Pinnacle Studio Ultimate V14 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Pinnacle Studio line of video processing software has a
very simple and intuitive interface. It is relatively easy
to learn the software. Even though it is for beginners/home
users, it does provide options for more advanced, Hollywood
style video processing. But only when it works.
I have used Studio consistently since its version 9. The
most recent version is now Studio 14 and it comes
in several variations: basic, ultimate, and ultimate
collection.
My recommendation: 4 stars for its simple interface. Zero
for everything else.
* Installing Studio 14 (in my case the Ultimate version)
If you purchased earlier "Ultimate" or "Plus" versions of
Studio, or if you bought fancy "transitions" or similar
premium features for earlier versions of Studio, the ONLY
way that you can take advantages of only SOME of them,
is to re-install the older Studio versions. In previous
installations of Studio, you could simply reuse your
activation code to get those features, plugins, or premium
options back. For Studio 14, your earlier activation codes
or serial numbers mean nothing. You have to reinstall old
software. But how many customers keep three, four earlier
versions of a software? Pinnacle never gave a hint that
an older version has to be kept.
Furthermore, even with older versions, you cannot recover
everything for Studio 14. For example, I had already paid
for two plugins (known as Heroglyph and Adorage). Even
though I re-installed Studio versions 11 and 12, I was
unable to get these two plugins activated. I contacted
Pinnacle. They asked me to repay for these plugins! That's
absolutely unacceptable.
Note that the above problems are well documented in
Pinnacle's own users' forums: to visit, go to pinnaclesys
dot com, under support, click on forums, and follow the
"edit" forum. Many customers have complained that they had
to go back and install Studio 10, 11, 12 in order to get
back some of their "transitions" or other premium features.
* Customer service: absolutely horrible
You will have a service code that entitles you to one phone
call. For other calls, you will have to pay. When I called
the support, it was an absolute waste of time. First,
there is a long queue. Second, the person only talked
in uncertain terms: "it should", "I think so", "try it",
"I am not 100% sure", etc. No definite or precise responses
to any of my installation or activiation questions.
* Pixelation problems continue
A popular feature of many video processing software is that
of making a video (DVD) of still photos, using certain
transitions or filters to make photo presentation more
fun. A common (and well documented) problem with Studio
version 10 and afterward has been pixelation. The photos,
especially at transition points, get pixelated and look
ugly. Pinnacle's response: it is your hard-drive, update
your video card driver, replace your video card driver,
re-size your photos, etc.
The pixelation problem is a very serious one as there are
several threads in the "edit" forum, each consisting of at
least 40-50 individuals experiencing the same problem and
complaining.
* Personal experience with Studio 14
No MAJOR differences with Studio 12. It crashed the very
first time but worked the second time. However, because I
still do not have access to many of the "transitions",
premium features, and plugins that I already purchased
with earlier versions of Studio, I do not know if I can
do anything other than simple video processing that I can
do otherwise with the free video software that comes with
the Windows operating systems.

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The ultimate software for making great HD movies at home. Make great movies at home.

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Party Down Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My personal experience is that the game is fun for several levels; and then the requirements for completing a level become too difficult to be enjoyable.
The point where this happened for me is when I was required to chat with a specific individual, however, that individual only wanted to eat/drink for the entire round. With less than a second they are ready to chat, but that is not enough time. After playing the level 5-6 times with the same pattern, I was unable to see how to influence the outcome and lost interest.
There are some similar reports on the game's forum. There seems to some hints that there are ways to get around it, however, as purely casual gamer, I didn't have the interest to pursue it.
Overall, this was enough to say the game was not worth the purchase.
UPDATE: I meant to give this 2 stars instead of 3, but can't seem to change it now.

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Microsoft Money 2007 Premium Review

