Showing posts with label mac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mac. Show all posts

1/01/2013

Apple Final Cut Server 10 Client Review

Apple Final Cut Server 10 Client
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Anyone who has shopped around for a Digital Asset Management (DAM) System will attest they are often costly to buy, complex to use and require a lot of work getting everything setup. In my opinion Apple has hit a (near) home run with Final Cut Server and the price simply can't be touched by any other vendor .
My company needed a DAM to manage a lot of graphic files for things such as Letterheads, Websites, product brochures, etc. but we also wanted to create a lot of tutorial videos for our customers. The challenge is that we are not all in the same physical location, and this made keeping things organized in folders or trading files by E-mail too difficult and a problem.
We didn't simply need a system to manage Final Cut Pro files, but one to manage all of our digital assets centrally. The name of this product makes you believe that it is only for Final Cut, but it actually handles alot of other file types quite well. We used a lot of web graphics, project plans, etc. and so far everything is working quite well.
The nomenclature can be confusing, since it uses video production terms like "Production" to refer to what we deem as Projects. Other terms like Articles, Commercials and Package refer to standard video production house terms, but you can create your own using the powerful built-in metadata set editor tools.
The best features of the software:
1.) Extendable Metadata Sets - this is a huge plus. You can define your metadata fields, groups and sets to make organization easy and to fit the terms and language used to your environment (especially if you are not strictly video like us). For example, we created one called "Training" based on the Commercial metadata set and it contains only the fields we need and regularly use.
2.) The Java client works well across both OSX and Windows and looks identical. It is like no other Java app I've seen. it is clean, and almost beautiful to look at. If you are used to the rather ugly look and feel of Java, this will be a breath of fresh air and the consistency of look, feel and interface across platforms is terrific.
3.) Setup is quick and easy. The install is much better than expected and only takes 15 - 20 minutes. The instructions are well laid out and easy to understand. It took us a while to understand some of the terms, but one you have things organized, it's painless.
4.) Updates are handled through the Apple's OSX Update services so there is no additional maintenance for another app on your server.
5.) Despite the documentation, for a 10-user system the server requirements aren't bad at all (so far anyway). You do need plenty of disk space (based on your own needs) but the CPU requirements have so far been really low. We have it on a 2.0 Ghz Quad-core Intel-based server along with quite a few other web applications and find no problems at all.
We had a few minor issues at first, but recent updates (delivered through the OSX update feature) took care of most all of them. Today, everything works quite well and we are very happy with the system.
Whether you use Final Cut Pro for video or simply want a good DAM, Final Cut Server is worth a close look. Even if you have to purchase a server in order to use it (reconditioned ones are fairly priced), you simply can't beat the price, usability and extendability of this software. It rivals packages that sell for much, much more.

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Media asset management. Workflow automation. Meet Final Cut Server, Apple's new media asset management and workflow automation software. Whether you work in a production boutique or a global news network, Final Cut Server can help you share production assets seamlessly, send status updates instantly, and automate any part of your workflow. It can even track reviews and approvals while you spend time on creative work.

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12/14/2012

MYOB ACCOUNTEDGE 2009 FOR MAC Review

MYOB ACCOUNTEDGE 2009 FOR MAC
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Update: Here's where I started exploring MYOB in 2004. Six years later I'm still happy with the decision to use MYOB. Hopefully this review will help you make a smart decision. - David Cannon
I, like you, have been wading through the sea of worthless hyped information in search of a decent small business accounting package. I'm not an accountant, I am small business owner with a mission. When I asked my small biz friends what they were using, their usual offer was to loan me a copy of quickbooks on cdrom. I declined each time while asking more probing questions.

The #1 QB complaint was too many upsell ads followed by complaints about QB's cumbersome steps. All recommended at least 12 hours of self training before using QB. Three of five said they had quit using quickbooks pro. Two had outsourced accounting to a part time bookkeeper for about $1500 month.
Over the years I have worked in consulting. I was on the project team for installation and conversion of the worlds largest installation of Oracle Financials (at Zales Jeweler's). The moral learned was that consultants NEVER recommend something that cuts into future consulting revenue. So why do accountant's pitch QB??? Is it popularity, apathy or greed? Interesting that CNET reviews of QB don't display any score. Since 2004 CNET gives MYOB a 7.7 and SA is 7.0. So how could I possibly compare with that data? The answer is that it's not possible. While most people would give up and simply roll the dice on QB - My stubborn dedication drives me to seek a better answer.
Facts discovered so far:
1) ALL the old QB reviews are bad signs, Many of the old MYOB reviews were somewhat good with certain conditions.
2) MYOB offers a free flash tutorial & 30 day moneyback or you can take the trial download. [...]
3) Small business owners are pioneers, control freeks, willing to give-up a steady paycheck to purse an uncertain path to their dreams. We take our chances and make our own money. I can't get ahead by just following the pack.
4) You will have to invest some effort to learn a new product. I planned on 12 hours over one weekend.
5) I need a good solid bookkeeping system. Advanced forcasting just does not apply in small business. We always want more and need to focus on better marketing & promotions. No accounting package would have forcasted my sales growth correctly. A good promotion can completely change your future. You can really kick start sales with "Free Publicity" by my new friend Jeff Crilley (Fox News) and "Ultimate Marketing Plan" by Dan Kennedy.
6) I will always have to pay for annual upgrades anyway.
7) You should expect tech support is usually a low paid warm body reading from the manual. Good training on my end is the better strategy for most issues. (search on myob training)
I downloaded the free trial from [...] along with the tutorial. My control freek nature wants to make a program conform to me, but I have agreed to give it a chance using it as designed. Next week I will reload the system and begin using it for daily operations. So far it looks good for my service business... Try it yourself before cratering to QB. Your future may depend on it.
I wish you all the best in your endeavor,
David Cannon
President, CertTest Training Center - Management Development & Certification
Author, Sybex an imprint of John Wiley & Sons

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Omnigraffle 5 Professional Review

Omnigraffle 5 Professional
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I've been a Microsoft Visio user for years on the Windows platform. When I switched to using the Mac as my primary platform at home, I wanted some kind of solution for creating diagrams such as web site maps, system development flowcharts and so on.
My first solution was to run Visio for Windows under Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac. However, the performance running in a virtual environment never really impressed me. I've got a Mac mini with a 2Ghz Intel Core Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM, but even that wasn't enough to provide a satisfying experience under Parallels.
My next stop was Crossover for Mac, which allowed me to run Visio 2003 on the Mac and associate Visio files to run Visio in a Windows-like setting. This has been an acceptable solution performance-wise; but when it comes to editing files and integrating well with my external hard drives attached to the Mac mini, I really didn't feel it was a seamless experience.
After searching, I gave OmniGraffle 5 Pro a whirl. I've just completed a few site map design projects using OmniGraffle. On the second project, I had to exchange data with Visio, as OmniGraffle is not available for Windows and my Windows-installed laptop left me only the option of using Visio. The VDX (Visio XML Drawing) format allowed me to exchange data between OmniGraffle and Visio without too many glaring issues. There were some formatting problems when I read the VDX file exported from OmniGraffle into Visio (carriage returns and tabs ended up as garbage characters, and a few text boxes were out of place), but I was pleasantly surprised that the export process to VDX from OmniGraffle and then back into OmniGraffle when I came home went as smoothly as it did.
There are a few other thing that Visio users will need to remember when switching to OmniGraffle, such as the need to hit ENTER when adding text to a shape rather than just selecting and typing it as Visio allows, or the different keyboard shortcuts available in OmniGraffle, such as Z for zoom, 1 to switch to the selection cursor and so on. However, I found that after a brief period of adjustment, I was more productive in OmniGraffle.
Also, I found that the buttons and options are there where you expect and need them, and the overall feel of the application is very ergonomic and well-thought-out. (The text options in particular throw you for a loop first - clicking the text icon on the text style palette opens up the fonts palette, which provides more options... this could be consolidated a lot better!)
Although I'm not a big fan of all the floating palettes (which tend to clutter the screen and obscure the document you're working on, if you don't periodically minimize or close the ones you don't need), the combination of Illustrator-like keyboard shortcut options and the easy text input feature for shapes makes OmniGraffle a winner for any flowcharting, mind-mapping or general diagramming option.
Overall, I feel that although I have yet to really explore the options available in OmniGraffle, it has served my needs very well so far. With a little more attention to the usability of the floating palettes, and a bit more detail in the help screens, the application could be improved... but my feeling so far is that OmniGraffle is a very user-friendly, extremely versatile application that will provide a very satisfying experience that beats Illustrator hands-down for people who need to create diagrams and charts of all types on the Mac... and even for those who need a high degree of compatibility with Visio for Windows. I'm sticking with OmniGraffle. And if I had to make a choice between OmniGraffle and Visio, at this point I'd certainly choose OmniGraffle.


