Product Description

Frontrange GoldMine v.6.5 - Complete Product - Business - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - English - PCAs demands on your time increase, you and your team need to make the most of every moment. Sales quotas require a focus on customer relationships and opportunities. Without the tools todevelop relationships, your business is at risk.GoldMine software helps you win and retain customers by improving efficiency and productivity without sacrificing your bottom line. GoldMine helps businesses get a more complete view of their customers. Because growth and retention are critical to long-term success, focusing on improving yourcustomer relationships makes common business sense. Out of the box, GoldMine helps increase productivity through team-based collaboration, centralized customer information, and tools for streamlining sales and marketing processes. GoldMine equips professionals, SOHOs (Small Offices/Home Offices), small businesses and teams with customer/contact management, automated processes and workgroup tools. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theFronrtange GMSIP0165 - GOLDMINE 6.5 1U INSTALL PACKand all other Fronrtange Software - Business ... Read more

Features

• Provides customer/contact management, automated processes, and workgroup tools
• Instant access to centralized customer and contact information
• Time management tools; easily automate mass mailings and track results
• Share critical information across the whole team, inside and outside the office
• Analyze leads, sales, and marketing; sort sales by product or probability

Reviews (7)

Not the latest Version
I just bought GoldMine.This version is 6.5 but the latest version is 6.7.GoldMine requires you to pay extra to get that.Given that Amazon advertises this as "newest version" this seems pretty bogus.

very good package for knowledgeable PC users
Get this product if you're a savvy PC user.Then, you'll be amazed at it's functionality.If you half-the-time can't figure out how to make your PC work, then don't get this progranm as it will blow you away.Simple fact--the more powerful the software, the more knowledgeable the user must be to harvest the functionality and this is one powerful package.I run a mutil-million dollar company with it and used it when there was just one employee.So it's grown with the needs of a rapidly growing company.Other people that wrote reviews here complained about the support.If you need lots of support, again--this is not the package for you anyway.Their support is not good but who cares--can you read a manual?They have trained consultants throughout the US if you do need face to face support or customization.

One of the worst programs I've ever bought
This is absolutely one of the worst software purchases I've ever made.It's difficult to learn (and I was a software engineer for 15 years, so I'm not new at this), it's buggy (I tried to do mail-merge the other day and it simply wouldn't work), and support is non-existent.

Just take a look at the forums on their website.Instead of having a helpful knowledge base, they depend on user-to-user support and consultants to make their product work.

To be fair, I've talked to people who use older versions of GM and they say it's a good product.Also, the GM/Outlook synchronization works well.

On the other hand, the GM/Word link doesn't work much more of the time than it works.I don't know how many times I've re-installed it.And apparently, FrontRange doesn't keep the resources on their website up-to-date so when you download a version of the GM/Word link, you're not sure whether you're getting the latest version (again, take a look at the forums).

It's been a complete headache since the day I installed it.

What I wish I knew before buying GM ...
I never write these reviews, but I feel that I must based on the information that is available under the reviews as they are polarized and only vaguely helpful.

Second, my rating would be 4.5 stars, but Amazon doesn't allow that.I would rate this product five stars except for the support issue which is a problem.I actually think it is not as big an issue as many of the other reviewers.

Third, I'm a huge Goldmine fan (GM) - I purchased mine on Amazon at the end of Aug 2004 - and I am completely hooked.I recommend this program to anyone that needs any type of customer relationship management (CRM) software for any business because it will do everything that you can imagine.Yes, GM does has warts, but so does salesforce.com, or Act (which I have used in the past) or anything else.GM is VERY cheap and an INCREDIBLY powerful product for what it can do.

I consider myself to be very computer savvy and to get GM working the way that you want it too, this is helpful.Any other database (including ACT!) requires some user savvy to work too.I wish I had been aware of the following before I purchased GM from Amazon:

1.(Acutally I did this.) Free 30-day trial from www.frontrange.com - so try it before you buy it (but buy it here - Amazon has the cheapest prices).
2.There is no support (hence less than 5 stars) from Frontrange.However there are a enormous amount of people out there who can (and will) help you.The support is primarily through a newsgroup identified on frontrange's website.
3.GM, like any other sophisticated CRM relies on you to make it work for you.If you don't have a lot of contacts then Outlook is probably all you need.However, it really helps if you are technologically inclined before you purchase this product because, although you can use it straight out of the box, to make GM really work you will need to modify this program to your needs (same as ACT!).If you're not technologically inclined there are many GM consultants who will charge you a fee to assist you.Don't call me, I'm not a GM consultant.
4.You can read the manual for this product at www.frontrange.com, and you can also dowload two 450+ page manuals written by Frontrange that will help you understand what GM can and cannot do.(Does this sound like a lot of work for a $165 product? - sure, but this product is worth the effort.If you are inveting in a database do you want to trust your data to chance? The cost of bad data, and a poorly designed and not particularly powerful product is a lot more than $165!!)
5.This product will do ANYTHING that you need if you're looking for a database.Yes, ANYTHING.Hence to get value (this product does work straight out of the box) but it really excels when you customize it.Any database is only as good as your ideas for making it work.
6.Since August I have entered more than 100,000 contacts into GM - I'm in a contact intensive field - and this program is invaluable for keeping in contact with people.Excellent reminders for everything - one nice feature: you can set the alarm so that GM sends you a text message to your phone telling you that you have an appointment and the text includes the other person's tel number.This feature has reminded me of potentially missed meetings and calls on a number of occassions - worth $165 right there.
7.This is a FULL working database - and it is EXTREMELY fast and compact - for example I had 25,000 contacts in Outlook and the search function was incredibly slow was Molasses trying to get around it.The act file was close to 600MB in size.GM WHIZZES - the same DB is a trim 150MB, with much faster look ups.However, like any other database it requires a lot of effort on behalf of the user to ensure that the product is changed so that it works the way you want it too.
8.If more than one person is going to access the database, GM makes it easy for multiple users to access the database.This product is exceptionally scaleable.You can have 1 person or 100s of people working the same database.
9.The best support is through what I would loosely term the "GM community."Through the frontrange website you can access a newsgroup (look under the support) where people post questions which are answered by people who subscribe to the community.There is a wealth of information there.However, if you're the sort of person that gets scared at the idea that you might have to understand what the computer is doing, then stick with Outlook.There are a large number of GM consultants who do charge money for their services - in many ways this is no different than microsoft or many of the other large companies.Many of these consultants publish answers to questions on the newsgroup for no charge.Let's face it, if it's a business threatening emergency wouldn't you want a specialist to be able to get to work right away?With so many consultants available there is nearlys always one on hand.
10. The mail merge feature alone is INVALUABLE and easy to use, (although it is not a full HTML email product).You can, however, (through purchase of an add-on product) still use Outlook as your e-mail client, with the advantage that your Goldmine address book can be hidden from the Outlook directory.Outlook is FULLY integrated.So when you get an email in Outlook, GM automatically appends a reference to that message to a contact in it's database, so that you have all of that person's messages in the one place.In addition, all email attachments are linked to that contact.
11.Any file can be linked to a contact and the link is "hot."The link is a shortcut to the file so with one click you can retrieve all of your letters or documents associated with a contact.
12.Importing data into GM is easy.
13. It is incredibly easy to keep on top of a long list of tasks.I regularly make upward of 100 phonecalls a day, with follow on calls required many times because I don't get people.I NEED a product where I can find all of our interaction with one client, and all in one place.Under each contact in GM you can store all of the emails, telephone calls, actions that you have taken, appointments, etc.
14.The lookup feature is a little quirky and not what I was expecting.It took me a little getting used to (a few hours) but once you get the hang of it, it is really fast and efficient.

Overall:

strengths - alsolutely robust, an intelligent, well put together product with an exceptional value for the price - the best $165 I've spent in years.Obviously, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this product.

Weaknesses - lack of support from Frontrange, requires the user to read up on the product and want to work with it.

Too Complex and Support Sucks
Truly a piece of crap. Dozens of useless bells and whistles that add complexity but no utility. An entire industry of third party Goldmine consultants exists to charge you big bucks to make it do what it should do out of the box. The product is unstable and crashes frequently, sometimes destroying your data along the way. GoldMine support, if you can actually reach them, expects you to be a database wizard and patronizes you and gets impatient if you ask questions. For a while they eliminated support entirely, then offered email only and took two weeks to respond to me while my company sat dead in the water. Buy ANYTHING else. These people don't deserve your business. ... 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.

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 (4)

The ONLY worthwhile language learning software!
The Rosetta Stone series of language instruction software is "Pimsleur" level of effectiveness and unfortunately, Pimsleur level cost as well.

The programs work on a total immersion basis, with no English used at all. There are several types of drills, ones where you hear a word or sentence and pick it out of a group of pictures, another where you read the text of the word and pick out the pictures, etc. There are also typing drills in your language to help you spell (without having to download special fonts), pronounciation drills that allow you to hear a word, speak it to your computer and hear your voice in comparison to the native speaker played back to you.

This is the first program of it's type I've found where this feature actually works!

I own both German and Russian 1 and 2. There is a LOT to learn here, especially if you do all the types of drills for each lesson. You learn grammar from inference, such as word endings when the subject is "in" something rather than "on" or "under" it. You see the same endings used, compare them with the pictures and you start to recognize patterns.

But one of the best things about this software is the user interface. Since it's an immersion program, there's no English used and by it's very nature needs to be intuitive. This is how it should be done. I've used other types of language software that had a klunky, confusing interface with features that didn't work, etc. None of that is the case with the Rosetta Stone software.

