ser utilizado para reducir imperfecciones de la piel, o para acentuar texturas en cielos, césped, o cualquier área que contenga textura dentro de la imagen, también puede se puede aplicar en forma local o global.
Nuevo, Ajuste de sombras: Esta nueva opción funciona de maravillas cuando es necesario recuperar detalle en áreas oscuras, trabaja de la misma forma que Luces y Sombras en Photoshop o Lightroom, pero con la diferencia de que puede ser aplicado en forma selectiva de manera mucho mas fácil.
Nuevo, Ajuste de temperatura: Este ajuste se puede aplicar para reducir o aumentar la temperatura de color de la imagen, haciéndola convirtiendo la tonalidad a colores mas fríos o cálidos, puede ser aplicada en forma global o en forma selectiva utilizando los puntos de control.
Nuevo, Agrupar los puntos de control: En mi opinión este es uno de los mejores cambios que se han introducido en esta versión, ya que ahora es posible agrupar diferentes puntos de control dentro de la imagen y realizar ajustes en todos al mismo tiempo en vez de; de uno en uno como antes. Esto es excelente para imágenes donde se presenta gran variación de tonos.
Si eres un usuario de Photoshop, te va a gustar la posibilidad de poder utilizar los filtros inteligentes y pinceles selectivos, ya que capas con mascara so creadas en forma automática por Viveza para poder aplicar las correcciones realizadas en forma selectiva también dentro de Photoshop.
Viveza esta disponible para Apple Aperture, Photoshop and Lightroom, y el proceso de instalación es bien sencillo. Durante la instalación el programa busca todas las aplicaciones compatibles instaladas en el computador y te permite instalarse en todas al mismo tiempo y de una vez.
He descargado la actualización hoy y te puedo decir que al igual que la versión anterior, ésta va a formar parte de mis herramientas favoritas, porque es preciso y muy fácil de usar.

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Viveza 2, powered by U Point technology, is the most powerful and precise tool available to selectively control light and color in photographic images without the need to create complicated selections or layer masks. New global image controls, levels and curves adjustments, shadow recovery, fine detail structure control, grouped Control Points, and time-saving interface controls ensure quick and easy corrections and professional enhancements.

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Secrets of the Pros Modern Recording & Mixing DVD Set Review

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(More customer reviews)(Word to the wise) I bought this DVD package expecting great things but, was HIGHLY disappointed !!! I would DEFINITELY NOT recommend this video to anyone wanting to learn about what goes on in the recording studio. as it is a complete rip off !!! at best, It could be regarded as a vague overview of recording. but even THAT... is stretching it !!!

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Business Plan Pro 2007 Review

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(More customer reviews)I recommend this to anyone trying to write a business plan. I wish i had know of it sooner.

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Mask Pro 4 Review

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(More customer reviews)If you need to pull things from and image and want to minimize the time you spend then this program is well worth your consideration. Sure, the Adobe editors have "background erasers" and Mask Pro goes miles further in allowing you to specify what to include/reject and how it will be rendered.
To be effective this is not quite automatic. However, after you learn a few simple adjustment settings you'll be able to erase backgrounds and still leave things like wisps of hair and transparent objects like glasses. To help there is extensive documentation and on-line videos which are available at no additional charge.
I've spent time evaluating different software packages that are dedicated to pulling images from a chroma key background (a solid color that is different from anything in the image, typically green or blue). Mask Pro 4 is now my favorite choice for even that specialized activity.
Best of all, you can go to the manufacturer web site .(Amazon won't let me post the URL) and download a free 30-trial of this programs to see for yourself. Please be sure if you do download the demo to also spend the time needed to go through the provided instructional videos. That way you'll be able to appreciate how well Mask Pro does what it does!
BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.


