Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 Windows. Does NOT include full printed User Guide in the box; Fulfillment will include: 30-50 page Getting Started Guide in the box; A PDF of the unabridged User Guide on the CD/DVD; Generic doc fulfillment card outlining policy and our commitment to the environment in the box 2; Online help (both on web and on the desktop) which includes readily accessible training beyond what manuals include. Full printed User Guides will be available at adobe.com

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Powerful but where's the manual?
This is a strong update. Since Adobe bought Macromedia, DW works best with their products. Powerful, nicely laid out, and fairly intuitive, but I wish it had a manual. Had to buy a "Missing Manual" book, which I highly recommend as an auxiliary reference.

Overall, DW retains its title as king (or queen) of web development software.

2 Stars Not much improvement over DW8
CS3 adds the Spry AJAX tools and a some new pre-built CSS layout templates, but in reality, similar javascript and CSS code can easily be found for free with a simple Google search. Beyond that, there really isn't much else in terms of new features over the previous Dreamweaver 8. Also, I dare say it has introduced several bugs, or maybe they are just annoying new "features".

For example, when you open up a site, half the time the entire root folder is collapsed, forcing you to have to re-open it each time. There seems to be no pattern to this behavior, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Also, the root folder has this weird habit of disappearing under the local files bar after a few seconds. So if I open a site and don't un-collapse the root folder within 2 seconds, then entire thing disappears under the bar, forcing me to hit the site refresh button to get it back. VERY ANNOYING!!!!

Another thing that bothers me is the copy/paste from Word. I get a lot of documents sent to me in Word that I need to convert to HTML. DW8 did a pretty decent job of converting Word to HTML, but CS3 seems to get a lot more wrong; I actually have to do significantly more "clean up" work now when I do a cut/paste from Word, it is especially bad when it comes to converting lists when compared to DW8.

Even if the bugs were addressed in a patch, I think that overall, this is a very disappointing "upgrade", there really isn't anything compelling enough to justify moving from DW8. I would give this 5-stars if it was an upgrade from Dreamweaver MX, but as an upgrade from Dreamweaver 8, it's simply not worth your time.

4 Stars Web page layout can be frustrating
I like the program but web layout with Dreamweaver can be frustrating if you are familiar with the ease of layout in Adobe InDesign. Adobe should hide the limitations of HTML better and allow text and graphics to be freely placed without the use of tables. It can also be especially frustrating to format text in anything but simple ways.

I hope Adobe can better integrate InDesign functionality with Dreamweaver and also allow InDesign pages to be converted to a web page.

4 Stars Another great product by Adobe
Adobe really know how to please people with their products. This one is very easy to use and of course it require knowledge to produce quality results.

As far as Amazon is concern, this particular item was shipped fast. In some cases, you just have to make sure that they really have stock since the availability status doesn't update in real-time. But will definitely buy again with […]

JohnB

1 Star Are you kidding !? TERRIBLE SOFTWARE!
Anyone who rates this software above a 2 is probably a very low end user. This software is *slower* and *buggier* (if possible) than Macromedia Studio 8.

If you're using Studio 8 please listen, don't upgrade. It's throwing away money. Flash cs3 seems to be a great product so far, but as far as dreamweaver goes there's just NO REASON to *downgrade* to CS3.

I'm a professional Software Engineer working in Web Development since 1999.

Buy/More Info

Apple Final Cut Studio 2 Mac

Final Cut Studio 2 takes you beyond editing. This powerful new version of Final Cut Pro is at the center of six integrated tools. Work is fast, fluid, and flexible, no matter what you're doing: Motion graphics, audio editing and mixing, color grading, and delivery. Whether you're cutting commercials, editing feature films, or pushing out the nightly news, Final Cut Server helps you work faster whenever you're working together. DVD Studio Pro 4 is professional DVD authoring. Create SD and HD projects, author discs with interactive elements and create animated menus. Whether you produce demo reels, complex commercial titles, or anything in between, it has simple, powerful tools for authoring DVDs.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars A mixed bag
Final Cut Pro 6 is a fantastic tool; a mature app with great features and rock-solid implementation.

Soundtrack Pro 2 (specifically 2.0.1), on the other hand, may be the worst piece of commercial, non-beta software (based on the severity and frequency of fatal/non-recoverable errors) I have ever had the misfortune to use. Of course, your mileage may vary, but I would advise anyone to think twice or three times about using Soundtrack Pro 2 for any sort of serious and/or mission critical application. Check the various boards/forums dedicated to Soundtrack Pro 2 and you will see that I am not alone in this estimation. Hopefully, Apple will soon see fit to patch this inexcusably buggy piece of software.