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11/30/2012

Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard Review

Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard
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The OS comes in a very small package with a little manual. Install took 45 minutes to confirm that the CD was in good condition, 45 more to install. This review is not going to be full of technical jargon... instead a brief first impression from a long time Mac user (circa 1984 Mac 512Ke vintage). For the technicals, go to Apple, read geeky blogs. For the rest of us, I'll try to keep it more straight-forward. They claim 300 changes... here are what I think are some of the more interesting ones... apologies for the length of the review, relative to the number of changes claimed, a moderate length to this review. Updated December 09, 2007 to reflect new experiences.
Pro:
-Time machine! OK, back up programs are available, but how many of them are sold versus the number of macs out there? This program is native, created by Apple for Apple. All I did was plug in a hard drive and Leopard asked if I wanted to make this my back-up drive for Leopard. I clicked yes, and that was it, all set up. It begins back up once the computer is left on and idle. The first takes a very long time, hours, subsequent back ups are hourly, however only files that have changed are saved, preserving storage space and computing power. Time machine looks like any open folder window when it gets down to it... like you went back in time and browsed around (hence the name). Similar to "snapshot" for those Windows XP users out there.
-Install was very easy. Boot machine, insert CD, restart with CD. The computer verified that the CD is in good condition (a lengthy process of about 45 minutes that you can skip but which is recommended). The rest of the install takes about 45 more minutes, but it is basically all automated. It's a Mac, it's so clever that it's easy. Apple does what computers promised to do... automate smartly.
-Price is very reasonable relative to other operating systems (e.g. Vista)
-This OS includes the release version of Boot Camp. I've not used it yet as I have Parallels, but I like how Apple has included this feature... sometimes it's just best to get along as even programs offered on both platforms are just different enough to be annoying. So if you are using PowerPoint at work on a PC, you can use it at home on your Mac acting like a PC... thank you Apple.
-The new "you can see the content of folders in the dock bar" feature is handy, especially if you have many projects going and you dump a lot of picture files into them. They call this new feature "stacks" and it works really well.
-I find that movies too now give you a preview icon which is great.
-New OS did not trash my preferences, such as my Son's photo on the desktop... very plug and play
-Safari web browser is appears somewhat faster, perhaps 1x faster to load a page but I didn't really notice that much difference as I was using another browser up to this point
-The widget-maker is really interesting... I made my first widget of a stock I follow, in about 30 seconds. This was really great. I expect future versions of the feature to add more punch (e.g. the ability to add a title bar to your new widget, improved ability to make very small widgets, ability to use arrow keys to get the widget just right, ability to resize the widget once made instead of deleting and starting all over, etc.), but is still great as is.
-When I have multiple windows open I notice a slight shadow to help me identify which one is active, or on top. Apple continues to impress with their ability to tune into subtle usability features that are so obvious that they have been overlooked. Wonderful (although I would love a darker shadow, and perhaps a bold frame around the window too).
-The Apple web site offers a very nice 9-10 minute introduction. Check it out, it's worth it (trust me).
-Cover Flow is AWESOME! If you are familiar with flipping through album art on the new iPhone or iPods, you'll recognize the power of this feature right away. For those who've been on the sidelines, let me catch you up. There's icon view. There's list view. There's also a column view that's less popular. And there's now cover flow. Much like iTunes, you can flip through files like albums in a juke box, or turning pages in a picture book. The Mac lets you see the first page, so you don't get just a dumb icon, or even a tiny picture, you get a nice big image. It's nothing short of amazing. Cover flow does more (like you can play a video in cover flow without exiting the program or launching a player, fast and convenient), but again, this is a simpler version for the rest of us.
-A further extension of file management is Quick Look. You can sort of open files without launching a program. It's designed to be a time-saver for the person with a lot of files.
-Spaces. OK, this might be a little hard to describe. Essentially, are you someone who like to have 10 programs running at one time? If so, Spaces is ideal for you. You can open say a few photos in one space, a publishing program and Photoshop in another. You can toggle back and forth between the spaces and the effect is a less cluttered environment. It's neat.
-Mail. THere's many new things here, most small. However, for those setting up a mail account for the first time, say on Yahoo or "another popular website", you enter your email address, password, and click OK. Leopard finds it and sets it up. This blows me away. Forever are gone are the days of entering POP and SMTP data, which I guess wasn't terribly bad, but again, this is 2007. Computers are supposed to be more intuitve, not less right? Mac delivers yet again.
-I didn't mention the Notes and To Do features in Mail, which are excellent adds. Example of what these are: I often send myself an email so that I have a note: Well, instead of sending a mail to myself, which can, if hung up take a minute or an hour to return to me, I can write myself a note which sits in my inbox. I can add attachments like an email. I can also turn a note into a "To do", assigning a due date and getting a check box to check when it has been completed. Anywhere I can access my email, I can also get my notes. Weird and wonderful! To do events sync to iCal (which also syncs to my iPhone)... excellent.
-Email contacts, addresses, phone numbers can be added to existing contacts, or a new contact with a couple clicks. This is very handy for the busy professional.
-The teleconferencing features of iChat makes presentations really personal and also allows you to share desktops. I won't use this at home, and I can only dream of this at work when working remotely with our team/my boss in the UK. Words don't do this feature justice.
-My existing programs seem to work ok. I did get a minor error with Parallels (see Cons section for more), but all other programs tried functioned fine.
Con:
-Boot Camp requires reboot to run Windows
-Changed the icons some, which is not a big deal, but which was unnecessary
-With all this advanced file-sharing capability in iChat, I am concerned that a guest could inadvertently open sensitive files or emails. I get confidential materials sometimes, and I have little means of limiting access. It's too open and I'd love some locking features, both in iChat and in case I walk away from my Mac and someone decides to have some fun.
- Parallels has become unstable and won't launch. A free patch fomr the Parallels website (build "5582") fixed the crash on launch issue, however an IP conflict gotten originally still persists. This IP error does not seem to cause any issues as far as I can tell, it is just a nuisance.

Bottom line: Highly recommended. Sleek, smart, and straight-forward. The review title says it all, however there are obviously many reasons to buy, including staying current with the OS so that you have access to future releases and features.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Mac OS X Version 10.5.6 Leopard

Add a new Mac to your Mac. Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard is packed with over 300 new features, installs easily, and works with the software and accessories you already have. Mac OS X v.10.5 Leopard is the newest release of Apple's innovative, stable and compatible operating system for Macintosh computers. This new release includes an elegant new interface and over 300 new innovations designed to help customers accomplish any task. Improvements have been included for all your favorite Mac programs like iChat and Mail, as well as all-new features such as Quick Look, which lets you peruse the contents of a multiple-page document or video without opening the whole file, and Time Machine, which can recover files in seconds. OS X 10.5 has all this, as well as the exceptional search technology, stunning graphics, rapid connectivity and solid stability you've come to expect from the OSX family of operating systems. This edition extends the license for use by up to five different users in the same home network.Time Machine lets you keep an up-to-date copy of all important files and, since it can recall how the system looks every day, it can recover files in seconds. iChat now lets you present movies, presentations and virtually any document during your chtas with iChat Theater. You can even save your audio and video chats for sharing or synching with an iPod to play on the go. Communicate with 30 professionally designed stationary template, keep important notes and track to-do items in Mail You can now group applications into Spaces and move between each Space with keyboard shortcuts to organize your windows and reduce clutter

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11/23/2012

Active Lancer (Mac) Review

Active Lancer (Mac)
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I was probably one of the first to buy this game and play the full version, and I must say "wow"! This game is worth much more than just $20.00. Classic shootem up fans will certainly love this game with its full-screen one/two-player shooting frenzy, but there is much more to this game. The awesome sound track, cinematics, and storyline really make this game more than just another shooter. The 3 different character pilots, 5 different chargeable weapons [air and ground], in-game upgrade story to customize and upgrade your ship, and built-in networking support make this the best shooter for the mac i've played yet.
Give this game a shot. There should be a link to download the demo somewhere on the website at www.desoftware.com. You can also find reviews there [whenever they get posted].

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Join the Lancer Squad in this fast-paced action-packed shooter! A host of weapons special power-ups and tough levels makes Active Lancer a must-have for arcade addicts. An exciting straight-up vertical scrolling arcade shooter action game Join others to defeat the diabolical war machine of an alien army bent on taking over the universe Take on alien ships tanks boats and gun turrets; 15+ levels of increasing intensity 15 levels of vertical scrolling shooting; 5 bosses; 3 upgradeable weapon types; 3 different pilots 2 player over network or single computerSystem Requirements: Mac OS 8.6 9.x 10.x or later 300 MHz G3 or faster 330 MB free hard disk space 56 MB of RAMFormat: MAC 9.1-9.X10.1 OR LATER Genre:ENTERTAINMENT UPC:080627030062 Manufacturer No:006

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11/11/2012

Data Backup 3 By Prosoft Engineering Review

Data Backup 3 By Prosoft Engineering
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The Pros:
--A comprehensive group of pre-defined backup sets. The software is determined to help you keep good backups. Kudos!!
--Ability to define your own backup sets, very simple UI for this. And the advanced features in defining backups are very good.
--Good scheduling for the backup sets. Can have separate schedules for the various sets.
--Response to email support inquiries has been fast and courteous.
The Cons:
--As reported by other reviewers, the software often asks you to re-enter the serial number. This is anoying at best, and fatal if it occurs during an automated backup in the middle of the night.
--Cryptic log file. You'll get a report that an error has occured during a backup, but the log file doesn't give much help in determining which files were involved.
The Summary:
Buy this software for the good UI and ease of use. But quality and reporting needs to improve before I can give it another star.

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10/30/2012

The Sims Superstar Expansion Pack Review

The Sims Superstar Expansion Pack
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Many reviews have already described all of the new interactions and items that come with this expansion pack, so I'll focus on some of the things that may not be mentioned that I would have wanted to know before buying it.
1. Overall I would say this expansion involves more work than the others. Becoming famous is an all consuming occupation leaving your Sims little time for anything else. Sims must spend countless hours in Studiotown.
2. The game cannot be saved while a Sim is in Studiotown (much like the downtown area of Hot Date). This is a problem if you experience frequent crashes with your game. I find I need to take my Sim home where I can save the game every time he/she has raised their fame score, so that I don't lose it because of a crash. This is time consuming.
3. Sims run out of energy very quickly in Studiotown so not much can be accomplished in each visit. (only one visit is allowed per day)
4. Sims need famous friends in order to become famous. I find it very difficult to make friends with these famous Sims, the friendship scores don't seem to increase as quickly as with regular Sims.
5. This one only applies if you have downloaded objects from online Sims sites: I have a user-created teleporter in my game, and it no longer works. The game crashes whenever I try to use it. This forces me to use the phone to invite other Sims over, leaving it up to chance rather than being able to import them at will. (Much harder to increase the friendship score this way). Teleporters worked with every other expansion pack, but not Superstar as of yet (hopefully someone will fix this).
I don't mean to point out only the negative aspects of the game, I do enjoy this game but am a little disappointed that it takes so much more work than I had expected. I do love all of the new interactions that are available, and like watching my Sims sing, act or model. I'm still looking forward to an obsessed fan following my famous Sim home. My Sims don't have a high enough fame score for that yet :) (Also, there aren't really 3 separate career paths, Sims access all of the items one at a time as their fame score increases, so they are essentially rock stars, actors and models).
Overall, if you love the Sims, you'll love this expansion pack as well. But be prepared to spend a lot of time trying to become famous.

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In The Sims: Superstar, you'll get a chance to break into show business with your Sim -- see if you can make them the next big thing in Hollywood! There's even a new clothing type, high fashion -- make sure you're dressed for success! Requires full version of The Sims

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10/09/2012

VMware Fusion Review

VMware Fusion
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Usage: I'm a web developer and graphic designer. My workflow involves using a number of tools that are specific to Windows and others that are specific to the Mac. I also use virtual machines for remotely controlling computers and supporting asp and [...] websites.
Experience: I'm an owner of Parallels 2 and, as released, upgraded to Parallels 3. I was also involved in the Beta testing of VMWare Fusion. I have to acknowledge that the Beta versions of Fusion were not stable, however the release version was a tremendous step up from the Beta and significantly faster than Parallels. Parallels is fine if all you're running it for is IE6/7 browser support for IE specific website (i.e. quickbooks online). If you own Parallels and use it sparingly switching to Fusion is a waste of money. If you use audio, video, and graphic editing programs in your virtual machines you WILL notice huge performance gains running Fusion over parallels. There are numerous *free* appliances available from VMWare you can download, which work immediately and seamlessly with Fusion. Very nice.
Summmary/Recommendation: If you're in the market for a Virtual Machine application VMWare Fusion is my recommendation. If you already own Parallels and use it sparingly there's no need to switch. If you use Parallels with processor intensive programs I recommend switching to Fusion as it is much faster.

