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Business Tool
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Game of the Week
by Michael E. Callahan aka Dr. File Finder ™
Reviewed This Week......
Paint Shop Pro, by Jasc Software, Inc. is a program that I've used since it first came out back in 1991. And I felt I'd be remiss if I didn't take a little time to tell you about it. Now, I've made it a point to tell you that I'm "graphically challenged", but even I can create things with Paint Shop Pro. Over the years the program has changed quite a bit and all it's really done is gotten better and better. You can create graphics for your Web pages and Paint Shop Pro gives you lots of tools to make those graphics as fancy as you want. For most people, this is the only graphics editor or "paint" program you're ever going to need. Create banners, borders, and lots more. And in this day and age of digital photos, you can also use the program to enhance your pictures. Lighten them, change the contrast, size them, and much more!
Paint Shop Pro now comes with an additional tool you're going to love called Animation Shop 3. And when I say "now comes with" I have to add that it's come with it for awhile, but then I've been using Paint Shop Pro for 12 years! And the animations you can create are dazzling and yes, even I have created animations with Animation Shop! You'll simply be amazed at what you can do. Put Paint Shop Pro together with Animation Shop and you've got a dynamite combination. Paint Shop Pro is perfect for both home and business use. And it's also relatively easy-to-use and comes with really excellent help. You can use it to convert graphics files from one format to another -- either one-at-a-time or in batches. And it's lightning fast. And, if you want to get creative PSP comes with over 75 special effects you can apply to your graphics and pictures. It can also do screen captures, let you fiddle with colors, layers, and even put borders and frames around your pictures. Amazing!
Paint Shop Pro, by Jasc Software, Inc. is a totally impressive graphics program. And I could have dedicated pages talking about all the things you can do with it -- both great and small. It's wonderful for creating images from scratch as well as modifying existing graphics. You can use it to improve your digital pictures, convert your graphics between different formats, and create graphics for the Web. It's one of those programs that everyone should have on their computer. I've watched this program evolve and to me it's a "must have" piece of software. So, for that reason, besides being one of my "Picks", Paint Shop Pro is also a Dr. File Finder Favorite! And those are few and far between. You owe it to yourself to try it. It receives my highest recommendation!
Whiles we're talking about graphics I'd like to tell you a little bit about Virtual Painter, which is also by Jasc Software Inc. Now this is a product that's right up my alley! Impressive graphics without the user need a lot of graphic talent. Virtual Painter is a set of plug-in filters. And boy, what they can let you do with an ordinary picture. Naturally, Virtual Painter works perfectly with Paint Shop Pro, but it also works with Adobe Photoshop, Corel PHOTO-PAINT, Ulead PhotoImpact, Adobe Elements, and any other graphics software that can handle Adobe compatible filters. And what's so cool about Virtual Painter? Well, it lets you create beautiful paintings with just a few, simple mouse clicks. The results are impressive!
First of all, Virtual Painter gives you a large variety of "brush stroke filters" that you can use. These include effects like Drawing, Oil Painting, Color Pencil, Silk Screen, Watercolor, Gouache, Collage, Pastel, and more! You can see some small examples of collage, oil, and pastel in the screen capture. And remember, those are all created from digital pictures! Wow! Then, if all that weren't enough, Virtual Painter also gives you a variety of "surfaces" that you can put your paintings on. This gives you an even different effect depending on the surface you choose. Some of the backgrounds available include Canvas, Paper, Wood, Cork, Stucco, and Washi, which is a type of Japanese handmade paper.
With all these possibilities you can experiment and create all kinds of effects. For example, a picture that's using the oil painting effect on "paper", will have a different look if it's used on "canvas", or "cork." I really loved the oil painting and watercolor filters, but all of them were totally fascinating to me. I found that by experimenting you can really come up with some wonderful effects!
Virtual Painter, by Jasc Software Inc., is a truly a unique and fascinating product! To begin with, it works with a wide range of programs. And, it produces a amazing array of effects. With different brush stroke filters and background effects, you can experiment until you get just the look you want. The program is incredibly easy to install and use, and is very intuitive. And I found that the effects it lets you create are really astounding. Turn the scenery from your vacation into an oil painting and a picture of your children into a watercolor. It's so easy. So, if you're looking for some different and unusual effects to add to your digital photos, take a good look at Virtual Painter. Very nicely done and perfect with Paint Shop Pro! Try it!!
Info Select, by Micro Logic, Inc., is another program that that's been around for years. And over the years it's also evolved and become better and better. What is it? It's a "personal information manager" or PIM, but it's really a lot more than that. Naturally, as a PIM, you can use it to keep track of all your daily tasks. It can also store a wealth of freeform information. Info Select supports "drag and drop" so you can simply drag information into it! Very slick. Info Select can do so many things that I can only scratch the surface. For example, the program can handle both POP3 and IMAP4 email. Heck you can even browse the Web from within the program and also share your data across the Web. Very impressive!
Info Select lets you control every aspect of its operation and that's something I really like. You decide how things are going to work and look, while controlling exactly what you see, and don't see.
Unlike most other PIMs, Info Select utilizes an outline structure. That means you can "collapse" the things you don't need while being able to "expand" the things you do need. And it can hold an astounding array of information. You can use it to store information from the Web, emails, text, and much more. At the same time, you can use it to remind you of important dates or appointments or things you need to do. Think of it as a catch-all for all the random bits of data that you come across in your life. A very powerful and colorful catch-all. The program features a very powerful search feature so you can find all the things you place in it. And, Info Select lets you select fonts, create templates, utilize colors, insert graphics, and lots, lots, more.
Info Select, by Micro Logic, Inc., is a powerful, yet easy-to-use, personal information manager. At the same time, it's so much more that you have to experience it to really appreciate it. It reminds you, it keeps you organized and at the same time it keeps track of all the random information you want to store. It's at home with the Internet and World Wide Web just as it's at home creating a nice-looking document. This is one of the most versatile pieces of software you'll ever come across. And while it's powerful and complex, it's easy enough to use that even newer users can feel at home with it. So, if you're looking for a PIM that will do all you ever need to do, this just might be it! Give it a try, I recommend it!
Alas, that's all we have time for. I really hope you enjoyed reading about these Picks as much as I enjoyed writing about them. All three of these products are truly excellent and well worth your time to download. Check them out and give them a try -- you won't regret it. And remember, if you try a shareware product, and find yourself using it, be sure to pay for it. In that way the "shareware" marketing concept works for all of us. I'll be back next week with some more great Picks to tell you about. Until then, I hope you have a wonderful week and a great weekend.
Doctor File Finder's Pick Archive
Michael E. Callahan, known around the world by the trademarked name "Dr. File Finder", is regarded as the world's leading expert on shareware. Dr. File Finder works with software programs and developers full-time, and in the average year he evaluates 10,000 programs. Since 1982 he has evaluated over 190,000 software and hardware products. He is an active member of the shareware community and a co-founder of the Shareware Industry Awards Foundation. Mr. Callahan is an honorary member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), the President of the Educational Software Cooperative (ESC), and the chairman of the Shareware Industry Awards Foundation (SIAF). Dr. File Finder™ is also a recipient of the 1993 Shareware Industry Award for lifetime achievement and has been inducted into the ASP Hall of Fame. Mr. Callahan began evaluating software online in 1982 and no one has been at it longer. He currently works doing online PR and marketing for software companies.
All graphics courtesy of Lincoln Beach Software!
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