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SiteSpinner Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been designing and implementing websites for 7 years. Half for work, and half for fun. I am an electrical engineer and have been using Frontpage, GoLive, Dreamweaver, notepad, you name it. I've gotten pretty good at figuring out how to manipulate tables, javascript, alignment, clear GIF's for spacing, etc. HOWEVER, these programs have never been truly what you see is what you get for me. And my webpages always looked differently in Netscape, Safari, Explorer, Opera, Firefly, etc. Really different.
But now with SiteSpinner, everything that took me 7 years to learn and figure out, I learned with SiteSpinner in under a few days. The message boards are great with employees? and people who give real answers that work.
Also, I've even stopped using tables for alignment now because it's so easy to just drag and drop images and text anywhere you want. Then you can control positioning of objects by clicking below.
Bottom line: If you are a beginner wanting to make professional webpages, you gotta get this. For people like me that are pretty experienced, you still gotta get this. I am finishing up a completely overhauled company website now that I budgeted 2 months to do. 4 days so far, and 2 more days to finish.


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Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI Review

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(More customer reviews)I've used Corel products for decades now. Beginning in college, I found Corel much easier to use than anything else. The programs are useful for beginners and professionals alike. Later, I relied on Corel Paint Shop to use in art, illustration and even self-made comics. This version is by far my favorite and still very user friendly.

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Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional Review

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(More customer reviews)Adobe comes out and delivers another fine Acrobat product. While I purchased this for the sole purpose of creating PDFs and forms we could email our customers, have them fill out, save and email back, the brief touches I've had with the automatic form generators have left me impressed. The user interface is well thought out and clean which is a touchy subject for me personally as a programmer who specializes in UI design. Everything is movable, hide-able and customizable in a new sharp looking set of toolbars that should feel right at home in Windows Vista.
But, while it's a fine product that loads quickly thanks to a pre-loader when Windows starts, it does suffer from it's share of problems. The new user interface, while fancy, is glitchy, and has crashed out the software on more than one occasion. Simple innocuous tasks such as dragging a form element into alignment can suddenly leave you staring dumbfounded at your desktop as Windows defends itself from some index out of bounds fault. Is it entirely stable? No, but sadly, it's up to par with 99% of the industry's X.0 release software standards; which means it's 98% usable, but don't hand your boss an unpadded deadline that doesn't take into account a few crashes here and there.
Finally, yes, while the price of RAM continues to decrease, the memory (and hard disk) footprint of software continues to increase to obscene levels. Make sure your office equipment is on the more modern side because it'll take up 20meg+ of your RAM just when the computer starts; which is in this IT professional's opinion, a hefty price to pay just to look at PDFs in my web browser or on my hard drive without a 20 second load-up delay. Load it up and create a PDF of a simple Word 2003 document that contains only a page of text, and task manager tells you it's now eating up 50 meg. In short, it won't run well on the bargain-basement Intel Celeron, 256meg Windows XP machine.
As a final note for those who aren't heavily into IT looking to buy this product for their small office, you need to be connected to the internet when this is installed and be absolutely sure you install it on the computer it's going to permanently reside on. Like most expensive modern business software, Acrobat requires an activation in the name of Digital Rights Management that records it's serial number and the hardware ID of the computer it's installed on and keeps it on file at Adobe. One copy of the software will let you install it on exactly one machine. Try to install it on another machine (even if the original machine got obsoleted, kicked the bucket or transferred to different personnel), and you'll be met with a "this is already installed, please buy another copy" message. DRM forces forethought in these modern times.
Overall, it's excellent software, and for the faults I listed, I still give it 4 stars because it's an extremely solid product that'll work hard for you. Expect the crashing issues to clear up as Adobe silently releases 8.0.1 and onward as free patches that will be downloaded automatically thanks to Adobe's built-in upgrade manager. While executives balked at the idea of office personnel with 1 gig of RAM in a common desktops a year ago, in reality, that's the working minimum these days for your office's power users who may have eight things open and/or running at once. It's a $50 upgrade that to a power user, saves about 5 minutes of worktime on every hour of computer use. Do the math and get them the tools they need because software like this won't be getting less bloated anytime soon.
Finally, if all you're looking at is to create PDF files, there are many smaller, cheaper programs out there that can easily do the task. You might want to hit up Google and investigate further.

