Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
- Windows 7 Home Premium (includes 32-bit & 64-bit versions) makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music–you can even watch, pause, rewind, and record TV
- Make the things you do every day easier with improved desktop navigation
- Start programs faster and more easily, and quickly find the documents you use most often
- Make your web experience faster, easier and safer than ever with Internet Explorer 8
- Easily create a home network and connect your PCs to a printer with HomeGroup
If you’re already running XP or Vista, you probably know some of the many benefits of being a Windows user. Now, with the Upgrade Version of the latest Windows edition, you can get current with all the best new and classic features of the world’s most popular operating system, all without paying the full price for the new version.Upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium. Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even
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(out of 441 reviews)
List Price: $ 119.99
Price: $ 109.00
ArtRage Deluxe 2.5
- All the artists’ tools you need to draw and paint on your computer
- Paint with oil brushes, palette knives, airbrushes, paint rollers or paint tubes; Draw with pencils, erasers, chalk, felt pens or crayons
- Import and export PSD files with layers and blend modes; crop, scale, move and resize any layer
- Tracing paper function gets you drawing immediately with reference images
- Supports multi-monitor systems and tablets
ArtRage Deluxe makes creating art on your computer easier than ever! Paint, blend, sketch, get creative!All the tools and instruction you need to draw and paint on your computer. Get started quickly with an easy-to-use, intuitive interface. Click to enlarge. Realistic Natural Media Painting Tools Recreate your favorite Photos or Images. Click to enlarge. Choose from built-in stencils and rulers or crea
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(out of 33 reviews)
List Price: $ 49.99
Price: $ 25.45
Review by Just Anonymous for Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
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I’ll admit, I’ve been running Windows 7 for six months now: the preproduction version of it and have just upgraded to the gold code. So I have quite a bit of experience with the operating system. Let’s get to the nitty gritty:
Should you upgrade from Windows Vista? YES! I mean it – upgrade today.
Windows 7 is quite simply faster, more stable, boots faster, goes to sleep faster, comes back from sleep faster, manages your files better and on top of that it’s beautiful to look at and easy to use. Even the preproduction version of Windows 7 was better than my Vista with SP2.
Should you upgrade from Windows XP? Maybe, but for different reasons.
XP is a good operating system and if you don’t need to add new hardware or software, XP is good. However, XP is old as an operating system. Also chances are that if you’re running XP, you might not meet the minimum requirements for Windows 7 – check the compatibility site at Microsoft to see if your system will support Windows 7. That said, Windows 7 is light years ahead of Windows XP in terms of functionality, ease of use, etc – to me it’s worth buying a new system.
64 bit or 32 bit?
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s ok skip this section. If you have a core2 duo or core 2 quad or a multi cpu machine, go with the 64 bit OS, it handles memory and the CPUs much better. If you have a single core CPU, one CPU or run special programs that require 32bit, then stick with 32 bit for now.
BEFORE INSTALLATION:
I recommend you have:
-a core 2 duo or core 2 quad machine
-4gig of RAM (That’s about $50 in today’s market)
-good hard drive with (200 gig – it doesn’t need that much but that’s another $50)
-back up your files to a USB drive like Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive WDME5000TN (Midnight Black)
-check to make sure your computer is compatible with Windows 7
INSTALLATION:
Installation was very straight forward. You put in the CD and reboot your machine. You might have to enter your bios and enable the “boot from CD” option. Once the machine reboots a nice screen comes up to guide you through the installation. You have the option to upgrade your PC or do a clean installation. I did an upgrade and it brought in all of my files and settings from my windows Vista system. It worked great.
The upgrade did take about 2 hours for me so definitely consider.
I noticed that early on in the installation the operating system went out to Microsoft’s site to look for the latest and greatest updates, so I think this should help Microsoft respond quickly to any hiccups with compatibility.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK:
The driver from my old HP Inkjet printer for 2001 doesn’t work on Windows 7 so there are some things that will not transition. I had to use a generic HP driver which doesn’t give me the quality that I got from an injet – so overall, I’m up and running with that printer but I’m degraded on the inkjet front. That said, I recently upgraded to a HP CP2025DN Color LaserJet Printer that I love so no real loss there. I’ll likely pick up a cheap inkjet for the occasional photo that I might need to print. Everything else upgraded.
