Product Category: Video, Graphics, Photo & Music Software

Manufacturer: Roxio

Where to Buy: Amazon.com [Affiliate]

Price: $82.98 USD

System Requirements (Minimum):Microsoft® 7 (32- or 64-bit), Windows VistaTM SP2 (32- or 64-bit), Windows® XP SP3 (32-bit), Windows®XP SP2 (64-bit), Intel® 1.6GHz Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent, 512MB RAM for windows XP and 1GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7, 1024x768 DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with at least 16-bit color setting, sound card, DVD-ROM drive, Hard drive with at least 3GB free space for the installation process.

Specifications: External Link

Pros:

• Fun, quick, and easy;
• Huge, capable, fully loaded suite;
• Learning Center.

Cons:

• 3D features won't please everyone;
• Not all applications in the suite have been improved;
• Retail price double that of iLife.

Summary:There is a third dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and between Roxio Creator 2010 and 2012 - which indecently is Roxio Creator 2011. I have taken some liberties with Rod Sterling's famous words (see The Twilight Zone), and Roxio has taken some liberties with the notion that two dimensions can be converted into three. But really, how cool would it be to do just that - convert your 2D photos and video into 3D? I put on the included 3D glasses and took a look for myself. Spoiler alert - it's pretty cool!

This Isn't Rocket Science...Or Is It?

Converting two dimensions into three sounds complicated, yes? Well, I'll let my friends at the Large Hadron Collider explain the Particle/Wave Duality that sits at the heart of it. While they're preparing their PowerPoint, let me just say, it's really quite simple. To that point, it took me less than 5 minutes to create my first three-dimensional image, from an existing two-dimensional photo. And the first words out of my mouth were, "whoa..." While the image didn't pop out at me, it appeared that I could reach into the photograph. In moving my head back and fourth, it was as if I could almost look around the image. It was the feeling of looking through a window at a live scene. And there I sat, officially freaked out. This wasn't just easy - it was fun!

Figure 1: A cornucopia of digital media software.

There Is More To Life Than 3 Dimensions

But perhaps I have gotten ahead of myself. Let's just start at the beginning. Roxio has recently released a new version of their #1 selling Digital Media Suite, Creator 2011. Creator 2011 is a powerful Suite of applications aimed to help you both manage digital media, and create it. For music, photos, video, burning, and more, Creator 2011 is a go-to application that makes easy what can be cumbersome. This is no small feat, and Roxio's latest version tackles these tasks quite handily.

When Automatic Is Better Than a Manual

Inside the Creator 2011 box you will find a brief Getting Started Guide, Installation DVD, and a - je ne sais quoi, nifty, pair of 3D glasses. The actual manual, missing from the box, has been skillfully integrated into the software in the form of searchable help, pop-up windows, and the Learning Center. Assistance is there when needed, and wonderfully avoids being annoying and loathsome. The Learning Center includes video instruction, along with step-by-step PDF instruction if desired. I found it an impressive and useful display of how to provide unobtrusive help and guidance. But again, I am getting ahead of myself.

Figure 2: Learning Center: Video and PDF Instruction make it easy to get the most out of this suite.

By The Numbers

Installation on a Windows 7 machine, Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM, took about 15 minutes. This included a reboot and the installation of Service Pack 1 for Creator 2011. The process was efficient and smooth, and even offered a video walkthrough of the product features while you waited for the installation to complete. It should be noted that the minimum system requirements for video editing and conversion and DVD playback are: an Intel Pentium 4 2GHz processor or AMD equivalent and 1GB RAM; while a Multi-core processor with at least 2GB RAM is recommended. These days numbers like these are met easily, but those of you wanting to run this software on your netbook might want to rethink just why you purchased a netbook in the first place.

Figure 3: 10 vs. 11. 11 is more.

Looks Really Do Matter

Being a current user of Roxio's Creator 10 Suite, I was immediately drawn to the new look and feel of the new interface. It has a more modern and upscale appearance; less Windows XP, and more Windows 7. In addition, it seemed to perform better, faster, than my Creator 10 Suite. The 2011 interface is more intuitive, and better organized now with sub tasks listed underneath the main tasks. Everything seemed more reachable, and the interface seemed more integrated to the individual applications. It was a better user experience, and it made me feel like I could do more with the product.