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Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional software enables business professionals to reliably create, combine, and control Adobe PDF documents for easy, more secure distribution, collaboration, and data collection. Combine files from multiple applications, collaborate on documents via e-mail or server, and collect information with electronic forms. Protect sensitive information with passwords and permissions. Enable users of Adobe Reader software (version 7.0 or 8) to participate in document reviews, fill and save forms, and digitally sign documents.

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Symantec WinFax Pro 8.0 Review

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(More customer reviews)It is a real bargain here on Amazon.
Original Retail Price was $99.
You need to have a fax modem on your computer.
They say you need Windows 95 or later, including up to Windows XP.
It worked for me on Windows XP SP2.
In contrast, the Winfax Pro 10 version notoriously crashes Windows XP.
Beware of version 10...horror stories everywhere!WinFax PRO 8.0 is easy to set up, learn, and use.
This is THE best fax management software for small businesses and home use.
Fax not only from the program but from most other Windows programs with a Print Command.
And it integrates smoothly with key business applications to simplify your management of client and customer interactions.
Powerful faxing for everyone.
WinFax PRO 8.0 creates laser-quality faxes that make any business look more professional.
It also includes sophisticated fax management capabilities to help you better organize your information.
Manage faxes more effectively.
Simplify project management by storing faxes with other documents in whichever folder you like.
Block against "junk" faxes by screening your incoming faxes.
And create detailed reports on both sent and received faxes.
Winfax PRO 8.0 makes faxing as easy as printing.
Build a fax from multiple document sources, including your scanner.
Drag-and-drop faxing of documents
Merge documents from multiple applications into a single fax.
Rearrange or remove pages while you're composing a fax.
Preview pages before sending them.
With WinFax PRO 8.0 fax software, it's all drag and drop easy.
Ease of Use---
·Drag-and-drop faxing of documents
·Ability to build a fax from multiple document sources, including your
scanner
·Integration with many phonebook programs
·Ability to send and receive faxes in the background
·Network fax sharing for workgroups without the need to buy additional modems or phone lines
·Custom cover sheets