On another note, I switched to Mac about nine months ago and Fairfield Language Technologies sent me out a new Mac OS X systems disc for free, no questions asked. At this price level you'd think this would be commonplace, but it's not. Adobe allowed me to change from PC to OS X when I upgraded from Photoshop 6 to 7, but Macromedia wouldn't and expected me to buy all new software (I didn't). So kudos to FLT for their stellar customer service!

Is it too expensive? I'd say yes, but this is a serious language learning tool for serious self students, and it's a lot cheaper than classes at the U. The axiom is true with both this and the Pimsleur method tapes; you get what you pay for.

Great program
I really liked this program and highly recommend it.
Two things though:
1. You need a dictionary
The small booklet only contains the text of the course in its original language
2. If you are sure you want to buy Level 1 then do NOT buy the Explorer. The Explorer is merely a subset of Level 1.

Good program
I started using this program so that I can learn German.I live in a Dutch speaking home and Dutch was my first language.Since the two languages are very similar I decided to begin learning German. The program is very good, although translations would be helpful, and if the grammar was explained. Also it would be nice if they introduced the definite articles with each noun introduced in the vocabulary, this would make it much easier instead of having to eventually figure out the noun gender.But all in all this program is quite good to learn basic German, move on to the second version of this program to learn more advanced things.

Great, but an option with translations would have been nice.
This program is the best I have run into for learning a foreign language.It starts with basic German words and pictures, to which is added other words and pictures so that one learns phrases and then eventually sentences.Your mind associates the sound and spelling of a word(s) with a picture representing the word(s), and in this way you learn intuitively instead of having to think or translate.A few pictures, however, can be interpreted in more than one way, and it would have helped to have had an option that allowed one to view a translation.When I was unsure of the meaning of a certain word based on the picture, I used a dictionary and this solved the problem.The different sections in each lesson interactively teach you how to read, listen, speak, and write.For example, you will hear and/or read something and you will have to match what you hear/read to the one of the pictures shown.If you match it correctly you hear a pleasant sound and continue.If you match it incorrectly you hear an annoying sound and you try again until you get it right.For the writing section you hear words associated with a picture that is shown.One of the writing exercises consists of choosing the right words in the right order and another consists of typing in the correct word, phrase or sentence off the top of your head.I liked the speaking section because you can listen to German spoken at a normal speed, a slow speed and an even slower speed: the slow speed helped me hear better how words were pronounced so that I was more confident when attempting to imitate them.This personal edition level 1 course teaches you just basic German.You end up learning to ask and answer questions like "how do I get to the train station?"You also end up learning grammar intuitively.The reasons this program works well I think is: because you learn language naturally through pictures; because it does a good job building from the basics; and finally, because it tests you a lot.I had fun using it because it tests you continually and I like getting "Skinnerian" positive feedback every time I answer something correctly.It's a great way to begin learning German, but I recommend buying a dictionary in case you feel you have to look up a word or two. ... 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 (3)

Good Product but Overpriced
Overall the Rosetta Stone language program is very good.Arguably it is the best that's out there.You can read the other reviews and get a feel for the features of the program; You can also visit their website.

What you need to know:
You will pay a lot of money for this program, this is what you get:1) An install/application disc which is the base program.This disc is the same disc that will come in all the Rosetta Stone programs.They are interchangeable.2) You will get one CD that holds all the data for Russian One and Two.3)You will get two workbooks, one for level I and the second for level II.Basically these workborks are a verbatum index of what is presented on the software.I would be surprised if you use them, in fact you can get better workbooks from your local bookstore for less than $15.Summary:You are getting one CD of data and two cheap workbooks for $300.THAT IS IT!

Finally, as the Fairfield lawyer explained to me, if you are not an authorized dealer, do not try to resell their software espicially on Ebay.If you don't like the software after you purchase the software, give it away or throw it away but don't sell it on Ebay. To do so would violate Fairfield's copyright.I learned the hard way when my Ebay item was removed.

Recommendation:1) Shop around2) Request a free demo CD from their website, know exactly what you are buying3) Shop around again

This is great but too expensive

I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because I think some of the vocabulary you have to learn wasn't well chosen,for example the parts about cowboys and also there are some tools I don't even know the names of in English.Also you learn numbers kind of haphazardly.The vocabulary is repeated in subsequent lessons instead of being all new in each lesson.I guess that is ok but since you can review the old lessons anyway if I were buying this I would want as much as I could get for the money.The lessons are easy, most of the lessons are beginning, not intermediate, with short sentences or just words.But occasionally you come across some harder lessons.
This is good if what you need is listening and speaking practice.You can always get a grammar book at the library.I am currently trying the online version and so far I like it just fine.I wouldn't mind having my own copy but it is a little too expensive for me.

The ONLY worthwhile language learning software.
The Rosetta Stone series of language instruction software is "Pimsleur" level of effectiveness and unfortunately, Pimsleur level cost as well.

The programs work on a total immersion basis, with no English used at all.There are several types of drills, ones where you hear a word or sentence and pick it out of a group of pictures, another where you read the text of the word and pick out the pictures, etc.There are also typing drills in your language to help you spell (without having to download special fonts), pronounciation drills that allow you to hear a word, speak it to your computer and hear your voice in comparison to the native speaker played back to you.

This is the first program of it's type I've found where this feature actually works!

I own both German and Russian 1 and 2.There is a LOT to learn here, especially if you do all the types of drills for each lesson.You learn grammar from inference, such as word endings when the subject is "in" something rather than "on" or "under" it.You see the same endings used, compare them with the pictures and you start to recognize patterns.

But one of the best things about this software is the user interface.Since it's an immersion program, there's no English used and by it's very nature needs to be intuitive.This is how it should be done.I've used other types of language software that had a klunky, confusing interface with features that didn't work, etc.None of that is the case with the Rosetta Stone software.

On another note, I switched to Mac about nine months ago and Fairfield Language Technologies sent me out a new Mac OS X systems disc for free, no questions asked.At this price level you'd think this would be commonplace, but it's not.Adobe allowed me to change from PC to OS X when I upgraded from Photoshop 6 to 7, but Macromedia wouldn't and expected me to buy all new software (I didn't).So kudos to FLT for their stellar customer service!

Is it too expensive?I'd say yes, but this is a serious language learning tool for serious self students, and it's a lot cheaper than classes at the U.The axiom is true with both this and the Pimsleur method tapes; you get what you pay for. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2005 - Accounting - PCOrganize your business finances in 30 minutes! QuickBooks Simple Start is the simplest way to manage sales, expenses and customers. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 291995 - QUICKBOOKS SIMPLE START 04/05 WIN 98/WME/W2K/XP SMALL PACKAGE and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Work with familiar, everyday forms
• Create estimates, invoices and sales receipts
• Write checks, pay bills, record expenses
• Track money in, money out
• Keep it simple and start working right away

Reviews (1)

Very simple but very limited
This is as advertised.Super simple to get started with accounting for a very basic business.It took about 5-10 minutes to load, walked me through half a dozen basic questions, and was ready to start taking bank account entries and categorize them.I was also able to set up a business credit card to track expenses there and enter things very easily.

The simplicity however comes with a real lack of flexibility for anything more involved.Within the first 30 mintues I was already noticing features missing that I would like, and found myself needing to upgrade to a more complete version of Quickbooks.For instance, expenses are only single level -- you can't have subcategories for expenses.Credit card entries can't have memo fields to remind you what the expense was (checks can however).Etc.

I imagine if you have a business with a very limited set of vendors and customers, and you have little need to categorize your expenses in too complicated a way, this program could be sufficient for your needs.It also is an easy first step into accounting software -- but I would probably start with the expectation that you'll have to upgrade. ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- MS-CD43282WI VENDOR- MICROSOFT CORPORATIONFEATURES- Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition- Upgrade vers. Windows Small Business Server Premium 2003 English Version Upgrade CD/DVD with 5 Client Access Licenses. Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition includes Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 technology plus SQL Server 2000 and ISA Server 2000--ideal for small businesses with demanding IT needs such as data-intensive line-of-business applications. Upgrading to Windows Small Business Server 2003 Published: October 9 2003 If you have an existing server in your network you can upgrade it to Windows Small Business Server 2003. There are two options for completing an upgrade: - Upgrade the existing server to Windows Small Business Server 2003 - Install Windows Small Business Server 2003 on a new server and then migrate the existing servers data and settings On This Page Choosing Your Upgrade Option Finding Upgrade Information Resources/Completing an Upgrade/Choosing Your Upgrade Option. The upgrade option you can use depends on the operating system your existing server is running. If your server is running one of the following operating systems you can choose to either upgrade the server or complete a migration to a new server: - Small Business Server 2000 - Windows 2000 Server Standard Edition - Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition Note If you are running the evaluation version of Windows Small Business Server 2003 you can upgrade to the retail version by running Setup again using the retail media. For details see the procedure To complete an upgrade at the bottom of this page. If your server is running one of the following operating systems you must complete a migration to a new server: - Small Business Server 4.5 - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server Upgrade Information Resources You can find upgrade information in the Getting Started guide. Information about completing a server migration is on the Windows Small Business Server ... ... Read more

Features

• Includes Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 technology
• Get a preconfigured internal Web site based on Windows SharePoint Services
• Accommodate a mobile work force through the Remote Web Workplace
• Mobile users can access their information from portable devices
• Updated network administration features helps your network run efficiently

Product Description

WordPerfect Office 12 Upgrade ... Read more

Features

• Powerful word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications
• Compatible with Microsoft Office, PDF, HTML, XML, and more
• Intuitive Publish to PDF feature; no need for additional PDF software
• Maximizes efficiency; versatile and easy to use

Reviews (11)

could not reliably loads jpegs
I upgraded from version 8 to version 12 because I could not reliably load jpeg format pictures in v. 8.All jpegs were created using Photoshop 7 but only some random subset of them will load into Wordperfect.I have the same problem with v 12.(Microsoft Word takes all jpegs with no problems.)The same problem exists whether using Windows 98 or Windows 2000 professional so it is not likely the OS.This product is of no use to me; I have again wasted $150 on Corel Wordperfect.However this was their last chance with me.I guess, long live the Microsoft monopoly.