3 Stars Expected More quality
Final Cut Studio 2 is an inigma. On th one hand it has MASSIVE strengths and on the other it has MASSIVE weaknessess. If you are eperianced on other pro editing applications like Pro Tools or Avid you could experiance frustration … as I do.

STRENGTHS

Final Cut Studio 2 has everthing you need to produce a great program

Final Cut Studio 2 ships with awsome content to get you up & running … templates, presets, royalty free music and sound effects (lots!)

Intergration with the other programs in the suite makes Final Cut Pro do amazing stuff.

WEAKNESSESS

No manuals for applications that have had a major overhaul!! (Except FCP6) There are 4 manuals for Final cut Pro 6 containing far too much detail about a program that really doesn't have a lot of functionality. (there is about a quarter of an inch thick section on the audio mixer … a mixer that has inputs, levels and pans AND NOTHING ELSE!!!! no inserts - nix!)

and yet there is not even a piece of paper for Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Live Type, Compressor and DVD Studio Pro. The brand new program - Color gets a "setup guide" but no user manual. There are pdf files woopie doo. (Oh and you can't buy them either!)

Final Cut Pro is not a user friendly cutting platform. As others have said, the User Interface is cumbersome … eg if you want to zoom in on the cursor, you have to press 5 keys! (Cmd Shift A to desellect all, followed by Cmd + to zoom in) Dumb! and yet Soundtrack Pro is just Cmd + (even THAT is one key too many) … but Motion has no Zoom hot keys AT ALL!!! If you want to Export from Motion or STP (and many other MAC based Programs) you use Cmd E right? NOT on Final Cut Pro! Luckily you can assign it if it bugs you (i did) So the suite integration isn't all it could be.

File Management (as with other NLEs is tricky. With FCP your files get stored on a "scratch disk" It seems to have more in comon with Avid Liquids FM system (which is terifiying!) than with good 'ol Adobe Prmier Pro.

Soundtrack Pro is Buggy … a pity, as it offers so much and is enjoyable to work with (better in some ways than Adobe Audition) I suspect a crash caused by STP created a "head crash" on my system drive … that caused endless problems and reinstalations before finaly having to replace the drive on my brand new MAC pro 8 core.

Speaking of installations put asside 12 hours if you are starting from scratch.

All in all Final Cut Studio is OK … not great … just Ok. I expected more quality and less bugs from Apple, after all there are about 6 Intel based MACs on the market as opposed to a quadzillian number of PC hardware / software combinations. Motion rocks but is still not as good as After Effects (I run AE 7) You can do better. Avid Liquid (PC only unfortunatly … but does run well on boot camp) Pro Tools and After Effects Pro is often a better solution.

4 Stars Studio apps rock; FCP still could use a bit of work
Final Cut Studio is a fantastic suite of products, and the package just got sweeter with the release of FCP Studio 2.

Motion 3 and Color are the standouts, in my opinion, providing unprecedented power for their respective capabilities in anything remotely approaching this price range. In addition, the whole suite provides a level of interoperability that's unparalleled, and blows away any competition in the industry today.

Given the suite's fantastic breadth and depth of functionality, however, the newest iteration of the core application of the bunch, FCP6, does come off as a bit disappointing by comparison.

While the Open Timeline and ProRes 422 are notable and worthy enhancements to the FCP canon, the app nevertheless continues to be hampered by some long-standing Achilles' heels, including various media management and UI issues. While everyone has their individual list of pet concerns, few knowledgeable users would argue that notable limitations don't exist.

Especially considering the two-year "hiatus" from FCP's last major release, this is an unexpected bit of a letdown. Clearly, the hard-working Apple team focused the bulk of their efforts on the other apps, and the results do show there (as noted above). [It's also worth noting that seasoned editors who've had experience on other platforms besides FCP, and who are accustomed to more demanding workflow situations as a matter of course, tend to be more mindful of shortcomings than the majority of users who may have used nothing but FCP, simply by virtue of a greater spectrum of experience.]

However, none of this is to take away from the FCP Studio apps' overall high level of quality, tremendous synergy, and unbeatable price point. For the money, it is hard to imagine a better value in the world of post-production today.

3 Stars Little difference–should have been a "point release" upgrade
I like Final Cut Pro, I like Motion, and I like LiveType. But it is as if they were written by 3 different companies who didn't expect them to work together. And sadly, this version is no different. Still if you are doing editing on Apple hardware Final Cut Studio 2 is your best choice.

This program is for the every-day editor/user, not for casual users as the learning curve is way out there. Add to that the inconsistencies between the "Studio" products and you have more learning curve issues. Sadly, the video editor which bares the studio name Final Cut Pro, is the one tool that could have used a contemporary face lift and yet it had only what I would call "point release" quality updates. Whereas Motion (which was the most user-friend and modern interface) got huge new features that are outstanding.