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(More customer reviews)Here is my review of Microsoft Money 2006 Premium, that is, last year's model. Honestly, after I installed Money 2007, I simply could not find any differences from Money 2006. Whatever improvements Microsoft put in, I don't use.
Here is what you must do to have a good experience with this product:
1. Never use Microsoft Passport.
Passport is a universal password that can be used to sign on to multiple bank accounts, brokerages, merchants, and God knows what else. It is a security disaster. Avoid it!
Your installation of Microsoft Money will be a bit awkward if you want to avoid Passport. Some users believe that Money won't install unless you get a Passport. This is false, at least for Money 2006 and earlier versions. You just have to be careful (and resolute!) while you install. See also item 6. below.
2. Never store your financial data online with Microsoft
MS Money allows you to keep all your financial data stored on Microsoft's computers, as well as on your home computer. This allows you to access your MS Money data when you are away from your computer. For the unlucky user, it leads to virtually insoluble computer nightmares. Apparently, the local and remote copies of your data can get out of sync. It becomes difficult or impossible to overcome data corruption on Microsoft's computers. You fix up your local data, and it gets scrambled again when you connect to Microsoft's computers.
If you observe 1. above, you will not have to worry about 2.
3. Never use Yodlee to download account information from financial institutions
Yodlee (spit) is a company/method for downloading your account information from banks, credit card issuers, brokerages, etc. The way it works is that it impersonates a web browser and surfs your bank's (or brokerage's or ...) web site in order to suck in your account details.
The problem is that your bank's web site is designed for browsing by humans, not software. Small design changes to your bank's web site can cause Yodlee to scramble the data. Frustrating for you.
Many (but not all) financial institutions will download your account transactions directly into MS Money without the use of Yodlee. Yodlee gives you access to a larger collection of financial institutions. But it is not worth it.
If you observe 1. above, then you will not have to worry about Yodlee.
4. Keep several backup Money files
Microsoft Money stores all of your financial data in a single disk file on your computer. This is convenient for you. Money also allows you to store several backup copies of this disk file. I suggest that you configure Money to store 4 (depending on how paranoid you are) backup copies. What this means (for example) is that if you work with Money one time on each of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, then you will get a total of 5 copies of the file that holds your financial data. The oldest (backup) copy will reflect the state of your MS Money data from Monday. The newest (not a backup) will reflect the state of your MS Money data from Friday.
Why do this? Because like all Microsoft products, Money will occasionally scramble up your data. If you are not able to unscramble (there is a "repair" feature that you can try) then your only hope is to revert to an older copy of your data, and kiss your most recent updates goodbye.
You might not discover the corruption right away. That's why I suggest keeping multiple backups.
5. Back up your computer disk
This suggestion is not specific to Microsoft Money. But I feel obliged to mention this anyway. The more you use MS Money, the more you have to lose if your computer malfunctions. You can lose disk data due to a worn out disk drive, or an electronic failure in the computer itself. Your computer can suffer from fire, flooding, or theft. Your data can disappear from simple mistakes by users, or by the children of users!
So you have to back up your disk data. Most home computer users don't bother. But this bears repeating: the more you use an accounting program like Microsoft Money, the more you need to back up. Get to it!
6. Purchase the normal, CD-ROM version of Money, rather than the downloaded (electronic only) version.
WARNING: unconfirmed by my personal experience. Amazon.com sells this software product in a box containing a CD-ROM and some sketchy paper documentation. You can also download the software directly from Microsoft. But I have been told that the direct purchase from Microsoft requires the use of Passport. As I state in 1. above, I believe that Passport is a bad idea. So it is probably wise to purchase the physical, CD-ROM version from Amazon.com.
7. Find a community of knowledgable users
Like all mass market software, the technical support available for this product is useless. You should find a discussion forum for users of Microsoft Money. This is where you will go for help with problems that you cannot solve by yourself. I suggest that you read through the forum posts even when you don't have a Money problem. Look for major problems that might affect you. Forewarned, you might be able to avoid such problems.
Personally, I use the usenet news group microsoft.public.money. It can be found through microsoft.com or groups.google.com. Generally speaking, the intelligence level in this ng is solidly mediocre. That's in the nature of the Microsoft user community. If you find a better forum, please write an Amazon.com "review" of your own and share it.
Good luck with Microsoft Money!

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QuickBooks Point of Sale Software & Hardware 9.0 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using POS 7.0 in my retail business for almost 2 years. The software saves a lot of time by transferring data to Quickbooks accounting software. Where the trouble arises is that it crashes ALL THE TIME. During 20 months of use, I'd had to call support 18 times because it does not work. May times it's the same issue, but new ones crop up from time to time as well. Intuit will then try to relieve you of an additional $80 per month for a support plan to fix things that keep breaking. So, if you are considering this software, go in with the knowledge that it will cost you downtime and an additional $80 per month for them to fix things that keep corrutpting files, creating duplictes file names in your data (bringing it all to a screeching halt) and a host of other ills that seem to be, in my opinion, built in bugs. They politely tell me that computers are complicated things and many items can cause problems, but I have NO problems with any other piece of software. VERY frustrating!

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Basic inventory software and sales tools to help you save time and focus on the business.


Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale Basic 9.0
Basic Inventory Management Software to Increase Profits Point of Sale automatically adjusts your inventory every time you make a sale, order, or return--which helps you keep the most popular items on-hand without overstocking or selling out.
Record each shipment of merchandise received and Point of Sale adjusts inventory figures with each sale or return.
Run reports with one click that show what you've got, what's hot, and what you need to reorder.

Increase Sales with Better Customer DataTrack customer contact info and purchase histories automatically. It's easy to stay in touch and use customer loyalty tools to keep them coming back for more.
See who your best customers are with instant reports.
Improve your marketing and communication with insights from the Customer Center.
Track customers' contact information so you can let them know about upcoming sales or new inventory from their preferred manufacturers
Point of Sale integrates with Microsoft Word so you can automatically create letters to customers.
Bring new and repeat customers into your store as they buy and redeem gift cards.