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Adobe CS5.5 Design Premium Student and Teacher Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)*** Please Note: I'm unable to reply to any comments. Amazon has taken this privilege from me. I'm very sorry.
Over the past several months, I've purchased the Student and Teacher Editions (academic versions) of Adobe CS5 Premium, Adobe Dreamweaver CS5, Photoshop CS5 Extended and Acrobat X Professional. Because of my recent Amazon purchase of Adobe CS5 Premium, Adobe graciously sent me via FedEx a free upgrade to Adobe CS5.5. This free upgrade was approved by Adobe after I submitted my Amazon proof-of-purchase and my CS5 serial number.
For anyone intending on purchasing academic software from Adobe, I suggest they first try out the 30-day trial versions, and then if still interested, sign up for an Adobe account. It makes things much easier during the verification stage by having your account already set up.
The entire verification process is very easy and it helps to have your scanned ID or any additional paperwork ready ahead of time. I received all of the serial numbers, which were four separate submissions, in less than 24 hours. Adobe says that it could take up to two business days for verification.
The following might be some helpful information:
Adobe allows you to install and activate your purchased software onto two computers. I have CS5.5 installed and activated on two computers that are connected to a home network. I am able to 'run' duplicate programs (ex. Photoshop & Photoshop, Dreamweaver & Dreamweaver, etc.) within CS5.5 on both computers at the same time without any indication of licensing issues. Activation is completed in the background during installation.
To install and activate your Adobe software on a third computer, you must first 'de-activate' the software on one of the other two computers. Make sure if you ever throw out or give away an old computer, that you first de-activate the Adobe software. Otherwise, you will lose one of your two activations. De-activation can be accomplished from any program within CS5.5 by clicking on the help menu. This de-activates the entire CS5.5.
After installing and activating, you can then register your software and receive a free gift from Adobe. The gifts vary for each software title. Some of the gifts are AdobeTextPro Font, Photoshop plugins, discounts on Adobe software and 30-day access to training videos on either Lynda.com or CreativeEdge.com. Lynda.com has an amazing amount of training videos. You may want to check out these two websites before registering so you have time to evaluate them.
Concerning future upgrades of Adobe academic software, here is a quote from Adobe's website:
"Upgrades don't have special education pricing. However, you can purchase upgrades for educational products at the regular upgrade prices from any Authorized Education Reseller."
So according to Adobe, you can upgrade your academic software for their standard (non-academic) software if or when you no longer have student or teacher status. That is a really good deal! Many software companies won't allow you to upgrade academic software.
If you are not a student or teacher and you want to purchase academic software, you may want to consider signing up for an interesting class at your local community college. You could then get your student ID and your student status. You don't need to be a full-time student and you don't need to be seeking a degree. Maybe you can find a convenient on-line class. You can then go to a website like JourneyEd and be eligible to purchase all kinds of academic software and hardware.
Also, Microsoft has a program called DreamSpark that allows students to download full-versions of their software for free. You need to first sign up for a Windows Live ID and then sign in and get verified on the Microsoft DreamSpark website. Microsoft uses your college-issued '.edu' email address for verification. During the verification process Microsoft sends an activation email to your .edu email address. You must log in to your .edu email account and click on an activation link within the activation email. My verification didn't go very smoothly as my college had blacklisted Microsoft's mail servers and wouldn't allow me to receive the activation email from DreamSpark. I was eventually verified 'manually' by Microsoft tech support. I had to email them a copy of my scanned school ID and a copy of my class schedule.
After you are verified, Microsoft will verify your student status once a year. You can download all of the software that they have available on their DreamSpark.com website. There are no time limits on the software. You can continue to use their software after your student status expires. After being recently verified, I downloaded the full version of MS Visual Studio 2010 Professional, another very expensive program that was completely free.
With that valuable student ID, you really can save many hundreds of dollars on academic software, hardware and training!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe CS5.5 Design Premium Student and Teacher Edition


Adobe CS5.5 Design Premium
Deliver innovative ideas in print, web, interactive, and mobile design
Use the enhanced Multiscreen Preview panel in Dreamweaver CS5.5 to quickly and conveniently preview your designs on different devices. View larger.

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Music Center Pro Review

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(More customer reviews)Now the guys from DATA BECKER have come out with Music Center Pro and have made some decent adjustments in style and technology. The terrible red interface is gone - now it's all silver and metal, the program is full 32-bit (now the filenames can be longer than 8 digits - thank you) and there are a lot of features that you normally have to pay much, much more for:
Included Direct-X Effects support
Graphic Effects interface
The number of tracks (audio and midi) are doubled Video support
3D Spatiauliser (looks good - but I'm not yet sure what's this for)
and a full GM/XG midi support - to be honest, something I've not seen in ANY other package so far.
I was very enthusiastic about MC and MC Pro certainly is a step upwards from there. The price for that kind of software is ridiculously low - but who am I to complain.
It would be great if the other DATA BECKER software would be up to that standard, which it sadly is not.
One more: Beginners beware: Buy the original MC first, MC Pro has too many features to make you happy when you're not already into HD-Recording and PC-Music Production.

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Music Center Pro is the professional version of the popular Music Center title, and is designed specifically for the music enthusiast. It consists of a powerful 96-track virtual recording studio with 64 MIDI tracks, 32 audio tracks, and over 1000 sound samples. Use the intuitive mixing-board interface, edit with precise control, and add up to 10 fully adjustable real-time effects for superb song creations. You can even add DirectX audio plug-ins for additional effects. Assign vocals and record, using your MIDI keyboard. And when you're done, create a studio-quality recording of your music. It's the truly professional tool for any musician interested in creating incredible-sounding music on their computer.