It seems to ne that Final Cut may be at the end of what software engineers can do with the Final Cut Pro editor itself without a complete rewrite from the grown up. But then they stand the chance of alienating their current legacy users; and as we've seen with iMovie 2008, Apple isn't too smart when it comes to cleverly updating video editing workflows.

Unfortunately, I still have to resort to using iMovie from time to time to capture video since it always captures anything from any camera, and then import it into Final Cut Pro. Whereas Final Cut Pro often imports without a problem 60 to 80 percent of the time. The other times you can spend an entire day trying to select the right "Easy Setup" to capture video. Why or why Apple does it not capture as easily as iMovie ('06)?

Is it worth an upgrade fee? Well sure if you're in the business it isn't that much of an expense. If you're counting your pennies, however (if you only do wedding videos for example and don't need the latest and greatest) you are really not missing anything by staying with the previous version. If you are considering this vs Adobe, well I'd go with Final Cut Studio and get a copy of Adobe After Effects (the CS3 version is very cool) and you'll have the best tools available for the Apple platform.

4 Stars Finally!
Using v1 for years, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of v2. I can now confirm that FCS2 has matured to the point of being called industry ready. v1 had issue no doubt. But with so much effort directed towards Motion and DVD studio Pro, v2 has all the elements in place for serious mission critical use. Though FC itself seems to have been ignored. To date, we still rely heavily on third party plug-ins to get most of our intensive work done in FC. Soundtrack lacks. But we do very little sound. But it does have unparalleled integration and ease of use. Though the app seems a bit unstable. Certainly not as bad as mentioned above. Having used After effects CS3, I can reasonably claim that it simply does not compare. We haven't launched AE since we became familiar with the newest Motion. Now that the entire suite has been optimized to run on the 8 Core Mac Pro, we have officially listed all of our remaining Avid hardware for sale on ebay. Avid can't hold a candle. With the Pro HDVC from Apple and broadcast H.264, color correction was all that was keeping Avid alive in our studio. Now that Color is finally here along with support from Red industries, goodbye to Avid and their lackluster and unjustifiably high priced hardware. We get better results in less time for $100,000 less. Color is a bit raw, but has been the biggest difference maker. It is beyond words. Apple made the purchase for $25,000,000 and still kept the price-point the same. This is a sign of great things to come. We are no longer at the mercy of over priced hardware and overly difficult software from Avid. To top it all off, FCS2-Server was the reason why we made the hardware switch all together to Mac Pro 8 cores. It has full support for X-grid and SAN solutions. Now, if any station is unmanned, we run our own scripts to jump start the rendering on 24 cores with 48 Gigs of ram. We get final color and rendering done with a 30 minutes to 1 hour of content time ratio. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable! If the expected fixes come to Soundtrack and Color, we will be ready to move our entire Dubai fleet over within 6 months. Thanks Apple for your hard work and impeccable business ethics. You have finally done it!

Buy/More Info

Captain America the Complete Comic Collection Win Mac

Captain America: The Complete Collection lets you experience the amazing adventures of Captain America, the Sentinel Of Liberty! During World War II, a skinny & sickly teenager named Steve Rogers was rejected by the Army. Desperate to fight the Nazis, he volunteered for a dangerous top-secret project: Operation Rebirth. The experiment turned small, weak Steve Rogers into America's first super-soldier. He fought the Axis for years, but was thought dead in an Arctic explosion. His enhanced body survived & was actually frozen in suspended animation; he was thawed out decades later & entered a country he no longer understood, but continued to defend against the menaces threatening liberty & democratic principles.

This collection lets you revisit and relive Cap's great adventures. It covers every issue of Captain America from 1964 to 2006 — over 500 comics in all!

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Captain America dvd-rom
I love these comic dvd-roms! As a kid, I collected comics. I took a 10 year break and these collections brought me back. It's a cheap way to read your favorite titles. My only wish is that they continue to make more titles available. Make Mine Marvel!

5 Stars Get all these collections
GIT is doing a great job with these Marvel Comics collections. I bought the Spider-man collection a little over a year ago. Closely followed by X-Men and Fantastic Four. In the past couple weeks I picked up The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Avengers compilations. I'm looking forward to the Iron Man disk coming out soon. My only regret is that after I bought the FF collection they came out with a second set with more issues plus the Silver Surfer runs (I'm sure to coincide with the movie).

A few reviewers of these disks have complained that the images are just scans of original comics. All I can say is get over it. You are getting thousands of dollars worth of books for $40 or less. You couldn't have even bought the first 25 issues of the most recent run on Captain America (which finish the Captain america disk) for that. If Marvel was going to re-color and computerize their entire libraries to put on disks, I can guarantee you that they would not sell 40 years worth of a series for $40. They would probably charge that for every 3-5 years worth of the series. I think it's great that you can see these old comics along with the old ads. I'm a kid of the eighties so seeing ads for some of the old computer games is really cool. Yes, a few pages have some smudges on them, but whose comics don't - it just adds to the new age feel of cracking open your old comics that have been boxed/bagged for years.