The better word processing program
I don't have much use for anything in the suite except WordPerfect.I've been using WordPerfect since before Windows, when it had a blue or a green screen, displayed mostly ASCII characters, there were no fonts except courier, and laser printers cost a small fortune.I work for a number of attorneys -- WordPerfect is the software of choice for wordprocessing in most offices I've worked in because, in my opinion, it is the better product for the job.It may also be because WordPerfect has been around for so long that everyone just migrated without changing.If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

When WordPerfect came out, it took over the market.When MicroSoft came out with Word, I had the feeling they did everything they could to make it different from WordPerfect just to use their power in the industry to take over the wordprocessing market, just like MicroSoft did with every other good software idea to come along.(e.g., Mozilla/Netscape, Norton Utilities.)I hate Microsoft's stupid animated paperclip -- it makes me feel like a 7 year old."It looks like your writing a letter ..."Go away!It was amusing to watch it roll itself up and spit itself through some imaginary pinch rollers when you print a document.But only once.I want to tell MicroSoft to wrap that annoying the paperclip around their cable modems!!I'm an adult!

I have two versions of Word and WordPerfect 5, 7, 8, 10 and 12.(I just threw out 5.2 for Windows and 7 when I moved.)I use the MicroSoft product only when absolutely necessary -- usually because someone else needs the document in that format.

In my experience, Word does one thing better than WordPerfect -- and it is a biggie -- it works with HTML documents better than the Corel WordPerfect.With Word, you can copy an entire page from the Web and paste it directly into Word and it will pull most of the pictures from the Web.WordPerfect does not go and get the pictures.HEAR THAT COREL!?!However, I don't often copy entire web pages into my documents.

The reason I like WordPerfect so much is that it types more like a typewriter.You can set up and use styles if you want, but you can also just hit the tab button to indent the first line of a paragraph.If you want to change the margins for the entire document, you simply change the margins.The rest of the document follows the change.You don't have to change each paragraph.

In addition, you can get to the formatting codes.Hit Alt-F3 and the screen splits in half and displays all of the format codes -- bold, underline, tabs, indent codes, line spacing, column on and off, etc.Then you know exactly what you have done and fix and format it easily.This ability has proven useful on several occasions when clients, who insist on using Word for legal documents, cannot cajole Word to put their unruly documents into the format they want.(This is particularly true when using OCR with scanned or faxed documents.)By opening the Word document in WordPerfect, I have been able to use "Alt-F3" to identify the errant codes and quickly repair them.WordPerfect can then save the document in Word/RTF format with the problems fixed.

Working with columns is also easier.You turn on columns and tell it how many colums you want, set the width of each, and the space between them, and away you go.You have four types of columns to work with -- newspaper, balanced newspaper, parallel and parallel with block protect.It handles columns much better.I've tried the other software, and if you change text or printers, you can never get the columns to line up the way you want it.With Word, each colum change or page change seems to introduce new control codes, and a complete set of formatting, and you can never get it back the way you want it.I once tried to scan in a list of names and addresses which were in two or three columns into Word.Each name and address was placed in its own text box.I could never work with it.

The most prominent change between WP 10 and 12 is the workspace manager which allows you to switch between legal mode, original (classic) WordPerfect 5.1 mode (with the blue screen), legal mode, standard WordPerfect for Windows mode and Word mode.They have also included the ability to publish to Adobe PDF, HTML, and RTF/Word formats.

This is full featured software, and does everything I need.It handles tables, tables of content, tables of authorities, column sorts -- everything I need in a law office.Graphics can be dropped in with a click of the mouse.I'm considered to be almost an expert, and there is a lot I don't know!

Take time to get to know the software and you'll be glad you purchased it.

I recommend purchasing the stand alone student and teachers version as it contains all of the same programs at a lower cost.

Great Product
As a journal editor I use both Microsoft Word 2000 and WordPerfect 12. WordPerfect stands heads and shoulder above Word. Easier to use, more stable, more flexible, and more features. I found WordPerfect 12 to be a worthwhile improvement over version 11. Graphics are better and easier to use, in particular. It is a cinch to install and use.

Better than anything Microsoft puts out
I've been using Wordperfect since version 4.2 and this version doesn't disappoint.I use this program all of the time to fix the problems I find in Microsoft Word.I use Quatro Pro instead of Excel and all of the other programs.I would recommend this program without hesitation.

Complaints?
to those of you with complaints about WP's functioning with Windows XP: haven't you realized by now that NOTHING works well with XP? before upgrading to XP (which every new computer is being sold with now) i refused to buy it. i looked at all computers (esp. the fastest ones) and discovered that EVERYTHING takes forever to load and there were far too many glitches on all the programs. having worked at microsoft in WA state at one time, i found out there that 1st releases ALWAYS have numerous glitches and incompatibility problems. My suggestion: find a way to DUMP WINDOWS XP! ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit QuickBooks Customer Manager v.2.0 - Complete Product - Contact Management - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCQuickBooks Customer Manager is hands-down the easiest way to give your customers great service to keep them coming back. It puts all the information you need at your fingertips, and synchronizes information between your key applications. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theIntuit 284255 - QUICKBOOKS CUSTOMER MANAGER 2.0 WIN and all other Intuit Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Import contacts from QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and more
• Create group mailings instantly; familiar look and feel of QuickBooks
• Information management tool for delivering great customer service
• See customers at a glance and detailed information instantly
• Synchronize information between key applications

Reviews (6)

TOO SLOW, TOO MANY BUGS!
This is, on paper, an excellent idea and has lots of potential. Unfortunately, it SLOOOOOWS your system down to a crawl -- which is frustrating to the point where I don't want to use the product.

As I said, its a great idea for me. I have been searching for a product that could help me track my many projects without the overkill of a MS Project.

It also has many annoying bugs that need to be addressed.

The program has great potential and if it worked as it claims I would give it 5 stars -- but, it can't live up to its promises and until Intuit addresses these -- DON'T BUY IT!!

Too bad -- I love Quickbooks and am disappointed in this product, especially since this is version 2.0.

I wish I had that slow, unstable, featureless version
Spare a thought for us international users, who can't even get the slow, unstable and featureless version 2.0 of the product.

I am based in Ireland, and so require the UK version of this product to integrate with Quickbooks. Unlike the US version, this costs 200 euros per person, three times the price of the US version.

To add to the insult, only version 1.0 is available in the UK. The difference is, version 1.0 does not synchronise emails. I know a team member sent an email, but I can't see it. This product has zero value. It is a shared address book.

I contacted Quickbooks support (April 2005), and was informed that they "are not shipping version 2.0 in the UK, because they only started shipping versin 1.0 in September." This out of date version is clearly selling like a dog, but they will wait until the shelves clear before shipping the 2004 version. With luck, that will be out of date by then too.

Save your money (and time)
I am very sorry to say that all the bad reviews are correct. I thought they were being to hard on Quickbooks. I thought that maybe, if you took your time and didn't expect too much, that the software could help you say organized to some extent.
My apologies go out to all the reviewers. I was soooo wrong! I spent hours trying to make this work for me. All I got was messed up customer records in quickbooks & outlook, which took me hours to fix.
Even when using the program, there are problems. Example - I emailed an attachment by clicking on "Email" in the contact's file, he could not open it. If I send the same attachment through Outlook directly, no problem. What's the use in having that email ability if it doesn't work.
When you transfer names from Quickbooks to this program, the address goes under "Bill To" - OK. Now sync to Outlook - hey, there is no "Bill To", so guess what - you get NOTHING! So now I have 1800 names in my outlook with no info.
I could go on, but you get the point. This program would be bad even as a beta version, but this is version 2!

THE WORSE!
As insulted as we were to buy 5 licenses for version 1.0, version 2.0 is still as buggy as version 1.0.Total waste of time, money, and cdrom space!

The bigger they get the worse they are.
I purchased this software after extensive conferencing with "Quick Books SALES STAFF, all good and fine, they pick up the phone spend unlimited time with you. Tell you everything is fine answer all your questions

Now when you purchase the product there is the RUB!!!!

#1 the product does not work, in any shape or form. Tey as one might.
# CSR is off shore so you are on hold over an hour. Than they tell you that even though you called the # on package , for some reason ( heaven only knows) they are not the right department ( if they are not the right deptpartment why do they put that # on the box, to call) , Then they say the right dept is # an other # and they transfer you. Well you guessed it, the "other dept" is closed.

If they planned to make you miserable they could not have succeeded better.

Take your money and not give you a thing for it, These poeple should have some serious competetion or maybe this is the American Way now.

Good luck if you BUY anything FRom THEM!!!!