BENEFITS
-faster boot time
-faster go to sleep
-faster wakeup
-faster about 20% to 30% faster at running applications than my Vista – seriously (but those are my results without any benchmarks or anything like that, just seeing how fast Adobe Illustrator loads, and how fast all the applications respond)
-joining wireless networks is much easier
-the interface is just plain beautiful
-my wallpapers are now a slideshow that can be set to change every few minutes (I’m not stuck with the same picture)
-Gadgets – these are wonderful little small applications that you can drag onto your desktop. I have a weather gadget and a calendar gadget on my desktop that tell me
-Better taskbar management – hovering over the taskbar icons shows me mini windows of what’s running
-Better file management – I can organize my files into Libraries that are sortable not only by type but by folder or other data. It’s great! I can browse through my presentations or illustrator files!
-Windows Media appears to be smoother which I love.
-You get some virus protection and firewall with Windows 7 but consider something more comprehensive like McAfee Total Protection 3User 2010. Yes, it’ll make your computer run a bit slower but
CONS:
- Some older programs might not work and some drivers might not be available like my inkjet driver.
- Other than that, there aren’t too many drawbacks to Windows 7 – it’s a great OS.
WHICH VERSION SHOULD I GET?
I got the ultimate version because I have clients who ask, “is your hard drive encrypted?” — I wanted to be able to say yes and have sensitive data encrypted one of my computer volumes – Bitlocker is only available in the Ultimate version. Ultimate also includes Multilanguage support.
If you’re a home user that doesn’t do a lot of networking, you might consider just the home premium edition. If you’re using a laptop and connect to networks at work, you might want the Professional version of the operating system to help you with domain joining. Also Windows Professional gives you the option to run applications in XP mode so if you have old applications you can use that nifty feature. I already have 1 application running in XP mode – it’s nifty to run an old application.
NOTE:
The box contains both the 32 bit and 64 bit OS.
OVERALL:
It’s very hard to write a comprehensive review on an entire operating system so I didn’t even try – I’m sure magazines will devote entire articles to the operating system and several books will come out. My goal here is just to give everyone a glimpse of what I’ve found to date with this new OS. I do hope this has helped you in making a decision.
Hats off to Microsoft on Windows 7. It’s more of a refined Windows Vista than an entirely new operating system but it was needed. Thank you.
Review by Pyanfar Chanur for Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
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Windows 7 Home Premium is the best version to choose for older machines and/or simpler networks. The “Backup” offered in 7 Pro can be done easily with free tools, and unless you need complex networking, 7 has what it takes to manage a home network. Last, the ‘XP Mode’ promised in 7 Pro and above will only work on hardware new enough to support “Virtualization Technology” (stop by Microsoft’s website to learn more). This isn’t the same as “XP Compatibility Mode”, which you will still have for all versions of Windows 7 (there’s a great video explanation of this on CNET’s website in their Windows 7 Center at CNET TV).
Some very important things you need to know about upgrading:
1) There are two types of upgrade: “in-place” (where a Vista machine upgrades to 7 and you get to keep all your programs) and “clean” (where you lose all your old programs and settings).
2) Anyone going from XP to 7 will have to go “clean”.
3) Anyone going from a different Vista to 7 (for example, Vista Home to 7 Pro, or Vista Ultimate to 7 Home) will also have to go “clean”.
If you have to do 2) or 3), all is not lost–I’ll explain in a moment.
Before you even buy 7 for your machine, stop by Microsoft’s website for two things:
a) download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Run it with every device connected to the machine that you’ll ever want to use in 7. It’ll thoroughly examine your machine for any roadblocks and give you good advice about upgrading.
b) Go to the Windows 7 Compatibility Center and double-check anything that came up negative in the Upgrade Advisor (or didn’t show up at all). This site lists detailed compatibility info on a LOT of different devices.
Anything major, like a video card or sound card driver, I’d recommend double-checking with the manufacturer’s website to be sure. This almost burned me on two of the machines that I upgraded.
Last, make a backup. There’s a free tool called Macrium Reflect that can do this for you.
