MacBook Pro 17-inch review
Apple’s latest pro laptop isn’t just a larger version of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro – it adds a faster processor and the option of a glossy X-Black-style screen.
Reviews
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Scanjet 8300 review
The latest flatbed scanner from HP is available in two versions – the standard Scanjet 8300 and the 8300gp, which is supplied with a GretagMacbeth monitor calibrator.
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Precision M90 review
The Precision M90 has a much chunkier shell than its M65 cousin, as it’s based on a completely different line of laptops – Dell's consumer-focussed Inspiron.
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Fluid Mask 2.0 review
There are two important aspects to a masking plug-in. First is the ability to deal with painstakingly complex detail such as hair and multi-coloured backgrounds, which is something that Fluid Mask 2.0 excels at.
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LightZone 1.0 review
While new-fangled applications such as Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture aim to be the central workflow tool for digital photographers, neither attempts to take on Photoshop for deep image editing – yet.
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VTour 1.0 review
VTour is a new program that allows you to construct 3D virtual environments with photorealistic textures, starting from a single photographic panorama. It’s available for Windows 2000 and XP, and a Mac OS X version will be released in the summer.
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Inspiron 9400 review
Dell’s first laptop to offer Intel’s new Core Duo line of processors features the same chip as Apple’s MacBook Pro (left), but places it within a 17-inch case. As such models go, the Inspiron 9400 is small and light.
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Cordless Desktop S530 review
The Cordless Desktop S530 is the first keyboard-&-mouse combo we’ve seen that’s aimed squarely at Mac-based designers, video editors, and animators. The bundle features a sleek keyboard with a stylish laser mouse, which both connect wirelessly.
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MacBook Pro 15.4-inch review
Apple’s first laptop since the move from Motorola to Intel processors isn’t the groundbreaking machine that many were expecting. If anything, the move has made the mobile Mac more ordinary, and the chip switch will put off anyone reliant on Adobe applications.
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Portfolio 8 review
Portfolio 8 is the latest version of the digital asset management system that started life as Aldus Fetch around 15 years ago. It’s not just for images – it works with word processing and layout files, PDFs, movies, and other media files.
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trueSpace 7 review
Arguably the most impressive new feature in trueSpace 7 is the DirectX-based real-time rendering system. TrueSpace 7 has a dedicated view panel – called the DirectX 9 Player – that shows ‘photorealistic’ versions of how a 3D scene will look in real-time.
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Exposure 1.0 review
Exposure could well be the final, missing link between digital and film photography, and marks a radical departure for Alien Skin, best-known for its wacky, effects-heavy plug-ins for Photoshop.
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M50 review
Samsung describes the M50 as the ‘world’s thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook’. At just under 3kg, the latter is completely true – but the M50 is only thin at the front, bulking out heavily towards the back.
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CorelDraw X3 Graphics Suite review
Now in its thirteenth incarnation, Corel Graphics Suite seems confident enough to take on Adobe’s Creative Suite 2, armed with a stack of new functions and an attractive price. Its features are strong, but there’s obviously a desire not to tempt fate – the company decided against naming it CorelDraw 13.
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Encore DVD 2.0 review
The new version of Encore DVD shares many of the other enhancements of the Production Studio components. Customizable workspaces with automatically resizing palettes, roundtrip editing via Dynamic Link, and the Bridge media management utility all contribute to improved efficiency in the system.
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Premiere Pro 2.0 review
As part of the Production Studio, Premiere Pro 2.0 ties into the workflows of Adobe’s other production tools. Even as a standalone application, though, version 2.0 offers tighter interoperability between the various Adobe applications.
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After Effects 7.0 review
Adobe hasn’t taken its foot off the pedal for AE’s seventh major release. High-end users working on digital intermediate (DI) and digital film projects will love the expanded colour space, with support for HDR 32-bit media.
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3XS Opteron 939 review
Entry-level workstations are usually based around high-spec desktop chips: either Pentium 4 or Athlon 64 processors. The latest low-cost system from Scan, however, uses a single Opteron chip.
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UltraSharp 3007WFP review
Dell’s upwardly expanding line of LCD displays has been great for designers. Not only have the products been impressive in their own right and lower in price than the competition, the company’s muscle has forced rivals to slash prices to compete.
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Preview: QuarkXPress 7.0
QuarkXPress has had a rough ride of late. Adobe’s aggressive roll-out of DTP-rival InDesign, coupled with a relentless commitment to pile on advanced DTP features, has meant layout artists have been caught up in the InDesign hoopla. Switching to InDesign has become a case of not if, but when – even Digit has migrated.