Features

• Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop DVD for all skill levels included
• Word processing combined with professional script formatting
• Designed for writing movie scripts, television episodics, and stage plays
• Automatically paginates and formats script to industry standards
• 50+ templates; text to speech, have your script read back to you

Reviews (1)

What They Write With & How To Do IT!!
Okay, so I found out that Final Draft is the Industry Standard in Tinsel Town. Great. I'll buy one. Check out who uses it on their website. Wow! But the software alone doesn't tell us, say, what goes where and why in a screenplay. It just lays there, blank, with blinking cursor... waiting for some brilliance to be entered by me. Enter Syd Field. I have his books on screenwriting and, although the DVD is a little 'talking head'-like, it did make me understand more about the craft of screenwriting, like plot, story structure, action points and character arcs - the things that make up a really great movie. Take notes while watching the DVD! It made me better and less insecure about taking the movie idea out of my head and Final Draft is a cool tool that formats for you and types things you type alot for you. An excellent combination!! Highly recommend. ... Read more

Product Description

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 is the most accurate speech recognition product ScanSoft has ever developed - delivering up to 99% accuracy! No other product delivers this combination of accuracy, power and ease-of-use - finally making speech recognition something every member of the family can use! No more "hunt and peck" typing - with Dragon NaturallySpeaking you will experience the fun and simplicity of using your voice to turn speech into text at up to 160 words per minute. Create e-mail, instant messages and surf the web - simply by speaking!

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Standard is an easy-to-use product that gives you everything you need to get started, including a free high-quality headset microphone with noise canceling technology.

Features:

• Works With All Your Favorite Applications!Dictate, edit and control applications all by voice with programs like Microsoft® Word, Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, America Online®, and Corel® WordPerfect®.
• Faster Than Typing!Most people speak faster than 160 words per minute, but type less fewer than 40 words a minute. That means you can create e-mails about three times faster using Dragon NaturallySpeaking!
• More Accurate Than Ever Before!With a 25% increase in accuracy, Dragon NaturallySpeaking® 8 is up to 99% accurate and frequently more accurate than typing. Dragon NaturallySpeaking never makes a spelling mistake, and it actually gets smarter the more you use it!
• Easy To Use!Simply install the Dragon NaturallySpeaking CD, and in just a few minutes, you'll be dictating letters, e-mails and surfing the web by voice!

Features

• Free high-quality headset microphone with noise canceling technology included
• Speech recognition software for dictating, editing, and controlling applications
• Surf the Web and access information by speaking URLs and links
• Teach software to recognize your voice in as few as 5 minutes
• Nothing But Speech technology eliminates "ums" and "ahs" from dictation

Reviews (8)

Wow!
DNS version 8 is leaps and bounds better than earlier versions.I'm now achieving 98% accuracy - even the small words are properly recognized.Just be aware that you need a horse of a PC (1 GB RAM, a powerful processor, and a very good sound card) plus a good microphone (Sennheiser is best).

Needs some adjustment - but definitely on the right track
I like this hardware/software program and believe it will improve with use.

The first problem I encountered is that the headphone has two plugs at the end of the wire.An Orange colored plug and a red one.After much trial and error I found that the orange and red plugs do not work when plugged into their respective orange and red sockets in the back of the computer.

I decided that based on reading the material with ScanSoft Dragon 8 that my computer must require the battery that is identified in the instructions which must be purchased separately.Being stubborn and having grown up in the computer age from its beginning, I decided to plug the orange plug into the green colored socket in the back of the computer, and the red plug into the orange socket.Works great now!!This may not be the same problem for everyone - I have a new Sony VAIO Computer and maybe the sockets are just colored differently on this computer.

My second major problem was getting the program to understand me the same every time.We go along fine, and then suddenly it no longer understands what I am saying.

Another problem in my opinion is registration - I registered the program.It apparently did not take.After a reminder that I only had so long to properly register the program, I searched and finally found registration and reregistered the program.Today I received a third notice that I must register the program.The best I can figure is that I did not give enough optional information about my preferences (I gave virtually none) and I did not opt into receiving other solicitations.I would like for this please register notice to go away.

Be ready to devote some time to the learning curve on this program.This virtually requires learning a new language.

I am a proficient typist and learning to think with my brain and mouth instead of my brain and fingers while at the computer is difficult for me.

Despite the problems, I am glad I purchased the program and I'm looking forward to a new adventure.

Doesn't support digital voice recorder
Wish I had known this software only does voice and does not support a digital voice recorder.I would have purchased the preferred edition.

Disappointing - low accuracy, voice strain.
Using version 7 has been very disappointing, though there is a lot of potential. It makes a lot of stupid mistakes, writing things that make no grammatical sense. Surely it would not be difficult to include simple grammatical rules so it can eliminate certain possibilities and have a better chance of correct interpretation. I have to make so many corrections, and the "select" function is so unreliable for me that using Dragon is usually much slower than typing.

Tech support is nonexistent.

Now they want us to pay money for version 8. After spending money on the poor quality, buggy product (v7), I'm not sure that I trust this company.

Tips: The included headset was not very good. I got better results using my own (cheap) headset, and would probably do better buying a good one.

I can get better results by speaking very clearly and slowly (as if talking to an imbecile) but I very quickly strain my voice. They say to speak normally and clearly without straining, but this just doesn't work - so be careful. Look on the Internet for a guide to avoiding voice strain.

Unfortunately there are no serious alternatives that the moment, so for me it's a choice between voice strain and sore fingers and wrists.

Note: I am using the Australian edition. The US edition may be better (although the Australian edition should be less of a challenge, as there is much less variation in Australian accents than in American accents). I speak very clearly, and when I'm using this program I try to speak like a newsreader.

Good luck!

Disappointing
When paying as much as I did for this product, I would have expected a little better. Training the program turned into a constant battle for me, and I never could get it to work well enough to be faster than typing. Then I began having unexplained system problems. Internet Explorer began working poorly, and I became unable to download any updates for WindowsXP. I finally noticed my firewall alert going off, and checked my security log. There were several entries from the manufacturer of this program, some of which had accessed and changed executable programs in my system. (My firewall includes a back trace, so I can tell where any attack originates from.) After I restored my system to a point before NaturallySpeaking 8 was installed, my system problems have vanished. I can't believe ScanSoft would put out a program like this, and I will avoid them in the future. ... Read more

Product Description

Charm Your Inner Wordsmith
Express your ideas with more brilliance and clarity using the innovative new tools in Microsoft® Word 2004 for Mac. The gold standard in word processing works harder than ever for you with improved reference tools, dynamic reviewing capabilities and enhanced views for organizing your thoughts.

Listen Up
Keep ideas in context. Now you can record sound right into your notes as you type with the new audio notes feature.

Put MSN Messenger to Work in Word
Now you can discuss comments and changes in real time thanks to MSN® Messenger for Mac version 4.0 integration with Word 2004.

Word Notebook Layout View
Type right onto ruled notebook "paper," manage different sections with tabs and quickly search for key ideas using this new view.

