Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

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! Read more...

"So, for those times when you want a print, what's the best way to get it? Is it worth paying $400 or more for a large-format printer, and then paying again and again for the ink? What about large-volume or professional online photo-printing services? Are they cost-effective, and can those prints measure up to a good-quality home printer? And how about those photo kiosks you find in places like Target and many grocery stores?"

Maximum PC have posted an article reviewing the various methods you can use to get a printed hard copy of that fantastic photo you took. They have compared the various options from home printers, online printing services and the kiosks you get in some of the major stores. It's an interesting read especially if perhaps you have only used one of the services in the past. I've never really printed many photos, and if I have, I always used my old photo printer which really only prints adequately in my eyes. I've always thought that if I wanted my prints to look good, then I should send them to a professional to get it done properly. Take a read and see if you agree with their conclusion.

Congratulations to Bob Christensen and cmchavez on each winning a copy of ProShow Gold in our giveaway contest. Thanks to Photodex for their generosity in giving us two copies of the software to give away. The winners have each been contacted via private message. Thanks for entering everyone!

Stay tuned, I have a Pinnacle PC HDTV card to give away next (yeah, pun intended). ;-)

ProShow Gold is a program I've just started using recently, but I really enjoy it - it's like that old Microsoft PhotoStory product from a few years ago, only much better (why does Microsoft always abandon their coolest technologies?). At any rate, the nice folks at Photodex (the makers of ProShow) have given me two copies of ProShow Gold to give away (valued at $69.95 USD each). So guess what that means - contest time!

All you have to do to win is take a look at the list of features, browse through the screen shots, or better yet, download the free demo - and tell me what your favourite feature is, or how you'd use this software. That's it! One post per person in this thread, one entry per person, and the contest will remain open until Thursday, June the 5th at 2 PM (GMT -7). Two winners will be chosen at random, and they'll be notified via our forum private messaging system (so make sure you have your account set to email you when you get a new message). That's it - I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say!