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As a long time
user, I can attest that Microsoft Publisher does just what it is
intended to do extremely well. Once again, Microsoft is winning
plaudits from it’s newest release Publisher 97, which is basically
an upgraded version of it’s Publisher 95 with a website production
feature.
Microsoft Publisher 97 works best when one uses “wizards,” or
menus and prompts which help gumshoe graphic artists design
impressive documents. These wizards allow even the most plebeian of
users to create impressive documents in only a matter of minutes.
Upon starting Publisher, an opening wizard menu gives users a choice
of 20 different document types ranging from newsletters to banners,
all of which smoothly guide user through the inception to creation.
To make a holiday card, one must simply select this icon from the
wizard menu, add text, and select the check boxes as Publisher
prompts you. Doing so should yield a nice looking card in about five
minutes.
Besides fulfilling most printed needs, Publisher 97 also has a
HTML 3.0-compatible website creation feature. This feature looks
like a scaled-back version of Microsoft’s FrontPage program,
supporting font, color, table, and paragraph standards compatible
with both Netscape Navigator and the Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Although the experienced webmaster probably wouldn’t buy this
program for producing sites, this feature is certainly attractive
for the occasional user.
Publisher 97 also offers users the ability to create flyers,
brochures, postcards, labels, business forms, letterheads, signs,
business cards, calendars, envelopes, banners, paper airplanes, and
even origami. I have found this program especially handy for report
covers, which can be easily laid-out and edited at will.
Microsoft Publisher is a worthy
addition to anybody’s hard drive. I can only assert again that this
is an extremely easy program to use, which will take little time to
learn. From the beginning student, to the seasoned graphical
designer, this is rivals it’s chief competitor, Print Shop, in terms
of power and ease of use. Look for Publisher 97 starting in early
1997 at all major computer stores.
Product: Microsoft Publisher 97 Category:
Productivity Company: Microsoft Corporation Address:
University Plaza City/State/Zip: Redmond,
Washington Telephone: 1800-426-9000 WWW Site Address:
www.microsoft.com
Minimum PC Configuration: 386 DX, 8 MB RAM, Windows
95 Minimum Macintosh Configuration: N/A Tested on: 486 DX 33,
8 MB RAM, Windows 95
Michael Scaturro is a technology devotee who enjoys making web
sites, reading, and doing work. His favorite computer programs are
Microsoft Image Composer, NetObjects Fusion, and Netscape 3.01, all
of which he runs on a 486 DX Computer with 8 megabytes of ram-
pretty brave, huh? Visit Video Links, his web site featuring
hundreds of Quicktime movies and sounds from entertainment,
politics, movies, and music videos. |
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