Do you have to do a “clean” install, but just want to carry over your user accounts and settings? Microsoft makes a program called Windows Easy Transfer that’s already in Vista (and can be downloaded from Microsoft for XP) that will export your accounts and settings and let you import them back again. It’s very easy to use and does a good job of putting your accounts back together again, even going from XP to 7.
Do you have to do the “clean” install, and you don’t want to reinstall all your programs? Laplink has an offer for $19.95 that will let you use a special version of their program “PC Mover” to upgrade one machine one time. Read the documentation in detail.
The most important thing to doing a “clean” install is that in the Upgrade setup you choose “Custom”. Windows will take all of your major files and place them in a folder called “Windows.old”. PC Mover and the Easy Transfer program will use this folder to reconstruct your system from, so this is VERY important.
I wish I had more space to go into detail here…bottom line is, if you plan ahead a bit, upgrading to 7 will go very easily (and if it doesn’t, you’ll have something to fall back on).
Review by Robert L. Estes for Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
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I have now installed this on 3 Vista computers, and I must say that the result is underwhelming. By now, we can expect computer journalists to hype any Windows release; and to certain extent they are right – 7 does work better, but not that much better or differently from Vista if you have installed all updates and security releases from Microsoft. I had to uninstall anti-virus and selected other programs, some of which did not have listings in the “Programs and Features” Control Panel section. All of my upgrades took 2 to 3 hours; journalists claiming 45 minute upgrade times must not have had many programs installed on their computers. Once programs identified as potential problems had been removed, the upgrades completed uneventfully; and it works OK once installed.
Value-wise, I think that the single computer upgrade is a loser for Vista users at current price levels. If you have two or more computers, the Home Premium 3-computer “family” upgrade is borderline. I will pass judgement on XP once I upgrade my one remaining XP computer. Honestly, this is what should have been the Vista release; so we have paid top dollar for Vista, then close to top dollar for an incremental upgrade. Meanwhile, Apple is charging $29 for the OS X Snow Leopard upgrade ($49 for 5 computers!). That’s probably the right price for this Win 7 upgrade. If users ignore the hype and wait a bit, I suspect that the price for single computer upgrades may drop like a rock.
Review by Mute208 for Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
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Here comes Windows 7, nearly three years after Windows Vista and eight years after Windows XP. By most accounts, Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. Do we finally have a worthy successor to XP?
** CLEAN UPGRADE UPDATE BELOW 10/29/09 **
PRO’s:
- Fast startup and performance
- Stable
- Nice aesthetic and functional changes to the desktop
- Improved networking, power management & security
- 32-bit & 64-bit versions included
- Windows Media Center
- Windows XP Mode (Professional & Ultimate only)
CON’s:
- User Account Control still annoying
- Upgrade can be challenging
- Expensive
** CLEAN UPGRADE UPDATE 10/29/09 **
It seems that a lot of upgraders have been complaining about the upgrade process, especially from XP. Most of us expected to be able to format our hard disks and be prompted for either the XP disc or product key. Alas, this is not the case. The upgrade is much more complicated than it should be and some workarounds have been discovered
Method A (simplest)
If you already have an older version of Windows on the hard drive, finish the Custom Install, without entering the product key. After installation, go to your System Properties and click the link to activate Windows. Enter your product key and it should activate. This has worked for me twice.
Method B (hardest)
If Method A doesn’t work, try the registry hack.
1. Finish the custom install without entering the product key then click Start and type regedit.exe into the “Search programs and files” box.
2. In the registry, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/. In the pane on the right, you’ll see an entry for MediaBootInstall. Double-click on it and change the value from “1″ to “0″ and click OK.
3. Close regedit and go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories then right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator.” You’ll get a UAC alert, click Yes.
4. At the command prompt, type: slmgr /rearm and hit Enter. Reboot.
5. Now try to activate. If it fails, make sure there are no pending Windows Updates to install. If there is, install them, reboot and start over from Step 4.
Method C (most time consuming)
Perform the Custom Install and skip the product key. Once completed, run the upgrade again from within Windows 7 but this time, enter the Windows 7 upgrade key and then activate Windows.
** END UPDATE **
I had been running the Windows 7 release candidate for 3 months and the full version 2 weeks before official release date. The experience convinced me to finally upgrade my Windows XP systems to 7. This review briefly touches upon some of the key features and enhancements of Microsoft’s latest OS.