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From the proven leader in desktop virtualization comes VMware Fusion--the most seamless way to run Windows applications on your Mac. VMware Fusion combines a clean and intuitive interface that Mac users expect with a virtualization platform trusted by millions of users today. VMware Fusion allows you to launch your Windows applications from the Dock and switch between Windows and Mac applications using Expos . With the industry's most advanced virtualization technology VMware Fusion is ready for the future and lets you leverage all the hardware available on your Mac to simultaneously run 32 and 64-bit operating systems, use two processors at the same time, run select 3D games and utilize USB 2.0 devices. Access the widest range of USB 2 devices, allocate up to 8GB of memory to virtual machines, run over 60 guest operating systems from DOS to Microsoft Windows Vista, Linux, Solaris, Netware and FreeBSD.Run your Boot Camp partition side-by-side with Mac OS X without any additional setup.Run any of the more than 550 virtual appliances available from VMwareVirtualize your existing PC with the free VMware Converter Starter Built Exclusively for the Mac -Built with features such as customizable toolbars, easy-to-manage virtual machine packages, and much more The powerful Unity feature transforms your Windows applications and gives you a seamless Mac experience Requires Any Intel Mac computer with a 1.5GHz or faster Intel processor; 512MB of RAM (1GB or more recommended)

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9/15/2012

Bento 3 Review

Bento 3
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I've been a Bento user since 2.0, and I'm reasonably experienced in database. I also use Filemaker Pro 10.
In short, Bento 3 is very useful for personal users, for purposes it is advertised, but I would not expect much more from Bento. Bento 3 is also not much more than Bento2 engine with new cosmetic features. It is no Filemaker. It is very useful when you want to extend or add function to Addressbook, Todo list, calendar, etc., or make your own task manager. In other words, Bento can serve very well as a highly customizable personal information management (PIM) or digital organizer system based on simple databases. Its main weakness are limited relational functions, limited to one table per "library" (databse), and lack of embedded browser interface. Also, "media" field and URL list field of Bento databases are not exportable or importable through CSV files. They are retained within local Bento database files, and they can't be exchanged with other apps in any standard way (unless you are familiar with SQLite database engine, used by Bento. You could access these files directly, if so desired.).
There are many annoying inconveniences in terms of features and user interfaces. I'm actively filing suggestions though their website, so I am strongly hoping that they will release new version soon to fix these problems, but so far I didn't get any luck. I will revise this review and potentially raise the star rating when I see this happening (by the way, I gave 3 stars to Bento 2).
Compared to Filemaker, Bento is a lot easier to use, and much more like Mac software, while Filemaker has more awkward user interface as a Mac application. When creating a simple database, Bento requires a lot less initial work than Filemaker, and the screen layout looks much nicer. Fast, easy, convenient, streamlined are the strengths of Bento over Filemaker.
Bento also has star-rating element, and a few other convenient features that Filemaker lacks. It seems to me that Filemaker avoided these useful features from Filemaker Pro 10 to distance itself from Bento. (I personally want Filemaker Pro 10 to be a superset of Bento, so that I don't have to switch apps to manage personal records, and research data sets, business data and others.)
On the other hand, Filemaker is much more powerful when it comes to relational functions, elements available to user interface. For example, Filemaker can have a web browser (which can also display PDF documents or local files) embedded as an element of user interface within the Filemaker window, which I find very convenient. When the database is large (say more than 10000 records), Filemaker is considerably faster when running search, etc. This is to be expected, since Bento is based on SQLite engine, while Filemaker Pro uses more powerful database engine.
I bought both Bento and Filemaker Pro 10 myself, out of my personal funds. That should tell you that I find both apps are useful for different purposes, and they are different enough. This much is true. What I am not happy is why they did not make Filemaker Pro 10 to have some of the cool features of Bento to make it more useful for quick applications by power users. If you are a Filemaker user, you may find the same bitterness when you decide to shell out for Bento.
I use Bento among my MacPro, Macbook and iMac, synchronized via a pocket hard drive (iMac and Macbook) and/or intranet (MacBook), using MacPro as the base machine. I do this by syncing Bento database folder, Addressbook folder and iCal folder using a free software called unison. It is essential that all three of these databases are synchronized concurrently on all machines, or the references from Bento to the other Mac apps will be broken. If you routinely use multiple computers, Unison is a very worthwhile software to familiarize yourself with, although it is a Unix-originated free software and there is some unfriendliness to it.

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Meet Bento 3 for Mac, the breakthrough new version of the wildly popular personal database from FileMaker that's as easy to use as your Mac.

Organize contacts, track projects, plan events and more--all in one place.
Bento 3 now includes iPhoto integration, security options, multi-user sharing, and much more!
Choose from 35 pre-designed templates included with Bento, download and import templates from others who share your passion, or design your own custom forms using beautiful themes designed by Mac artists.
Bento links directly to the Address Book and iCal information you already have on your Mac to display your contacts and calendars in new and exciting ways.Add places to store important details about each person, event, or task, including related files, photos, and emails.Plus, changes you make in Bento are reflected in Address Book and iCal so your MobileMe account, your iPhone, and your iPod touch will be in sync.
Now you can easily share your contact lists, project plans, event details, and other Bento libraries with up to 5 Bento users on your local area network.Choose which libraries you want to share, and if you want to allow adding, deleting, and updating of information, or limit access to viewing only.Even add a password if you like. Now your family and friends, classmates, and coworkers will always be informed and up to date.
Do all this and more with pre-designed, ready-to-use templates:
Organize contacts, clubs and mailing lists
Track projects, tasks, and deadlines
Plan special events, parties and weddings
Link photos to contacts, projects, and events
Manage students, classes, and lecture notes
Search wine and movie collections
Catalog inventory, assets, and equipment
Record billable hours and payments due
Keep a daily log of diet and exercise
Store recipes and shopping lists
Secure encrypted passwords
See details of products for sale and items sold


Here's what's new in Bento 3:
iPhoto integration Store more info about photos and link them to contacts, projects, events, and other information stored in Bento.
Grid view In addition to Table view, Form view, and Split view, you can now see your images and forms in Grid view for a more visual approach to your information.
Security options Protect your sensitive data using encrypted fields and password protection. Great for web site logins and banking details.
Multi-user sharing Share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your wired or wireless local area network.Ideal for sharing contact lists, project plans, and event details with family, friends, classmates and coworkers.
Related data field with thumbnails Displays thumbnail images of related data instead of just text. For example, link a list of guests to an event--and see a picture of each person invited in the related data field.
File list with thumbnails Displays thumbnail images of related file instead of just text. For example, link a list of files to any record and see the first page of PDF file or a mini version of jpg images in the File list.
Simple list field type Add a freeform table to your forms. Great for creating a quick to do list or shopping list--and for tracking gifts received at parties and weddings.
Library folders Save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder. Libraries contained in the folder can also be exported as a group.
Group emailing Send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks.
Ten new templates Thanks to the addition of ten ready-to-use templates, there are now a total of 35 templates to choose from.

See and interact with your information in stunning new ways
New--iPhoto integration
See all your albums listed in the Bento Libraries pane automatically--no importing required.
View your iPhoto information inside Bento in the new Grid view, Table view, Form view or Split view.
Add additional fields and forms to store more information about your photos beyond what iPhoto stores.
Link photos to contacts, projects, events or other data stored in Bento.
Note: Photos and associated data from iPhoto can only be viewed from within Bento and cannot be edited. However, you can add new fields to your Bento forms to store more data about your photos, but it will not appear in iPhoto.
New--Grid view
View any library in the new Grid view to show a grid of pictures and forms for a more visual approach to your information.
Customize the Grid view to display additional information under each thumbnail that is most relevant to you, like phone numbers or email addresses for all your contacts.
Create and view your own customized thumbnail forms. For example, say you have 40 products that you're selling. You could create a form where you have an image of the product next to the part number and price to see multiple product "cards" together on one screen.

Improved--Related data field--now with image thumbnails
See thumbnail images of media in your Related data fields (formerly called the Related records lists).
For example, you can link a list of guests to an event--and see a picture of each person invited on the event record.

Improved--File list--now with image thumbnails
See a thumbnail image of each document in the File List instead of seeing a list of text containing names of files.
For example, you can see the first page of PDF file or a mini version of jpg images.

Improved--Table view with media cell
See mini versions of pictures, movies or PDFs stored in a media field when you're in Table view.
Use Quick Look to view the media cell contents while in Table view.

New--Simple list field type
Add a freeform table to your forms for quick list tracking.
Create a quick to-do list, shopping list, or keep track of gifts received at birthdays and weddings.

New--Library folders
Save space in your Libraries pane by grouping like libraries in a single folder.
Export the entire folder as a group of templates for easy sharing and uploading to the Bento Template Exchange.
Export data from all of the libraries at once into separate CSV, Tab delimited, Excel, or Numbers files.

Improved--Library icons
Change the icon for any library, choosing from the list of available icons.
Resize your library icons to display either large size or a more compact size to save space in your Libraries pane.

New--Image box
Add a static image, such as a team logo, to any of your forms.
The image appears on all records in the library automatically.


Protect your valuable data with new security options.
New--Security options
Use the new field type called "Encrypted" to store sensitive data, like web site logins and banking details.
Unlock encrypted fields to display contents by entering the database password.
Assign a database password to your entire Bento database. You will be prompted for the password upon launching Bento. Once the correct password is entered, Bento will open your database giving you full access to all your libraries.
Assign a sharing password to allow others access to your shared libraries. This password is different from the database password and only allows access to specific libraries that you have chosen to share over a local area network.


Keep your team informed and up-to-date.
New--Multi-user sharing
Share your Bento libraries with up to 5 other Bento users on your wired or wireless local area network.
Choose to share your entire Bento database or selected libraries.
Add a sharing password that prevents access to shared libraries by unauthorized users.
Allow adding, deleting, and updating information or choose to limit access to viewing only so no changes can be made.
Uses Apple Bonjour to automatically find shared Bento libraries on the same network.

*Sharing requires each user to have their own copy of Bento, and a local area network using a wired or Wi-Fi wireless connection. *iCal events cannot be edited by others when sharing libraries.

Get even more new features that you'll wonder how you ever did without.
New--Group emailing
Send one email to multiple recipients through Apple Mail with a few clicks.
Select the email addresses that you'd like to send to in Table view, then choose 'Email Selected Addresses' from the Edit menu.Apple Mail opens, creates a new message, puts the selected email addresses in the 'To:" field and leaves the cursor in the Subject field so you can complete the group email.

Improved--Theme Chooser
Browse, try, and apply themes more easily than in previous versions.

New--Print blank form
Print a blank version of any form, great for surveys and sign up lists.

New--Copy forms
Now you can copy forms within a library and between collections--a huge time saver and great way to keep things consistent throughout your libraries.

New--10 additional templates Thanks to ten new, pre-designed templates, there are now a total of 35 to choose from. New templates include:
vacation planner
health records
job search
house search
wine collection
home maintenance
party planner
TV & movie catalog
user names and passwords
meeting notes



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9/13/2012

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upsell from Photoshop Elements Review

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upsell from Photoshop Elements
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Very powerful, plenty of options, and it can help you produce better work. Functions can be complicated but there is excellent on-line support and a number of very good 3rd party user guides are available. Look for discounts (student, upgrade from Elements, etc.)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upsell from Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop CS5 delivers breakthrough capabilities to help you create images with impact. Refine your images with reengineered photography tools for removing noise, adding grain, and creating high dynamic range (HDR) images. Get precise results when making complex selections. Remove any image element and see the space fill in almost magically. Paint with naturally textured brushstrokes and realistic color blends. Also work fast with cross-platform 64-bit support and dozens of other time-savers.

