Picture Publisher 9

Rating:
Summary: Long Awaited Flop
Review: I'll keep it pithy: Picture publisher 9 is a half-baked clone of 8, and some will surely say it's an inferior rip-off. Not only does it lack the latest refinements that its competitors offer, it has problems in Windows ME (It doesn't see a lot of folders when searching for a picture). If you have 8, which is a wonderful program, hold on to it. If you're starting fresh, go with Corel Photo Paint or Adobe.

Rating:
Summary: Mostly minor tweaks, still amazing
Review: Picture Publisher has always been my choice of photoediting software and I have used most major programs with the exception of the last two releases of Photoshop. To put it simply Picture Publisher is one of the easiest programs to use and has more power than any other program except Photoshop.

I am prejudiced, however. I go back to the version one of Picture Publisher when it was put out by Astral. I was a member of the Micrografx user group in Dallas and was the leader of the group for several years. Until this last year I have been in close contact with many of the Micrografx employees. On the other hand, I have also worked with many other graphics programs and have reviewed several for the North Texas PC User's Group.

First, Picture Publisher is more intuitive to use than most programs. With the "how to" features in the wizards, almost any photographic manipulation function is a snap. Unlike some programs, the wizards allow a great deal of flexibility. If you want "quick and dirty" you can have it. If you want to exercise control, you have that ability too.

Second, Picture Publisher is powerful. Many of the "new" features in the high end graphics programs (read Photoshop) have been in Picture Publisher for years. Micrografx had objects several years before Photoshop. The task list through which you can edit any step of your photoediting session has been around for three versions of the program. These two features alone allow you almost infinite control over your images. With objects, you can define "things" in your pictures like individual people. These objects can then be processed independently of the rest of the picture. I can -and do- cut objects out of one picture and add them to another and retain full control of the object independent of where I put it. And I can keep this independence forever. The task list allows you to go back through an editing session and change single steps. If you darkened a section of your image several hours back and decide that it was not a good thing to do after several hours of photoediting, you can go into the task list, eidt out that step, and automatically redo all subsequent steps. The process to do this is simple.

Third, Picture Publisher is fast and does not make excessive demands on your computer. My old P133 with 48 Meg of memory can and does run Picture Publisher. While not blindingly fast, it is acceptable. On my PIII-600 all operations are done in real time including all the special effects.

The only disappointment in PP9 is that it is not a quantum leap over PP8. There are a few new features and many new wizards but overall the program does not have as many new features as have earlier versions of the program. Sure, the real time color channel manipulations make some things easier but overall there is no great need to upgrade from PP8.

For the difference in price PP8 is a slightly better buy, but with such a small difference in the cost, you might as well go for version 9. Compared to anything else on the market, either version is a steal.

Rating:
Summary: Mostly minor tweaks, still amazing
Review: Picture Publisher has always been my choice of photoediting software and I have used most major programs with the exception of the last two releases of Photoshop. To put it simply Picture Publisher is one of the easiest programs to use and has more power than any other program except Photoshop.

I am prejudiced, however. I go back to the version one of Picture Publisher when it was put out by Astral. I was a member of the Micrografx user group in Dallas and was the leader of the group for several years. Until this last year I have been in close contact with many of the Micrografx employees. On the other hand, I have also worked with many other graphics programs and have reviewed several for the North Texas PC User's Group.

First, Picture Publisher is more intuitive to use than most programs. With the "how to" features in the wizards, almost any photographic manipulation function is a snap. Unlike some programs, the wizards allow a great deal of flexibility. If you want "quick and dirty" you can have it. If you want to exercise control, you have that ability too.

Second, Picture Publisher is powerful. Many of the "new" features in the high end graphics programs (read Photoshop) have been in Picture Publisher for years. Micrografx had objects several years before Photoshop. The task list through which you can edit any step of your photoediting session has been around for three versions of the program. These two features alone allow you almost infinite control over your images. With objects, you can define "things" in your pictures like individual people. These objects can then be processed independently of the rest of the picture. I can -and do- cut objects out of one picture and add them to another and retain full control of the object independent of where I put it. And I can keep this independence forever. The task list allows you to go back through an editing session and change single steps. If you darkened a section of your image several hours back and decide that it was not a good thing to do after several hours of photoediting, you can go into the task list, eidt out that step, and automatically redo all subsequent steps. The process to do this is simple.

Third, Picture Publisher is fast and does not make excessive demands on your computer. My old P133 with 48 Meg of memory can and does run Picture Publisher. While not blindingly fast, it is acceptable. On my PIII-600 all operations are done in real time including all the special effects.

The only disappointment in PP9 is that it is not a quantum leap over PP8. There are a few new features and many new wizards but overall the program does not have as many new features as have earlier versions of the program. Sure, the real time color channel manipulations make some things easier but overall there is no great need to upgrade from PP8.

For the difference in price PP8 is a slightly better buy, but with such a small difference in the cost, you might as well go for version 9. Compared to anything else on the market, either version is a steal.

Rating:
Summary: Picture Publisher Best Photo editing program
Review: This program is much more user friendly thany any other graphic software I have used. It is intutive and you can be modifying your photos and images within thirty minutes. I especially like the ability to resize images. One of the strongest features are the effects feature and the wizards. Within seconds you can alter the image to your satisfaction and add drop shadows with simply a mouse click. The text wizards are extremely useful and easy to use.The printer set-up screen is extremely useful in seeing how your image will appear in print before printing. I know that many of Picture Publisher's features are identical and easier to use than Photoshop at a much more reasonable price. All of the graphic features are simple to use and remember, and are fast and allow you to work more efficiently. Im have used all prior versions and feel that Picture Publisher # 9 is the very best.