Improved Track Changes
View changes in comment balloons next to your text, quickly identify the reviewer with color-coded comments and initiate instant message conversations about comments with MSN Messenger for Mac.

... Read more

Features

• Soft drop shadows; decline auto corrections, numbering, and bulleting
• Search and flag relevant info; record audio into documents
• Word processing with innovative new tools
• Improved reference tools; dynamic reviewing capabilities
• Keep text, pictures, logos, and other important info right at hand

Reviews (2)

Microsoft has Done Word Processing Right
It is hard to find anything bad to say about this program, except that it is slow as molasses on my G3 iBook. However it zips along on my gal pal Sara's G5 iMac. I mean it flies. And there is nothing you cannot do with it, from formatting a book (who needs PageMaker or Quark anymore), to writing a screen play. You can change the menus to anything you want, for example Sara has four font menus. You can save your stuff as a pdf document and your pdf opens exactly like it was in Word and I mean exactly.

But, as I said, it's too slow on my older iBook, so I use the previous version of Word instead and the excellent NisusWriter WP (for Mac only). Word will open anything. The dictionary is pretty good, but the thesaurus could maybe be better. No, it could definitely be better. But here I'm nitpicking, probably because it's hard for way left leaning me to admit that Microsoft got something right. And about my iBook being too slow to run this elegant program, maybe, just maybe it's time I sprung for one of those new nifty PowerBooks with the glow in the dark keyboard. Whoohoo.

Jack Priest, Sailor Home from the Sea

incremental improvements
Despite all the touted improvements in this latest version of MS Word for the Mac, experienced Word users should consider carefully before plonking down for it. The chances are that if you are comfortable running an earlier version on your Mac, then there is little need to migrate.

Though I'll grant that one new feature is appealing. The ability toavoid the automatic corrections and numbering does indeed give you more fine grained control over the document.

Overall, consider skipping this version. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Project 2003 Professional.Microsoft Office Project 2003 is used by project managers who need a desktop tool to manage their projects independently but who do not require strong coordination with other project managers or the ability to manage resources from a central repository. Project 2003 is designed to improve your ability to organize work and communicate effectively and succinctly through familiar, easy-to-use tools. Organized Work:Better organize and manage work and people to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget. Compelling CommunicationsConvey your project plans and status effectively and succinctly. Ease of UseEnhance your productivity and effectiveness by learning and applying project management practices easily. ... Read more

Features

• Use for portfolio management, modeling, resource management, and project collaboration
• Microsoft's desktop enterprise project management program
• Used with Project Server 2003 and Project Web Access
• Offers all the tools found in Project Standard
• Provides powerful enterprise project management capabilities when used with Project Server

Reviews (1)

GoodAuto Routing, Not So Good Database
I've been using a Garmin E-Trex for some driving navigation (not it's main purpose) for some time.Having wanted something better for driving, I saw this as an inexpensive solution to use my laptop and have large screen GPS navigation.In short, the active navigation direction (including voice) work pretty well, the large display (my laptop) is great, but the database and route management tools lack.

Having only used this H/W & S/W (the included Street Atlas) for a few days, I'm sure I haven't figured it all out.Still, I quickly found that the database only knows about one of the several Home Depot stores in my area.I looked for the hotel I'll be staying at on an upcoming trip, and it is not in the database.A two year old street in a newer nearby residential street is not present.In each of these cases, my Garmin MapSource s/w had these elements, and the level of detail and accuracy are better, too.I've found work arounds by creating waypoints where I know things I'll be going to are located (Delorme won't let me move an existing waypoint that I've created, so if it's not right, delete and recreate).I'll probably use it for such things as our RV traveling, but when I want to find the nearest hardware store... well most anything, I'll pull out my little E-Trex. ... Read more

Features

• Library of more than 4,300 items; 70+ training tutorial videos included
• High-quality software for home design, remodeling, and landscaping
• Inspire your designs with Better Homes and Gardens design planning center
• Create a virtual walk-through; design and visualize in 3D
• Automatic material list for project-cost estimating

Reviews (7)

Depending on what you want to do ...
I've been using HD Pro 6.0 for about 9 months now, and as a hobby I've done probably 25 complete home designs of various types and configurations. I also have about as many more that aren't completed, yet.

There have been very few things that I haven't been able to figure out how to represent graphically. But if you're planning to build--hire a professional after you have realized your concept with this program. The program (which is feature-reduced from Chief Architect) isn't quite sufficient for accurate materials lists or for showing proper construction techniques. For those you will need the Chief Architect program, at least. And you will also need to suddenly become a skilled, professional builder or architect. So, if you're not one of those already, go hire a professional and show them what you want (by using the program).

As for the program, it is as complete and as easy to use as any of the others. I have used 3D Home Architect (the current version), and HD Suite/Pro are superior. The "Pro" version, at about $500, isn't for the beginner, but I do question exactly who it is best positioned for. Pros would need Chief, and the tinkerer cannot justify $500. I bought it mainly for the abilitiy to create custom roofs (which Suite won't do), among other things.

As for defects in the software--there is NO defect-free software. The question is: do the defects seriously imapct your ability to get useful work done? I would say no, but if you're doing anything with curved walls--beware! These are the most "twitchy" part of the program, and I have easily crashed the program a hundred of times. Fortunately, the program does auto-save, and I habitually save my plan many, many times while editing, anyway. I can almost predict when the program will get into trouble, just by the way it behaves. For straightforward things you should not have a problem. Really.

As for hardware, as long as your PC is 3 years old or newer, you should be fine. You might need to upgrade the memory to 512 MB and replace the video card if you don't have one that supports OpenGL, but an OpenGL video card is less than $100. These days, 256 MB of memory is also well less than $100. Just be aware of these things if you expect fast performance.

Mostly good with a few flaws...
I started looking into the home CAD software market when I decided to remodel one floor of my house. It didn't take long to discover that remodels of the kind I had in mind require building permits. Building permits in turn require plans, plans require architects and architects typically require lots of money...

Home CAD software seemed to provide a solution to this problem, by allowing someone like myself, possessing absolutely no drawing talent at all, to produce professional-looking floorplans and blueprints that might convince the local planning office that I knew what I was doing.

I quickly discovered that there are a range of home design products aimed at the consumer out there, ranging in price from about $30 to almost $500. HD Pro is right at the top of that range and the price put me off intially, so instead, I bought a copy of Home Designer Suite (same company, cut-down product), for about $100. Almost immediately I ran into problems: HD Suite is not very flexible when it comes to the ingredients that make up your house. In particular, I couldn't represent the stuccoed concrete block walls that make up the exterior of my house. After banging my head against a 2x6 wood framed wall for a while, I figured I'd try the upgrade to HD Pro.

Small aside: ART offers an "upgrade" path to Pro that, in my mind, is pretty unattractive. Essentially they offer you the opportunity to throw away your $100 copy of Suite, and then credit you a mere $50 towards the $500 HD Pro. And you have to do this within 30 days of purchase. Some deal! Strangely, ART runs a parallel offer to refund _all_ your money within 30 days if you're unhappy with any product, so it doesn't take a genius to work out that instead of "upgrading", you should just return Suite and buy Pro independently. Go figure.