PERFORMANCE & STABILITY
One of the welcome enhancements Microsoft made was start-up time. The shutdown time has been improved as well. Also, in my non-benchmarked experience, Windows 7 has been at least as fast as XP if not faster. The kernel changes and ability to run the 64-bit version probably has a lot to do with that. Most benchmarks from around the Internet seem to support my observations.
64-BIT
I am elated to finally upgrade to a 64-bit operating system in order to take advantage of more memory support and modern processors. I have Intel Core 2 Duo processors in both my systems with 4GB of physical RAM but XP only allowed 3.25GB for system use.
DESKTOP
At first login, you’ll notice the changes to the taskbar. The taskbar is no longer just a place to store quick launch icons and view open windows. It now provides functionality in the form of Jump Lists, which allow you to select your most frequently opened files or links from the apps you have “pinned” on the taskbar. The clock and calendar are improved and the Show Desktop icon is now integrated in the far right corner. Other desktop enhancements include Aero Peek, Aero Shake, Snap, new themes and wallpapers. You also get gadget support. All of these features combine to create a much improved and enjoyable desktop experience.
LIBRARIES
Windows 7 introduces a new feature called libraries. Previously, your system had shortcuts to My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, etc. which had files residing in only those specific folders. Files can now reside anywhere on your system and be organized inside libraries. It’s similar to how many music and photo applications organize files.
NETWORKING
Even as good as XP was, networking was cumbersome. Windows 7 makes connecting two or more Windows 7 systems together easy, using HomeGroup. This enables easy sharing of files and devices. One downside is that HomeGroup is only supported between Windows 7 systems. File transfer performance between computers has been vastly improved and connecting to a wireless network has never been easier on a Windows machine.
SECURITY
Security in Windows 7 is good and comes with Windows Firewall and Defender. Still, you’ll probably want to invest in a more comprehensive Internet security suite, like Norton. User Account Control (UAC) has been tweaked in order to give user accounts more flexibility in controlling their own security as well as providing more detailed information so the user can make better decisions about whether to allow certain actions. Coming from XP however, it is still annoying. Also, in Windows 7 Ultimate, you can encrypt entire hard drives as well as external portable storage devices, like USB thumb drives. Though this is a welcome integrated feature, much of the functionality can be found in a popular open-source program called TrueCrypt.
POWER MANAGEMENT
Power management has been improved overall and you should be able to squeeze more battery life out of your laptop, even when using your DVD drive. Sleep and resume has also been improved. XP wasn’t always consistent when entering or resuming from sleep mode, but Windows 7 has been perfect.
WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER
I’ve only briefly played around with WMC but it looks promising. It has some fun options for media, especially when you’re connected to the Internet. It may even be an adequate replacement for component DVR’s should you choose to use it as the centerpiece to your entertainment center. The biggest advantage for me is that Windows 7 now includes a DVD decoder. This means that I can now watch DVD’s natively. WMC is available in all Windows 7 editions except Starter.
WINDOWS XP MODE
For applications that ran in XP, but won’t on 7, there is now XP Mode. It isn’t perfect and your system has to have virtualization support and turned on. Go to your system BIOS to check. If supported, then install Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. Check your hardware if you intend to use XP Mode. XP Mode is available in Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate editions.
RECOMMENDATION
If you’re an XP holdout, like I was, I recommend upgrading. Vista SP2 users may have less reason to upgrade but might want to just for the changes to the taskbar and the UAC improvements. For users who don’t need to use their computers in a corporate environment, then Windows 7 Home Premium edition is a good choice. If you decide on Windows 7 Home Premium and need to upgrade more than one PC, I recommend Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack, which is an excellent deal. I’m guessing most power users will choose Professional. I suggest a clean install for best results. If you’re a Mac OS X user, there is probably nothing in Windows 7 compelling enough for you to consider switching.
SUMMARY
Windows 7 is the premium Microsoft OS that Windows users have been waiting for. It’s fast, secure, stable, visually appealing and fun to use. Windows 7 will make your old system feel fresh and new again. New system owners with Windows 7 pre-loaded can feel confident that they’re getting the best Windows OS ever produced.