Pros:

1) years of comics for pennies an issue

2) simple category menus: decade - year - issues

Cons:

1) If you don't have at least a 17" monitor you will likely have to scroll around the page to have it large enough to read

2) might have to wait another 40 years for the next compilation

Wish List:

1) X-Men Family = compile New Mutants, X-Force, X-Factor, X-Men & Generation X on a disk

2) Marvel Minis = Secret Wars 1 & 2, Infinity Gaultlet/War/Crusade + tie in issues, Age of Apocalypse, Civil War, Annihilation, etc…

3) Showcase = Marvel Comics Presents, Marvel Fanfare, Marvel Team-Up etc…

5 Stars Captian America the complete comic collection
If you can get this collection do not hesitate. I am really glad I found these products before it was too late. Because Marvel is going to rent there digital comics on there website they did not renew the contract with GIT corp and after the end of the year, no more will be made.

5 Stars Captain America throws his mighty shield!
Every issue of my fave, Captain America. I can't really complain can I? It's pretty awesome to have all of these in one place even if it's not anywhere near the experience of reading the real thing. However, if you don't have zillion bucks to shell out for all the originals, this is the next best thing. I love that they are scanned cover to cover (ads included!) and you also get the full Tales of Suspense including Iron Man. I've read complaints about the DVDs on PCs but I've had absolutely no problems on my Mac. If you have Acrobat Reader, you're good to go. So when can we get the Mighty Thor?

5 Stars Captain America's Legacy
This collection, as well as the collections for the other Marvel characters is simply astounding. Not only do you get every Captain America Comic from 1964 to the infamous Captain America Vol V issue 25 Death of a Dream, you get them with the original ads intact, plus the few annuals cap had. This is really a dealand I would highly recommend it to any comuic book fan wanting to catch up on the comic book.

Buy/More Info

Final Cut Express 4 Upgrade from Final Cut Express 1 2 3 or 3 5

Your ticket to more advanced video editing, Final Cut Express 4 delivers a powerful and extensible toolset with more features than ever. Apple's powerful moviemaking package now supports the latest AVCHD cameras, features an open format Timeline, provides iMovie '08 compatibility, and offers sophisticated effects and filters
With iMovie '08, putting together a great movie is as quick as drag and drop. When you want to add professional polish to your project, simply export to Final Cut Express 4 and edit like a pro. Add cinematic looks to your project with an expansive library of professional-quality transitions and filters and experiment with over 50 brand-new video effects, including Soft Focus, Vignette, Light Rays, and Line Art. Upgrades from any previously installed copy of Final Cut

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Awesome for the price!
I also own Final Cut Pro 5.1, but since I had Final Cut Express 3.0, I thought I'd spring for an upgrade.

I'm most pleased with this–so far it's very stable, I love its new filters, and the features it has are almost equal to Final Cut Pro in all the important features that prosumers are most likely to use. For most prosumers, it has everything we need. I am continually amazed with how much you get with Final Cut Express.

Because I had Final Cut Express 3.0, I was able to load up the media from that version of LiveType and make it work with the version of LiveType that shipped with FCE 4. I never used Soundtrack that much, so I can't say I miss it, but if I needed it, I could always use the version that came with version 3.

Like many other Mac users, I was a little surprised when I saw that LiveType shipped with less media, and Soundtrack was no longer included (apparently the audio capabilities are now available in Final Cut Express 4, as well as Garageband). But, in all fairness, I had to consider that the cost was $100 less than the previous version which had Soundtrack and the extra LiveType media. After thinking about it a while, I think I am glad that Apple took this route–a $200 pricetag makes Final Cut Express very tempting for many more Mac users than before, as well as making many Windows users envious! (Where is their $200 prosumer video application with equivalent features and reliability?)

I've done a lot of research, and so far I'm not finding anything on the Windows side that offers as much as Final Cut Express, for a similar price. I'm not knocking the many affordable $100 programs that Windows users have, because for many people that's more than enough and there are many wonderful choices available. But from what I've seen, each one of them lack some capability that I have come to enjoy or rely on in Final Cut Express. (But of course they are less expensive, so this is to be expected.) There seems to be no "middle ground" for video enthusiasts on the Windows side (either it's an affordable $100 program with crippled features, or a pro-level app with a pricetag to match).

A big thumbs up for this upgrade to Final Cut Express! I am happier than ever to have switched to Macintosh!