Customer service ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit, Inc (292594) TURBOTAX BUSINESS V2004 WIN $10 IN-BOX REBATE, OFFER VALID FOR PURCHAS ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive Business Tax Library; checks for accuracy
• Software for corporation, partnership, and fiduciary income taxes
• Step-by-step guidance; easy-to-understand language; simplified navigation
• Prepare and print W-2 and 1099-MISC forms for employees and contractors
• Automatically import and easily edit QuickBooks data for 2003 or higher

Reviews (7)

Itworked just fine for me!
Frankly, I'm surprised by the naysayers that reviewed this item on Amazon.com.
This is the second year I've used TurboTax products, and I'm quite satisfied. Having switched from Mac to PC when I opened my business, this is one of the few things that actually made me like using the PC.
In total, I've purchsed three TurboTax titles and can honestly say that they are easy to use and worth purchasing.

JUST LIKE TURBO TAX - PERSONAL
I read the reviews about TurboTax Business and they are all lies.I took my chance and WON.I've NEVER done Corporate Taxes for my Business and this made the process as easy as my Personal Taxes.It answered every question I needed to know (even my penalties).I can only assume that the reviews were done my Tax Accountants who don't want to lose business to TurboTax.

The software is EXACTLY like the Personal Edition but with different questions and descriptions relating to Corporate Taxes.Now that I understand which forms to fill out and what I can deduct I can better plan for 2005.When you have a question about a segment, click the 'Get Answers' Button and it gives you more information.I'll be using TurboTax for 2005.

Save Your MONEY!!! -- NO VALUE ADDED!!!Shame on INTUIT!!
If I could give it 0 stars I would!

This was the first year that I tried TurboTax for Business.I had very high hopes.I needed some hand holding through the complexities of Corporate Income Tax reporting.

In the past, I have been very pleased with the PERSONAL version of TurboTax and thought that the business version would be comparable if not better given the price that was nearly 3 times as much as the personal version.

Boy was I wrong!This software is the biggest piece of rubbish I have ever purchased.I was hoping to get a little extra insight into the actual calculations and be guided clearly through some of the deductions, income, and myriad other data input requirements.This product was nothing more than an automated IRS form.Literally, the software goes through the 1120 form and asks the same questions in the same order.If you are confused by the IRS form, you will get no help from TurboTax.When you need more clarification, the HELP button basically duplicates the words from the IRS Publications/Instructions.Heck, the program doesn't even automatically determine whether you file the 1120 or the 1120A (Short form) based on your input.Something that would be quite simple to do.If you wish to change later to the short form, it won't even transfer the data to the condensed form.You have to reenter everything.(Assuming you can find where to select the 1120A -- I haven't found it yet.)

Bottom line:THERE IS NO VALUE ADDED BY THE PROGRAM.

I am completely capable of reading the IRS forms and following their instructions.I didn't need to spend $100 on a software package that makes me do the same thing.

Somewhere in the halls of Intuit, a marketing executive is making a tidy bonus because year after year he gets suckers like me to buy their "Business" tax software.They certainly know that they are playing off the good name of their personal tax software and duping people into thinking the Business version will be just as good.Believe me when I warn you, "It's NOT!"Save your money!Do it by hand or hire an accountant.You will be much happier.

Shame on Intuit!Now I am off to rethink my choice of TurboTax for my personal taxes. The goodwill is gone!Kiplinger/HR Block will get my business now on.

Burned and Hurting

never again
A horrible, buggy, user-unfriendly program.First, you spend several hours fighting with the installation and update process trying to get the program to work.Then, you spend more time (much more time) triple checking the calculations and having to override turbotax's calculations in order to get the correct values to appear.

1.If you don't have a decent understanding of the underlying tax rules and aren't familiar with the tax forms, you're playing with fire if you go through the interview and think that turbotax is going to output a proper tax return.If you don't know what you're doing, see an accountant.

2.If you do know what you are doing, then save yourself the time, money, and aggravation and just do your it by hand - use the free fillable PDF forms that you can download off the IRS and state websites.That's what I'll be doing next year.

Poor programming, worse support - greedy
I have been using Turbotax business for years.Never was too happy with it, but it was OK and a good value compared to having a tax accountant do my return.
This year they reached lows that I did not think possible:
1. Program does not work unless it updates itself after installation.However, it was unable to connect through my firewall and just froze.I had to reboot every time.
2. Called the "tech support".Since I don't speak 'Indian', and he spoke a barely legible English, we had a hard time understanding each other.His solution was to turn off the firewall.This is not possible since it is built into the router.He gave up.Asking for supervisor was useless.After 30 minutes on hold I was disconnected. That was espeially bad since other programs, including Quickbooks, have no problem connecting to updates through the same firewall.
3. I gave up and went to search their website for answers.Took me almost 30 minutes to go through a convoluted search and reach a download site that had the needed update.
4. Preparing the tax return itself was easy enough.
5. When I came to the State Tax Return I found out that it was not being sold at retailers.I could only get it directly from Intuit website.A link fron Turbotax took me to the website where I was told that it will cost $39.99 for the State.I went through the purchase process.ONLY AFTER they got my credit card number they informed me that price is actually $59.99.No explanations.They got me in a corner and wanted more... I tried to get to a live person to straighten this out - FAT CHANCE.Ended up paying and swearing that next year I will go with anybody but them.
6. When is Microsoft coming up with their version?I never thought I would be rooting for microsoft on anything, but I would go to a great length to get rid of Quickbooks and Turbotax.Not because these are bad programs - only because of Intuits attitudes and incompetance.

Longest review I have ever written.Really really upset... ... Read more

Product Description

FILEMAKER DEV 7 RTL MUL ... Read more

Features

• Develop and troubleshoot solutions more effectively
• Streamline database development and maintenance
• Deploy customized kiosk and runtime applications
• Debug scripts with systematic tests and troubleshoot scripts
• Re-use calculation logic across tables, only change in 1 place

Reviews (3)

Dual Platform
Previous produt from Filemaker (version 6Dev) is overall satisfactory.
Even if the way of building tabs might take some work, other improvements do largely compensate for this weakness. To avoid the "flicker" one has just to be precise to the pixel in the placement of the layout elements. And FM does offer tools to do so even in version 6!
Previous versions and information from FilemakerInc. clearly state that the intaller is dual platform, Mac AND Windows on the same disk. So, unless amazon is marketing a special version this product should also work for Mac computers.

Great Development Tool
Now that you've read the previous 0 star rating, (tab buttons - give me a break), realize that FileMaker 7 is a great database development platform.

Just a few of the upgrade's improvements:

No File Size Limit (that's a heck of a lot of recipies Bob). The days of needing to migrate when a file hits the 2 Gig file size wall are OVER. Your database can grow to fill the largest hard drive a computer can support.

Multiple data tables per file.

Improved browser support of buttons and scripts through instant web publishing feature.

Improved security.

And if one is really worried about lining up their "tab buttons" on layouts, FileMaker offers a free 30 day evaluation for download from their website.

In fact, the only negative comment I can make is that the Server version won't be available until this summer.

Developer edition is an oxymoron
I purchased and installed this product and ran into a brick wall, that precludes its use as a serious development tool.My real rating is 0 stars.

Filemaker does not use tab controls.It gets around this shortcoming by requiring that a separate layout be designed for each tab.Importantly this is not just for the information on the tab, BUT FOR THE WHOLE COTTON-PICKIN layout!!!

Then when a user clicks on the tab "button", a new layout is repainted over the old.Even though Filemaker provides the ability to copy a form, I have found that the repainted forms "jump" and give an entirely unsatisfactory visual experience.Like watching a web form flicker repaint over a slow dial up connection.

Filemaker appears to be a maintenance nightmare.If you have a layout with header information and with a five tab area, and you wish to change the header information (field width, color, etc.) you have to change it five times on each layout!

I thought the purpose of databases was to normalize information, that is to reduce redundancy in data storage.Filemaker may reduce this redunduncy, but it it adds it back in spades when it comes to application development!

The screen flicker caused by full screen repaints and the large number of forms required to accomodated simple tab displays makes this a no brainer.Filemaker is fine for your receipe or CD collection database, but forget about using it for serious development. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2003 includes new tools to help you create, present, and collaborate on presentations that have more impact.

Features:

• Work Together and Share Presentations with Confidence Now it's easier to collaborate on compelling presentations and share them with others.
• Impress Your Audience Use PowerPoint 2003 to create exciting slide shows with graphics, animations, and multimediaand make them easier to present.
• Access Information at Your Fingertips Find the information you need without having to leave PowerPoint 2003.

Features

• Advanced multimedia support makes it easier to transfer Powerpoint files to a CD
• PowerPoint 2003 gives you the ability to create an impact with your ideas, whether it's in person or online!
• Create rich-media presentations that deliver better communications -- whether you're doing marketing presentations, online learning or executive broadcasts
• Improved audio and video options give you a wealth of backgrounds, templates and special effects to include in tyour presentation
• Enhanced SMart Tags make it easier to manage and track different aspects of your presentation or project

Product Description

Intuit Quicken 2005 Basic.Whether you're managing your personal finances, investing for your future, or running a small business or all three there's a Quicken product that's right for you. Quicken 2005 Basic for Windows includes over 100 customer-driven enhancements that allow you to accomplish what you need with a lot less work.See your complete financial picture in minutes! Find out what you have and where it's going, pay bills, plan for your future, help save more money, and take control of your finances. System Requirements:IBM or compatible Pentium 200 (Pentium II 300 recommended)Windows 98/2000/Me/XP32 MB RAM (128 MB RAM recommended)100 MB Hard Drive Space, plus 45 MB for Microsoft Internet Explorer if IE 6.0 or higher is not already installed (IE 6.0 included on CD-ROM)Double speed CD-ROM (4X or higher recommended for multimedia) ... Read more

Features

• Quickly and easily create a personalized budget
• Powerful, easy-to-use tools for managing personal finances
• Track checking, savings, and credit-card transactions in one place
• Reconcile bank statements and balance checkbook in minutes
• Write and print checks or pay bills online

Reviews (23)

Less than one star - terrible!!!
I've been using excel to track my money for years, and just bought quicken to streamline it.The only way to get any of my historical information in is to type each entry individually!If your bank is not a participating institution (if they didn't pay Quickn/Intuit additional charges) the only way you can enter your transactions is by typing each one individually!What's the point in automating asystem, if you can't automate it?It's not even something you can upgrade - no imports from excel or any other format in any 2005 quicken!Not a good deal.