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FileMaker Pro 8 Win/Mac Review

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(More customer reviews)Think you don't need a database? What about for managing customer contacts, sending email campaigns, tracking inventory or handling expense reports? All that stuff is easier when the data is organized as collection of records - or, as a "database."
With FileMaker, these are just some of the functions that are actually part of the product, and come as templates already designed for a specific task. I can just pull down a menu, select from dozens of possible applications, and then start to fill in the fields. I like to think of FileMaker as a bunch of databases applications, all in one product.
Since I was already familiar with FileMaker, there was some new stuff in Version 8 that immediately got my attention. I could instantly export data to Excel, or create a .pdf directly from within FileMaker. I just hit a button to export data and chose Excel, which is great for reports and charts. It was just as easy to create a .pdf, which is ideal for making product literature or customer brochures. Earlier versions of FileMaker allowed me to drag-and-drop Excel spreadsheets right into the databases, as well as instantly publishing to the web. That stuff is still there, and it's still very cool.
For the techies, the new FileMaker has a list of additional new features that make programming complex databases even easier - stuff like new tabs and drop down calendar controls, and easier scripting. Plus, FileMaker has an advanced version that adds even more debugging, and database analysis tools if you want to create your own custom databases.
For many people I know, the biggest hurdle with FileMaker is the idea that "a database isn't for me." It can be. You don't even have to know it's a database. And for about $300, it's worth a try.

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With a host of new features designed to make the creation of databases easier, FileMaker Pro 8 is an ideal solution for those who are responsible for people, project, assets, and more. In addition to its lineup of standard database creation and management tools, FileMaker Pro 8 features new tools that make customizing databases, accessing FileMaker information over the web, and sharing with other FileMaker users or with those outside your FileMaker workgroup easier than ever.
Getting started with FileMaker Pro 8 is easy, and it only takes minutes to create your own database. The process is even simpler with the ability to import Excel files instantly. FileMaker Pro 8 can store a variety of information types and a virtually unlimited amount of data. Databases can be customized to fit your needs, with built-in assistants and the ability to drag and drop objects and to link information quickly and easily. You can also design easy to read layouts and create your own views of the data.

New time-saving tools will help you get more done. Auto-complete, calendar drop-downs, visual spell checker, and mouse wheel support will make data entry speedier and more intuitive. A field list filter lets you view and choose from fields used on the displayed layout only, making choosing fields faster. The new Tab Control function helps you build a layout with multiple tabs in a single step so you can switch between tabs without needing scripting, eliminating the need for multiple layouts.

FileMaker information can be accessed remotely so that clients or vendors can view FileMaker information, or you can view data in the FileMaker interface. Web accessed can be provided with a single click, and access can be assigned based on privileges. Built-in multi-user capabilities make it easy for up to five users to share FileMaker databases simultaneously, regardless of platform type.

FileMaker Pro 8 features built-in reports that can be printed in a variety of formats. You can create Adobe PDF files from Filemaker information, making it easy to share information with other users. The new Excel Maker lets you create Excel files from FileMaker information so that you can easily share information with others or analyze the data more thoroughly. The contents of virtually any field can be emailed to anyone with just a few, simple clicks.

FileMaker Pro 8 features new tools for developers, giving you even more power over variables and database design. Global and local script variables canbe stored, eliminating the need to create unnecessary fields to store values. Scripts can now perform functions and return results to the calling script. This gives you the power to create flexible, re-usable scripts to help you save development and maintenance time. The Relationships Graph lets you duplicate tables and relationships, and document database design by adding notes. New script steps are included to easily show all related records for an entire found step and to support dynamic selection of field repetition through the use of a calculation. Value Lists will display more meaningful information while hiding cryptic associated values.