Upgrade From Photoshop Elements to Adobe Photoshop CS5 To install an upgrade version of Photoshop CS5 software, you must have an eligible earlier version of Adobe software:
Photoshop Elements 4.0, 6.0, & 8.0 for Mac OS
Photoshop Elements 6.0, 7.0, or 8.0 for Windows

For more information on eligibility, visit www.adobe.com/go/upgradeinfo.
Top reasons to upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS5
Complex selections made easy Get precise results in fewer clicks when selecting intricate image elements, such as hair, and eliminate background color around selection edges. Automatically vary selection edges and perfect masks using new refinement tools.
Content-Aware Fill Remove any image detail or object and watch as Content-Aware Fill magically fills in the space left behind. This breakthrough technology matches lighting, tone, and noise so it looks as if the removed content never existed.
Superior HDR imaging Create photorealistic or surreal high dynamic range (HDR) images with unprecedented speed, control, and accuracy. Get better-than-ever results thanks to automatic ghost removal and greater control with tone mapping and adjustments, and even give single-exposure photos the look of HDR.
State-of-the-art raw image processing Use the Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 6 plug-in to nondestructively remove image noise while preserving color and detail; add grain to make digital photos look more organic; enjoy more control as you perform post-crop vignetting; and more.
Extraordinary painting effects Achieve natural and realistic painting effects with the Mixer Brush, which offers on-canvas color blending, and Bristle Tips, which let you create lifelike, textured brushstrokes.
Puppet Warp Precisely reposition or warp any image element. Swing a raised arm to a person's side in a photo, stretch text to create new effects, and more.
Automatic lens correction Save time with automatic correction of lens distortions, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. Photoshop CS5 uses an image file's EXIF data to make precise adjustments based on the type of camera and lens you used.
Efficient workflow Enjoy productivity and creativity boosts thanks to dozens of features and enhancements requested by Photoshop users. Straighten images automatically, pick colors from an onscreen color picker, adjust the opacity of many layers at once, and more.
Better media management Easily manage media with more flexible batch renaming, and access your assets in the context of what you're working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
Faster performance across platforms Speed up day-to-day imaging tasks and process very large images up to 10 times faster by taking advantage of cross-platform 64-bit support. (Requires a 64-bit-capable computer with a 64-bit version of Mac OS, Microsoft Windows 7, or Windows Vista. Actual performance varies depending on amount of RAM, driver types, and other factors.)
Streamlined creative reviews through integration with CS Live services Use Adobe CS Review, part of new CS Live online services, to initiate a more secure review without leaving Photoshop. Reviewers can add comments to your images from their browsers, and you see those comments appear automatically on your screen. Adobe CS Live online services are complimentary for a limited time. Visit www.adobe.com/go/cslive for details.
New GPU-accelerated features Take advantage of GPU-enabled enhancements to everyday tools. Crop with the Rule of Thirds grid; zoom with click-and-scrub functionality; and sample colors with better visualization and an onscreen color picker.
Easier user interface management Use the collapsible Workspace Switcher to quickly navigate and choose among favorite user interface configurations. Live workspaces automatically record your user interface changes so panels will remain in place even if you switch away for a while.
Superior black-and-white conversion Explore an endless variety of black-and-white looks. Use the integrated Lab B&W Action to interactively convert color images; create gorgeous HDR black-and-whites with greater ease and speed; and experiment with new presets.
Create powerful images with the professional standard
Easy access to core editing power Get just the tools you need--exactly when you need them--as you perform common editing activities. Adjustments and Masks panels guide you in making precise adjustments and masks.
Extraordinary creative tools Achieve realistic painting effects with the ability to mix colors on canvas and create natural brushstrokes. Merge multiple exposures into stunning high dynamic range (HDR) images. Move, remove, warp, or stretch any image element.
State-of-the-art photography Easily merge multiple exposures to extend the dynamic range with more power, precision, and fidelity than ever before. Convert to black-and-white in new ways. And use Dodge, Burn, and Sponge tools that intelligently preserve color and tone details.
Industry-leading raw image processing Enjoy superior results when you convert raw images with the Camera Raw 6 plug-in, which offers support for over 275 camera models plus nondestructive editing so you can experiment without harming your original photo.
Automated compositing tools Easily create a single image from a series of shots that have different focal points, smoothly blending color and shading and extending your depth of field. And take advantage of accurate, automatic layer alignment.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom integration Enjoy tight integration with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software (sold separately), easily moving files from Lightroom to Photoshop CS5 to create HDR images, panoramas, and multilayered Photoshop documents. Roundtrip your files back to Lightroom.
Efficient media management Manage your media visually with Adobe Bridge CS5 software. Enjoy more flexible batch renaming plus the ability to access files in the context of your work using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel.
Powerful printing options Get outstanding prints in less time with automation, scripting, and a print dialog box that's easier to navigate.
Broad file format support Import and export hundreds of image file formats, including PSD, AI, PDF, NEF, CRW, TIFF, BMP, Cineon, JPEG, JPEG2000, FXG, OpenEXR, PNG, and Targa, and video formats including 3G, FLC, MOV, AVI, DV Stream, Image Sequence, MPEG-4, and FLV.
Extensibility Personalize Photoshop and extend its capabilities with custom panels that developers create to accomplish specific tasks, the Adobe Photoshop Marketplace for third-party plug-ins and resources, and Adobe Community Help for tips and tricks.
Top new features of Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended
Intelligent selection technology Photoshop CS5 takes the time and frustration out of making precise image selections and masks, providing you a faster way to extract subjects from their backgrounds and create realistic composites. New intelligent selection technology offers better edge detection and faster, more accurate masking results of complex subjects, like hair. Automatic color decontamination helps you eliminate background color around the edges of a selection, resulting in more seamless compositions when placing extracted subjects on new backgrounds.
Experienced Photoshop users know that the best selections are created by constantly adapting the selection technique for differences in the subject's edges--one method for hair and another for the edge of a building. With Photoshop CS5, you can produce highly accurate masks and selections faster and more simply than before with a set of new adaptive selection-edge modification controls. Smart Radius automatically matches the best selection approach with the subject's changing edge characteristics, and the extra view modes assist you in previewing the quality of your selections. The Refine Radius and Erase Refinements tools customize your masks and selections as you make them. These tools, in combination with the color decontamination settings, help eliminate any residual background color from around the edges of your selections.
Content‐Aware Fill One of the most exciting new features in Photoshop CS5 is the remarkable ability to remove an image element and magically replace it with details that match the lighting, tone, and noise of the surrounding area so that it looks like the content never existed. Now, you can make substantial changes to photo composition quickly and easily, as even large complex subjects can be seamlessly erased.
You can use Content-Aware Fill with the Spot Healing Brush or as an option of the Fill feature to replace content in an active selection. Selecting the Content-Aware setting with the Spot Healing brush changes the way the tool fills in the areas you paint. This retouching approach is designed to account more fully for the structure and detail of the image elements that surround the painted area, providing a near-invisible result when removing unwanted objects. Alternatively, you can select the object to be removed, and then replace the area with synthesized details from the area surrounding the selection, simply by using the Content-Aware option in the Fill dialog box.
HDR Pro for creativity and precision with the next generation of high dynamic range imaging With just a few clicks, you can go beyond the capture capabilities of your camera by combining multiple exposures into a single high dynamic range (HDR) photo that preserves the full tonal range of a scene with high contrast. Photoshop CS5 introduces HDR Pro for more control over the HDR merging process and greater adjustment power over the mapping of tones and the styling of HDR output, resulting in images that range from photorealistic to highly surreal.
HDR Pro offers extended controls, an enhanced dialog box, and improved image processing. New algorithms enable more accurate alignment of source files and automatically deghost any problem areas that occur when trying to merge source photos where subjects have moved during capture. You can even select a source file to be used as the sole reference for any ghosted areas or allow the feature to do this automatically for you.
New tone-mapping tools and adjustment controls give you the power to implement your own HDR vision, producing photos that range in style from fully textured images of high-contrast scenes to wildly hyper-realistic creations. Save your favorite styles as presets and apply them to multiple groups of source files to provide a common look and feel to your HDR photos. And for times when you don't have multiple source files, create the look of an HDR-processed image from a single photo with the new HDR Toning feature that allows you to mimic the tone-mapping results traditionally achieved in high dynamic range photos.
Together with the existing Photomerge feature (which allows for image stitching), the exposure-merging capabilities of HDR Pro can add up to high-bit-depth, 360-degree panoramas ideal for composite photography, video, and beyond.
The Auto Stack Panorama/HDR files option in Adobe Bridge CS5 and the new panelized Mini Bridge groups source files together into stacks for quicker creation of HDR images in Photoshop CS5. You can even start the creation of an HDR file by choosing Tools > Merge To HDR from the Mini Bridge panel inside Photoshop.
State-of-the-art raw-image processing The Adobe Camera Raw 6 plug-in, which ships with Photoshop CS5, now supports more than 275 camera models as it continues to provide you with the industry-leading conversion of raw files. In addition, the utility provides advanced, nondestructive image editing and enhancement for raw files, as well as for other standard formats, including JPEG and TIFF. Now you can remove noise, achieve better quality sharpening, and creatively apply new styles of vignettes and film-like grain.
You can now shoot at higher ISO settings with confidence, because the updated controls in the Adobe Camera Raw 6 plug-in remove the noise common in such high-ISO images (as well as in photos captured with long exposures and pictures from consumer cameras) while still preserving excellent color and detail.
New controls for adding grain and additional post-crop vignetting settings join many creative options already available in this utility, such as the Adjustment Brush and the Graduated Filter. For the first time, you can add grain-like texture to photos as part of your nondestructive editing workflow. Adjust amount, size, and roughness of grain to easily give composites a more natural, seamless appearance by matching levels of grain across all source images--or simply use the feature to make a digital photo look more organic or film-like.
Updated post-crop vignetting options offer more creative control over the corner darkening and lightening process, and your favorite vignette effects can be saved as presets for quick application across multiple files.
Upgraded sharpening options produce clearer photos with fewer artifacts while providing better control over key details, especially when working with high-resolution pictures produced by multi-megapixel cameras.
Extraordinary painting effects With a new Mixer Brush, a Bristle Tips feature, and a new mechanism for blending colors, Photoshop CS5 redefines the way you paint. You can take advantage of more natural and realistic painting effects, making it easy to take your imagery and designs in new artistic directions.
The Mixer Brush lets you define multiple colors on a single tip, and then mix and blend them with the underlying hues on your canvas, achieving creative results that rival traditional painting media. When starting with a photo original, you can use a dry, empty brush to blend the existing colors while at the same time adding a painterly effect to the image. Mixer Brush settings provide extensive control over the wetness of the canvas colors, the load rate that determines amount of paint loaded on the brush, the mixing rate between brush and canvas colors, and whether the brush is refilled, cleaned, or both after each painting stroke.
In conjunction with these new mixing features, Photoshop CS5 incorporates unprecedented control over stroke characteristics of its painting tools with Bristle Tips. Bristle Qualities define key bristle properties such as shape, length, stiffness, thickness, angle, and spacing, which affect how the color is laid on the image as you paint.
The Bristle Brush Preview feature provides a visual representation of these changes, and you can save your tip configurations for future use, allowing you to build a customized collection of Bristle Tips to experiment with when using Photoshop brush tools.
Puppet Warp Puppet Warp gives you more freedom when pushing and pulling elements within an image. The feature lets you recompose an image to make it more appealing, or to fit a specific layout, by allowing the precise repositioning of any element within a Photoshop document, or selection, by simply clicking and dragging. After you reposition an object, Photoshop adjusts the rest of the image to account for the shifted pixels.
After choosing Edit > Puppet Warp, click on your image to drop pins establishing anchor points where you want image parts not to move, and handles that you can use for warping. Then drag any of the pins to reposition the picture elements. Use Puppet Warp to swing a raised arm to a person's side, warp and stretch text to create new effects, or reposition intrusive objects in a photo to create a more pleasing composition.
Automated lens correction The Lens Correction features in Photoshop CS5 create better quality captures by removing or correcting the three most common lens-based errors: geometric distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. This means you can use a wider range of lenses with the confidence of producing images of the highest quality. With the aid of the Adobe Lens Profile Creator (available separately as a free download from labs.adobe.com) you can produce custom profiles characterizing the optical aberrations of your camera lenses. When installed and selected in the Lens Correction filter in Photoshop CS5, the profile automatically removes or corrects the three types of distortion.
The Lens Correction filter in Photoshop CS5 is redesigned to include manual adjustment controls under the Custom tab, and settings for locating and applying custom Lens Correction Profiles (LCP files) under a new Auto Correction tab. Installed profiles that match your camera and lens combination are used to apply precise distortion corrections to your photos. Suitable profiles can be located easily based on the EXIF data automatically recorded with the image, and if a suitable profile is not present in the Lens Correction filter, then with a single click within the dialog box, you can search online for the correct profile to meet your needs.
Individual error types can be selected in the filter's settings, as can options for handling any transparent areas that surround the corrected image.
User-inspired productivity enhancements Photoshop CS5 helps boost productivity and creativity throughout the editing workflow with dozens of enhancements inspired by Photoshop users. Some of these include:
A neutral-density preset for the Gradient tool
The ability to save 16-bit Photoshop documents in 8-bit JPEG format in a single step
An option for reversing the clone source using the flip buttons in the Clone Source panel
A Don't Show This Message Again option when saving files with maximum compatibility
Default value for Shadows/Highlights changed from 50% to 35%
The ability to move a selection while the active layer is hidden
An on/off option for trackpad gesture support on Mac and in Microsoft Windows 7
A new layer command for deleting all empty layers via scripts
A Straighten button on the Ruler tool options bar
A Close All Open Images Without Saving option
A Save As option for always defaulting to the folder to which you last saved an image
The ability to drag and drop a file onto an open Photoshop document to create a new layer
Multiple improvements in Lens Correction filter options, including:
Grid Display is off by default
Show Grid, Grid Size, and Grid Color settings are now sticky
Default grid size is increased from 16 to 64 pixels
Decimal point adjustments are allowed as values for the Chromatic Aberration sliders
A third Chromatic Aberration slider enables the correction of green/magenta fringing
The Background Color Edge setting is replaced with the Black Color entry
A White Color option is available in the Edge menu
Reset options are changed so that only the calibration settings are reset, not the Grid options