WASTE OF MONEY
If I am not sure, I play it smart and buy the program used.In short I was not satisfied with what I recieved.If the anecdote, "You get what you pay for." was applicable in this case, this program would be worth it's price, but it's worth less than I paid.Amazon low price of 13 some odd dollars.

Great Product...great price
I've been using Quicken for 5 years and think it is a great product. I just bought this new version to replace Quicken 2000. The new version has a number of improved features. It was really easy to transfer the data from my old computer/old version of Quicken to 2005. I used online chat and found them to be very helpful. Not sure why this product gets such a bad rap.

I thought it would be better than Quickn 2002.I was wrong!
I was perfectly happy with my older deluxe version of Quicken, but found that a)I didn't use most of the deluxe features, b)had several years worth of transactions that I couldn't archive due to a bug, and c)due to a bank change, I could no longer get transaction downloads.So, I bought 2005 basic.BIG MISTAKE! This "new improved" product is so cumbersome and confusing, I've practically stopped using it.When I start it, there are "messages" about my accounts, but I can't read them in the basic version. All I can do is delete them.The "home" page has 8, count them, 8 "Cash Flow Services" options that actually take you to sign-up pages touting for-fee additional services, many of which my bank already provides for free.And there are buttons to quicken.com EVERYWHERE that you have to work to get rid of. (Hellooooo.If I'd wanted to use quicken.com to pay all my bills, I would not have purchased Quicken.) This product is like one of those teaser game CDs that cost $5.00 but only gives you one level.And I don't really want the other levels.All I want is a product that does what it did before in a way that avoids making me relearn everything!

Ok, on the up-side, it does do a pretty good job of keeping track of my bank transactions and it seems like you can tailor it to suit some specific financial priorities, but it's just so incredibly painful to have to relearn EVERYTHING just because the banking industry changed download file formats. Microsoft may be trying to take over the software industry, but at least they don't want to be my bank so much that they totally screw up an otherwise good product.

Good at what it does, but doesn't help to get out of debt
I find Quicken to be good at what it's supposed to do -- track and manage expenses, creating reports to see spending trends, and paying bills. But, I found it was lacking in providing me direction on how to get out of debt. I found this direction, however at www.onepaycheckatatime.com. This web site has interactive that guide you through the process of targeting and paying down debt on a paycheck by paycheck basis. I use it in coordination with Quicken to guide me on which bills to pay, when and how much. Try it! ... Read more

Product Description

Outlook 2003 ... Read more

Features

• New Navigation Pane easily accesses Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Folders, Shortcuts and Journal
• Access, send, and receive e-mail messages from multiple accounts -- including work, personal or Web-based accounts
• Outlook 2003's Reading Pane, now on the right side of the screen, displays twice as much content, with reduced scrolling
• Group messages by date, size, conversation, subject, importance or other criteria for easy retrieval
• Quick Flags let you flag messages by priority or time sensitivity

Reviews (23)

Outlook is good but it is not for everybody!
Outlook is a very powerful program that can do a lot of stuff but most users do not use more than 10% of Outlooks functionality.If you are one of these users I suggest not getting Outlook but look at some alternatives.For instance try Mozilla's Thunderbird email program.It is a very good email program with a lot of functionality and great spam protection.The best part about an alternative email program like Thunderbird is that it's free!Since Thunderbird is open source software anyone who wants to help work on it can.Thunderbird is worked on by millions of programmers around the world who want to use a better email program.It's user friendly and easy to install.Find it by doing a Web search for Mozilla Thunderbird.

Still Looking For A Better Mouse Trap!
I have always given Outlook a second chance every time Microsoft comes out with a new version and some reason or another I end up switching back to something else.

I really like the concepts of having an "all-in-one" package for email, contacts, appointments, etc; But Microsoft needs to start paying more attention to detail on email functionality.

After using Outlook 2003 for about a year now, here are some annoyances that are driving me away from this product.

1.) Cannot add my own email filters and filter rules. This feature should be a given and my biggest complaint. Why do I need to rely on Microsoft to update Junk Email filters for me? Other email clients (Such as Netscape) allow me to add a filter for certain key words and an action such as "send to trash" if it encounters those key words.

2.) Junk Email features are a joke. Again, anchored on my 1st complaint, if junk email arrives in my inbox, I have to add the sender to the block senders list. This is fine if the sender always uses the same return address, but as you know with spammers, this is never the case. Also, Outlook waits to inform me that the email is junk AFTER I've opened the email.

3.) Too much security, and no control. Is there such thing as too much security? I believe there is if I can't control what I want enabled and disabled without a bunch of registry hacks.
Instead of Microsoft making the decision for me of what I can view or cannot view as an attachment, I would prefer to make that decision for myself.

4.) Favorite Email Folders is a stupid and useless feature and you can't get rid it. This window is just useless clutter, but yet again, we have no control of what's displayed in the outlook window. Enough said.

5.) Forwarded messages arrive as attachments, no way to change this. Another big complaint of mine. If a message was forwarded 3,4 or more times, I have keep drilling down through the attachments for each time the message was forwarded just to get to the original message. Ultimately you end up with x number of useless windows open cluttering up your taskbar and x number of windows I have to close once I'm done reading the original message. If a message was forwarded 4 times before it got to me, that's 4 times I have to double click an attachment and 4 extra windows open. It would be nice to have the option to have all forwarded messages contained within the same message body instead as an attachment.

Not for people on dial-up
I think that this version of Outlook would be perfect if I weren't on dial-up: Outlook seems to be incapable of doing anything relating to your HTTP or IMAP email folders without checking the server, to the point that you can't even access them offline. The fact that Outlook has to check the server almost evrey time you do anything to your email can really be grating on dial-up. Maybe there's a way to stop the constant reference to the server, but I haven't found it.

It also has an annoying habit of locally replacing one of my two Hotmail accounts with the other, necessitating that I remove and recreate the "corrupt" account.

Seeing as how I don't use many of Outlook's other bells and whistles, I can't comment on the broader program, but apart from that signficant headache, it works fairly well.

Need to fix PCS
Generally good, but two bugs remain from before:
1)Outlook PCS, which offers the only hope of exchangingwith a PDA contact date organized into subfolders, is so buggy as to be unusable.A little effort by MS could make it great.
2)Appointments still get totally screwed up if you change time zones on the computer.Have to work around by pretending that you're in your home time zone when you travel, but just change the clock time.

Works Great
New interface and features are nice. I use OpenOffice.org instead of Microsoft Office, so a can't comment on the Microsoft Office integration.

Didn't notice any "AdWare" as stated by another reviewer.

I upgraded from Outlook 2000 and it went flawlessly. Found all my Rules, customized folders and Accounts without any setup.

Until the Open Source community provides an alternative on a Microsoft platform, I'll continue to use Microsoft Outlook. For $90.00, you can't beat it.

Thanks for a great product Microsoft. ... Read more

Features

• Fully integrated with landscape software title, Master Landscape Pro
• Home designing software with easy-to-use interface
• Single integrated application with 400 applications and 32 programs
• Built-in video tutorials for beginners; complex features for the pros
• Drag-and-drop over 30,000 design combinations with just a click

Reviews (7)

Terrific Product
We use this software in our luxury home building business for the initial design of new home plans. When we are ready to get into the finer details, I still do the final drawings in Autocad 2005. For quick and easy design concepts, nothing beats this program. We even use it when meeting with clients to sketch out ideas on the fly. There are valuable uses for both AS4000 and Autocad. Don't be deceived by the user-friendly interface. There is still a learning curve before being proficient at this software. It is no where near as hard as Autocad, but you won't be making full use of it's capabilities right away, either.
We can live without Architects, but not without Punch AS4000.

GREAT!Worked for my major remodel & I saved tons of fees!
I read all the reviews, was thoroughly confused, and just decided to bite the bullet, buy the best home design software my local store offered, and hope for the best.Thankfully, I couldn't be happier!This program was easy to use - I never even opened the manual!There are lots of built-in help features to aid beginners (like myself) in using program.For those of us that are visually challenged (meaning we can't envision what the finished project will actually look like without a 3D image) this program was the best!I was able to "walk" around or "fly" above the outside of our new house and tour the inside in the 3D view which was very helpful to me because I could see whether or not I liked the layout, the window/door placement, the cabinets,etc.It also makes changes to the 3D view in real time, meaning that as I made changes to the floorplans they were immediately reflected in the 3D view I also had open on my screen! Cool!

Take a chance, buy this program, and get your project done.By the time you compare all the rest and read all the conflicting reviews you could be done with the planning and on to the building!

I just don't get it!
I have been using AutoCAD for 15 years and I can't believe how difficult Punch [...] 4000 is to use.There seems to be no logic to the way this software works.It seems to be great when you look at the pictures on the box, but it doesn't tell you that most objects and items on the box are custom creations -beds, lighting fixtures, etc.The ones that come in the software are cheesy and unrealistic.If you are adding on to an existing home, custom roof lines or gables are impossible and the video tutorials are useless.All in all, a waste of money and the time to install it.