Anyway, HD Pro is a pretty sophisticated piece of software on the whole. It comes with lots of documentation, tons of features, and even a bunch of training tutorials on video. There's a lot of stuff there and it takes a while to get into. Getting your house mapped out with any degree of accuracy is going to be a long job, largely due to the amount of time you'll spend measuring every inch of your house with a tape measure (assuming you don't have existing plans), then entering that data into HD Pro, then trying to work out why things aren't matching up, then remeasuring, and so on. You'll also have great fun trying to figure out how to use HD Pro's stair tool if you have anything other than very simple straight stairs. It's possible to get there in the end, but it takes a lot of patience!

HD Pro allows you to model a great many details, from the width of your window sashes, to the placement of your framing members, to the slope of the surrounding terrain. While I couldn't always get a perfect match with reality, I could generally get as close as I cared about.

Having said all that, HD Pro has a few flaws, some minor, some serious. For starters, you're stuck with the furniture, appliances and objects that HD Pro provides. There's no way to import or create new objects. Sure, HD Pro's library has thousands of objects, but when you consider the range of things that that library has to cover, there's really only room for a few objects of each type. Still, there's probably something that's not too different from what you have/want.

Occasionally I just couldn't work out how to represent some architectural quirk of my house. Staircases in particular are problematic since they can be fairly complex 3-D shapes, but HD Pro's stair tools are essentially 2-D. I also found that the fireplace tool was not sufficiently flexible. Again, you have to accept some degree of approximation.

A more serious problem only emerged after I'd finished all my plans, laid them out using HD Pro's friendly layout tool, and then tried to print those plans at the standard (and required) 1/4" to 1 foot scale. For some reason, HD Pro restricts you to a maximum paper size of 11"x17", which is way too small for most architectural drawings. For me, this was very nearly a showstopper, and I was only able to work around it by the tedious process of printing to a reduced scale file and then enlarging it as I printed it out. When I contacted ART's tech support about this, they helpfully suggested that I might want to buy their $1000 Chief Architect product instead! I hope that ART will remove this seemingly arbitrary and annoying restriction in the future.

I haven't actually tried any of the other home CAD offerings so I can't compare HD Pro to those, except to say that HD Pro is invariably much more expensive. I did download the free trial of 3D Home Architect 6 and it seemed OK, but limited in a similar way to HD Suite.

In summary, HD Pro is a sophisticated tool for planning out a house and producing 3-D renderings. It's unlikely to be able to model the most complex of custom houses, but it can get close for most. As a tool for producing building permit plans, it's limited by the restricted paper size, though with effort you might be able to work around this.

Frustrating and not worth the money
The number of bugs in this program is unbelievable. After using it for 6 months, I have spent hundreds of hours fixing problems due to software bugs or restarting the program after it crashes. I'm running it on a new computer with XP, a faster processor and far more memory than the minimum that the vendor requires.

The print functions do not all work. For example, one function allows you to print a cut-out of your design, which you can then cut with scissors, fold, and tape together. That would be great...however only 3 of 4 walls will ever print. I have never therefore been able to use this function. Even more frustrating is the bug that does not actually save your work even if you have saved prior to shutdown. I have re-drawn the same features 4 times in one plan, simply because the program will not save the changes, or it will only save some of the changes.

Also, the hardware key (dongle) takes up one of my USB ports and only works if I reboot my computer after inserting it. Even then, sometimes I have to remove and replace it multiple times.

I wish I could recommend an alternative.

DIY Home Remodel
I am not an architect or builder. But I consider myself handy and cheap. My motto is give me a book (or program) and tools and I'll do anything. My remodel consists of adding a garage and increasing the size of a single story home. Me and my conscripted nephews plan on doing most of the work ourselves. I originally bought the Punch software and was very satisfied with the intuitive ease of use and the 3D design renderings. But when the rubber meets the road and permit requirements become reality, this software was the most affordable one I could find to bypass the professional services usually required for that process. While not easy, meeting the goal of saving that considerable expense has made it worthwhile. Now if I can just figure out a way to build things square...

very stable and is fast to work with
I tested the cheap old version - 3D Home Architect deluxe 3.0 just for getting a feeling of this kind of software.
I then spent quite some time looking around at the Internet at e.g. Punch, IMSI floorplan and finally chose to buy Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Pro 6.
I chose the product because it is the actual upgrade to Home Architect and it is made by a company that also makes professional products - which in my mind makes them able to use theirs skills while making a stripped version from the professional product.

After getting the product my I could confirm that this is a professional home design product with very good documentation. And the program is easy to use and it very fast to draw a sketch of the house and later easy to adjust if needed.

No crashes and the 3D workes fine.

I have only tested the software om my new PC with 1GB RAM, Pentium 4 -3GHzHT and ATIRAdeon 128MB graphics - so I do not know yet whether it has good performance on my old PC.

I chose the Pro version (5 times more expensive) instead of the suite because I needed conversion from DXF and some of the other things that are extra in the Pro version - see the comparison matrix at the manufacturers site.

I think that if you don't need the extras - which I guess most people won't - then the suite is the right product for you!

/Jan ... Read more

Product Description

FileMaker Pro 7 ... Read more

Features

• Secure data with assigned accounts and privileges
• Track and manage people, projects, images, and data
• Do more, faster with 30 starter solutions
• Exchange data with a virtually limitless number of applications
• Store, track, and archive files and documents

Reviews (5)

This version is lightyears away from earlier versions
I'm a database professional, one of the few MySQL Certified Professionals in the country. I've been familiar with dBase, InfoFile, Clarion, Microsoft Access, FoxPro, Oracle, SQL Server and PostgreSQL, most since their earliest incarnations.

I've been tinkering with FileMaker since version 3 (1995). It never seemed much more than an oh-so-slightly souped-up version of the database in ClarisWorks/AppleWorks.

I've always evaluated FileMaker's time-limited downloads, but was never impressed.

But version 7 is a quantum leap, highly matured. If you want a replacement for the buggy and unstable Microsoft Access, here it is.

On a note, I bought a copy of FileMaker 7 on eBay. When I registered it, FileMaker told me that it was a pirated copy, which diminished my opinion of that online service.

I believe that if "a software is good enough to use, it's good enough to pay for". On a shoestring budget, I needed to find the best price, and it was here on Amazon.

Amazing
The improvements made over version 6 are monumental!A must have for database users and users of previous versions!A+++++

Have been using for 2 months now.
I have been using Filemaker 7 for Mac for 2 motnhs now.I am so happy with all the improvements they have made.Hands down this is the best database program (Mac or PC) ever made.A must buy!

Great software!
This Filemaker is the best version yet!Highly recommended!

