Software question

morninggirl5

Secret Dream Machine
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May 6, 2001
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Somehow, i've become the "tech expert" for my grade level. (Maybe because i'm the only one who spends any time actually using a computer).


Anyway, a friend is interested in doing some desktop publishing, primarily flyers, some forms, maybe a few graphic designs. She asked me what software would be easiest for her to use before her hubby purchases it.

Something that has a couple of tutorials rather than an instruction manual would be good, i think.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
Purchase ??????

Use imesh or another peer to peer program and download Adobe Indesign 2.0, Quark 5.0, Microsoft Publisher. You can also get Photoshop 7.0 to edit your images. I haven't bought a program in over 2 years.
 
Goto www.cnet.com then to the download section then to the internet section and look for the file sharing area. Like I said imesh is good winmx is also pretty good too. PM me w/ any more questions.
 
Photoshop's notably about $650 and is NOT user friendly in the least of ways. It's really not a program for just anyone to be using. Paint Shop Pro is a far better program for most.
 
I beg to differ

AzureAngel said:
Photoshop's notably about $650 and is NOT user friendly in the least of ways. It's really not a program for just anyone to be using. Paint Shop Pro is a far better program for most.


First get it for free. and second I have always found Photoshop very user friendly. I have been using it since version 3.0. It is very intuitive. Now Illustrator is an absolute bitch.

I have tried Paint Shop, but Photoshop is more powerful.
 
If all your friend wants is to do some basic home stuff, she doesn't need PSP or Photoshop (both of which i own and love, btw). Something like Print Shop or MS Publisher (not my fave) is probably more suited to her needs.

Old versions of Print Shop are available pretty darned dirt cheap and if she starts with something basic like that, it might help her define her needs before moving on to something more expansive (and expensive!).

I'd check c-net downloads first though and see if there's any cool freeware available first, though.
 
Re: Purchase ??????

oogieboogie said:
Use imesh or another peer to peer program and download Adobe Indesign 2.0, Quark 5.0, Microsoft Publisher. You can also get Photoshop 7.0 to edit your images. I haven't bought a program in over 2 years.

Photoshop 7.0 has spyware inside that phones home with your serial key. If its a fake one it calls your isp and says you have warez on your copmputer.


For flyers and stuff microsoft publisher is best.
 
Re: I beg to differ

oogieboogie said:


First get it for free. and second I have always found Photoshop very user friendly. I have been using it since version 3.0. It is very intuitive. Now Illustrator is an absolute bitch.

I have tried Paint Shop, but Photoshop is more powerful.

Most of the medium-advanced points of Photoshop aren't terribly intuitive, at all. The basics are, I agree. Furthermore, there's little point in learning a program (via 30 day trial) that you're not going to buy (see: Price tag).

I'd suggest just hunting around. Most of the products recommended have been for professionals and, for that reason, are extremely expensive. I would make recommendations for other programs, but I have little experience with anything but the mentioned tools.
 
Re: Re: Purchase ??????

Pheonyx said:


Photoshop 7.0 has spyware inside that phones home with your serial key. If its a fake one it calls your isp and says you have warez on your copmputer.


For flyers and stuff microsoft publisher is best.

No it doesn't.
 
morninggirl5 said:
Anyway, a friend is interested in doing some desktop publishing, primarily flyers, some forms, maybe a few graphic designs. She asked me what software would be easiest for her to use before her hubby purchases it.

MS Office will do everything she's talking about doing. If she later wants to branch our into more complex stuff, MS Publishing would be easier to learn after getting used to MS Office's comand conventions.

Print Shop or Print Artist are both good programs for flyers and the like.

Graphic Design would require an additional graphics program to make custom graphics for the main publishing program to import.

I'd reccommend PaintShop Pro for that, because it's one of the few programs I've used that can create new .WMF images for MS Word/Office to integrate into documents. (*.WMF= Windows Meta-File image format)

NOTE: More expensive does NOT mean better or more capable! It doesn't even mean easier to use -- in fact, it often means the opposite; Expensive programs are often written for specialists who don't need "easy to use."
 
Nora said:
If all your friend wants is to do some basic home stuff, she doesn't need PSP or Photoshop (both of which i own and love, btw). Something like Print Shop or MS Publisher (not my fave) is probably more suited to her needs.
If you like AOL you will like Print Shop (my mother does), otherwise I think it sucks. What different people like in a user interface depends on what they are used to and how far they are willing to go to learn a program. If you want to learn to sell your skills on the market then Adobe products are what you need to learn, Pagemaker, Framemaker, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign. Quark has it adherents, but it's PS output sucks. All of these programs are very expensive and not easy to use at first because they are extremely capable and designed for professionals not people wanting to put out the occasional birthday announcement.

Print Shop is meant for amateurs and occasional use. I haven't used Paint Shop Pro, but from what I have seen it is more capable and is a low end competitor to PhotoShop.

I'd check c-net downloads first though and see if there's any cool freeware available first, though.
That is a good idea although you shouldn't expect to much. Try to go by the ratings, they sometimes will steer you in the right direction. MS products are okay although a bit general, but the right price if you already have them which many people do.
 
Thanks for the suggestions so far.


My concern is that she is very proficient in ClarisWorks and hasn't done a lot with MS Office. I could do the stuff she wants to do pretty easily BUT the whole point of my "help" is that I don't want to do it for her. I'm learning to say NO to this friend after 10 years and making the No stick.


I'll print this for her and her husband and let them make the decision.
 
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