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31 of 33 found the following review helpful:
 Hated it!Dec 30, 2007
By The Pete
I used to have Microsoft's Image Composer (now discontinued) that came with FrontPage '98. What a great, intuitive little program that was for cutting out parts of photos and combining them into collages or new photos! It came with no manual, yet I was able to teach myself to use it just by playing around and trying things out. It was that easy, and it was a lot of fun!
This program claims to have many of the same functions IC did: cutting out pieces of pics by tracing an outline, resizing or recoloring or otherwise manipulating these pieces, and then combining them into a new 'photo.' Unfortunately, this program is so counter-intuitive and inflexible that you can't just play with it to figure things out.
Which would be tolerable if the manual was helpful but, of course, it's useless. It spends 70 pages describing the 'workspace' and how to 'organize your photos' (as if any moron can't do that by creating directories on their PC). After all that, there are only 10 pages on how to use the selection/trace function, how to resize, etc. And it doesn't seem to explain anywhere what to do to 'select' something once you've cut it out of a photo.
The worst part of the program is that you have to create a separate file for the place you want to combine all your images. This is stupid. Why can't you just work on one base photo, add to and alter it, and then do a 'save as...'? That would be simple. This program makes you create a 'project,' which requires sifting through dozens of their templates to find one that you can twist into something like what you want. Why not just let me work without a template? Not fun and certainly not functional.
The templates are very restrictive. For example, you can't size the space of the project once you create it. So if what you create needs to be a little larger or smaller than the template size, you have to shrink everything to fit into the template.
Further, the program's logic doesn't make much sense. If I cut out a piece of a photo and then go to resize it, the program resizes the original picture only (even though the cut-out is highlighted as selected). There's no obvious way to tell the program what I want to manipulate: the original or a cut-out. This is just one example, but there are many others I could offer.
I think the program MIGHT be good if all you want is real basic photo editing (i.e. cut a square shaped piece out of a photo and plop it into some inane greeting card template provided), but otherwise this is very limited and difficult to work with.
I can't see shelling out the bucks for Adobe. And I don't understand why someone doesn't offer an inexpensive version of Adobe (like Image Composer was)? I think I'm going to hunt for an old copy of FrontPage '98 at used software stores and reload IC.
20 of 21 found the following review helpful:
Make sure you can RETURN IT! :(Feb 23, 2008
By Sandi Hultman
"SandiDandi"
I bought/returned this product yesterday. On my Windows XP Pro computer, it begins installation, runs for a minute, then reports: "Runtime Error R6034: Application made attempt to load the C Runtime Library incorrectly. Please contact application's support team." This error code is not referenced on Nova's support page, although a number of other error codes are.
I was on hold with Nova for 20 minutes before they took my call. Within 5 minutes the rep stated "There is no resolution to this error. The developers are aware of it but haven't been able to fix it." Without my even asking, he immediately said that he was e-mailing me refund info. Fortunately my local store let me return it, since it won't work on my computer, so I was spared that hassle.
The box states the program works with Windows XP (and Vista, which I highly doubt). I don't know why they are even selling it, given that it is severely flawed. When I returned mine, where I'd gotten it for a bargain at half Amazon's price, I strongly encouraged them to remove the program from their shelves, given my conversation with Nova.
If you pursue trying to get around this error, I'll save you a little time by reporting some comments I found about the problem during my research, before giving up and returning it:
- There's some various discussion about a missing "manifest" in the program's code, eluding to why this program can't work properly. (I never did understand what a manifest is.)
- One said to download/install Microsoft's NET Framework 2.0, and to also uninstall Windows Defender if you're using Windows XP, but others said those things didn't work.
- Another said uninstalling MSN Messenger worked for them, but others said it didn't work.
I was disappointed in returning what I perceived to be a very simplistic and inexpensive program, that looked like it would have some fun and easy special tools to use than my more complex software editing programs offer (simple morphing from one photo to another, creating a single image made up of a lot of tiny thumbnail images, animated cubes with photos on all sides, web page creation and buttons etc. for same).
I was surprised to see the program includes a 396 page book for its price (Photoshop Elements 6 comes with nothing, you have to buy your own manual if you want one). 4 CDs are included. CD 3 has lots of bonus *.jpg photos and CD 4 has more bonus *.jpg photos as well as bonus fonts that can be installed (all of which you can see by just browsing the CDs without installation, and don't require this program be installed to use).
I'd been studying over this product as well as the next steps up in the product line. Photo Impact Pro 11 seems to be what's most available in my local computer stores. It's box states that it's by Nova, but it has some affiliation to Ulead. (Ulead's now owned by Corel.) I think Pro 11 is a much more complex program.
Corel's site offers Photo Impact Pro X3 (13), but it drops off a number of sub programs that were offered by Pro 11 (not much for web tools, no more animation tool). Instead, you get Corel's Painter Essentials 2 (something I could care less about). Others report that X3's program size is huge, at least double the previous version. It's stated to be aimed to be more of a competitor to Photoshop Elements 6. (It's not yet available in any local stores that I've visited, only from Corel's site.)
There's a link for a comparison chart of 11, 12 and X3 on Core's site if you go to their X3 page (it's in the right column). You'll be able to compare some of the benefits (and what I'd consider shortfalls) between these 3 offerings. The list isn't near a comprehensive as it could be; I think a lot's been left off.
For me at this point, I don't have any faith in anything with Nova's name on it. If it won't even work with Windows XP, it's probably really a nightmare to get it to work on Windows Vista where there remain lots of compatibility issues with products to this day. To even consider one of the other products in the line, I suggest just trying ones with a free download trial period before any purchase.
I've spent a lot of time in the last week reviewing all of these programs before deciding to go with the cheapest one. Probably all just a waste of my time at this point. Perhaps I would have been better served to have just researched Photoshop Elements plugins (or find some simple dedicated software) that can give me easy morphing, and the other couple of little things that first attracted me to Photo Explosion Deluxe 3.0, that I mentioned earlier.
I would avoid 3.0 for sure though. Don't waste your time, like I did mine.
15 of 15 found the following review helpful:
don't do it!Sep 21, 2007
By Debra Carol
"Debra"
I wanted to try this product because I used an earlier version and found it to have the best and easiest to use cloning tool around. I began having some loading problems with the original and decided to upgrade to PE deluxe 3. It would not install. I called tech support at Nova and had 3 conversations with them. I found the reps to be very rude and not much willing to help. I think the problem is that this software is flawed and the reps don't know what to say to the customers. I spent 3 hours working with a tech rep from Dell. He was really nice and wanted very much to help but was unable to find an answer. He felt that the software is flawed in some way. If this software would install and function it would be easy to use and quite enjoyable but at this point Nova needs to take it off the market or fix the bugs. They boast about being friendly and willing to help with support. I did not find this to be true.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Easy to Use, and Priced Right!Dec 21, 2008
By Steve C.
I was looking for a simple program for editing and and was surprised at the features packed in this inexpensive program. Have had it for a year and have edited 100's of photos using cropping, adding text,adjusting color, sharpness, and more. Is it for the pro photographer? No, but you can't beat it for the every day person needing to make revisions to their photos. And for the money you won't be dissapointed.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Will give you nothing but headacheApr 09, 2008
By Romina Wilcox
"Author of Cold Eyes"
I thought I could create some nice slide presetnations. This software is very unfriendly. Hard to figure out even with the users manual. The instructions doesn't work and not explanatory. Will give you nothing but headache. I was unable to make any slide presentation. Zip. Nada.
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