A new Cache Tile Size control in the Performance section of the Preferences dialog box
Zoom in and out with the new scrubby zoom tool
Presets for setting Cache Tile Size and Cache Levels simultaneously
The ability to use keystrokes to set values in the Adjustments panel text fields
Performance increases of up to 50% when importing OBJ files
Sample colors faster using the new on screen color ring built into the eyedropper tool
Customizable default values for Layer styles
New creative resources, including actions, tools, presets, brushes, swatches, shapes, gradients, styles, and tool presets
Window and Door shapes added to list of meshes that can be created from a layer
An option for changing the opacity of multiple selected layers
The ability to create a mask from the transparent areas of a layer
Pick colors faster using the new on-screen color HUD
Print settings saved with the image file, allowing one-button printing with user-selected values
Selecting a printer automatically lists the profiles installed for that printer at the top of the profile list
Printer-specific profiles are selected automatically when choosing a printer
Customized print settings can be recorded as part of a Photoshop Action
An overlay grid can be displayed when using the Crop tool
Layer groups can be nested more than five levels deep
New Paste Outside and Paste Inside commands, along with the previously existing Paste In Place option, are included in a new Edit > Paste Special menu

Streamlined creative reviews through integration with Adobe CS ReviewCollaborate with colleagues and seek client comment quickly and easily with Adobe CS Review, a new CS Live online service* designed to simplify and accelerate the design review process.
With CS Review, you can avoid the hassles of large email attachments, logon problems with FTP servers, and time-consuming next-day air deliveries usually associated with client reviews by instead initiating a secure, shared review. Comments are displayed in near-real time and in context, providing convenient feedback on your images and designs. You can access the CS Review service from within Photoshop CS5.
Faster performance with cross-platform native 64-bit support Tight deadlines and large file sizes make performance a high priority for many Photoshop users. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended deliver cross-platform 64-bit support, allowing you to perform day-to-day imaging tasks up to 10 times faster. Video and photo professionals, especially, benefit from the extra performance, as gains are even greater if you regularly work with very large files, where processing can be up to ten times faster when you take advantage of higher addressable RAM amounts--limited only by what your hardware accommodates.
To help you tweak the performance of your setup, Photoshop CS5 lets you adjust history, tile, and cache controls in combination.
Greater access to key resources via flexible custom panels Photoshop CS5 offers easy ways to integrate and extend your workspace with customized panels. With the aid of the Configurator 2.0 panel utility (available separately as a download from labs.adobe.com) you can produce your own panels, bringing together your most used tools and menu selections and incorporating your favorite web feeds or video tutorials.
Stay connected to the greater Photoshop community and all facets of your digital life directly from within Photoshop CS5 by using panels you create or those produced and distributed by other users. You can access anything that lives on the web--favorite blogs, video content, even your email--with these integrated panels. You can even expand content beyond a panel's standard viewing area when you need a magnified view.
Easier interface management with Live Workspaces and Workspace Switcher Creating dedicated, task-specific workspaces that mimic your individual workflow increases productivity and efficiency by hiding the features you don't use and exposing the ones you do. New Live Workspaces auto-save any changes you make to a task-specific workspace, so that if you switch to a different workspace and then back again during an editing session, your panels remain exactly where you left them. The number of entries displayed in the collapsible Workspace Switcher can be altered, and the position of each workspace can be rearranged. This provides quicker navigation between frequently used setups.
Superior black-and-white conversion Photoshop CS5 continues to support the tradition of producing finely crafted monochrome photos with the inclusion of new ways to explore an endless variety of black-and-white looks. You can use the integrated Lab Black & White Technique action, located in the Default Actions group of the Actions panel, for an easy and interactive way to convert color images. Create gorgeous HDR black-and-whites with greater ease and speed by taking advantage of the new and updated features in HDR Pro. Take your monochrome creations in new directions with conversion presets in the Black & White panel.