2 Stars Upgrader beware
Well this pgrade is really great if you have upgraded to FCE 3.5 already. However if you are upgrading from an older version watch out. FCE 4 comes with only 500mb of live type content. FCE 3.5 came with 10GB. If livetype isn't a priority for your video production then go for it. But if you are looking for an upgrade for your FCE from 3 or lower and your live type 1 and want all the latest live type content this upgrade is not for you. Buy the livetype 3.5 or buy both 4 & 3.5 while you can.

Buy/More Info

Apple iWork 08 Family Pack

Pages '08 offers an intuitive way to create beautiful, media-rich documents using impressive features such as Writing and Layout modes, Change tracking, Contextual Format Bar, Automatic list formatting, Graphics tools and templates. Pages '08 supports industry-standard formats to easily open documents from other word processing applications that were created on a Mac or a PC.
Amaze your audience with cinema-quality presentations using Keynote '08 and its new features Text effects & transitions, Action Builds, Instant Alpha, Voice-over Recording, Smart Builds and Apple-designed Themes.
Numbers '08 does everything from setting up your family budget to completing a lab report using Intelligent Tables, Interactive Print View, Flexible Canvas, Import & Export Excel, Charts, Images, Text Labels and Customizable Templates. Automatic list formatting - List and format on the fly New Templates - Use more than 80 new templates Keynotes '08 - Text effects & transitions - Captivate viewers with elegant transitions Action Builds - Move objects along a path Instant Alpha - Change backgrounds with simple click & drag Smart Builds - Add photos with sophisticated animations Apple-designed Themes - 9 themes for creating a professional presentation Numbers '08 - Intelligent Tables - Create multiple resizable tables Interactive Print View - Scale and arrange documents Flexible Canvas - Move objects wherever you like with comments, photos and graphics Import & Export Excel - Share spreadsheets with Microsoft Office Charts, Images, Text Labels - Add 2D & 3D charts, photos or a map Customizable Templates - For Home, School and Business System Requirements - Macintosh computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or PowerPC G4 (500MHz or faster) processor, 512MB RAM, 32MB video memory, Mac OS X Version 10.4.10 or later, QuickTime 7.2 or later, iLife '08 recommended, 1GB free space and DVD drive re

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A great suite of apps….almost
I converted to the iWork suite a couple of years ago, and this update is a nice improvement.

I use Keynote to do presentations constantly; presentations are easy to create and edit, allowing the user to define multiple "master" slides to control the design (PowerPoint, on the other hand, only allows the user 2 masters - the title slide and a bulleted text slide). The text editing options are very flexible and the presentation a snap. There's no way I would go back to PowerPoint or OpenOffice after using Keynote — does save to .ppt if necessary, though.

Pages is a nice design app - a bit over featured for simple form letters (TextEdit is simpler to use and free with the Mac OS), but works very well when dealing with graphics and text. I've used Pages to design large posters and longer documents with figures and have been very happy with the results. The only complaints I have are table editing (slow and cumbersome still :() and the default font (Helvetica. I can change it, but it's not that simple). Converts easily to .doc and .pdf if you need to share your results with others.

Numbers (the new addition for '08) is not quite enough to replace Excel…but I expect it will be in the next revision or so. It just doesn't have the calculation/analysis options (creation of histograms, for example) that Excel does. The view options and charts are a bit more flexible than Excel, so this app shows promise - its just not there yet. Fine for balancing checkbooks or creating lists, but not quite for data analysis.

This is a good start — and it will keep MS Office off of my Mac, with the exception of Excel. Word and PowerPoint are no longer necessary. Pages and Keynote alone are worth the cost…the only reason this is 4 stars instead of 5 is the limited features in Numbers.

5 Stars Great Suite of Software
Warning: I'm a Mac fanboy.

This another great installment of this wonderful software. My wife is a physician and does a lot of public speaking and Key Note always gets noticed. Presentations done using Key Note stand out. Powerpoint can not hold a candle to it, and if your used to using PP don't worry the transition will be painless. The controls are intuitive, and you can import your PP presentations to Key Note and it will convert them for you.

Pages in this version is moving toward being a full fledged replacement of MS Word. Very few users will find Pages lacking, it's not bloated like Word, it just what it supposed to do, help you communicate.

With the addition of numbers, most Mac users can dump MS Office because now iWork is a complete package that can work in all but really large offices. Projects can be exported or saved as MS documents, and you could keep any of the open source office solutions for occasional use.

I noticed a couple of one star reviews, be sure to read those. They're just former windows people who expect a lot for nothing. The updated to iWork, and iLife aren't free, or marked down but they are reasonably priced. And why they would complain about 80 to 100 dollars is beyond me. And have they noticed there's no registration keys, Apple respects its users, unlike Mr. Softy.

