InDesign2Review

1. Name of product: Adobe InDesign 2.0

2. Hardware Summary: My computer is a PowerMac G4 Cube 450 mhz running Mac OS 10.2 with 256 MB RAM.

3. Reviewer’s Background: For many years I have been using PageMaker and PhotoShop.

4. Basic hardware requirements for the product to run: PowerPC® G3, G4, or G5 processor, Mac OS X v.10.2, 128 MB RAM, 350 MB free hard drive space.

5. Product claims and features: InDesign is a page layout program. It allows you to easily add photos and columns of text for a newsletter or paper. It also includes tools that allow fonts to form a circle or follow a line. Many options are available that normally one would need to perform in Illustrator.

6. Using the program: One of the best features is that you can place a PageMaker or a Quark file into InDesign. This program is a necessity for most layout people. Before InDesign you either had to buy both programs to be able to open files sent to you. Now with InDesign you can place either one or both in a new file and there is not much work left to do. Of course if you don’t have the same fonts, you need to replace the fonts.

7. Strengths and Weaknesses: When you are creating a file, one of the goals is to keep the file size as small as possible. As you create a graphic file in PhotoShop or Illustrator, the files gets larger and larger. Because InDesign gives you more options for color, texture and text, you can stay in the program. This saves time and allows for a smaller file size. The gradient tool is one tool which allows you to work with text and it automatically changes the text to white, gray or black as the block changes from black to white.

8. Pricing: Suggested retail price is $699. Upgrade from PageMaker or Quark for $170.00 for a limited time.

9. Conclusions: By knowing either PageMaker or Quark you have no problem learning InDesign. You can work with the program using either PageMaker skills or Quark skills. The learning curve is in all the extra features that InDesign has to offer. This program is the answer for so many print shops when hiring a new person or receiving files from clients.

	Adobe InDesign 2.0 Reviewed by Barb Manders 10-21-2003 1. Name of product: Adobe InDesign 2.0 2. Hardware Summary: My computer is a PowerMac G4 Cube 450 mhz running Mac OS 10.2 with 256 MB RAM. 3. Reviewer’s Background: For many years I have been using PageMaker and PhotoShop. 4. Basic hardware requirements for the product to run: PowerPC® G3, G4, or G5 processor, Mac OS X v.10.2, 128 MB RAM, 350 MB free hard drive space. 5. Product claims and features: InDesign is a page layout program. It allows you to easily add photos and columns of text for a newsletter or paper. It also includes tools that allow fonts to form a circle or follow a line. Many options are available that normally one would need to perform in Illustrator. 6. Using the program: One of the best features is that you can place a PageMaker or a Quark file into InDesign. This program is a necessity for most layout people. Before InDesign you either had to buy both programs to be able to open files sent to you. Now with InDesign you can place either one or both in a new file and there is not much work left to do. Of course if you don’t have the same fonts, you need to replace the fonts. 7. Strengths and Weaknesses: When you are creating a file, one of the goals is to keep the file size as small as possible. As you create a graphic file in PhotoShop or Illustrator, the files gets larger and larger. Because InDesign gives you more options for color, texture and text, you can stay in the program. This saves time and allows for a smaller file size. The gradient tool is one tool which allows you to work with text and it automatically changes the text to white, gray or black as the block changes from black to white. 8. Pricing: Suggested retail price is $699. Upgrade from PageMaker or Quark for $170.00 for a limited time. 9. Conclusions: By knowing either PageMaker or Quark you have no problem learning InDesign. You can work with the program using either PageMaker skills or Quark skills. The learning curve is in all the extra features that InDesign has to offer. This program is the answer for so many print shops when hiring a new person or receiving files from clients.