Filemaker Pro 7
I ran out an got this immediately when it was announced because I like to get the latest software and have been using Filemaker for over 10 years.
Now I want to go back to 6.
For some reason 7 is SLOWER than 6. All functions hang before executing from performing a find to changing between layout views there is a noticeable lag before the desired screen comes up and when you asked for it. Additionally once you perform the function you find yourself waiting. Especially performing finds I am noticing that it takes a while for the program to give me results. Since I use this function constantly that's a major pain in the ass. In 6 the delay between when I hit the find button and the results coming up was non existant. Performing finds in 6 on the same machine was lightning fast. In 7 it is not.
Since I use this function more than any other and because there is also an increase in wait times on many other functions in the program , like creating a new record, sorting and everything else, I would not reccomend this upgrade.
Ray ... Read more

Product Description

ISI EndNote v.8.0 - Document Management - 1 User(s) - PCUsed by millions of researchers, students and librarians, EndNote 8 expands easy bibliographies to any language, allows you to build libraries of any size and more. With EndNote you can search online bibliographic databases, organize references and images, and create instant bibliographies. Endnote 8 demonstrates ISI ResearchSoft's ongoing commitment to improve core features that make EndNote an essential tool for your research, writing and publishing needs. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theISI 5018 - ENDNOTE 8 WIN SINGLE USER NO RETURNS 8/31/05 and all other ISI Software - Educ ... Read more

Features

• Essential tool for research, writing, and publishing
• Create instant bibliographies; organize references and images
• Build libraries of any size; new reference types and fields
• Add, edit, and display references in any language
• Search online bibliographic databases

Reviews (1)

Don't even think about it
Do not buy this program. Version 8 is a complete rewrite to support Unicode and is definitely not ready for prime time. We tried version 8.0.1 where I work and computers are crashing, libraries are not opening up and saving properly on network drives, the program itself is slow and clunky and annoying even when it's working. I love version 5! After I try version 7 we may make version 7 the standard. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Retail Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 5 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Premier Retail Edition 2005 is designed specifically to help you manage your retail business more effectively. Use it alone, or pair it with QuickBooks Point of Sale software (sold separately) to transfer sales, inventory and customer information to your books in one quick step. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284199 - QUICKBOOKS 2005 PREMIER 5U WIN - and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button.
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

The Rosetta Stone Level I program offers a comprehensive course of study for beginning learners, leading to intermediate proficiency. The program contains over 3,500 real-life images and phrases in 92 lessons and more than 250 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. There are reviews, exercises, and tests for every lesson with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The best product in the worst category
If you have your heart set on learning a language while sitting at the computer, then this is the best computer based language learning program there is. The competition in this genre is terrible. Rosetta Stone software is stable and usable. And it is the only program I've seen with a user interface that doesn't look like a children's book.

Having said that, I wouldn't recommend that anyone who is serious about learning a language use a computer program as a primary tool. Sure, you need a computer to load up your mp3 player and write to your foreign language speaking pen pal. But it takes some really serious determination to sit in front of a computer, night after night for hours learning Spanish. Don't set yourself up for failure.

Unless you are a very exceptional learner, you're going to have to practice for at least a half-hour every day. For me, that means fitting it into my lifestyle. I study while I'm driving, washing dishes, waiting in line, whenever. And I've been doing it for years. If I had to sit in front of a computer, it wouldn't have lasted a week.

If you still really want computer based language training, this is the best I've seen. I believe they've added a third level to the Spanish program which should make it more complete. The boxed edition is very pricey, but Rosetta Stone has an online version for which you can pay monthly. They also have sample lessons on the website.

I would recommend starting with an mp3 player and a good comprehensive audio course (Pimsleur or Platiquemos). Forget the computer programs, or use them as a supplement.

All the work is in a little-used tense. What good is that?
Unfortunately this course uses the present progressive tense throughout, where as in real life, the present indicative is usually the tense most commonly used. The present progressive tense indicates that the action is in progress right now, e.g. I am eating (now), He is jumping (now). In Spanish the present progressive tense is quite restricted and is usually limited to what a person is doing RIGHT NOW.The present progressive is formed by conjuagting the appropriate ending of one verb,the verb estar, and adding the gerund of the appropritate verb. Some examples from the course might be: Los muchachos están saltando (The boys are jumping (right now); El niño está corriendo, (The boy is running) etc. It's kind of like the old Dick and Jane stuff. The point is, you get a lot of work with the verb "estar" and a lot of work with the gerund (the "ing" form )of other verbs, but little else. This is a cop out and it is not the way people speak.

The present indicative is much more versatile tense and is the most commonly used tense in the spanish language (The present progressive, on the other hand, is little used).The present indicative can be used just like the present progressive, it can be used to express the future (e.g. Voy mañana, I'm leaving tomorrow), it can be used to express a polite command (e.g. Me trae un cafe, por favor--bring me a coffee, please. In most instances this simple command form is considered much more polite than using the imperative mood (Me trae...is all you'll ever need in a restaurant). The present indicative tense refers to the specific now (as does the present progressive), but it also refers to the general now (these days, this time period, e.g., I live in the U.S.; I'm going to the store, I'm studying Spanish (This is a good example that shows clearly what I'm talking about--I'm studying Spanish now, yesterday and tomorrow--an ongoing "studying" of Spanish--Estudio español (present indicative) as opposed to estoy estudiando español--I've got the book open in front of me and that's what I'm doing at this very moment.

With this program you learn the endings to the verb estar, learn the gerund of a couple hundred verbs and bingo, you're talking spanish. It's easy--no learning all those separate endings for all those verbs, no learning irregular verbs, etc.The problem is, it ain't the way people talk.This is such an egregious error, it's so impractical, that I'm surprised they continue to sell the program without correcting the problem.Technically, I think the program is well done (except this is a windows based program without a minimize button--what's that about?) -- anyway, two stars for technical aspects --sound quality, pictures, etc.

Very Helpful
This will not work for you as the first or only program for learning Spanish.It is great as a supplement to other methods of learning Spanish.The method is entirely intuitive - there is no English anywhere, so you may also want to have a dictionary and a grammar book.

I have found Rosetta Stone language programs most useful for reviewing the information I have learned elsewhere, for brushing up on languages I haven't used for a while, and for expanding vocabulary.

It may not be the best choice for total beginners, but you can learn a lot by associating words and expressions with the images and occasional mini videos.I do consider it definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Not as good as I was expecting
This programs is good listening practice,and offers somewhat useful speech practice, and writing practice, but thats about it. There is no grammar practice at all. In Spanish this is critical. Learning verb conjugations are boring, but you simple have to understand them, same with pronouns ect. The Speech practice and writing exercises are simple repeating, and writing the Spanish you hear. This will do little for your ability to speak, because your going to have to translate the English to Spanish in your head, and vis versa. How can you say anything If you don't know for sure what the words and phrases mean.This is the way children learn right.(...). Want to say I want this or I need that, your out of luck, because this program does not show, or explain how. Everything in this course is third person. You get ton's of the boys are jumping, the girls are running ect. If you go to a Spanish speaking country how useful is this going to be? Like your going to strike up a conversation about someone else with a native Spanish speaker? No verb conjucations for I, you, we!!! A small problem considering you will use these verb conjucations at least 70-80% of the time in the present tense.If you get this course you need a dictionary, a verb conj. book, and if you can afford it the pimseur series, or Barron's FSI (IF you don't have the money). After about half way into the course I stopped, because I felt like I was on a vocabulary treadmill, learning new vocabulary words and little else. That's when I orders some good workbooks like Spanish the Easy way, The the practice makes perfect books, and wishing I would have bought these books first, as I use them and the pimsleur course, and put this course on the backburner. Anyway I will say that sadly this course is by far the best software program available for learning languages, but it's lacking and way overpriced for what you will get out of them. If you want to learn how to speak the language this is not the course for you. If you want to work on listening comprehention, and vocabulary building than you may like it.