Review by Knowledge Forest for Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
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I have been using Windows 7 Ultimate for a few weeks now. I have also used Windows 7 Premium. All in all, I think Microsoft did a really good job.
Here’s what I like about Windows 7:
- Driver Support: I didn’t have to hunt for one driver. Win7 recognized everything including my TV tuner card and front panel A/V ports.
- New Task Bar: Easy access to apps… but did MS rip off Apple’s dock?
- Jump Lists: You are only a right-click away from accessing recent documents, folders , web sites, and even recent remote computers.
- Snap: A quick way to resize windows. I can quickly make 2 windows take up my entire 24″ screen.
- Home Group: File sharing that’s easy for anyone to use.
- New Windows Explorer and Libraries: You basically have quicker access to the “major” types of files on your computer (i.e. documents, music, photos, etc.). It’s a simple change but a welcomed one. Plus you can create your own Libraries. (I added libraries for “E-Books” and “Software Installs”)
- Seems to use less memory than Vista.
What I don’t like:
- Expensive: If you have an XP or Vista system that is running fine, I don’t see a compelling reason to shell out $[...] yet. If Win7 turns out to be more secure, this alone would justify the upgrade.
- The Backup application isn’t flexible at all. I’d prefer to be able to select which files to backup and when, instead of “all files at one time”.
- I don’t know if it ships with Internet Explorer 8, or if I installed it via Windows Update. I just know that I have compatibility issues with it. Stick with 7.
Other things that I have not figured out yet that another Amazon user might tell me via comments:
- When you click an application on the taskbar that has multiple windows open, the windows pop up, giving you a chance to pick which one you want to go to. I’d prefer to go back to the last window opened. This 2 step process irks me.
- I’m able to easily re-locate folders that reside in the “c:usermy-user-name” folder to another disk (right-click > properties > location). I don’t see how to move the actual “c:users” folder itself.
- I couldn’t shrink the C: drive to anywhere close to the available space, even after multiple defrags. I might have to start over from scratch to set up my partitions the way I want.
Should you Upgrade!?!?!?!?
As I stated above, if you have a system that runs XP and Vista fine, I don’t see a compelling reason to pay $[...] to upgrade to Windows 7. You should just wait until you buy a new computer that comes with Windows 7. If you want to see the differences between Win7, XP, and Vista, check this out:
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/software/microsoft/WindowsVsWindowsLarge.jpg
If you can upgrade to Windows 7 for free (or really cheap), I think you should upgrade. Unless you have a specific requirement to run XP (or less likely, you need to run Vista), Windows 7 is the way to go. At the least, it’s going to perform better than Vista, and it will be compatible with future software. XP and Vista eventually are going to die.
Should you pick Windows 7 or Vista?!?!?!?
Vista will die eventually so there’s no reason to pick Vista over Windows 7.
Which Edition of Windows 7 should you get?
Most users will be fine with Premium:
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Home-Premium-Upgrade/dp/B002DHLUWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software
If you need to upgrade multiple machines, consider the CHEAP family pack:
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Premium-Upgrade-Family/dp/B002MV2MG0/ref=amb_link_85673411_11?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Windows 7 Clean Install vs Upgrade?!?!
I always vote for a clean Install. I know re-installing all of your programs is a hassle. I just think it’s better to rid yourself of orphaned files, orphaned registry entries, unused programs and updates, etc. You might even get rid of spyware that you didn’t even know you had!!! Before doing a clean install, just make sure that:
- You have all the serial numbers for your apps.
- You have Windows 7 compatible drivers for all of your devices and internal cards.
- You back up all of your data to another drive before performing the install.
Hope this helps.
Review by Diane Cipollo for ArtRage Deluxe 2.5
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ArtRage is a natural media digital art software with several very nice features, some challenging those of Painter and Photoshop. The first thing that I liked was the software’s graphic user interface or workspace. Given the number of features and the amount of controls to customize the tools, you would expect a complicated and intimidating GUI similar to that of Painter or Photoshop. Instead, you have an uncluttered workspace with only six panels bordering the edges. Also, as you are working, these few panels automatically disappear out of the way as your brush approaches and reappear again as you move your brush away. Other nice features are a rotating canvas and pen tablet support. ArtRage can import and export several image formats including JPEG, BMP, PNG and PSD.