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9/07/2012

Myob Accountedge 2008 for Mac Also Includes Network Edition Review

Myob Accountedge 2008 for Mac Also Includes Network Edition
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have been a regular user of AccountEdge since September of 1999, having switched when intuit could not guarantee a Y2K patch for QuickBooks Pro. Since MYOB has a new version of the software, I thought this would be a good time to take a look at what other accounting programs for Macintosh were being offered. I was surprised to see three other robust programs available. Reading the specs though I could see they were designed for smaller businesses such as sole proprietorships, or specific types of businesses (i.e., retail), or individuals. The two big players on the market for small to medium businesses are still QuickBooks Pro and MYOB AccountEdge (or Peachtree, if you are running an Intel Mac.) I know that MYOB maintains a commitment to continue to develop for the Macintosh platform. This is not necessarily so for Intuit and definitely not for Peachtree. And, Intuit recently had some major issues with user data being lost. http://db.tidbits.com/article/9378.
It's not my intention to review MYOB AccountEdge by using QuickBooks Pro as their foil. The truth is that there are very few Accounting programs that are supported on a Macintosh. And even though I always give kudos to MYOB for their support of the Macintosh platform, there are always features that can be improved upon. Most notably for me was the length of time it took MYOB to be up and running for the OS 10.5 Panther release. At this point in time, MYOB has the following statement on the website:
AccountEdge and AccountEdge Network Edition 2008 are certified compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Make sure you are on the latest version by opening the Help menu from the top menu bar and choosing Check for Product Updates from the Help menu. Following is a list of known issues.
Payroll forms - In order to run any payroll forms - including W-2s - at the end of the year, you will need to download an updated Payroll Forms Viewer. This update can be accessed by opening AccountEdge, navigating to the Help menu, and then selecting Check For Updates.
Upgrading files - When opening a file from a previous version, you may receive an "Upgrade Assistant is unable to process the company file" error message. You must first upgrade the file using the Upgrade Assistant found in your MYOB AccountEdge 2008 applications directory.
New Features in MYOB AccountEdge 2008
Backup to .mac. is by far one the best new feature for my money. This offsite backup capability for .mac account holders is useful for businesses that do not have any other offsite backup in place. When the backup command is selected, there is an option to back up to disk, or to .mac. The user also has the option to back up only the company file which saves on storage space. I have to say that I am having problems with this new feature, and had hoped to have it solved before posting this review. My workaround right now is to back my company file up to disc, then open .mac and upload the file from there. My past experience with this company on issues like this is that they are eventually taken care of. It could be that there is a conflict on my end as well. I've yet to sign up for a support plan, but will be doing so.
iCal integration is a great tool for people who use iCal on a regular basis. One advantage I can see to this is if the user has a customer that is historically late with payments. Publishing the invoice to iCal will bring up a reminder to contact the customer when the invoice is due. Other reminders such as bill payments and recording recurring transactions can also be sent to iCal just by selecting the checkbox in the open window.
New Payroll features include better sick leave and vacation tracking, and auto calculating the same. This is a great feature both the payroll clerk and employee will benefit from.
Statements have been updates to be more customizable. This is a great new feature, as in prior versions the statements could be confusing to some customers who did not pay their entire invoice in full.
The Command Center has a new look. It's OK, not really necessary but nice to see. Also added to the command center is a feature called Task Drawer. It is a slide out window controlled by a button on the bottom right edge of the Command Center. The Task Drawer holds a list of the most common functions the user can customize to his or her specific tasks.
The W-2 and W-3 function in AccountEdge 2008 is greatly improved from earlier versions of the software. Using Forms Viewer, the user can now print plain paper copies of these forms, eliminating the need to purchase costly pre-printed forms from third party vendors.
There are other new features in AccountEdge 2008 that can improve productivity once the user becomes familiar with them. Command +N now bring up new, accounts, jobs, invoices, depending on the window the user is working in. Previously this command would only bring up a new window. If you are using direct deposit for payroll, you can now email pay-stubs to the employees, saving on printing.
MYOB offers it's Accounting 101 tutorial for people who are just starting out, or need a refresher course in Accounting. I would recommend that anyone who is considering this software be somewhat familiar with standard accounting practices, however.
New customers can take advantage of an online training webinar. For a fee, MYOB offers Full Service Payroll, Credit Card Processing, Direct Deposit, eFiling, and Vendor Payment services. I've not tried any of these, but I can see how they would make sense for a small business that doesn't want to spend a lot of time taking care of these types of tasks.
If you are running Leopard (OS 10.5) make sure all your software updates have been downloaded and installed., including 10.5.1. Also helpful is the latest version of stuffit expander 12.0.1 Once MYOB AccountEdge is installed, choose check for updates from your MYOB products under the help menu, download and install. Ancillary programs such as Forms Viewer need to be updated the same way, by looking under the help menu. Make sure the most current tax tables are loaded by choosing that feature once the program is fully installed and updated.
I hear a lot of complaining about paid support plans, and read about problems with them on the message boards. I'd like to speak up in defense of paid support plans. In one sense it is no different from purchasing AppleCare for hardware products. It's there if you need it, and hopefully you don't. Also, the company has to have staff on hand for those who do need help with the software. I imagine there are a percentage of users who know little about accounting and use the support plans for reasons other than software glitches. That said, when comparing cost of ownership including the support plan over a three year period, between QuickBooks and MYOB, MYOB offers the best value for money.
There is a user discussion board accessible through the MYOB site. I have found it useful to read through some of the discussions. One thread recently reported that networked machines on Leopard using file-connect have noticed an improvement is speed. Speed has been an issue since the introduction of the Networked version of AccountEdge, so I'm glad to see that has been improved upon.
A trial version of this software is available for 30 days, and support is free for the first 30 days.
MYOB offers a free Accountant's Version of the software to qualified users.
MYOB AccountEdge and AccountEdge Network Edition 2008 version 8 System Requirements
Minimum requirements for full installation:
'Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later
'PowerMac G3 or later with at least 128 MB RAM
'100MB of available Hard Disk space for program installation. 245MB for full installation
'Average of 35 MB additional HD space for each company file maintained with MYOB AccountEdge
'1024x768 screen resolution running thousands of colors
Help System, Payroll Updates and Business Services:
'Internet access required for payroll updates and forms, as well as Internet-based Business Services
'Safari or Firefox
'QuickTime 5.0 or higher
Networking Requirements:
'AccountEdge Network Edition recommended for multi-user networking
'G5 processor or better with at least 1 GB RAM
'100BaseT or faster Ethernet network
Microsoft Office connection requires:
'Microsoft Word® X and 2004
'Microsoft Excel® X and 2004
Intel-Based Mac Compatibility:
'AccountEdge v7 and above will run natively on both Intel-based and PowerPC Macs.
1. Mac OS X 10.4 or later is required for syncing with Mac Address Book. 2. (UNIX File System) formatted hard drives are not supported
MyMac rating on this product is 4.5 out of 5.

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9/05/2012

FileMaker Pro 10 Review

FileMaker Pro 10
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I've used Filemaker since it's been black and white on a Mac Classic. From version to version it has always upgraded my files and performed flawlessly. At FM 6 I migrated over to Windows and the migration of my relational database was virtually flawless -just a little tweaking of layout and fonts.
It has always been very easy to use -I have built entire applications for my personal use and it's always trouble free and fast. It is crazy simple to customize.
I stopped at FM 6 for a while because FM 7 switched to a new database model, more in line with other databases like MySQL. Finally this year I switched to FM 10. I did need to redo my databases into tables and used it as an opportunity to clean out the unused stuff I'd added and then stopped using over 15 years -but I was surprised that it was way easier to migrate than I expected.
FM10 also has a nifty function where, as I update my FM records locally on my computer, it updates the MySQL database where my website is hosted. I enter new products and my website, running off MySQL and PHP is instantly updated!
FM is stable as all get out. My Macs didn't crash but of course my PCs do. When that happens FM will sometimes say it needs to "rebuild the database" -it has NEVER failed to do so. I have never lost data. Also, they don't release until it's right. Windows seems to be in perpetual Beta mode and you get to be the tester but through many upgrades, Filemaker is never half baked -new versions always run well and I'm not on tech support bringing up bugs they didn't catch.
Filemaker has a good deal of power for the power user, but FM has also been the database of choice for people who have no database experience. I started as a newbie many many years ago, found it easy to learn (once I understood the idea of a relational database) and I still love it! When a company does a good job of something I think it's very important to say so (cause usually I'm bitchin'.)

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FileMaker Pro is the world's leading easy-to-use database software that securely shares information with Windows and Mac users--through your network, over the web, and in popular formats such as PDF. Whether you need to manage client information, track project details, or produce inventory reports, FileMaker Pro 10 helps you get your important information organized in one place so it's instantly accessible.

Manage people, projects, assets, and more--the easy way!
Get started quickly With its award-winning ease of use, FileMaker Pro is simple to install and setup takes just minutes. Instantly add many types of information including lists, photos or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
Reporting made easy FileMaker Pro 10 comes complete with step-by-step reporting tools that help you make sense of all your data and automate those repetitive tasks. Use the Report Assistant to design custom layouts, labels and reports.
Share information in a couple of clicks Safely share FileMaker Pro 10 databases through a network or over the web, with both Windows and Mac users. Plus control what data you let other people see--right down to a specific field.
Sleek new look. Intuitive new design. The fresh new interface of FileMaker Pro puts commonly used features right at your fingertips. Based on feedback from our customers, the new Status Toolbar is redesigned to give you streamlined navigation, better workflow and timesaving shortcuts. You can even customize the toolbar by dragging and dropping the features you use the most. Now managing your information is more simple and straightforward than ever before.
More product enhancements The enhanced Quick Start Screen is a great way to start learning how to use FileMaker Pro with access to videos and technical resources. Easily create databases from existing sources like .CSV, Tab, and Excel. You can also now import your Bento data directly into FileMaker Pro through the Quick Start Screen or the File Menu.
20 things you can do faster and easier with FileMaker Pro 10:
Manage customer contact information
Archive photos, PDFs, documents and more
Automate and web-publish proposals for clients
Convert paper forms to electronic forms
Track billable time spent on projects
Manage business assets
Track employee, patient, or clientele records
Create a catalog of inventory and assets
Manage an employee directory
Collect meeting minutes and track issues
Route technical support calls and track statistics
Log and chart research and other findings
Automate requests to the help desk
Track requisitions and purchase orders
Develop a quoting, estimating, and invoicing system
Create a client contact log
Generate weekly status reports
Automatically create email/direct mail offers
Issue SQL queries to enterprise CRM system
Attract customers with a web-published catalog

Get results in minutes FileMaker Pro 10 comes with 30 ready-to-use Starter Solutions to help you get started fast. Simply open a solution and start adding information, or import your existing data from many popular formats. The FileMaker Resource Center helps novices and experts get up and running smoothly.


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9/02/2012

Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5 Upgrade Review

Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5 Upgrade
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Photoshop has for a long time been the top-of-the-line photo editing program on both PCs and Macs. We had a student version on an old iMac back when my wife and I were students, but when I upgraded to a Macbook Pro I picked up Elements instead of full-blown Photoshop. It seemed to do everything I could imagine wanting to do with photos and more.
I never imagined you could do what you can with the latest version of Photoshop, though. If you've ever thought about upgrading to the full version of Photoshop, now would be the time, especially if you are a student and can get the student price, or if you can get the upgrade price. Some of the features on this new version are nothing short of astonishing.
First of all, it can do all the usual adjusting and layering and touch up and effects, and seems to do them better than ever. It appears to be quite stable, and very fast, possibly owing to the new 64-bit support on CS5. I've been working with Photoshop CS5 Extended every day for a few weeks (on a Macbook Pro, OS 10.6.3, 28GHz, 4GB Ram) and haven't had any problems or glitches. It installed without a hitch and runs nicely. No slow downs, no hangups, no crashing.
One thing I like is that when you open another program in Mac, the photoshop tools and utilities windows hide out of the way until you go back into it. Final Cut doesn't do that, for example, which means that if I'm working on Final Cut I need to move my windows out of the way to get at other things, or use Spaces and set my apps on different spaces windows in order to be productive.
There are three basic parts to the Photoshop package: an organizer (Adobe Bridge), a non-destructive photo adjuster (Adobe Raw, which is designed for RAW format photos but works on JPEGs as well), and an editor (Photoshop, which does ordinary adjustments and tweaks but also works with layers and masks and an inexhaustible array of effects to allow you to do pretty much anything you could possibly imagine with your photos).
What's new in CS5?
Mini Bridge - in addition to the ordinary Bridge program that helps organize your photos (and other files for use with other CS5 programs), Photoshop includes the Mini Bridge that functions like a bridge app that opens within photoshop itself. It only works, though, if Bridge is already open. Bridge also allows you to batch rename photos - which is very cool, especially with the funky way that cameras tend to name your photos.
Refine edge - Photoshop's selection tools are already pretty astonishing, and with the new refine edge tools (that work both for selections and for masks) they've gotten much more sophisticated, allowing you to fine tune selections in pretty amazing ways. For example with frizzy hair, where you can see through the hair at the edges to a background, refine edge can usually allow you to select just the hair and not the background. There's even a tool that allows you to get rid of reflections from the background on the subject. When I do green screen photography, it's always difficult to avoid getting some green light bounce on the perimeter of the subject. What's truly amazing is that with Photoshop's selection tools and refine edge, you really don't even need to use the green screen because you can replace the background of most photos without it.
New painting options - there are a whole range of new brushes you can paint with and each brush can be adjusted for thickness and stiffness, and several other properties that make photoshop into a true painting program, and allow you to use painting to either modify existing photos or create original artworks. The coolest painting feature is the "Mixer Brush" that allows you to treat a photograph as if it were covered in wet paint and to either paint from it as if it were a palette or to mix other colors with the existing colors on the photo.
3D & Puppet Warp - you can take a photo and make it into a 3-D postcard that can be rotated and re-oriented however you like. Additionally you can create three dimensional objects or make elements of photographs into 3-D objects so you can experiment with different ways of laying them out. Puppet Warp allows you to take an object and move its elements around - turning a head or raising an arm for example.
Improved HDR Pro Support - you can shoot photos with a range of exposures and it will bring them together in a single shot that captures all the nuance you want; you can then adjust these in case you want, say, to flatten the shadows or want less nuance in the highlights of a certain area in the photo. Note that this can even work if you don't have a tripod and just eyeball the frames, since the program will automatically detect the overlap regions. Pretty cool.
Automatic lens correction - Photoshop can figure out what kind of lens you have and correct for distortions in the lens.
Content Aware Fill - of course the most astonishing feature of CS5 is the content aware fill. CS4 (and Photoshop Express 9) already had the content aware transform that allows you to shrink a photo and let it know which parts you don't want warped and which parts you'd like to lose. Content Aware fill is like a mixture between that function and the healing brush tool. You can select, say, a piece of garbage on the lawn in an otherwise nice photo, then fill it with content aware fill and Photoshop will reconstruct a seamless piece of lawn turf in the place of the garbage. You can get rid of a stranger who wandered into your frame without doing any cropping or resizing (provided that the background that needs to be filled in is not too complicated). You can even fill in gaps in a panorama shot (where you take a few photos in order to get an expanded range). Some of this would be possible already with older versions of Photoshop but would take hours; but some of the things you can do with this tool are simply magical. (For a quick illustration of how it works, see the brief attached video).
Online Review Feature - another new thing that would be quite handy for the professional user, or for someone collaborating with others artistically, is the online review function. Basically it allows you to upload the latest version of your image and notify others it's there. They can then go into the image and post comments, both general comments and comments tied to specific parts of the photo, and then those comments appear ready to review and read by the original poster.
System requirements - a few people have noted that the system requirements are not available on this page. Adobe CS5 was designed to take advantage of the some of the most recent computer architecture standards and operating systems, so those who have a five or six year old computer should stick with an older version. Here are the requirements from Adobe's website, for Mac users of CS5: Multicore Intel processor (so no G4 or PowerPC); minimum 1GB of RAM; 2GB available hard drive space for installation and additional free space available during the installation (plus no case-sensitive file systems); recommended 1280x800 display with qualified hardware-accelerated OpenGL graphics card, 16-bit color, and 256MB of VRAM; Quicktime 7.6.2; a DVD-Rom drive. Summing Up
This is not really a beginner's program. For those who want to just tweak exposure and color balance, stick with iPhoto or something simple. For slightly more complicated fixes, but with a smaller learning curve, stick to something like Photoshop Elements. If you really want to work magic with your photos, though, and if you're willing to put in some serious time trying things out (and going through the seemingly endless tutorials online) - or if you already know Photoshop or Elements and you know how much time it can take to do some of the fixes that the Content Aware tool can solve in seconds, you really ought to check out this latest version of Photoshop. It's pretty amazing.