The best way to learn
I have looked at nearly a dozen different Spanish programs, but this program really mimicks the way a native tongue is learned.Any program that says that you can become fluent in a language in 2 months is lying to you.How did you learn your native language?Did your parents give you an English grammar book when you were a baby and have you conjugate verbs?Of course not!You heard your parents, their friends, and relatives speak it to you over and over and over again.Through that, you began to pick up words and phrases and were able to associate them with their meaning.But it took you quite a while didn't it?You weren't speaking your native language 4 months after you were born, were you?But over time you became fluent.

People who live in other countries usually become fluent in that language in about 6 months to a year, depending on the language.And that's with hearing it 24/7, speaking it, reading it, and having no choice but to understand it.They are immersed in the language.That is what Rosetta Stone is trying to do.It is immersion.You see the picture, see the words, and hear the phrase or words associated with them.And this way, you never forget it.It's much easier to remember that caballo is horse when you have seen a picture of a horse with the word superimposed on that picture while a native speaker is saying it.

It is going to take a while.There is no such thing as fast-food language.You have to be patient and you have to be dilligent.Repetition in the program is excellent, but the dilligence of the learner is the key to seeing results! ... Read more

Product Description

For the busy Mac user who needs access to PC-only files and applications, there's Microsoft® Office 2004 for Mac Professional Edition. Boasting all of the breakthrough productivity features of Office Standard Edition, it also includes Virtual PC for Mac Version 7 with Windows XP Professional. It’s the easy way to manage, create and share your brilliance with anyone, including those in the PC world.

For professional users running Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or later who need Virtual PC for Mac to run PC applications on their Mac.

Innovators cross-pollinate ideas and information, and so should their tools. The new features in Microsoft® Office 2004 for Mac aren’t constrained by boundariesin fact, many of them are designed to give you access to your ideas and information from every program in the suite. Thanks to input from thousands of Mac users, Office 2004 contains tools that are more integrated and intuitive than ever.



Features:

Unicode Support:Now you can display most non-Roman fonts with ease and take advantage of the long file name capabilities built into Mac OS X.

Save Image to File:Save embedded graphics to a separate graphics file in GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PNG, PSD or AppleWorks Graphic format.

Formatting Palette Transparency:Make the Formatting Palette translucent so that it no longer obscures your underlying document.

Error Reporting:Automatically generate and send an error report to Microsoft for analysis if an Office 2004 application crashes. ... Read more

Features

• Spend less time managing info and more time using it
• Includes Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7
• A productivity suite with a host of ground-breaking new features
• Easily share ideas across platforms and around the globe
• Confidently create stunning documents with impressive new tools

Reviews (2)

VP 7.0 is SUITE now that i finally got it installed!
A great bargain - you get full office Professional, VP and full version of Windows for under $300 dollars. After waiting for months and months for Office 2004 Professional to be released, when it finally came out I was ecstatic. One problem: VP 7.0 wouldn't install on my G5, only on my laptop. I called Microsoft support and within minutes they told me that they were working on a patch for machines with over 2.0 GB of ram. I downloaded the update a week later when it came out and everything is now golden. The moral of the story is that Microsoft underestimates the needs of Mac users because they are used to wimpy PCs that have no ram!

Nice suite, but Virtual PC 7 disappoints on my G5
I purchased the upgrade since I'd already bought both Office v.X and Virtual PC 6.1 last year.

The biggest letdown is that Microsoft's promised support for the G5 is nearly non-existent.I have a dual processor G5 with an ATI Radeon 9800 card (Apple), and after trying to install Virtual PC 7 three times, I cannot get a VM to work.It did install (and work) flawlessly on my G4 Powerbook.Googling for reviews finds it's very hit or miss, but if (when) it misses, you'll regret investing the extra $$$ in an immature product. ... Read more

Product Description

For the busy Mac user who needs access to PC-only files and applications, there's Microsoft® Office 2004 for Mac Professional Edition. Boasting all of the breakthrough productivity features of Office Standard Edition, it also includes Virtual PC for Mac Version 7 with Windows XP Professional. It’s the easy way to manage, create and share your brilliance with anyone, including those in the PC world.

For professional users running Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or later who need Virtual PC for Mac to run PC applications on their Mac.

Innovators cross-pollinate ideas and information, and so should their tools. The new features in Microsoft® Office 2004 for Mac aren’t constrained by boundariesin fact, many of them are designed to give you access to your ideas and information from every program in the suite. Thanks to input from thousands of Mac users, Office 2004 contains tools that are more integrated and intuitive than ever.



Features:

Unicode Support:Now you can display most non-Roman fonts with ease and take advantage of the long file name capabilities built into Mac OS X.

Save Image to File:Save embedded graphics to a separate graphics file in GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PNG, PSD or AppleWorks Graphic format.

Formatting Palette Transparency:Make the Formatting Palette translucent so that it no longer obscures your underlying document.

Error Reporting:Automatically generate and send an error report to Microsoft for analysis if an Office 2004 application crashes. ... Read more

Features

• Spend less time managing info and more time using it
• Includes Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7
• A productivity suite with a host of ground-breaking new features
• Easily share ideas across platforms and around the globe
• Confidently create stunning documents with impressive new tools

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Manufacturing and Wholesale Edition - Complete Product - Financial - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCDesigned specifically for manufacturers and wholesalers, QuickBooks: Premier Manufacturing & Wholesale Edition 2005 offers the customized tools you need to streamline workflow and manage your finances more effectively. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284224 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER MFG WHOLESALE ED 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button.
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Product Description

Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition ... Read more

Features

• Norton AntiVirus
• Norton Spyware Protection
• Norton Personal Firewall
• Norton Privacy Control, Norton Parental Control
• Norton AntiSpam

Reviews (4)

Why I'm Sticking With Norton
I've recently been reading a ton of complaints around the web about the Symantec Norton Antivirus and Internet Security Suite of software. The following little review has been written in response to those complaints:

One of the biggest complaints that I read about Norton Antivirus and Norton Internet Security is the cost. For me, however, the annual upgrade on Norton Products always ends up free--at least it has since the turn of the millenium. Inevitably if you wait long enough their rebates come out that make the upgrade to the new product absolutely cost free. This holds true even with their full suite which may retail at $70, but I've managed to get 5 copies for various computers I manage at a final cost to me of $0. Actually, with Amazon.com because I get a discount because of the A9 search engine, I think I've managed to earn a couple of bucks by installing Norton Internet Security. Next year, I'll use the rebates to do the same.