5 Stars Excellent product! Keeps getting better!
iWork 2008 finally won me completely over from Mac Office 2004. I use it for marketing, billing, and many of my financial records for a small-business. (I've even put aside InDesign after many years)

5 Stars iWorks 08
My order was promptly processes and shipped. I was very pleased with the service.

The iWorks 08 product is a great suite of programs.

4 Stars Amazing Upgrade
Well, I have the first iteration of iWork and I must say that I am extremely pleased that I upgraded. Pages is vastly improved and I love fooling around in Numbers. If you purchased iWork 06, I am not sure if this is a worthy upgrade. If you purchased the original iWork and did not upgrade to 06, this is definitely worth it. Besides, I got the Family Pack with 5 installs for a great price here on Amazon. Go for it, you won't regret it!!!

Buy/More Info

Lego Star Wars DVD Mac

LEGO Star Wars blends the unique world of LEGO with the adventure of Star Wars, for unforgettable action and fun. Live the most popular moments from The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of theSith. Episodes I to III come to life — and you can become a part of the story!

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great game for kids
My eight year old was asking for this game for the longest time. It's great because it's not a violent game. He can get points and change into dfferent characters. He can't wait for Start Wars II for the Mac.

5 Stars Addictive game!
My 6-year-old son, who is a Star Wars fanatic, paid for this game with his allowance money. With it being the most expensive item he's ever purchased (it took him a long time to save up for it), it sure has taught him the value of saving! HE LOVES IT! Obsessed. We have to set a timer; otherwise, he'd play all day!

He's familiar with various scenes from the movies, and this game does a really great job of re-creating those scenes. It's amazing how many different challenges he has to work through; it never gets old. Also, the game allows him to save so that he comes back to where he left off in his journeys. Also, he gets some daddy time, as my husband really likes playing, too. It's even fun for me to just sit and watch him/them play, very entertaining. VERY CUTE!

5 Stars AWESOME GAME!!
I have twin boys 4 1/2 years old and they LOVE this game. Sometimes they need my help through the really hard scenes but once they see how it's done they can replay it and do it themselves. They've earned their way and now have all the characters and the love to play in Free Play mode and toggle though the people and the fun never stops. Runs great on my iMac 20" G5 2 GHZ with 1GB Ram. Get this and also get Lego's Star Wars II: Original Trilogy!!!!

1 Star Will NOT work on an Intel Mac Mini
Buyer beware that this product will not work on an intel mac mini. This is not noted anywhere on the Aspyr website.

4 Stars Lego Star Wars - kids love it
I purchased this for my 6 year old who loves Legos and Star Wars. It has been a huge hit. After he plays the game he then likes to go build all the stuff he saw in the game. So it actually makes him use his brain a bit! I play with him as well and it makes me feel like a kid. Nice work.

Buy/More Info

Madden NFL 08

Feel what it's like to be a field general making key personnel decisions on both sides of the ball during the game's biggest momentsin Madden NFL 08. Quickly identify your strongest players on the field before every snap then move them into position to make game-changing momentum-altering plays. Play to your team's strengths by immediately reading your opponent's schemes and reacting to the action as soon as the ball is snapped. Create mismatches and exploit weaknesses as you read and react with Madden NFL 08.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Buggy Vaporware
EA chose to port this to Mac themselves rather than give it to Aspyr. The inexperience shows. Fraudulently sold as an online game but online didn't work until a patch on Nov 22. EA should have tested it a lot more before it was released. Shame on Apple for selling it at Apple stores before it was ready - don't tell me no one ever tried it. After the first dozen patches, it could be lots of fun but disappointing for now.

1 Star Awful on new iMac
I have a new 24' iMac and the program will not run. The text gets all garbled up so navigation is impossible. You can't even get a game started because the text is superimposed giberish. On the Apple site others report the same thing on iMacs. Really bad to release a program with such major flaws that it is unusable on the latest systems.

Buy/More Info

VHS To DVD 3 0 Deluxe

VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe makes it simple to archive your videotape collection onto DVD or CD. It also lets you create your own DVD/CD movies from your Camcorder, VCR or DVD player. It's the best choice for backing up your irreplaceable home videos — or for just saving money by not buying the DVD versions of movies you already own.Deluxe version with USB 2.0 video capture device included.Convert video into WMV format, to watch on your Windows-based PDA or mobile device Record audio from cassettes, LP records, and video tapes and create MP3 files or audio CDs Dual-layer DVD support (DVD writer must also support dual-layer discs) USB 2.0 video capture device included (S-Video and A/V input, XP and Vista ready)

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good but Confusing
Products works well on capturing the video, a little difficult to edit title and clips.