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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended software delivers breakthrough capabilities for creating images with impact. Get precise results when making complex selections. Remove any image element and see the space fill in almost magically. Paint on 2D and 3D images with naturally textured brushstrokes and realistic color blends. Create 3D extrusions for logos and artwork. Also work fast with cross-platform 64-bit support and dozens of time-savers.


Upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended To install an upgrade version of Photoshop CS5 Extended software, you must have an eligible earlier version of Adobe software:
Photoshop CS3 & CS4 Extended

For more information on eligibility, visit www.adobe.com/go/upgradeinfo.

Top reasons to upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended
Complex selections made easy Get better-than-ever results when selecting intricate image elements, such as hair, and eliminate background color around selection edges. Automatically vary selection edges and perfect masks using new refinement tools.

Content-Aware Fill Remove any image detail or object and watch as Content-Aware Fill magically fills in the space left behind. This breakthrough technology matches lighting, tone, and noise so it looks as if the removed content never existed.

Extraordinary painting effects Achieve natural and realistic painting effects with the Mixer Brush, which offers on-canvas color blending, and Bristle Tips, which let you create lifelike, textured brushstrokes.

3D extrusions with Adobe Repoussé Create 3D logos and artwork from any text layer, selection, path, or layer mask with Adobe Repoussé technology. Twist, rotate, extrude, bevel, and inflate your designs.

Puppet Warp Precisely reposition or warp any image element. Swing a raised arm to a person's side in a photo, stretch text to create new effects, and more.

State-of-the-art raw image processing Use the Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 6 plug-in to nondestructively remove image noise while preserving color and detail; add grain to make digital photos look more organic; enjoy more control as you perform post-crop vignetting; and more.

Superior HDR imaging Create photorealistic or surreal HDR images with unprecedented speed, control, and accuracy. Get better-than-ever results thanks to automatic ghost removal and greater control with tone mapping and adjustments, and even give single-exposure photos the look of HDR.

Enhanced 3D realism and rich materials Enhance 3D objects and designs with easy shadow creation, image-based lights, and materials like glass and chrome. Explore with different focus points in your 3D scene by adjusting the range for depth of field.

Efficient workflow Enjoy productivity and creativity boosts thanks to dozens of features and enhancements requested by Photoshop users. Straighten images automatically, choose colors from an onscreen color picker, adjust the opacity of many layers at once, and more.

Faster performance across platforms Speed up day-to-day imaging tasks and process very large images up to 10 times faster by taking advantage of cross-platform 64-bit support. (Requires a 64-bit-capable computer with a 64-bit version of Mac OS, Microsoft Windows 7, or Windows Vista. Actual performance varies depending on amount of RAM, driver types, and other factors.)

Better media management Easily manage media with more flexible batch renaming, and access your assets in the context of what you're working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.

Streamlined creative reviews through integration with CS Live services Use Adobe CS Review, part of new CS Live online services, to initiate a secure review without leaving Photoshop. Reviewers can add comments to your images from their browsers, and you see those comments appear automatically on your screen. Adobe CS Live online services are complimentary for a limited time. Visit www.adobe.com/go/cslive for details.

Create powerful images with the professional standard
3D extrusions Easily explore new creative directions: Create 3D logos and artwork with Adobe Repoussé technology. Twist, rotate, extrude, bevel, and inflate these designs, and then apply rich materials like chrome, glass, and cork.

Advanced 3D editing capabilities Push your creative boundaries with powerful 3D editing tools--even paint directly on 3D objects. Add 3D objects to your designs and create amazing composites. Illuminate your scene with real lighting, and animate your objects.

Motion content editing Paint, add text, and clone over multiple frames of an imported video sequence using your favorite Photoshop tools.

Easy access to core editing power Get just the tools you need--exactly when you need them--when performing common editing activities. Adjustments and Masks panels guide you in making precise edits.

Extraordinary creative tools Achieve realistic painting effects with the ability to mix colors on canvas and create natural brushstrokes. Merge multiple exposures into stunning high dynamic range (HDR) images. Move, remove, warp, or stretch any image element.

State-of-the-art photography Easily merge multiple exposures to extend the dynamic range with more power, precision, and fidelity than ever before. Convert to black-and-white in new ways. And use Dodge, Burn, and Sponge tools that intelligently preserve color and tone details.

Image analysis Use measurement and counting tools to extract quantitative information from images. Record and export data for further analysis. Import DICOM files as frames or as a volume to directly analyze and edit your image data.

Industry-leading raw image processing Enjoy superior results when you convert raw images with the Camera Raw 6 plug-in, which offers support for over 275 camera models plus nondestructive editing so you can experiment without harming your original photo.

Automated compositing tools Easily create a single image from a series of shots that have different focal points, smoothly blending color and shading and extending your depth of field. And take advantage of accurate, automatic layer alignment.

Efficient media management Manage your media visually with Adobe Bridge CS5 software. Enjoy more flexible batch renaming plus the ability to access files in the context of your work using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel.

Powerful printing options Get outstanding prints in less time with automation, scripting, and a print dialog box that's easier to navigate.

Broad file format support Import and export hundreds of file formats, including PSD, AI, PDF, NEF, CRW, TIFF, BMP, Cineon, JPEG, JPEG2000, FXG, OpenEXR, PNG, Targa, DICOM, OBJ, KMZ, Collada, U3D, 3DS (import only), 3G, FLC, MOV, AVI, DV Stream, Image Sequence, MPEG-4, and FLV.

Extensibility Personalize Photoshop and extend its capabilities. Use developer-created custom panels to accomplish specific tasks. Visit the Adobe Photoshop Marketplace for third-party plug-ins and resources. And check out Adobe Community Help for tips and tricks.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom integration Enjoy tight integration with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software (sold separately), easily moving files from Lightroom to Photoshop CS5 to create HDR images, panoramas, and multilayered Photoshop documents. Roundtrip your files back to Lightroom.

Top new features of Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended
Intelligent selection technology Photoshop CS5 takes the time and frustration out of making precise image selections and masks, providing you a faster way to extract subjects from their backgrounds and create realistic composites. New intelligent selection technology offers better edge detection and faster, more accurate masking results of complex subjects, like hair. Automatic color decontamination helps you eliminate background color around the edges of a selection, resulting in more seamless compositions when placing extracted subjects on new backgrounds.

Experienced Photoshop users know that the best selections are created by constantly adapting the selection technique for differences in the subject's edges--one method for hair and another for the edge of a building. With Photoshop CS5, you can produce highly accurate masks and selections faster and more simply than before with a set of new adaptive selection-edge modification controls. Smart Radius automatically matches the best selection approach with the subject's changing edge characteristics, and the extra view modes assist you in previewing the quality of your selections. The Refine Radius and Erase Refinements tools customize your masks and selections as you make them. These tools, in combination with the color decontamination settings, help eliminate any residual background color from around the edges of your selections.

Content‐Aware Fill One of the most exciting new features in Photoshop CS5 is the remarkable ability to remove an image element and magically replace it with details that match the lighting, tone, and noise of the surrounding area so that it looks like the content never existed. Now, you can make substantial changes to photo composition quickly and easily, as even large complex subjects can be seamlessly erased.

You can use Content-Aware Fill with the Spot Healing Brush or as an option of the Fill feature to replace content in an active selection. Selecting the Content-Aware setting with the Spot Healing brush changes the way the tool fills in the areas you paint. This retouching approach is designed to account more fully for the structure and detail of the image elements that surround the painted area, providing a near-invisible result when removing unwanted objects. Alternatively, you can select the object to be removed, and then replace the area with synthesized details from the area surrounding the selection, simply by using the Content-Aware option in the Fill dialog box.

HDR Pro for creativity and precision with the next generation of high dynamic range imaging With just a few clicks, you can go beyond the capture capabilities of your camera by combining multiple exposures into a single high dynamic range (HDR) photo that preserves the full tonal range of a scene with high contrast. Photoshop CS5 introduces HDR Pro for more control over the HDR merging process and greater adjustment power over the mapping of tones and the styling of HDR output, resulting in images that range from photorealistic to highly surreal.

HDR Pro offers extended controls, an enhanced dialog box, and improved image processing. New algorithms enable more accurate alignment of source files and automatically deghost any problem areas that occur when trying to merge source photos where subjects have moved during capture. You can even select a source file to be used as the sole reference for any ghosted areas or allow the feature to do this automatically for you.