Those artists who begin their artwork by blocking out the major shapes and colors in their painting will appreciate ArtRage’s Tracing Image feature. This feature allows you to import a photo or sketch as a starting point for your painting. ArtRage projects the imported tracing image onto the canvas and you can control the scale and opacity of the image. For example, while tracing the outline of a rose with the Pencil tool, I set the opacity to around 80% which allowed me to see the details clearly. Later when I began to add color, I lowered to opacity to about 30% to create an “onion skin” of the trace image. For artists who like to paint from a reference image, ArtRage allows you to “pin” a reference image or images directly on to the canvas. Once the reference image is pinned to the workspace, you can reposition the image next to the area you are working on.
ArtRage has two ways to work with color; Trace Color and Normal Color. Trace Color is a feature which takes all the hard work out of choosing colors. As you paint with any of the tools, the software chooses the colors for you, based on the trace image. If you prefer to choose the colors, you can switch to the Normal Color mode and ArtRage has several color pickers including a Numeric Color Picker and the basic RGB and HSL color pickers.
With the Custom Color Picker feature, you can narrow your color choices in the color picker panel to a smaller group of colors such as complements, warm colors or cool colors. Finally, ArtRage comes with several preset Color Samples. You can even create and save your own custom color sets and color samples.
Now that we have our digital colors, we are ready to paint or draw. Each of the natural media art tools in ArtRage can simulate traditional art media including oil, pencil, palette knife, airbrush, chalk, glitter, paint roller, paint tube, felt pen, crayon and eraser. The realism and amount of custom control over the tool’s properties such as wetness, pressure, hardness and angle, are surprising for the price. The natural media tools can also be used with the Metallic Paint option which gives a metallic characteristic to the media and to the canvas. In the Papers Settings Panel, you can choose a preset paper type and control several aspects of the canvas such as grain, roughness, color and opacity.
Another feature that one would expect in only high end software is layers. ArtRage’s Layers panel rivals its competitors’. You can work on individual areas of your painting on separate layers. You can also copy, group and merge layers. Each layer has its own properties, such as opacity and blend modes, and can be moved, scaled and rotated. You can control the characteristics of the paper or canvas for each layer. ArtRage also supports transparency for layers, Photoshop’s blending modes and has the ability to retain layer information when you import or export your artwork in PDS format.
The Stencil Picker is a very nice feature that can have many applications. The stencils and rulers work in three modes. In the Stencil mode, you can use the stencil or ruler as a mask to prevent paint from touching the canvas. In the Ruler mode, the stencils and rulers act as a combination straight edge and snap to function. As you move your paint brush along the edge of the stencil, your brush will automatically snap to the edge of the stencil giving you a nice clean edge. The Guide mode works like the Ruler mode but allows paint to spread under the stencil or ruler, giving a softer edge. ArtRage comes with a nice selection of preset stencils and rulers. You can also create and store you own.
Besides the built-in resources such as color samples, preset paper types, trace images, stencils and rulers, ArtRage comes with several video and pdf tutorials, sample paintings, quick start guide and a nice user manual.
I almost feel embarrassed to suggest additional features. But if I had a “wish list” for ArtRage it would include just a few things. For art media tools, I would like to see a watercolor brush and a drawing pen with a really fine point. As for new features, I would like to see selection tools and tooltips. Although ArtRage does have a multiple undo feature, it would be nice to have a history panel.
Review by S. A. Walsh for ArtRage Deluxe 2.5
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Like digital pictures, the poorly done can be eliminated and the appealing kept or printed. I have taken drawing classes, invested in supplies, bought many ‘how to’ books and never quite gotten to the point of doing much with any of it. There always seemed to be some barrier that put any project I did want to try on hold, usually permanently! Paint, pastels, pencils, canvas sizes, drawing paper type, the list of what seemed like barriers to me was endless. However all these are supplied at a moments notice with my new software. At last I can just draw or paint something in a choice of medium, and for very little cost and investment of getting ready! The supplies and tools are all there at a moments notice when that flash of inspiration comes but fades quickly in that fleeting moment. I was very pleased with the paint brush tool and love it most, the color wheel, tones and layers are easy to find and use, all is self-explanatory with a short trial. The layers make it possible to finsh one perfect part and not have to risk messing it up when adding or erasing more to the project. I think this would be an excellent tool for any child that shows artistic promise, a way to create without costing mom and dad a fortune in supplies or little brother eating the crayons!
