Rating: 
Summary: De facto standard for drawing pro diagrams in no time!
Review: As a Project Manager in charge of diverse areas, ranging from software development responsibilities to administration of a production area, I've found this tool to be of extreme use since day one. This application allows to draw on a "white" canvas diagrams in ways that exceed any other tool in the market, including flowcharts, floor plans, office layouts, network diagrams, database ORMs, organization charts, etc. You name it and the software comes with a template of standard shapes for you to drag and drop, unite with arrows/lines as needed, and put out a professional-looking diagram in a matter of minutes (you need to put in the brainwork, no discussion about that, of course!) If you are going to compare Visio with anything else, the "closest" thing would be the very limited charting capabilities offered by PowerPoint (no wonder Microsoft acquired the company that created Visio!) This is no substitute (never was meant to be) for Adobe Illustrator or any similar graphics program. Hands down, without a doubt, this is the de facto standard for drawing professional diagrams of all types in no time!
Rating: 
Summary: Good documentation tool...
Review: But it doesn't go far enough. Visio is one of those really cool, fun, products that you start to use and then you say "ok, but where do I go from here?" One quite bizarre example is the database module for ER diagramming: It will REVERSE engineer a database beautifully, but... why would I want to do that if I can't use the diagram for anything but documentation purposes? So you think to yourself, "well, ok, I have ERwin, so I'll just export it to that...", but then you find out that Visio can IMPORT an ERwin model, but not export one??? What a strange omission! If Visio could export an ERwin model, I could buy ONE seat of a $4000 forward engineering database tool, and innumerable seats of $400 Visio! Then I could export to ERwin, forward engineer, and have my whole team using a very approachable, inexpensive tool to boot! I don't know, maybe even Microsoft if afraid of the mighty, abusive, litigous Computer Associates! This is kind of like the Dead Sea of software products: It will take you in, but you'll never get out! In the software portion, it also is pretty much a dead end for forward engineering, although very cool and complete for documentation purposes, but Microsoft is also very tight with Rational and doesn't want to upset that apple cart either. One thing I was disappointed about was that nothing showed up as far as Java, C#, or .NET data types. I thought this was a little weird, as that's kind of the reason I upgraded. I didn't install it on my .NET server though, so maybe if you do that it picks that up, but to leave out Java is a little bit of an omission, I think. On the plus side, the interface is beautiful, it does everything but the kitchen sink documentation wise, the shapes and the way they interact is downright magical, and the thing below about the software registration is really overblown: The only thing they make you provide is the country you reside in. In fact, it says right on the CD case "Don't lose this number! You must use it EVERY TIME you install this software." Microsoft is realistic: they know that you will most likely put it on at least two of your computers, and they're not in panic mode. Bottom line: The best "single source" documentation tool ever devised is Visio 2002.
Rating:
Summary: The best there is for Org Charts
Review: Contrary to Emma's comments, Visio is by far the best program there is for organizational or structure charts. Word and Powerpoint take much, much longer to get things to align and link properly. I've been using Visio since long before Microsoft bought them out. I've also tried other programs in various other countries that just don't seem to get it. A drawback on the current version is that it's much more difficult to drill down to specific shapes/text boxes included in a group than it used to be in older versions.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Tool
Review: I have owned this version for two weeks. To date, I have only used the tool to create an organizational chart and to map databases and websites. The results are spectacular.
The diagrams were precise and detailed. Although I am a first time user, the intuitive drawing tools allowed me to concentrate on my work, not the program. Being a part of the XP family helped. With the familiar Office tool bar, it was a no-brainer for me to orient myself to the product and its feature. It is easy to create diagrams and export them to or from other products in the XP office suite or to the internet in XML. In my mind the activation argument is over-blown. Microsoft is entitled to piracy protection. The only information the user is required to submit during the process is the country of origin. The program's graphics, enhanced text and color options more than make up for this inconvenience. There is not a better single source documentation tool on the market.