New tone-mapping tools and adjustment controls give you the power to implement your own HDR vision, producing photos that range in style from fully textured images of high-contrast scenes to wildly hyper-realistic creations. Save your favorite styles as presets and apply them to multiple groups of source files to provide a common look and feel to your HDR photos. And for times when you don't have multiple source files, create the look of an HDR-processed image from a single photo with the new HDR Toning feature that allows you to mimic the tone-mapping results traditionally achieved in high dynamic range photos.

Together with the existing Photomerge feature (which allows for image stitching), the exposure-merging capabilities of HDR Pro can add up to high-bit-depth, 360-degree panoramas ideal for composite photography, video, and beyond.

The Auto Stack Panorama/HDR files option in Adobe Bridge CS5 and the new panelized Mini Bridge groups source files together into stacks for quicker creation of HDR images in Photoshop CS5. You can even start the creation of an HDR file by choosing Tools > Merge To HDR from the Mini Bridge panel inside Photoshop.

State-of-the-art raw-image processing The Adobe Camera Raw 6 plug-in, which ships with Photoshop CS5, now supports more than 275 camera models as it continues to provide you with the industry-leading conversion of raw files. In addition, the utility provides advanced, nondestructive image editing and enhancement for raw files, as well as for other standard formats, including JPEG and TIFF. Now you can remove noise, achieve better quality sharpening, and creatively apply new styles of vignettes and film-like grain.

You can now shoot at higher ISO settings with confidence, because the updated controls in the Adobe Camera Raw 6 plug-in remove the noise common in such high-ISO images (as well as in photos captured with long exposures and pictures from consumer cameras) while still preserving excellent color and detail.

New controls for adding grain and additional post-crop vignetting settings join many creative options already available in this utility, such as the Adjustment Brush and the Graduated Filter. For the first time, you can add grain-like texture to photos as part of your nondestructive editing workflow. Adjust amount, size, and roughness of grain to easily give composites a more natural, seamless appearance by matching levels of grain across all source images--or simply use the feature to make a digital photo look more organic or film-like.

Updated post-crop vignetting options offer more creative control over the corner darkening and lightening process, and your favorite vignette effects can be saved as presets for quick application across multiple files.

Upgraded sharpening options produce clearer photos with fewer artifacts while providing better control over key details, especially when working with high-resolution pictures produced by multi-megapixel cameras.

Extraordinary painting effects With a new Mixer Brush, a Bristle Tips feature, and a new mechanism for blending colors, Photoshop CS5 redefines the way you paint. You can take advantage of more natural and realistic painting effects, making it easy to take your imagery and designs in new artistic directions.

The Mixer Brush lets you define multiple colors on a single tip, and then mix and blend them with the underlying hues on your canvas, achieving creative results that rival traditional painting media. When starting with a photo original, you can use a dry, empty brush to blend the existing colors while at the same time adding a painterly effect to the image. Mixer Brush settings provide extensive control over the wetness of the canvas colors, the load rate that determines amount of paint loaded on the brush, the mixing rate between brush and canvas colors, and whether the brush is refilled, cleaned, or both after each painting stroke.

In conjunction with these new mixing features, Photoshop CS5 incorporates unprecedented control over stroke characteristics of its painting tools with Bristle Tips. Bristle Qualities define key bristle properties such as shape, length, stiffness, thickness, angle, and spacing, which affect how the color is laid on the image as you paint.

The Bristle Brush Preview feature provides a visual representation of these changes, and you can save your tip configurations for future use, allowing you to build a customized collection of Bristle Tips to experiment with when using Photoshop brush tools.

Puppet Warp Puppet Warp gives you more freedom when pushing and pulling elements within an image. The feature lets you recompose an image to make it more appealing, or to fit a specific layout, by allowing the precise repositioning of any element within a Photoshop document, or selection, by simply clicking and dragging. After you reposition an object, Photoshop adjusts the rest of the image to account for the shifted pixels.

After choosing Edit > Puppet Warp, click on your image to drop pins establishing anchor points where you want image parts not to move, and handles that you can use for warping. Then drag any of the pins to reposition the picture elements. Use Puppet Warp to swing a raised arm to a person's side, warp and stretch text to create new effects, or reposition intrusive objects in a photo to create a more pleasing composition.

Automated lens correction The Lens Correction features in Photoshop CS5 create better quality captures by removing or correcting the three most common lens-based errors: geometric distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. This means you can use a wider range of lenses with the confidence of producing images of the highest quality. With the aid of the Adobe Lens Profile Creator (available separately as a free download from labs.adobe.com) you can produce custom profiles characterizing the optical aberrations of your camera lenses. When installed and selected in the Lens Correction filter in Photoshop CS5, the profile automatically removes or corrects the three types of distortion.

The Lens Correction filter in Photoshop CS5 is redesigned to include manual adjustment controls under the Custom tab, and settings for locating and applying custom Lens Correction Profiles (LCP files) under a new Auto Correction tab. Installed profiles that match your camera and lens combination are used to apply precise distortion corrections to your photos. Suitable profiles can be located easily based on the EXIF data automatically recorded with the image, and if a suitable profile is not present in the Lens Correction filter, then with a single click within the dialog box, you can search online for the correct profile to meet your needs.

Individual error types can be selected in the filter's settings, as can options for handling any transparent areas that surround the corrected image.

Easy 3D extrusions with Adobe Repoussé (Photoshop CS5 Extended only) Repoussé is an ancient metalworking technique for embossing artwork on the surface of metals such as gold, silver, copper, tin, and bronze. Photoshop Extended offers a powerful new feature, inspired by this traditional technique, for creating eye-catching 3D artwork.

Use Adobe Repoussé to easily convert 2D artwork into 3D objects and then create depth by altering the extrusion properties of the 3D model. Easily extrude text to create logos and 3D artwork for use in websites, video frames, or layouts.

Starting with a text layer, a path, a selection, or a layer mask, you can convert the content to 3D with the Create New 3D Object section of the 3D panel. After the conversion is complete, you can alter the look of your 3D model by manipulating its key extrusion properties--depth, scale, bend, shear, inflate, or twist--in the Repoussé dialog box.

In addition to manipulating these properties, you can inflate the front or back of the extrusion and/or apply a custom bevel. Sections of objects (internal subpaths) can also be inflated by creating a selection first and then adjusting the Internal Constraints settings in the Repoussé dialog box. The 3D Axis widget allows on canvas rotation of the of the model

Enhanced 3D realism and rich materials (Photoshop CS5 Extended only) Bring your 3D creations to life with the materials that ship with Photoshop CS5 Extended. You can select materials from the library of included presets, download additional materials by choosing 3D > Browse 3D Content, create your own, or even edit existing materials to customize them for your needs (in the materials section of the 3D panel). Test a variety of looks for your 3D models and extruded designs by adding different materials or textures to their surfaces. Materials that feature reflection or refraction properties can be rendered with the new Adobe Ray Tracer engine. The Repoussé dialog box, and the Materials section of the 3D panel, both contain options for applying a single material to all surfaces--as well as choosing different treatments--for individual sections and surfaces of your models

Use the 3D Material Drop tool and the Material Load tool to easily load a material and drop it into different meshes, allowing you to sample and apply materials interactively. New overlay controls provide instant feedback about where specific materials and meshes are located in your model, and the updated 3D axis widget now works with lights and cameras as well as 3D objects.

With the Shadow Catcher feature, you can now easily generate a shadow on the ground plane of a scene, and then adjust how the shadow interacts with image content of other layers by altering its opacity and its softness. To further enhance realism, you can use an HDR image to light your scene, or re-create traditional depth-of-field effects in your rendered scene by adjusting the zone of sharpness with the new Distance and Blur controls.

Better 3D performance and workflow (Photoshop CS5 Extended only) Take advantage of better performance and immediate rendering feedback thanks to the improved Adobe Ray Tracer (ART) engine in Photoshop CS5 Extended. ART 2.0 brings substantial improvements in performance when you interact with and edit 3D models. ART 2.0 progressively renders 3D scenes with an option to re-render after a pause, or even perform selective renderings, all while providing more immediate feedback and dramatically reducing the time it takes to preview key areas in high quality.

You also get faster previews and more responsive interaction thanks to changes made in the OpenGL engine, which now fast-tracks the delivery of complex 3D geometry to the video card. Overall workflow performance has been optimized with improved import, interaction speeds, and better merging of 3D objects into a single scene. To aid with fine-tuning and adjustment of these performance features, there is a new 3D section in Preferences.

User-inspired productivity enhancements Photoshop CS5 helps boost productivity and creativity throughout the editing workflow with dozens of enhancements inspired by Photoshop users.

Streamlined creative reviews through integration with Adobe CS Review Collaborate with colleagues and seek client comment quickly and easily with Adobe CS Review, a new CS Live online service* designed to simplify and accelerate the design review process.

With CS Review, you can avoid the hassles of large email attachments, logon problems with FTP servers, and time-consuming next-day air deliveries usually associated with client reviews by instead initiating a secure, shared review. Comments are displayed in near-real time and in context, providing convenient feedback on your images and designs. You can access the CS Review service from within Photoshop CS5.

Faster performance with cross-platform native 64-bit support Tight deadlines and large file sizes make performance a high priority for many Photoshop users. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended deliver cross-platform 64-bit support, allowing you to perform day-to-day imaging tasks up to 10 times faster. Video and photo professionals, especially, benefit from the extra performance, as gains are even greater if you regularly work with very large files, where processing can be up to ten times faster when you take advantage of higher addressable RAM amounts--limited only by what your hardware accommodates.

To help you tweak the performance of your setup, Photoshop CS5 lets you adjust history, tile, and cache controls in combination.

Greater access to key resources via flexible custom panels Photoshop CS5 offers easy ways to integrate and extend your workspace with customized panels. With the aid of the Configurator 2.0 panel utility (available separately as a download from labs.adobe.com) you can produce your own panels, bringing together your most used tools and menu selections and incorporating your favorite web feeds or video tutorials.

Stay connected to the greater Photoshop community and all facets of your digital life directly from within Photoshop CS5 by using panels you create or those produced and distributed by other users. You can access anything that lives on the web--favorite blogs, video content, even your email--with these integrated panels. You can even expand content beyond a panel's standard viewing area when you need a magnified view.

Easier interface management with Live Workspaces and Workspace Switcher Creating dedicated, task-specific workspaces that mimic your individual workflow increases productivity and efficiency by hiding the features you don't use and exposing the ones you do. New Live Workspaces auto-save any changes you make to a task-specific workspace, so that if you switch to a different workspace and then back again during an editing session, your panels remain exactly where you left them. The number of entries displayed in the collapsible Workspace Switcher can be altered, and the position of each workspace can be rearranged. This provides quicker navigation between frequently used setups.

Superior black-and-white conversion Photoshop CS5 continues to support the tradition of producing finely crafted monochrome photos with the inclusion of new ways to explore an endless variety of black-and-white looks. You can use the integrated Lab Black & White Technique action, located in the Default Actions group of the Actions panel, for an easy and interactive way to convert color images. Create gorgeous HDR black-and-whites with greater ease and speed by taking advantage of the new and updated features in HDR Pro. Take your monochrome creations in new directions with conversion presets in the Black & White panel.


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