3 Stars VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe
The hardware device,that was included, was simple to install with the directions given. It gave a great image on the computer screen. The software got the job done but I think that the "editor" leaves much to be desired. I tried to delete a short section of video(5 to 10 minutes)and was unsucessful. If the company comes out with a "4.0" version, I hope they will improve the editor.

1 Star I thought it was me
I am a little older and thought that I was computer illiterate. I had to call the Honesttech people several times to help me out. What people need to know is that with windows XP it crashes your computer. When I called them to tell them that I received a message not to continue installation, they told me my computer was compatable and told me to continue anyhow. Total problelms with my computer after that. What they also don't tell you is that you need a DVD recorder. I only have a CD burner and they told me I could use that but the quality wouldn't be as good. Well, I've gone through money on DVD's, CD's, and I ordered a DVD burner. Now I just uninstalled this product because I can't even work on my computer. When I asked for a refund, they told me that I could not get one unless the product was defective. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.

1 Star Difficult to install correctly, crashes constantly
I had high hopes for this product as I have a huge mountain of VHS tapes that are quickly becoming useless. I had problems installing this product from the start. After the first try, the device would not capture any video, simply stating "unable to start recording". After unistalling and reinstalling with software patches and driver updates per honestech's website the device did begin to capture video only to crash after a few minutes of recording. I uninstalled and reinstalled several times to no avail. Every time it would crash the computer (which exceeded minimum system requirements) so bad I had to perform a hard reboot to unlock the system. I got nowhere with this product and agree that perhaps it was released too soon. Very disappointing…

1 Star Don't buy this product if your computer is AMD Athlon!!!
This software installed easily enough, but when it came to transferring the VHS to DVD, there was the most incredibly annoying continuous buzzing sound. After corresponding with HonesTech, I found this problem is not unknown to them as they have found a "handful" of customers that have computers with AMD Athlon have the exact same trouble. There is NO fix and they are willing to return my money upon receipt of the software - which is very gracious of them, since it was not bought directly from them. If you are purchasing this software to transfer cassette tapes to CDs, it will work beautifully and the sound is perfect. Hope this helps someone…

Buy/More Info

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 with GPS Locator DVD Old Version

With Streets & Trips 2007 with GPS Locator, you?ll always know exactly where you are. Map your route, plug the GPS receiver into your laptop, and go! The comprehensive trip planning software makes route planning a snap, around town or anywhere across the U.S. and Canada. Microsoft Streets & Trips gets you where you?re going quickly, easily, and without all the guesswork.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star streets and trips stinks
This program stinks. you need to enter a new starting point every time you use it even though most people start from the same point usualy. The user friendly aspect is poor, the maps are only so so. I found much older products to be much easier and smarter. I bet whoever designed this product doesn't actualy use it!

5 Stars Great PC map program
I have since upgraded to the 2008 version. This was good enough that upgrading was a no brainer.

4 Stars 2007 an Improvement
I'm a long-time user of Streets and 2007 has some subtle improvements, including a full-screen view when using the GPS. The full-screen view has a large button to re-route if you miss a turn (not like anyone tries to use the laptop while driving) and an estimated arrive time. I purchased 2007 since it sounds like the 2008 product activiation can be a nightmare.

2 Stars Had to return it
The GPS unit stopped working the first time we tried it so we had to return it for a refund.

5 Stars It works just like it should
We sold our Garmin and bought this. What a welcome surprise. We bought it for traveling now that we are retired. We installed it in an inexpensive Gateway laptop. After a bit of practice we had it doing exactly what we wanted. It is not hard to use and the receiver works. The only thing we would like to see improved is the voice volume. The software is very intuitive and you don't have to unlock maps and go through a lot of changes to make it work. It costs less than a Garmin and works a lot better. If you buy one, spend a little time learning the software and reading the manual before taking a long trip. You will be very pleased with all that it does. We will never buy anything Garmin, but we will certainly upgrade this software.

Buy/More Info

Fluenz Spanish 1 2 Windows 1 0 Next Generation Spanish Language Learning Software

