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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from ZDNet Australia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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Top Software from 2000 September 16, 2001 URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/graphics/soa/Top-Software-from-2000/0,139023432,120106503,00.htm
The Internet is a powerful part of this year's best software picks. Whether you're looking for an MP3 jukebox, a personal-finance manager, or a graphics toolset, you'll find the Web runs through it.
Adobe Photoshop 6.0
Digital photographers, graphics professionals, and hobbyists have plenty of cool tools to choose from this year. Adobe Photoshop, for instance, has long been viewed as the gold standard of image editors, and the 6.0 version now extends its reach online. In addition to flexible new text-editing capabilities, this latest version adds a slew of vector-drawing, HTML, and Web-graphics features that approach the power of programs like Macromedia Fireworks.
Company: Adobe For the stay-at-home crowd, SierraHome's sophisticated Complete LandDesigner 6.0 3D Design Collection landscaping package lets you plant 3D virtual-reality gardens with thousands of types of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. The huge bundle sells for only AU$110 and also includes several other powerful gardening programs and a greenhouse-load of reference material.
Distributor: Scholastic Enfish Onespace provides an innovative way to access the Web by letting you build personal portals that combine Windows Explorer-style hard drive navigation with links to Internet resources such as search engines, e-mail, news and shopping sites, even online games. Onespace also offers advanced cataloging and search capabilities based on a sophisticated pattern-matching engine that intelligently analyses the contents of documents stored on your machine.
Company: Enfish Technology The Internet can be a source of disk-cluttering downloads. If you've been looking for an easy way to organise the thousands of media files stored on your hard drive, check out Extensis Portfolio 5.0. One of the fastest and most flexible media managers on the market, Portfolio automatically catalogues entire directories into easily sorted thumbnail galleries. It also performs admirably in a distributed-media environment.
Distributor: Pica Software Generations Grande Suite 8.0 from SierraHome similarly offers an impressive range of genealogy tools and resources for traveling back through time to research family histories. The program encompasses 31 data CDs and several ancillary programs, such as Snapshot Express for touching up scans of old photos. Also new is the virtual 3D Tree feature that lets you view your family tree (along with photos, notations, and even sound and video files) in a 3D environment.
Distributor: Scholastic There's no better way to assemble a collection of images, titles, text, and animations into a world-class Web site than with Macromedia Dreamweaver 3 Fireworks 3 Studio. Between Dreamweaver's envelope-pushing site-design capabilities and Fireworks' flexible graphics-creation tools, these tightly integrated packages create one of the most powerful Web-authoring environments you can buy. Best of all, Macromedia sells the two bundled together at a discounted price of AU$899.
Distributor: FirmwareDesign One of the easiest ways to manage your music files is to download a free copy of MusicMatch Jukebox 5.1. This popular MP3 jukebox program makes it easy to record, play, import, and organise MP3, WAV, and Windows Media files. Version 5.1 offers improved online-search functions, while the US$29.99 Pro upgrade adds enhancements such as higher-performance CD burning, a jewel-case-insert generator, and 10-band graphic equalisation.
Company: MusicMatch. Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall is essential for anyone who uses an always-on cable-modem or DSL connection. Like most firewall software, it can protect you from Net-roaming goons intent on invading your privacy. But what sets this package apart is its remarkably flexible customisation tools, comprehensive reporting capabilities, and the ability to individually protect specific pieces of data on your hard drive.
Company: Symantec Once your system is organised, keeping it up and running is a snap with Symantec's Norton SystemWorks 2001. In addition to best-of-breed stalwarts like Norton AntiVirus and the Norton Utilities troubleshooting and system-optimisation tools, SystemWorks includes the Clean Sweep disk-cleanup program, Norton's Web Services live upgrade applications, and a spiffy new front end. No system should be without it.
Company: Symantec Microsoft's ambitious Windows Media Player 7 provides a unified interface for playing, recording, and managing audio, video, and MIDI files. This free Windows utility also delivers superior streaming-media playback capabilities and can even download songs to portable music players. Although WMP doesn't support RealAudio, RealVideo, or QuickTime files -- and can play, but not record, MP3 files -- it's the way to go if you're looking for a slick, versatile media solution.
Company: Microsoft
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