With Internet Security, the concerns of many people who are against Norton and Symantec (especially firewall) with the exception of the resource hog issue (Symantec really needs to address this issue) are handled.

Symantec needs to fix their technical service side of things by offering free help of at least some sort. They need to tone down the issues of resource hogging. But as long as they offer me free upgrades every year and consistently maintain virus-free computers (6 years virus free on all on the computers I've managed: usually 5-7 at one time) I'll stick with Symantec. Nevertheless, despite these pitfalls, as long as I can keep upgrading for free and my systems remain virus-free, Norton is my source for internet security.

(...)

Great combination of Symantec (Norton) products
This is a recently released product, so that's why you don't see very many reviews.I'll tell you, based on my own experience of running Peter Norton's software since the early DOS days (1984/85), there is something wrong with either your Operating System installation (XP or otherwise) or your hardware if you can't get this beautiful suite running on your machine.

I loaded it yesterday on a Pentium 2GHz / 1GB RAM / 60GB hard drive and this is very nice.The protection is comprehensive -- you get Anti-Virus, Firewall, and SPAM in one box.I'm not a salesperson for Symantec, just a long-time customer of theirs, so I have nothing to gain by raving about their products.One major flaw in their product designs is that they mix and match individual components (anti-virus, firewall, utilities, disk imaging) in various different "suites" or packages, and I know that can cause problems on systems that have multiple versions of all the Symantec DLLs and all those registry entries cross-referencing each other.

Sorry to get too techy, but I think this is an excellent product and they have made great progress since their 2003 and 2004 versions.

Forget the Rebate
Although the product worked well, (easy installation, good protection) the promised rebate by Symantec was rejected; it seems they have a policy of nitpicking in order to not to honor the rebate... interesting business practices.

NIS will let your computer lethargic
Norton Internet Security 2005 will completely take over your system processing time bringing your computer to its knees!!. NIS will protect your PC, but it will also convert a P4 2.66 GHz with 768MB RAM in to a lethargic computer. For NIS to run it uses more than 21 processes that take almost 40MB of your valuable system RAM, it is absurd.

Worst of all, try to access their inexistent support... you don't have the right for even one call. They only take calls from corporate customers/products.

Go for some other product, RUN AWAY! don't use this one!. I did not followed others reviews, what a big mistake!! ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2005 Accountant Edition - Complete Product - Accounting - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks: Premier Accountant Edition 2005 contains advanced bookkeeping, write-up and financial reporting tools to help professional accountants deliver great client service more efficiently. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284208 - QUICKBOOKS PREMIER ACCOUNTANT 2005 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.
• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.

Product Description

Collect, produce, and share Intelligent Documents

Adobe® Acrobat® 7.0 Professional software is the advanced way to create, control, and deliver more secure, high-quality Adobe PDF documents. Assemble electronic or paper fileseven Web sites, engineering drawings, and e-mailinto reliable PDF documents that are easy to share with others using free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software.

Features:

• Enjoy improved performance:With improved performance you can quickly convert, collect, and organize Adobe PDF documents.
• Extend commenting capabilities:Enable anyone who uses free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software to actively participate in reviews.
• Easily design Adobe PDF forms:Use Adobe LiveCycle™ Designer 7.0 software (now included with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 ProfessionalWindows® only) to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace. Incorporate business logic, such as calculations and data validations.
• Organize Adobe PDF documents:Quickly find a list of Adobe PDF documents you have recently opened. View them as thumbnails, and drag and drop files into related collections.
• Enjoy improved attachment capabilities:Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document.

Features

• Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document
• Enable anyone with free Adobe Reader 7.0 software to use highlighter, sticky note, pen, and other commenting tools
• Create PDF files with the click of a button from Microsoft applications and AutoCAD
• Create a single Adobe PDF document from multiple sources, including portions of Web pages and previously combined Adobe PDF documents
• Use the included Adobe LiveCycle Designer 7.0 software to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace

Reviews (7)

Avoid: "Worse than Malware"
Don't take my word for it that's a quote from the title of a recent post excoriating this irritating and increasingly bloated product on Slashdot.

Be warned: Adobe has not learned its lesson, and despite the outcry that followed the release of version 6, this latest release of Acrobat continues Adobe's aggressive trend of intruding into your desktop environment, again, as in version 6 without providing an easy way to undo the damage once its done--in fact, it's now nearly impossible. Like earlier releases, this version of Acrobat adds startup macros and new toolbar buttons to your existing applications and adds menu entries to your desktop "right click" menus. Adobe argues that these are conveniences, but they are entirely unnecessary (for most of us "printing" to Adobe PDF achieves the same result, is much more convenient, and a more natural model), and clutter what for most users is either a too-crowded user interface (for those who don't have the knowledge or patience to customize it) or a carefully tuned one (for those who do). Unlike many well-behaved applications that provide obvious ways of avoiding this kind of intrusive and disruptive behavior (e.g. through a simple checkbox option in a settings dialog), Acrobat's "option" for disabling this behavior, once deeply hidden in the setup process,is now almost completely absent. To disable the "Convert to Adobe PDF" button that mysteriously appears in the Outlook mail editor, for example, one has to be sure to choose "this feature will not be available" from the "Microsoft Outlook" option under "Acrobat PDFMaker" under "Create Adobe PDF". Simply deleting the button using Outlook's toolbar customization feature will not work: it comes right back when the editor is next opened. Similar problems arise in Word, Excel, Visio, Project, and Internet Explorer. And there's simply no way to get rid of the never-used "Convert to Adobe PDF" and "Combine in Acrobat..." entries in that appear in the desktop context menus for files (even if one installs none of the Acrobat PDFMaker features).

For the technically inclined wishing to repair some of the damage that Acrobat 7 does, there are complex but largely effective step by step instructions available on the web, but even the authors of these are driven to despair by version 7: ("Adobe has really pushed the boat out with Acrobat 7 and managed to screw Word royally") .

In short, Acrobat will make a mess of your working environment, there's no way to completely fix it, and even the partial fix is a pain (and not well documented). (This may seem a minor issue, but if every application followed Adobe's reckless example, our working environments would start to look like strip malls, crowded with features screaming for our attention to the point where it is hard to find what we need when we need it. One of the great strengths of the personal computer desktop is that users can configure it in ways that suit their needs; no application should interfere with that.)

Experienced Acrobat users will also notice that this version continues another frustrating trend for Acrobat (and most other Adobe applications): it is yet again slower to launch than the previous version. In fact, on my 2 GHz Pentium 4, it takes longer to launch than the entire Visual Studio .NET development environment, and longer than the boot sequence for Windows XP!

There are other minor problems as well (arbitrary rearrangements of menu and tool bar items, etc.) but these two major flaws are more than bad enough. Unless you really need the latest Acrobat features, you should probably avoid this upgrade. And if the "improvements" in this release are any indication of where Adobe plans to go with future releases, it may be time to start looking elsewhere for a tool for digital document management.