Not a Substitute for Design Training
I reviewed this software when a client of mine showed me his attempt to design his own house addition. The only thing this did for him was lock his mind into something that really didn't work as well as other options which I offered later. I hate to see people thinking that a program like this is like a designer standing next to them, which is how they promote it. If you're going to invest all that money in your house, why would you let an amateur design it?

Not professional quality.
The limitations of the software make it useless to a professional and its complexity make it useless to the average user. ... 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.

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 (4)

The ONLY worthwhile language learning software!
The Rosetta Stone series of language instruction software is "Pimsleur" level of effectiveness and unfortunately, Pimsleur level cost as well.

The programs work on a total immersion basis, with no English used at all. There are several types of drills, ones where you hear a word or sentence and pick it out of a group of pictures, another where you read the text of the word and pick out the pictures, etc. There are also typing drills in your language to help you spell (without having to download special fonts), pronounciation drills that allow you to hear a word, speak it to your computer and hear your voice in comparison to the native speaker played back to you.

This is the first program of it's type I've found where this feature actually works!

I own both German and Russian 1 and 2. There is a LOT to learn here, especially if you do all the types of drills for each lesson. You learn grammar from inference, such as word endings when the subject is "in" something rather than "on" or "under" it. You see the same endings used, compare them with the pictures and you start to recognize patterns.

But one of the best things about this software is the user interface. Since it's an immersion program, there's no English used and by it's very nature needs to be intuitive. This is how it should be done. I've used other types of language software that had a klunky, confusing interface with features that didn't work, etc. None of that is the case with the Rosetta Stone software.

On another note, I switched to Mac about nine months ago and Fairfield Language Technologies sent me out a new Mac OS X systems disc for free, no questions asked. At this price level you'd think this would be commonplace, but it's not. Adobe allowed me to change from PC to OS X when I upgraded from Photoshop 6 to 7, but Macromedia wouldn't and expected me to buy all new software (I didn't). So kudos to FLT for their stellar customer service!

Is it too expensive? I'd say yes, but this is a serious language learning tool for serious self students, and it's a lot cheaper than classes at the U. The axiom is true with both this and the Pimsleur method tapes; you get what you pay for.

Great! Help me so much!
It is a great way to learn or review. It makes you learn by seeing a picture and than remembering what it means. It works very well, I used this product at school and it's worked beautifully for me. I had been trouble remembering the pronocation or the spelling of the words, I used this for a couple of times a week. And it helped wonderfully for me.

First its in sections with listening, reading, and translating by pictures or them telling you. The great thing is you can repeat it as many times as you want or you can just click the little icon on the right of the screen and see the answers so your not clueless.

It seperated by units, like one unit would be food or going to the supermarket another unit could be what you do on the weekends like 'I like to sit home and read'. It helps you have conversations with the people and even helps you by testing you at the end of each unit. (And it has many many units ranging from just listening and reading or listening and seeing the picture and repeating it.)

The flaw is that if you are a beginner it would be a Little challenging since it speaks to you a bit faster, hard to understand most of the words. But it makes up for it with some units by viewing the sentance from above.

It's a great program, above much others.

Excellent program with a few drawbacks
This program is a fun and fast way to start recognizing Russian words and sentences.You learn by hearing and seeing written cues along with photographs that represent various concepts.Click on the correct photograph and get a rewarding sound and move forward.It is intuitive, and you will find that you recognize a great deal very quickly.

There are a few drawbacks to the program, however.Because the program teaches using photographs, it is difficult to show that "I" am doing something or "you" are doing something.Most of the sentences, therefore, are in the third person. This is a challenge when you go to speak to someone and find that most of your conversation would be in the first and second person.

The other drawback is that there is no explanation of the grammar, and no translation of new vocabulary.I use this program with a Russian/English dictionary at my side.I understand that the point is that you learn the word for a concept rather than a translation, which is a better way to learn.On the other hand, it is not always clear what the photograph is trying to convey.For example, a photograph of a 1950s vintage green car has a word you have learned to be car, and an adjective.I had no idea what it was getting at until I looked up the adjective to see that it meant "old."Occasionally you might get an answer wrong because you mistook the action in the photo not because you didn't understand the grammar.It's not a major problem, but you do feel a bit cheated when it happens!

Also, it would be useful to have a function that would allow you to look up a grammatical rule behind new vocabulary so that you could not only hear that a certain ending is being added, but have an explanation of why it is being added.

Overall, however, I would recommend this program for its ease of use.It makes you feel that you're making progress very quickly, which helps get you past some of the discouragement you can sometimes face with a text book full of declensions.

I'd recommend using it with a good Russian/English dictionary and the book Master The Basics Russian which has good grammar charts.

You will really learn.. more than you realize...
I've edited my original review since I've used this software for over a year now... see below...

From my original review: you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to learn with this product. It actually makes learning FUN, and you don't even realize you are learning as you are using it... and yet I find after using it, the retention of the things I've learned is excellent. It has a very intuitive interface, and you are given examples such as "The boy runs" and then shown a picture of a woman dancing, a man walking, a boy running, and a dog jumping... simply select the right picture... or shown a picture and you select the right phrase that goes with that picture... a chime or applause or "winning sound" indicates a right choice, a buzzer or a sigh sounds if you are wrong... you can choose which sound you want to hear, or let the program select the right/wrong sounds at random... Well, before you know it, you are actually learning using pictures and ideas... the same way you learned your own language way back when...

Update a year later and three trips to Russia, a 4th one planned:

Since I first bought this product I've made 3 trips to Russia and made many Russian friends. They have all complimented me on how well I pronounce my spoken Russian. Also, I'll say that while this program did not make me ~fluent~ in Russian, it certainly gave me many words to use that helped me out in every day situations. And I did not even realize how MUCH of this software I was absorbing, until I was actually there IN Russia and speaking with Russians, and then the "images" associated with the sounds and the words and the dialogs in this program were just ~there~ for me.

Yes, I've also found it is handy to have a pocket dictionary handy (on occasion) to look up some of the words when you first encounter them.

However I totally disagree about needing grammatical syntax. That is the LAST thing you want to involve yourself in when you are first exposing yourself to a new language.

Yes, once you begin to know a language, it's definitely important, but if I hadn't gotten the "head start" on learning how to speak and how to read and how to pronounce Russian, as I did with this product, then I wouldn't have made the progress I did.

I notice that one other person prefers the Learning Russian Now! product instead of the Rosetta Stone.

I bought that product too, and as a pure BEGINNER, that product was way over and beyond my abilities at the time. It was way too much to deal with as a beginner learning Russian and just totally frustrated me to the max.

This product will give you a good sound basis to advance your Russian language skills from.

Without having used this product first, a more complex or complicated product, such as one that introduces grammatical rules or complex series of dialogs, would have been way over my head, and would have only frustrated me.

My advice? If you are beginning from Square One learning Russian, start with this product and then move up to more complex products only after you've achieved BASIC skills and abilities in Russian.

And Rosetta Stone will give you those in a fascinating, addictive, FUN environment. A year later and it's STILL fun and I've learned many things going back over the earlier lessons I thought I had down cold. You learn more grammar and syntax than you are even ~aware~ of learning, and that's another reason why this product is so good! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best Video Editor Program
This is by far the best video editor program ever released. I have tried Pinnacle Studio 9, Cyberlink Power Director and Sonic MyDVD Movie Maker and this tops all of them. It is super easy to use, tons of cool effects, sounds, music, and an ultra-easy burning process. With this incredible program, you can burn the messiest movie ever captured into a fantastic DVD movie in less than a day. Buy this now! ... Read more

Product Description

Project 2003, Upgrade ... Read more

Features

• Move information easily between Project 2003 and other Microsoft Office programs, such as Excel
• Project 2003 is the a powerful new tool for project leaders who need to manage projects independently, but still stay on top of what's going on!
• Organize your work more effectively with new scheduling tools -- Track schedule and resource changes to yourproject plans quickly
• New display options lets you show individuals the project information they need to review
• Increase your impact at work and create better presentations to print compelling and succinct copies of schedules and goals

Reviews (1)

Fosters Team Integration
This upgrade is worth its price.

Used in conjunction with Project Server and Project Professional 2003 the program now allows project tasks to appear in Outlook calendars and messaging.As a project manager, I find this feature eases communications with team members and fosters greater team participation.

This ease of communication saves time and money.If you have doubts over this upgrade, my unequivocal recommendation is to proceed.The software's tight integration with other Microsoft Office Products, including Outlook, enables you to focus on project goals, not the technology that supports them. ... Read more

Product Description

Make Everyday Tasks Easier with These Six Popular Solutions Works Suite 2005 offers everything you need to help your family be productive while having a great time—six complete Microsoft programs integrated into one affordable package. Everything from school projects to personal finances and vacation planning are at your fingertips with Works Suite. Get more out of every day. ... Read more

Features

• Get those finances in order with Money Standard 2005
• Write like a professional with Word 2002
• Get up and go with Streets & Trips 2005
• Edit and organize your photos with Picture It! Premium 10
• Explore the world with Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2005

Reviews (4)

Dont think I'll like it as much..........
as my old Works Suite 2002.I tried installing the 2002 suite on my new computer. Kept getting an error message about not being able to display the EULA agreement for me to accept, and thus wont install the Works Task launcher. I tried all the "fixes" but it just wouldnt install, so, I bought the Works Suite 2005 from Amazon.Well, I got an error message after I installed it. This time about not being able to run it on Windows 95, 98 and 2000.Well, I'm using XP Pro.Long story short, I just right clicked on TASK LAUNCHER, THEN COMPATIBILITY, THEN UNCHECKED THE COMPATIBILITY MODE BOX, and the program started up.I also had to uninstall Office 2003, which uses Word 2003 because Works Suite 2005uses Word 2002. This was on the advice of Microsoft Tech support.
I was shocked to find vast changes.They just dont give you as many templates or programs like they did in WS 2002 in my opinion.I was very, very disappointed. Picture It is TOTALLY revamped and looks so much more complicated. Money stayed about the same. Gone from Word ( via task launcher) is the Wizard that would you pre-select styles, fonts, colors, letterheads etc.Calendar is the same....just a different color depending on what desktop motif you use.Anyway, what I did, wastransfer to floppy, my favorite WORKS 2002 templates/programs that worked in Word 2002, from my old computer to the new one, and so far it's worked just fine.
I still like the old version of Works Suite...I think it's more user friendly, and I know it gave you more templates and programs to choose from. Lots of Glitz, Picture It is REALLY different, but I think I've lost more than I gained.