Ring Sales Faster and Integrate with QuickBooks AccountingPoint of Sale makes the things you do everyday, from ringing sales to bookkeeping, fast and easy.
Easy-to-use sales screens ensure you and your employees can ring sales quickly and keep lines moving. Use a barcode scanner to ring sales even faster and reduce errors.
Transfer data to QuickBooks Accounting software2 with a click. You won't have to worry about errors from retyping data and will be better prepared at tax time.

Save Time and Money Accepting Credit CardsWith integrated merchant service from Intuit, there's no double-entry between your terminal and software and you don't need to buy or lease a separate terminal to take credit and debit cards.
Record and authorize transactions in Point of Sale with a single swipe--there is no need to re-key data and risk making errors.
No costly terminal or extra phone line needed
Intuit offers competitive rates--call us at (866) 379-6636 to learn more.

Get the Hardware You Need for a Complete SystemWith Point of Sale, you can choose from a complete solution with hardware and PC or build your own custom solution.
Point of Sale Basic Software with Peripherals Bundle--includes Point of Sale Basic software plus a Receipt Printer, Credit Card Reader, Cash Drawer and Barcode Scanner.
Intuit-HP Retail Solution--includes all of the components of the Point of Sale Basic Software with Peripherals Bundle listed above plus HP's Point of Sale System.
Or create your own custom hardware solution with QuickBooks Point of Sale hardware. It's guaranteed to be compatible with your Point of Sale software.

Get Started in Just a Few MinutesPoint of Sale retail inventory software is designed to be easy to set up so most retailers can start using the software the same day.
Use the simple Setup Interview to get started quickly and easily.
If you already have lists of customers, items or vendors, you can quickly import them from QuickBooks Accounting software or Microsoft Excel to save hours of manual data entry.
A practice data file lets you train employees without changing your actual company data. You'll also find in-product video tutorials to guide you through the most important daily tasks.
QuickBooks-approved Point of Sale hardware is guaranteed to work seamlessly with your software, making it easy set up your POS system.
For more information on getting started, contact Intuit at (866) 379-6636 or have a local expert contact you.


The Software/Peripherals Bundle Intuit has teamed Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale software with four "must-have" retail hardware peripherals that work together to help you ring up sales and track inventory quickly, easily and accurately.

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Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale 2011 - POS v10.0 Basic New User Software Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am so sorry I ever bought this software.
I helped my wife set up this POS software for her retail store. We wanted barcoded inventory control and good integration with QuickBooks Pro (financial).
Despite the fact that we have a graduate degree in computer science, and experience with accounting, we spent many long nights fixing problems and bugs in this software. Our expectations were pretty low based on reviews we had read--but this software has been much worse.
To add insult to injury, you're constantly given pop-up ads trying to sell you additional Intuit features. Also, some important features are disabled in the Basic software and you need to upgrade to Pro to do things like editing the layout of price tags. This is actually required to get them to even print right on some printers.
If the software crashes on you (and I personally guarantee it will), and you call support, they will tell you you need to buy a support contract. When your system is down due to their incompetence, this is a big insult.
The software would be workable if it was stable and did what it advertised. Intuit needs to halt adding new features to this software, hire a better software team, and just spend some time stabilizing the product. It is to flaky for production use. Here are maybe half of the bugs we have ran in to:
- Prints barcodes too small (way out of spec for most readers) on Zebra zlp 2824 plus printer (officially supported, according to intuit). Their response: upgrade to Pro so you can use label designer. This is classic bait and switch. (Contact me if you'd like to share legal expenses and go after them on this).
- Rename company file, rename back, deletes all your backups
- End of day Z-out and drawer count. choose Custom time period, choose time. That time becomes default for any subsequent "Today" Z-out reports. Drawer is off. If you run "Custom" again with correct time and date (today, 12-12), it then ignores the deposit so your drawer is off again next time you do a regular "Today" z-out drawer count.
- Warning about QBF has changed to new company file is not dependable--- we got our warning a week later after we noticed it ourselves and used QBF to compare the two files (which must have triggered the late warning--which was then triggered multiple times, clicking OK 3 times in a row still did not allow end of day financial data exchange to proceed--had to cancel and try again).
- Popup dialog "Problem: some of your changes are still being updated. Solution: Please wait for the dashboard to complete the update and try again". Cannot close POS, thus cannot reboot cleanly. May need to kill process.
- Credit card processing stopped working suddenly. multiple days of many hour calls with SW tech support in India did not resolve problems. Staff left our computer firewalls open, changed our company file and generally messed things up. Reconfigured all windows networking, killed POS SW, rebooted, and days later it started working again but cut out once and required another reboot.
- When entering credit card information manually, sometimes you can enter a voice auth. number and bypass network authentication, other times you cannot. Seems to depend on which order you click on fields in the GUI but it really works only randomly

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