Fortunately, there's no reason at all to upgrade. Version 7 offers no usefully new features, so you can (and should) avoid this one (at all costs).

Bummer
If you use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) don't buy it!Links to your previous .pdf simply don't work.Adobe knows about it, but have no viable work around.Stick with prevous versions.

NO-BRAINER, GET IT.
Simple. It loads like a blaze. Sure all the new frills and features like easy annotations are neat, but the speed of 7.0 alone makes it worth every dime. Especially if your current Acrobat is the half-baked clunky 6.0.x that burst through the gates before it had legs.

Good upgrade, perhaps the pinnacle
Honestly, I don't know how much more they can improve Adobe Acrobat.It is an excellent product, and a god-send for electronic file management.

I upgraded from version 6.0.The only problem I had with 6.0 is that it seemed terribly slow.

This new version seems much brisker.It loads quickly, and files seem to "print" to it much more quickly than version 6.0.I do not utilize the "one-button" feature it provides in MS Office and other programs.I try to keep all my programs as non-integrated as possible, because my previous experiences showed that they really, really bog each other down, no matter how much their makers claim they won't.

I don't come close to using all the features of Acrobat, but for my needs, it far surpasses anything else I've tried (or researched).

If you're having problems with version 6.0, or have an older version that you just want upgraded, I strongly recommend this.However, I don't foresee ever needing to upgrade Acrobat again.

Good upgrade..!!!
I have been using v.7 from the last week or so and i am very pleased with it. It loads very fast (unlike all other adobe versions), the conversion to PDF from doc or ppt files also is much quicker.

I have not encountered any problems yet, but its only been 7 days since i am using it..

Definitely worth the upgrade. ... Read more

Product Description

SureTrak Project Manager 3.0 by Primavera systems is a project planning and control software product, which provides a corporate solution to the changing face of project management. SureTrak is an exceptional tool for creating schedules, managing resources, analyzing goals and updating projects. SureTrak enables users to view, organize, sort, query, compare and evaluate project data. This power is embedded into every facet of SureTrak through its use of activity and work breakdown structure codes. This indispensable flexibility provides for pivoting project data into more options and solutions.

Reviews (3)

Best single-user PM software bar none
SureTrak was designed with features that practicing project managers need, not glitzy fluff.Although the two previous reviewers have made strong cases for SureTrak there are a few details that I'd like to add.

(1) Multiple calendars - you can have up to 31 base calanders per project, giving you absolute control that is not possible with other PM applications in this price range.This feature allows you to model different resource baselines, which is powerful.Also, unlike MS Project, SureTrak does not assume it knows better than you and change the project in strange and mysterious ways after you've made an adjustment.This alone makes SureTrak worth using.

(2) Earned Value project management is built in and works correctly.If you're a PMP you'll not only appreciate the solid implementation of earned value, but should also know that the earned value portions of the PMBOK were developed by members of the Primavera team--Quentin Fleming and Joel Koppelman--who also authored Earned Value Project Management, second edition.This adds a high level of trust in the way SureTrak works.

(3)Project resource leveling works (it's somewhat 'challenged' in MS Project), and the ability to automatically forecast resource shortages, trace PERT logic, use precedence diagramming method if you so choose, and the ability to jump from WBS, resource, activity or PERT views with a mouse click shows your project from any perspective.Another nice feature is the 'cosmic' view of the PERT view that shows the entire network in one window and details in another.

(4)The reports, profiling and analysis options are too many to list.Suffice it to say that if there is a view or report that isn't shipped with SureTrak (and I cannot think of any), you can easily create one.

Although it has serious features, it also has glitz:publish in HTML, add graphics to your schedule and customize bar legends.It also has team features, such as email management, the ability to manage multiple related projects simultaneously, and the ability to exchange files with MS Project via MPX files.Note that there are some losses when you exchange MPX files because SureTrak has features that Project doesn't have and they will not import correctly into MS Project.

If you make the leap from MS Project to SureTrak I strongly recommend investing in Planning Using Primavera SureTrak Project Manager Version 3.0 by Paul E. Harris, which will get you quickly started.

Professional Tool for Professional PMs
If you are planning, scheduling and controlling projects in accordance with the process laid out by Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) then you will appreciate this program's power and features.

The features that align to the PMBOK are:easy planning using a work breakdown structure, correct computations for earned value and resource leveling that works properly.

Features that I particularly like are:direct import of data into an Excel pivot table (this feature has been in the program since version 1.0, and takes a mouse click to accomplish), wide array of reports, and the ability to switch among Gantt (schedule in bar graph format), organizational view, work breakdown structure view and PERT view, and the ability to export and import between Microsoft Project using the MPX file format. While MS Project is not my tool of choice I have to adapt to what clients are using and it is a common application.

How does SureTrak compare to Microsoft Project? It depends on your approach to project management.If you consider Gantt charts to be a project plan and you can get away with it, then stick with MS Project.However, if you begin your planning and estimating with a work breakdown structure, analyze dependencies and find your critical path using an activity diagram, and are managing to deliverables using earned value, then SureTrak is the way to go.

Here are a few other facts that commend SureTrak:Primavera is a widely respected brand for high end project management software, such as their P3 product. Nearly every major engineering and construction project on the planet is managed with P3. They also played a key role in defining the earned value project management portion of the PMBOK 2000, which is not an international standard for project management.The makers of MS Project, on the other hand, is known for missed product releases.To me this means that they either do not understand project management or the tools they use to manage their development projects are possibly flawed.

Sure Trak Tracks All Types of Projects
The latest version of Primavera Sure Trak, version 3.0 improves an already great project scheduling product.Primavera's lead as the premiere author of professional scheduling software is bumped up another notch with thislatest version. Project managers in all fields, not just construction ortechnical fields will find the Project Kick Start Wizzard a breeze to setup a project.Updating the progress of a project has never been easierusing the progress spotlight feature. The built in tutorial walks any newuser through the many new and useful features for formating and for settingup project schedules. As a construction professional with 25 years ofvaried project experience, this scheduling software is easy for even afirst time user to quickly learn.As an instructor of constructiontechnology for the last 10 years at a junior college, this software is mynumber one recommendation to all my students in the construction managementprogram. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 enables you to turn data into information with powerful tools to analyze, communicate, and share results. Excel 2003 can help you work better in teams, and help protect and control access to your work. In addition, you can work with industry-standard Extensible Markup Language (XML) data to make it easier to connect to business processes.

Features:

• Capture and Reuse Data Bring key business data into your spreadsheets for more timely access to the information you need to make good decisions.
• Share Information with Confidence Work together effectivelyinternally and with other organizationsand help protect against the misuse of sensitive company information.
• Increase Productivity Be mobile and access information that can help you create the best spreadsheets possible.