Can't email from MS Word 2002 document
I recently upgraded by computer from Windows 98 to Windows XP. When the computer came from Gateway I assumed it would include MS Word 2000. It included Microsoft Works Suite 2005 that included MS Word 2002, which I assumed would be an enhancement of MS Word 2000.

On my Windows 98 computer with MS Word 2000, on the toolbar there was an icon that permitted me to email a document (and add one or two attachments). I expected that the updated version of MS Word 2002 would include that feature as well. To my amazement, it did not.

Secondly, in MS Word 2000 when I click on "Open" it permits me to view files alphabetically, or in the order of when last modified or created. The MS Word 2002 doesn't permit me to do that.

I write letters and reports and send them through email. Without those features, the entire Windows XP computer with Microsoft Works Suite 2005 that I bought is useless. I don't know what to do to salvage this. Now, my Windows XP computer is sitting on the floor, and I don't know what to do with it.

Why aren't those features included in MS Word 2002 as they were with MS Word 2000 with the ability to email documents from within MS Word, and add one or two attachments?

What Microsoft product must I purchase that includes those features within MS Word?

What is so frustrating about this is that as a customer I have no way of knowing what I am getting when I buy Microsoft products. I couldn't have anticipated that MS Word 2000 was more useful for my purposes than MS Word 2002. This is so unfair on the part of Microsoft and I think is strong evidence of the disadvantages of monopoly control for consumers.

Word 2002 Vastly Improved Compared with Word 97
I purchased Works Suite 2005 because I could no longer receive paid support from Microsoft with a problem I had with Word 97 (it would no longer open or function).I uninstalled the old program and installed Works Suite 2005 and the word processing program is excellent -- it even incorporates the "view codes" feature of WordPerfect!All of my documents were converted to the new verson of Word flawlessly. I haven't installed all of the other components of the suite because I really don't need most of them at this time.(...)

It Really Depends.
This version of Works Suite offers almost the same exact features of version 2004. The only difference is Money, Streets and Trips, Picture It! 10.0, Encarta, they included version 2005 instead. For users who might have stuck with version 2000, 2001 or 2002 of Works Suite, this will suit you more. The collection of software included is amazing for the value at which it is being offered. From powerful and easy to use Word Processing solutions such as Microsoft Word and quality photo-editing with Picture It! My only problem with Word is that they did not include version 2003 instead. Word 2002 is included instead and has been out since May 2001, kind of lame by Microsoft's standards. This is a recommend set of programs for the home user and some businesses who need only the essentials. The package includes Works 8.0, with basic spreadsheet and database applications. You also get great money management solution; Money 2005 makes it a synch to keep your budget on track and in tact. With its online integration you can pay bills online or get further information to better manage your financial data. These applications I still consider not to be as strong enough as Microsoft Excel and Access. The database in Works approach to creating queries is limited and unreliable. The Spreadsheet does not offer the powerful calculation tools found in Excel and integration between both applications is very limited. But if you need only the essential tools for managing the essential aspects of your life whether at home or school Works Suite 2005 is truly a bargain. Getting the latest versions of Encarta is always great and it includes version 2005, so information is once again updated and accurate and you get the benefits of updating it weekly, so your information is never outdated.

Remember if you are a user of Works Suite 2003 or 2004, this update might be unnecessary to you because the majority of the products in version 2003 have not had a drastic overhaul in version 2005. I would probably recommend this to existing users running 2000, 2001, 2002 and persons running versions 99 and really older, I think its time you upgrade!

... Read more

Product Description

WebEditor 6 Suite is the updated and much upgraded version of WebEditor 5.5 which not only provides you all the benefits and features that WebEditor 5.5 had, but has added greater value to its software. In addition to the FREE WebCanvas 1.1, the vector-based Web graphic drawing tools in version 5.5, WebEditor 6 Suite now features WebBoard 1.1, a Web community builder tool which will set up any number of forums through a simple Windows application on your desktop.

Features:

• Create Photo Albums with automatic thumbnails.
• Add video and audio objects to your pages easier than ever with enhanced Media Wizard.
• Display content from a specified document or URL with Inline frame.
• Insert a text container that is aligned on one side of a content block with Floating boxes.
• Inserting Server-Side Include (SSI) commands.
• Automatically update copyright of your documents at once with Shared content blocks.
• Easily add a JavaScript effect with Script Wizard.
• Add your own custom JavaScripts to Namo WebEditor's Actions folder.
• And more!

Features

• Powerful JavaScript actions and events; wizard for database-driven pages
• Easily create and manage personal and professional Web sites
• Drag-and-drop site layout; integrated graphics features
• Design and script templates; instant report generation
• Full WYSIWYG editing environment; dynamic navigation bars and trees

Reviews (24)

SJ Namo WebEditor 6 Suite
This is such a great program and so easy to create beautiful web pages. I am glad that I purchased it. I am creating quite a large family history webpage and it is so easy to link pages together,insert pictures,insert web art and background music.

Marjorie in Salt Lake City, Utah

SJ Namo WebEditor 6 Suite
I have been using this software for nearly a year and have gotten it to work for me - for the most part. I had never heard of this software or company before and got it for free in a packaged deal from the company I use for web hosting (www.inmotionhosting.com).

Like most any piece of software, it takes some time to get used to using it and finding more features. I am now at a point with two web sites that I am comfortable with the software and how the web sites look and work - for the most part.

Like most any software, there are going to be limitations in what a user can do with it - even when knowing the product inside and out. SJ Namo 6 definitely has its short-comings and getting help from the parent company has been oh-for-23 in my case - they simply do not respond to my queries! When I ask inmotionhosting about the problems - I'm told this is not their software and that any questions should be directed to the parent company of the product.

Nice!

I've stuck with this software because it really does work for me - for the most part. The alternatives are other "cheapy" software packages which I'm sure will have their own nuiances. Or learn more of Dreamweaver - NOT!

I've taken three courses in Dreamweaver, spent more than 100 hours on tutorials and practice sessions and even use it at work on an almost daily basis. Because I know Dreamweaver this well, and that it is rather difficult to do the simple things I want from a web design package, and because I don't have the time to go through a 500 page manual, spend countless hours on the help sites, etc., etc......I wouldn't even consider it for my own personal or business web site. Bottom line with Dreamweaver is that it is just to complex for the beginning and possibly intermediate web designer. You may say that it only takes some getting use to and that I'm contradicting my own earlier statement. NOT! Because I use Dreamweaver so much, I know the limitations and problems and the high cost of software that goes with it.

Another alternative is MS FrontPage. Like many people, I use less and less products from Microsoft because of the problems, attacks, viruses, etc., etc. FrontPage and its extensions and all the other "features" don't even make this a consideration for me.

So, back to the original review and SJ Namo - Amazon is selling it for $40 - not a bad deal in my opinion. I'd say that anyone who is starting out in web design or someone who requires less "bells & whistles" should consider this product as an option. Unless it has changed since I got the software - this product at least comes with the manual - unlike Dreamweaver or FrontPage (both have online help (so does Namo) and both require seperate purchases for the manual).

Good luck in your ventures!

DON'T WASTE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!
Where do I begin?

For starters, I had trouble loading this software on my brand new system with XP.All of the support is knowledge base and is useless.I finally got it loaded (after 3 attempts).The interface is NOT user friendly.I got error messages galore with no explanations either in the 'help' file or in the encyclopedia of a user manual.The FTP program would not upload files and would give unexplained error messages.I wrote to tech support.Six days later I got a response, with the wrong 'canned' information.I waited another week for someone to respond and ask me what the problem was...again!I finally contacted Namo for a refund, but do you think they've contacted me?Of course not!

Got $80 to waste?Buy this one!

Namo WebEditor 6 Suite
I purchased this software after reading fairly positive reviews.I have little experience with web page design so this looked like the right fit.Well, it's easy enough to use for the most part but forget it if you have a problem with the software.The customer service is non-existent.You can't call because their offices are in Korea and I am also unable to connect to their customer service to ask a question via email.I can not get the software to work and I can't use it.If you are considering this software, better think twice and buy something that has some support -- this is a huge waste of money.

A Major Bug!
Although it would be hard to match all of the "extras" you get with this program, I found a major problem that makes it impossible to use.The program puts in non-breaking spaces for regular spaces between words in table layouts which explodes the table beyond all margins. I'm not the only one that has complained about this (and the company has acknowledged the problem) but so far no upgrade fix.Until they address this problem (which would seem simple to fix) I wouldn't recommend this program. This problem was not evident in previous versions, all of which I've used and liked.