New features in FileMaker Pro 8:

Create Adobe PDF files with the PDF Maker so you can more easily share FileMaker information with others.
Use the new Excel Maker to create Microsoft Excel files, allowing you to share and analyze FileMaker information with others.
Fast Send feature lets you Email the contents of any field instantly.
Fast Match feature helps you search the database without typing.
New alignment tools allow you to create cleaner looking database layouts.
Send personalized messages to multiple customers with the new Email merge.
Import tables into FileMaker more efficiently than ever.
The Relationships Graph helps you document databases and field relationships.
The new Tab Control helps you build layouts with multiple tabs in a single step.

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The Print Shop 23 Deluxe Review

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(More customer reviews)After hearing that Print Shop 22 was not compatible with Windows Vista, I waited and recently purchased Print Shop 23 Deluxe. Pay attention to the operating system requirements. You must have either Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1. The installation discs are DVD-ROMs, NOT CDs, so you must have a DVD drive.
Unlike previous user reports of long delivery times, damaged discs and corrupt installs, my package arrived from Amazon in two days and included two shiny unblemished discs and a half inch thick user manual.
The setup was painless and took just under 25 minutes for a complete installation including registration and a short optional survey. A full install including artwork stored on the hard drive will take up close to 8GB.
The program launched flawlessly right after installation (no Restart required) and the features worked just fine. It will take several seconds for Print Shop to initialize (as did prior versions) but a little patience will be rewarded.
Print Shop has always been a great application and this new version follows that tradition!

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Its easy to create impressive print projects. Design from scratch or choose from 21,000+ professionally designed templates for a wide variety of projects, including greeting cards, invitations, labels, matching stationery sets, signs, banners and more. Customize your design in seconds with the easiest design tools around. You can add your own text, photos, graphics and word art. Comes with 370,000+ high quality clip art images, photos, borders, frames and embellishments. Plus, EASY photo editing tools like red-eye removal, crop and flip to make your photos perfect. Its so easy to create and print your projects with everything you need for incredible design in the palm of your hands.

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Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Review

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(More customer reviews)I've have older versions of this software and have always wanted to buy the latest and greatest but I didn't want to spend the money. Well I had a client who wanted certain things done on a specific project and I just couldn't do it with the software versions I was using. On this new version the features have been tweaked, layouts added and it's undergone a general overall redesigned and everything just feels like it should. After some much needed learning time, I had a much much older version of this software, I was able to find and use all the new features. I created a great project and ended up with a very happy client. I'm not sure what other software could have given me all the options, support and third party resources of Adobe. I love that you can get ideas and even whole After Effects projects from people on YouTube and so many other places on the web. Digital Juice even has really cool full After Effects project I can customize as well. I'm glad I bought it and it has already paid for itself and most of a new computer.

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Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium
Create video for virtually any screen using high-performance production tools A completely new high-performance audio engine takes full advantage of multicore processors to makeAdobe Audition CS5.5 an even more powerful all-in-one editing and mixing environment. View larger.

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eFrontier Anime Studio Pro (Win/Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)When it comes to 2D animation software, your choices are 1) Anime Studio for Windows and Mac OS X, 2) Toon Boom, for Win & Mac, and 3) KToon for Linux. Both of the other two are cell based animation where you draw the same character over and over in a new cell moving body parts as you go. I personally find this tedious and redundant. Anime uses the bone concept found in 3D programs that bends the vector shaped
drawing with the bones as you move them. You only need to set key frames. So this means all the frames between the key frames you set are calulated by the computer and you do not have to re-draw them. It lets the computer work for you, not just be a painting tool. While cell animation seems to bring traditional paper/pen artwork concepts to ther computer, the computer is not working for you as much as it is with the bone concept.
If you buy from Amazon you get the MAC & WIN version on the same CDROM, if you download from the manufacturer you get only one version.
The hardest part of character animation is lip-sync'ing, Magie Pro alone is as much as this software, this comes with Papagayo which is open source. I had to find an old Papagayo for my older Mac OS X version 10.3.9. I also use the built in amplitude lip syncing because is 'good enough' with out worring too much about the exact sounds. Less mouth flapping is sometimes better.
This is a wonderful program, a bit ahead of its time, and very stable.