Rating:
Summary: Visio is a complement for Abobe Products
Review: I have read some of the reviews about visio and find that they are unfair or written by people who are just don't see the big picture. First of I have been using Visio since version 1.0, way before Microsoft bought them. I have all the Adobe products as well. There are things you can not do in Adobe. There are things you can not with Visio. However I use both programs and find that I can design quicker and more efficently using the two opened at the same time. You can set something up with Visio including text then copy it to Adobe then scale the object and the text scales with it. You can make custom shapes that you can't make with Adobe. One more thing it also works well with Auto Cad. Like any tool you need to know how to use it!
Rating:
Summary: Do More With Visio 2002 Professional
Review: I have used Visio at school for a little while now, and recently purchased my own copy of it. It is unbelievable how much stuff you can do with this program! If you need to create technical diagrams, floor plans, organizational charts, or even just run of the mill flow charts, you can't beat Visio 2002 Professional. This program will serve all of your charting and diagramming needs (literally). For students and teachers, a version of Visio 2002 can be a lifesaver, because it will make your life a whole lot easier when creating complicated diagrams. For others, this program can help bring a little order to chaos. Diagram your house, your schedule, timelines, anything. This software works great for it all. Most users will, however, be able to get by on the Standard version and save themselves a chunk of money. If you are not in need of as much technical diagramming power, then you have no need for this professional version.
Rating: 
Summary: Good product that needs some tweaking
Review: I like this product as it makes nice charts, etc. but it lacks the ability to adapt well to changes in paper size, relocation of objects and will put objects well outside the page limits if you let it. I would like to see an improvement in the automatic repositioning of objects and a "make-it-fit" option. Once you get past the need for manually positioning objects, the output is pretty good.
Rating: 
Summary: Visio 4 was great... don't bother upgrading
Review: I recently had to upgrade from Visio 4 to MS Visio 2000 because a customer used it and (of course) there were file incompatibilities! (Nothing like forcing customers to upgrade via incompatibilities rather than true features, huh Microsoft?) Sorry, I'm really a closet fan of Microsoft software in general, but if I hadn't paid the rediculous $350 myself, I might have never noticed the difference from Visio 4. The Visio 2000 upgrade just didn't change much, and the one new tool I tried to use (auto web page mapping) didn't work well. So in reading the new features and improvements in Visio 2002, I'm completely underwhelmed again. The basic Visio functionality is amazing, but it always was. If you have an older version of Visio, stick with it. I just don't see the need to upgrade.
Rating:
Summary: A True solution for Visual Communication
Review: I recently upgraded to this new version of Visio and I'm very much pleased with its intuitive user interface that provides an array of tools for presenting information visually. Whether its an Office layout or computer network, Visio 2002, bridges the gap when it comes to defining how data is understood and interpreted in different scenarios. The update to this application has adapted most of the common elements of Microsoft Office, which makes it very easy to learn and share among other Office applications. Integration with Word and PowerPoint is flawless. The shapes are many and satisfactory to build that particular diagram. Simple drag and drop adds to the simplicity of the program. Visio 2002 does have some drawbacks though, this includes the consistency in terms of the components of the application with other Office applications. For instance, the WordArt gallery is actually the old type and not the new one with the more inviting colourful WordArt you are probably accustomed to using in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. The application still needs to improve on how the user can manuvre connectors if they are building networks. Visio 2002 Professional is very flexible, I even use it to create flyers and time lines that are usually used in Project management. It provides a comprehensive set of tools to make diagraming an essential tool in most IT work spaces, for the average user though forking out the amount for this product may not be recommended, but with the array of tools it provides, it is truly a solution for any organization.
Rating:
Summary: Microsoft Visio 2002 - MIND BLOWING!!
Review: I think Microsoft Visio 2002 Professional is MIND BLOWING!! Its truly amazing. BUY it, and you will see. :) Its much better than Microsoft Visio 2000.
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