Software

Keeping your computer running at its optimum capacity is a never-ending task. Why not take the approach of letting software do the job for you.

For those unable to justify the cost of the full Photoshop package then the ‘Elements’ offering has a good percentage of the same content at a small percentage of the price of the full products. If you need both still and movie editing then save again by buying the joint package.

Over the years, and numerous versions, as it has developed from a single application into a full-blown suite of graphics titles, CorelDRAW has arrived in different types of packaging. The latest version, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, comes in the form of a hardback book with its own rigid slip case. The actual software is on a DVD attached to the inside of the book’s front cover while the book acts as the User Guide.

Last time I met up with Nero, the company promised support for Blu-ray. With this latest version of its software, Nero has made good its promise.

While Adobe Photoshop rules the roost as far as high-end, professional graphics is concerned, the company also has a more budget-orientated package with Photoshop Elements. The latest version of this graphics product is Photoshop Elements 9.

The presence of a pair of cardboard glasses gives you the clue that the latest version of Roxio Creator is venturing into another dimension.

Having built up a store of digital music you might like to consider a software title that offers to help manage and make the most of your collection.

While faster Broadband speeds have reduced the need to compress files prior to transfer, archiving software does have more to offer.

Think protection and one of the first names that springs to mind is Norton with a range of offerings being available.

As a long time user of the various versions of Paint Shop Pro, I always look forward to seeing what the latest software can deliver. This time I encountered some good points and one element that failed to work.

Designed more for the painter rather than the graphics developer, ArtRage is a New Zealand product that has built up an impressive fan base.

Available for both Windows and the Mac platform, FileMaker Pro is a database product with a loyal following of users that includes myself.

Adding to its range of backup products, Acronis has developed solutions that now include aspects of Internet security into the mix. One of these solutions is Acronis Backup and Security 2010 which brings together its True Image Home backup software with Internet security protection on a one-year subscription basis for up to three computers.

Fancy a change of style? Then maybe this next product will help you experiment with your appearance.

Keeping your computer running at its optimum capacity can be time consuming. Fix-It Utilities offers to take over this task.

Speech recognition has come of age with the launch of Dragon Naturally Speaking version 11. After just a few minutes training I was able to achieve a very high level of transcription accuracy and was starting to get acquainted with the voice commands for editing and other purposes. This program could well change the way that many users interact with their PCs.

At the start of the year it appeared as ‘betas’ on some magazine discs. Then absolute silence until June when I saw a couple of distributor adverts, it transpired the launch had happened, a quick skim of my journalists friends and no one knew, so now it seems Microsoft – or do I mean their numerous PR agencies - tells no one about the arrival of products.

Queen Victoria is said not to have been amused but you could put your sense of humour to work with a product available from Smith Micro.

FileMaker Pro 11: the missing manual – “the book that should have been in the box” is about 900 pages long and, had it been supplied with the program, would have needed a quite large box. It will meet the needs of both the novice and the experienced user. Consequently, it will prove valuable when both initially using FileMaker and when developing more sophisticated applications.

Transferring your video content to portable devices should be easy but often isn’t. As a result software developers have come up with solutions to help you achieve this task.

Sibelius is probably the best music scoring program around, professionals and music students alike both use it, however for the amateur it is rather expensive and to be honest it does a lot more than they might want so this is a good alternative.

Although Adobe Photoshop remains the popular and dominant choice in the field of graphic editing software, for many its price point puts it out of their budgetary range. For those who still want the kudos of working with Adobe software without the financial upheaval there is Photoshop Elements which is aimed more at the home enthusiast rather than the professional user.

This is a program that I have known for many years. I think it was version two that I first used. Due to a change of agencies the previous version I reviewed (and in fact still use) was version 6. Now I am looking at version 11.

This is said to be the world’s smallest A4 laser printer, certainly I have not looked at a smaller one. However it is a 16PPM mono offering that works with later versions of Windows without even having to install any software.

When this first came out Corel started a trend - which they still continue today – of offering extra value. It came with lots of extra clip art and fonts. Remember initially there were very few of either around. They were also I believe the first to go from discs to CD.

Nero and Roxio have been competing for domination of the disk-burning marketplace for several years. Both companies have added feature on feature with the result that the original disk burning facility could be regarded as a minor function.

When you use high end products for high end projects its nice sometimes to use a simple easy to use program that works as you expect it to. However should you need it, then it has all the help you require and much more.

No matter how careful you are, or think you are, your Windows-based system will tend to slow down as it struggles to cope with the demands you place upon it.

By putting together features that include photo, video and music plus burning and sharing software, you end up with a product entitled Digital Studio 2010. This is Corel’s attempt to tackle the photo and video market for those with limited experience in this particular area.

Yes this is what used to be called PaintShop Pro, but that was in the days before it became a Corel product and also – as with most software – a product to do one job at a time, now it does most things and is more complex.