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Create professional animations from start to finish with Anime Studio Pro, the all-in-one solution for creating anime, cartoon and cut out animations.Anime Studio Pro's unique point-and-click rigging with bones quickly animates 2D imagery into dramatic life! Start from megabytes of included content, work in vector-based layers, choose from professional special effects and scripting to help create animations of any length, fine-tune your animations with timeline controls. Photoshop integration to import 2D art or use draw/coloring tools, import 3D imagery (OBJ), AVI and QuickTime, add WAV and AIFF soundtracks, export stills in 2D or layered PSD files, and animations as QuickTime, AVI or SWF.

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Apple DVD Studio Pro 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)DVD Studio Pro 2 does not work. It quits seconds after is launched. I was told that this version (2.0.0) does not work on Intel based computers. I own a Macbook Pro purchased from Amazon in 2008. Apple does not offer an update to version 4.1.

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Turbocad Mac Pro V3 2D & 3D Cad for Mac Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently bought two packages of this application, one for a family member (a savvy Mac user but CADD novice) and one for myself, an experienced Microstation (Windows only) user. As always, there is a significant learning curve to any CADD application and I expected no different here. With few, if any, third-party references for the Mac version of TurboCad, all we have to rely on is the included help files, the PDF User Guide, and a few downloadable tutorials which are, in fact, hard to find.
I attempted to put together a simple sequence of topics (where to begin, what next, etc.) using the help files and user guide. First off, the help files are not accessible from the Help menu in TurboCad, but they do reside in the TurboCad application folder and are in HTML format so, no problem, we just open them in Firefox. It turns out many of the help files are "broken" which is perhaps why they don't appear in the Help menu. I am persistent, so I examined the HTML code (simple enough text files) and found that many of the included image files simply have the wrong filename. Rename the files or correct the HTML references, either way they're fixed.
Next I created a support ticket at IMSI asking about a fix for the help files. After quite some time with no response, I checked on the ticket and found it had been "resolved." I created another ticket to inquire as to the nature of the resolution: had the problem really been solved? The response I got went something like this (paraphrased):
'Your request did not appear to pertain to any resolvable issue; rather
it sounded like a bunch of complaining.'
So I replied that not only was the problem 'fixable' as I had repaired a couple of the help pages myself, it was a simple matter of editing HTML/text! This went on for several messages back and forth. Each specific question I asked was literally ignored until the very last response finally answered the main question: the issues (complaints) I raised would be fixed in the next release of the software, no ETA known.
The Mac version of TurboCad is built by another company and IMSI has no control. I've read some complaints about TurboCad support elsewhere just like I've read complaints about almost any product out there. However, their support for the Mac product is simply awful, even when compared to their support for their own venerable 'TurboCad for Windows' product line.
I am, to say the least, sorely disappointed. I even mentioned at one point in this futile exchange that I had yet to pen an Amazon review, thinking they (IMSI) might take the hint and at least pretend they were interested in the problems I was having. I take this platform seriously and would not lightly give a bad review, but this is without a doubt, some of the most condescending and worst "customer service" I've ever suffered.
I owe an apology to my in-laws for whom this was a Christmas present.

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QuickBooks Pro 2008 W/Payroll 2008 Review

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(More customer reviews)Intuit will no longer support the payroll portion of this product and I had to re-order through an online customer service rep when I was having difficulty with the payroll portion. I had to remove the product and download a new Enhanced payroll and then mail back my copy to QB for a refund. Then it was more costly for me with postage return and a new product price, etc. They told me I would get a refund from QB but time will tell. You should not sell a product that Intuit will not support.

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QUICKBOOKS PRO 2008 w/PAYROLL 2008 RETAIL DBL WIDE BOX SET

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