Fluenz is a software company founded by a group of passionate language learners who felt there had to be a better way. We believe in the power of one-on-one tutoring, so our technology is geared towards bringing real life instruction to the computer. In our Spanish application, language tutor Sonia Gil guides you throughout the program, blending full motion video explanations in English with a series of highly engaging workouts, helping you to understand and speak relevant Spanish. The Fluenz system follows three clear principles: 1) We learn best when we have a teacher. It's often difficult to motivate yourself to learn on your own. By bringing a tutor to the computer, we explain all concepts in a sensible way and you don't have to tackle Spanish all by yourself. 2) It's easier to learn Spanish by starting out in English. Contrary to what you might think, Spanish is a tough langauge to learn and we are able to progress much faster by leveraging our knowledge of English to help us learn Spanish. In fact, modern linguistics tells us that as adults, we need to use the tools of the language we already know and apply them to learning a new language. With Fluenz, you learn first in English and relate basic Spanish grammar and syntax to that of English, rather than trying to understand Spanish grammar with Spanish logic. 3) It's best to learn the most relevant words in Spanish right away. You need to start learning the words and structures that will allow you to communicate the most in the least amount of time, taking into consideration which words are easier to remember for English speakers, which expressions make the most logical sense to us, and which are most useful–"cell phone" instead of "red apple." Being able to communicate right away in simple ways requires relevant learning. And, with 13 types of workouts covering verbal expression and comprehension, as well as reading and writing, you practice and internalize what you learn in the video lessons.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars At last, a wonderful program to learn Spanish
I'm a native speaker of Spanish but have reviewed this program for several co-workers at a multilateral institution in Washington D.C. Fluenz Spanish 1+2 is a multimedia application that comes in two DVD-ROMs. The material is organized in sessions that are led by a charismatic tutor on full motion video. She does a very good job of explaining the intricacies of Spanish vocabulary, grammar and usage from the point of view of an English-speaker, and in plain English. Each session begins with the tutor's brief introduction, followed by a conversation that contains the material to be worked on, followed by her longer tutorial. These video tutorials present the most effective summaries of how Spanish works I've ever heard. Following the tutorial the program goes on to a series of 13 different kinds of fully interactive workouts. These grow increasingly challenging, and force the user to review the material by writing it, reading it, listening to it, and recording it. These workouts have been beautifully designed with beautiful photographs of Latin America and Spain. Whereas other language learning methods seek to teach languages without any assistance from English, Fluenz's refreshing approach makes for faster learning suited to adults. The systematic comparisons between English and Spanish grammar allow learners to understand structures immediately, and to grasp how key verbs can be easily used in a variety of situations. All the vocabulary taught by the program is relevant, since it has been designed with a traveling adult in mind. Although some might miss learning the Spanish words for tree or for apple, this is more than made up for by the ability to speak to a taxi cab driver, to activate a cell phone, or to figure out if there is hot water at a beach hotel, etc. While the vocabulary is very specific, the program makes a lot of emphasis on the core grammar anyone would have to learn to pursue advanced learning. All in all, I highly recommend Fluenz Spanish 1+2. I believe it will lead to fast, common-sense learning of relevant materials because it has been developed from the point of view of teens and adults traveling to Spanish-speaking countries or wanting to establish a strong foundation for further learning.

5 Stars Clear, well designed and interactive
The Fluenz approach provides a very logical and interactive method of building language skills. Out of the box, the packaging is striking and well designed. The language exercises are clear, relevant examples for a modern learner. The interface intends to provide you with a dedicated video instructor, to good effect. I found the pacing perfect for a new language learner, and the included audio CD allowed for the added benefit of practice while on the road. An important aspect of the package that is often overlooked; the licensing allows for transfer and use of the audio tracks on a portable device. You have the ability to record your own pronunciation and compare it to native language speakers, a great feature. In the language software market this stands out as a very professional, pragmatic offering.

5 Stars Great reinforcement styles, and a pleasure to use
The first thing you notice with Fluenz is that this software looks great - the photos and design are beautiful. I was really impressed with the multiple reinforcement styles that each lesson uses. Listening, reading, typing, repeating, matching, and I think maybe a couple more types of reinforcement; they really do help to drive home the words and phrases that you are learning in the dialog/scenes. The pacing is just right, so that you learn a little, then reuse and build on that in the next lesson. The (pleasant) host uses english and spanish to explain anything that isn't obvious, like grammar, irregularities and idioms. Fluenz is perfect for an absolute beginner, but also great for someone looking to expand and reinforce slightly rusty spanish language skills (like me), because you can move around as you choose, or proceed sequentially through the course.

5 Stars Finally a software you can work with.
I ordered the software for our office and it is great. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. The exercises at the end of the lessons are a very good feature too. I have tried a few other softwares and nothing compares to it. A co-worker loves it too. She has started the Spanish and is asking to get more languages in which we will. Try it yourself.

5 Stars Fluenz Spanish Rocks!
I have only been through the first three lessons of Fluenz Spanish I and II but already I can say that this program beats ALL others hands down! The manner in which the lessons are taught plus the exercises after each lesson are superb when it comes to adults learning a foreign language.

I can't say enough good about Fluenz. These folks got it right!!! My goal is to be able to speak Spanish fluently by mid-year and I have NO doubt that it will happen thanks to Fluenz. I have already told several friends not to waste their money on the other programs and to purchase Fluenz. The entire staff at Fluenz knows what their doing so if you want to learn Spanish, look no farther!

Buy/More Info