... Read more

Features

• Talking dictionary includes thousands of native speaker Sound Dictation activities to enhance listening skills
• This suite of learning applications, games and lessons are designed to dramatically improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills
• Exercises and multimedia clips build students' vocabulary, grammar and comprehension skills
• Have fun and build language skills with Word and Sentence Pronunciation activities
• Advanced speech analysis tools compares your pronunciation to native speakers for superior speaking skills

Reviews (1)

Powerful suite although possibly too involved for some
This learning suite consists of about half a dozen programs, each of which does different things and offers different features. I found it very complete and full-featured but somewhat difficult to navigate around because of all the activities and separate modules. Also, it's hard to tell what some of the mouse buttons mean and you just have to click on them to find out what they do.

Four of the programs, such as the Spanish Alphabet Reference and the Spanish Grammar Basics, install as separate applications and can be launched either separately or from within the main program. You'll find the latter two under "Reference" from the main menu.

The main program is called Language Now! which has all the main features. These include My Spanish Adventure with Andre, which shows you a movie with Spanish narration; Conversations in Spanish; Fundamental Spanish, which contains 100 of the most common words and verbs in Spanish; and Survival Phrases in Spanish, which contains hundreds of phrases in English and Spanish.

Also part of the Language Now! program is the pronunciation program, or digital speech analyzer, which combines a wave form anayzer, pitch analyzer, a fricatives analyzer, and a vowels analyzer, which is even more sophisticated than the one that comes with my Instant Immersion Deluxe Spanish program.

The Survival Phrases section in the main program has phrases for over 30 situations, such as "Meeting and Greeting," "Restaurants," "Emergencies," etc. There is also an Activities area which has games like crosswords, word dictation, Vocabulous!, Unscramble, Verb Quest, Plug-n-Play, and Graffiti. In addition, there is a Pronunciation section and Conversation and Speaking section.

The four smaller extra programs include the "English-Spanish Lexicon" or dictionary, the grammar program, called "Spanish Grammar Pro," which is structured like the Windows Help facility, so if you know that, you know how to get around this one too. It might even be different from the one accessed within the "Language Now!" rogram. The third program is called "Shooting Gallery and Crossword," which are sort of self-explanatory. The fourth one is "Before You Know It," which is basically a vocabulary building module almost 40 different word lists on such things as animals, food, clothing, the weather, travel, and so on.

It also includes a "Flash Card" program which I tried, but didn't find very useful. It only seemed to have a few dozen words and it repeated them too often to be of much help, I thought. I liked the Spanish Grammar Basics program which covers in detail all the different parts of speech and defines all of them for you. So ifyou need to be reminded about what demonstrative pronouns are, a periphrastic verbal construction, or the preterite (past perfect) tense, this will do it for you.

Overall, this is a very full-featured and powerful Spanish suite that I can recommend although it may take some time for you to learn to use all the features productively. For someone that doesn't want anything this complex I recommend the Instant Immersion Spanish Deluxe edition with 8 CD's instead. It also has a speech analyzer but the entire program is structured somewhat differently from the present one. The lessons are sequential and you have to complete them all in order to progress from Beginner Level I to Level II, and from Level II to Intermediate Level I, the Intermediate Level II, and so on. (This isn't quite true as you can jump between levels and CD's if you want, but the program keeps reminding you to do exercises you've skipped within a CD or difficulty level until you do them). This makes it a little more structured and less flexible than the present one although I think most people will find the interface more intuitive and the progressively increasingly level of difficulty in some ways better for learning. But both programs are excellent and will definitely help you take your Spanish to the next level. ... 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.

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 (6)

Good Program - With Limitations
The Good: Rosetta Stone is a very user-friendly, low-stress program that will teach you a lot of Arabic vocabularly over time.The format is very simple (a good and bad point)- You get four pictures on the screen and either a written or spoken phrase beneath.Match the phrase to the picture and you're on the way.Very good for association and vocabularly drilling, and pretty easy to use, so you can play with it throughout the day without having to devote a lot of time to "studying."Also, you would be surprised at how creative they can get with the "match the picture" format; all kinds of situations you wouldn't think possible.
The Bad: First, the price.This would be a great $70 program, but the $170 tag is really pushing the envelope.Also, although this program is sold everywhere, the company seems to be pretty rigid on the price- always advertised as $195 but offered for some type of discount at $170.On the other hand, there are a lot of lessons in the program and they go pretty far into the language, so unless you are sure you are going to stick with it, this is a big investment to make and then give up after a few weeks.
Next, this program cannot stand alone, especially in Arabic.For one thing, it does not teach Arabic script, you need that before you start (see Awde's book on the Arabic Alphabet as the best choice for that).Second, it does not teach grammar, just word association, and you should be aware that Rosetta Stone uses the exact same lessons for every language, they are not tailored to the pecularities of Arabic.You absolutely need an Arabic textbook to accompany this, or by lesson 4 you will be lost (Smart's Teach Yourself Arabic is the simplest and cheapest).Last, the voices used (unless they've changed them recently) are very strange.Some of the other languages are good, but the Arabic speakers sound like greeters at Disney World.If you've been to the Middle East, you will recognize how silly they sound.
Bottom Line - if the price doesn't bother you and you use it to supplement existing Arabic study, this is a great program for drilling and vocabulary building.

Great Program
I purchased Rosetta Stone Personal Edition Arabic 1 and 2.The first few lessons of the program will get you used to the sound of Arabic and teach you some grammatical constructions and vocabulary.

To get the most out of the program, however, you really need to be able to read the script.You will need ahuman or a book to teach you this skill.One of the reviewers is correct in recommending "Alif Baa" with CDs to learn the sound and shape of each letter of Arabic script.I receive private Arabic lessons from the Defense Language Institute, and I learned to read the Arabic alphabet with "Alif Baa."We also use the Wehr and Oxford dictionaries.

My Rosetta Stone program is now very useful to me and is helping me develop good sentence structure and learn vocabulary naturally.My instructor is a native speaker and compliments the sentence structure and native accents.

This is truly the Cadillac of Arabic language learning programs but a bit overpriced.Buy it used from E-Bay and Amazon for a big savings.You can also buy it directly from the company during December for a fairer price.

You won't learn much conversational Arabic from Rosetta Stone.Pimsleur's Egyptian Arabic (used widely in movies) or Eastern Arabic learning tapes and CDs will do a great job (without books) at teaching you a dialect for speaking on the street but won't teach you how to converse in Modern Standard Arabic, the formal language used in the Rosetta Stone program, books, newspapers, and television news.

The addition of the curriculum text manual is great!
I bought the Arabic Level 1 edition soon after using the "Explorer" version. To my great relief, Level 1 includes a 200 page text which provides all the written Arabic screen prompts used throughout the program, in two formats no less, modern standard without the short vowels as well as fully-vowelled. This really beats trying to copy down everything by hand for study notes. As the lack of this text was the only shortcoming I found with Explorer, I am now a very happy camper. The other reviewer comments on Level 1 are right on the money as far as I am concerned.

It can be done!
Tell most souls spawn from an academic mileu that you want to learn Arabic on your own and you'll get a wry smile and a patronizing mental-pat on the head.Ignore the nay-sayers!As the above reviewer mentioned, this program is a vital tool for Arabic self-study.Along with it, I recommend purchasing "Alif Baa" along with the Cd's to learn the script.Also pick up Wehr's dictionary along with the 'Oxford English to Arabic' dictionary.Around lesson 4.05 of the Rosetta program, you've reached the point where you're ready for some supplementary material.So far, your approach to the language has been passive, and if you have a desire to write in the language, as well as understand long strands of verbal narrative, you'll need more material.I recommend Vol. 1-2 of Al-Kitaab [the 'red' book] along with the accompanying Cd's.Also, if you have a thirst for grammer and more traditional structure, try "Elementary Modern Standard Arabic" [the orange book] Vols. 1-2.You can also purchase a marvelous software program entitled "Emsa Companion" that is critical for those covering the material on their own [see creativeworks.byu.edu/HRC/arabic.html].Learning a colloquial dialect can also be fun--and critical if you need to find a toilet while touring the Middle East.Try 'Levantine Arabic for Non-natives' (see the reviews before buying.)There's so much more, but I grow weary of the keyboard.Master this material and you'll be well on your way.It may sound expensive, but it's far cheaper than a couple of semester of school.Adieu

Excellent addition to other study materials!
I've just started to learn Arabic in August of this year and have done a lot of looking around for materials to help me.I've read all the reviews on the Rosetta Stone software and have begun using this product.My opinion:

This is a fun tool to help you acquire vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and see how the language works.Some people don't like the fact that there are no English translations anywhere, but I actually enjoy the total immersion because it becomes a puzzle for me to figure out.It keeps me studying longer than if I was just looking at a bunch of flash cards.And since there aren't many Arabic speakers in my neck of the woods, the speech recognition part is indispensible.

Yes, sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what meaning the picture is conveying.That's when I pull out a dictionary and look the word up to confirm my guess as to the meaning.And it's not going to teach you phrases you need for travel, either.I have a pocket phrasebook and a Pimsleur CD for that.

Also, I wouldn't recommend that a rank beginner start right off the bat with this.First learn the alphabet and how the script works, because this won't teach you those things.But once you get a little feel for those things, then this would be a fun addition to your program.

No book or tape or software product can ever replace talking with native speakers, but for those of us who can't get to native speakers, this is a darn good 2nd choice.

Highly recommended so long as you understand that it is one of several tools to use to learn the language. ... Read more