Features

• Enhanced Smart Tags appear only when you hover the mouse over a defined range of cells
• Reads data in any customer defined XML schema, without reformatting; you can manipulate XML data sources using charts, tables or graphs
• Spreadsheets can be saved in a native XML file format, searchable by a program using industry standard XML
• New visual XML mapping tool maps user-specified XML schema to fields in an Excel spreadsheet
• Analyzes data better, with enhanced collinearity detection, sum of squared deviation calculation, normal distributions, and continuous probability distribution functions

Reviews (1)

More Possibilities with your Numbers & Data
Excel is a XML mammoth because of the integration with the language. The ability to migrate data between different storage sources and extraction of information to make it flexible in different scenarios. Tables can be transferred back and forth between applications such Word with ease. Excel can continually use the tables from documents as a data source for further expandability. It's the flexibility for data exchange that makes Excel 2003 very powerful. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency.

This comprehensive program provides up to 550 hours of mastery instruction in listening comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking. Systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists or drills. Previews, exercises, and tests accompany every lesson, and there are automated tutorials throughout the program. Graphical speech recognition displays your voiceprint and compares it with the native speaker to help improve your pronunciation. (Ages 6 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (12)

fun, but not that efficient for the price
This course is a nice, gentle introduction to Chinese and it is fun.You see four pictures on the screen and hear an accompanying word or phrase. Each section has ten of these four-picture sets.There is no explanation or translation in English. You have to figure out from the picture what they new word or phrase means. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what it means, but with a little patience, you do figure it out and it sticks with you.Some of the pictures are a bit unclear, but in general they are good.The audio is also good and the course is user friendly. Once you think you have learned a section you can take a quiz.
On the whole, however, I think there are better courses out there.This one is very expensive and doesn't really take you very far.While it does teach a lot of vocabulary and things like comparatives and location, you don't really learn to say anything you would want to when visiting China.You learn to say "The taxi is red" or "The taxi has two windows" which are good things to learn.But you don't learn to say "Where can I find a taxi?" or "How long does it take to get to X?"
If you want a slow and easy introduction to listening and speaking, the Pimsleur introductory course is much cheaper (although the full Pimsleur courses are quite expensive.)Once you have finished the Pimsleur introduction, something like Ultimate Mandarin Basic course works well.
Rosetta Stone is good for learning Chinese characters.It doesn't actually teach them, but an accompanying booklet has the script for everything on the CDs (no pinyin or English, just the Chinese).It's a bit of a struggle, but you really can learn to recognize the characters using this program.

Not the best but fairly good.
Firstly, I have not tested the entire software yet. At this point of time, I have only made my way through some of the exercises on the Level 1 cd(since I failed to get the hanyu pinyin to display correctly on my pc).

What I would like to point out is:

a) The pronunciation is excellent and the speaking exercise is quite useful and so are the reading and listening exercises. However, for the typing exercise, there is no installation guide for the proper encoding in order for hanyu pinyin to work, whether it be on a Mac or PC.

This would be particularly frustrating to those with limited proficiency when it comes to computers. And furthermore, there should be a few more speaking exercises as well as an introductory reading and listening exercise that explains the 4 tones in Mandarin.

b) Although the picture-matching exercises are useful and very helpful, the problem is that some of them do NOT match with the answer. For example: "zai chuan shang de yi ge nan hai er he yi ge nu hai er" which translates into a "a male and a female child in a boat" but from the picture itself, it is clear that an adult male and female are sitting in a boat.

c) Many of the pictures are small and of inferior quality, as though they were taken by amateurs. For the price one pays for such a package and given that the software itself was developed such that the pictures are on the Main Cd in order to reduce costs, I would have expected a higher quality product and more variety of pictures since a digital camera is relatively cheap these days.

d) And finally, who was the bright spark who called this a "Chinese" learning software? The right term should be Mandarin as Chinese includes not just Mandarin but the other dialects like Fujian, Teochew, Hakka, Shanghainese, etc, of which, most of them are as common to Mandarin as Dutch is to English.

All in all, an excellent software but one which comes with several drawbarks.

Can't get beyond lesson 1
I'm very frustrated. As many of the reviewers have noted, it is often difficult to relate the picture to the chinese. With just a little explanation, this could be a useful program. So far I've purchased the Lonely Planet Mandarin phasebook and used many web sites, but it's still a struggle. We need a web site with translations of the Chinese. Anyone out there have a place to do this?

Might be good, but how can I tell?
I've had this on order for a month now and shipment has been delayed twice.When I want to know why, some nice Indian person tells me that it's been delayed, didn't I get the mail.I have no reason to think it's going to be shipped in the near future.You'd think I was ordering the Gutenberg Bible or something.

Not helpful for me
Like another user before me, I checked out the free Mandarin demo on the Rosetta website. It was quite a fiasco as I was completely lost after two or three lessons. You learn to identify certain things by looking at them, but I don't find this helpful at all, partly because of the incompetence of the photographer. Very often the men and women looked like each other and the boys and girls did as well, so if you ask me to click on "the boy is riding a horse" and the picture is shot from about 20 feet away, is it any surprise that I would be confused? And to worsen things as the lessons went on, there was no English explanation of any parts of speech. In lesson 1, you learn that "yi ge nan hai er" refers to a boy. I would GUESS that the "nan" part refers to the boy, but is it "this is a boy" or "that is a boy" or "it is a boy" that the rest of the sentence means? For all I know, it could mean "the boy is standing" or "the boy is smiling," how at all am I expected to decipher something like this??? I don't recommend this unless you already know a bit of Chinese and you just want to drill yourself or something. Otherwise give it a pass and try some Pimsleur or something. ... Read more

Product Description

Scansoft Dragon Naturally Speaking 8.0 Medical.Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical truly delivers on the promise of speech recognition in healthcare. Never has a release of Dragon NaturallySpeaking been as accurate - Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical is 25% more accurate than the previous release, and delivers up to 99% accuracy! Now healthcare professionals can truly eliminate the high cost and long turnaround time associated with manual transcription of patient notes. The result is lower costs and better patient care.Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical will fit right into your enterprise IT infrastructure. The new Roaming User feature lets you access your unique #34user profile#34 from any workstation in your organization's network, so you can #34roam#34 your hospital, clinic or practice and always have access to the power of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical also comes with a complete library of 14 medical specialty vocabularies, as well as the tools to further customize vocabularies for a specific practice. Finally, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical will work with just about any Electronic Medical Record (EMR) application. ... Read more

Features

• Create simple commands that will automate complex, multi-step tasks and use templates to speed up clinical documentation. Just say a single word or phrase and let your computer do the rest.
• With a 25% increase in accuracy, Dragon NaturallySpeaking® 8 Medical is up to 99% accurate-just as accurate as many manual transcriptionists.
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical comes with specialty vocabularies for Radiology, Cardiology, Surgery, General Medical, Family Practice, ObGyn, Neurology, Pathology, Orthopedic, Emergency, Mental Health, Oncology, Pediatrics and Gastroenterology.
• You can even access your unique Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 Medical "profile" from any PC on your organization's local area network.
• Be productive on-the-go! Import recordings from any ScanSoft-certified handheld device for automatic transcription and have a third party editor quickly and easily make corrections.