Review by TG for ArtRage Deluxe 2.5
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Struggled to sketch on paper, scan, take into pixel paint product to produce computer game characters.
Got a demo of Art Rage and was astonished how easy it was to sketch using a tablet as if it was paper. Great range of medium to use and, for my purposes, was ideal to do the initial sketches. Since then I have used the product to do backgrounds as well.
When I checked the full product I was expecting £100 so was pleasantly surprised at the $30 price.
Review by Eileen Parzek for ArtRage Deluxe 2.5
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This is easily the best designed, most thoughtfully executed and brilliantly coded piece of software I’ve ever used in a 20+ career in computer technology. That’s not a compliment I give out easily – I’m a lifelong artist turned software and web designer with a background in usability and interface design. That said, Art Rage 2.5 is absolutely BRILLIANT. Nothing unnecessary is thrown in to clutter the work space, its intuitively designed the way an artist works, and its powerful, yet simple to understand. I highly recommend the tutorials, especially the series of videos, available on the Art Rage site, before you get started – I bumbled around for an evening, experimenting, and was able to do things instantly but after spending about a half hour watching the work flow, I “got it” in a whole new way and took off, creating my first painting.
Incidentally, I HAVE used Painter and this is not it. If you have used Painter, you might think this is really missing a lot. Art Rage is intended to be “prosumer” software – easy and affordable enough for anyone with an inner artistè but incredibly powerful, enough that a professional artist can have the tool kit they need to create just about anything in the digital art and painting realm. It is missing a lot of things that Painter has, which might also clutter up the interface and cause a bit of “options paralysis” – but there are ways to accomplish most things, even if its a round about way. For example, I found myself wishing there was a water color brush – a way to “just add water” – but after going to the forums, I learned that I could turn the “thinner” way up on a paint brush and make similar effects for blending the colors. The forums and gallery, I should mention since they are loaded with people you can ask questions of, who know this software much better than you will at first. And its amazing to see the potential by browsing the galleries and forums for examples of what others have done.
Art Rage, as with all digital art and design software, is merely a tool – if you don’t have any eye for color or composition, its going to show in your work when you create freehand. BUT – on the consumer side of the equation, it offers amazing tracing options where you can paint over top of an existing image, semi transparent below the layer you’re on, and it will chose your colors for you. You can pencil trace an image and then color it in. There are stencils galore to make it easy to draw your shapes even if you don’t have a steady hand. It really is for everyone and my only two regrets in the purchase are 1) it doesn’t seem to have a direct affiliate program so I can toot its greatness to the hills and make some $$ and 2) Amazon dropped the price two days after I finally purchased it. The only negative I’ve spotted is that there doesn’t appear to be a type tool for putting words on the images, unless you create them with stencils. But I haven’t searched the forum for that yet, and I know I can also export out to other apps and add text.
PS. A graphics tablet is a MUST but since you’re saving hundreds from buying Painter, you can afford it
I am using an ancient Wacom II tablet that I bought nearly 10 years ago, which simply will not die or refuse to install on whatever computer I upgrade to – and its wonderful. But there are many to choose from. You don’t need a big one – just something paper sized – and it will open up whole worlds of potential with software like this.
Review by Evelyn O. Simon for ArtRage Deluxe 2.5
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I love to draw and create; if you like creating beautiful artwork, you will love art rage. The program is easy and uploads fast, so you can get started. Art tools are, paint brush, paint roller, eraser, air brush, glitter, chalk, crayon, marker, pencil, etc. You can also resize the canvas to as small or as big as you’d like. The import feature is a feature to upload your masterpiece to your website, or to an online artwork community. This wonderful program is great for kids 12 and older.
Just think, you’ll never have to worry about running out of art supplies. It’s like having an art studio without the clutter of paint brushes, gloppy messes of paint splatters. No clean up is neccessary.
If you have not invested in a PC tablet and pen set, I urge you to purchase along with this program. The program is awesome, you will love it!