Microsoft MapPoint 2002
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (11 June, 2001)
list price: $249.99
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Editorial Review

Business users seeking the shortest route between two points-of-purchase should examine Microsoft MapPoint 2002. It has all the standard features a business map user would expect--place finder, route planner, mileage calculator, and so on--but also permits extensive data manipulation throughout the United States and Canada.

Installation is a breeze, and setting up the program to any user's specifications should take only a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the nature of imported data. Once it's running, MapPoint will pay for itself quickly with improved sales and marketing reports, trip planning, and projections. The interface will be intimately familiar to Office users, so importing and exporting files and data is painless. The look and feel of other Office-suite programs is preserved--the learning curve of nonstandard tools and features is quite gentle.

One extremely powerful new feature is territory creation, which allows user-defined, overlaying boundaries that are simple to create manually or compose from pre-existing data. Combining territorial categories with the vast reams of census and demographic data contained within MapPoint should yield plenty of fresh business ideas. Nonbusiness users should pick up some much cheaper trip planning software; the most expensive features of MapPoint will offer little of value to them. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Leave some things in the dust
I was testing the program, and it was interesting, but still it's not up to date. I looked for a town of 1,000 residents in California, and it wasnt there. I then looked for a town of less than 20, and it was there. Very weird.

amazing program until you get burned
I've been using this program for 3 years. I like many of its features and I used it for many many long and short trips. I wrongly assumed that the data is accurate, so I didn't react when the reality was a little different than the Mappoint results. Unfortunately on a couple of occasions the program fooled me into much longer trips (how about a 600-mile mappoint compared to 400 miles from Mapquest?) For the last year I never trusted anything from the program, I always do the 2 point route with Yahoo or mapquest and then enter it street by street in mappoint, I don't trust it for more than 1 corner. Mappoint gives you options to design the route based on some preferences, but in almost all cases that would use some local roads the result will be 20-30% longer than a yahoo/mapquest result. It seems to be able to find the worst solution over and over again. Otherwise a great program! I was looking for an updated version and reading reviews about streets and trips 2004 I realized that it seems to be their philosophy. I guess you'll also like the program, just don't follow their suggestions out on the road.

Could be better
Very flashy but falls short in several areas.You can't define specific villages or cities for display.You can get around it by cobbling together small areas within the town (blocks) but why should you have to?I'd like to be able to say draw me X, Y and Z village.Then draw my county, etc.The maps are in a comic quality making it hard to use for presentation purposes. Really just good for checking out areas, not for real business needs.I miss the more [costly] packages. ... Read more

Asin: B00005B6U4
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Reference    3. Maps (Mapping)    4. Travel Planners (Planning)    5. Route    6. Map Info (Mapinfo)   

MapPoint 2002 for Dummies (With CD-ROM)
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 January, 2002)
list price: $29.99 -- our price: $19.79
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (2)

Decent introductory guide to MapPoint
Although it perhaps doesn't go into the depth that the previous review desired, this book provides a good overall view of what MapPoint can do. Even if you have used MapPoint quite a few times before, you will probably discover new functionality in areas that you have rarely used. Also includes a number of useful tips that you probably won't find yourself.

The programming interface to MapPoint is very useful because it allows MapPoint to be extended. Yes, the VB content in this book is limited, and only goes far enough to show you what is possible. Luckily the documentation that Microsoft provides with MapPoint includes a fully documented object model. The book wisely avoids duplicating this reference. For further help with using the VB API or using it in a different language (via COM), I recommend the microsoft.public.mappoint newsgroup or the articles and forums on http://www.mp2kmag.com/- both of which are listed in the book.

MP 2002 for Dummies is junk
Buy this book only if you don't need it.The VB part is junk!It will look cute on your computer bookshelf.You like getting hung in dead ends, this book is for you.Reference to help on the web is just an advertisement.The CD file names aren't named for reference in the book and the chapter/file directories are confused.The book file transcriptions don't work - the CD ones do.The price is dropping as people realize this one is a dud.Save your money. ... Read more

Isbn: 076451623X
Sales Rank: 105760
Subjects:  1. Business Software - General    2. Cartography    3. Computer Bks - Integrated Software    4. Computer Books And Software    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computers    7. Data processing    8. General    9. Microsoft MapPoint    10. Computer Software Packages    11. Computers / Business Software / General   

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2002
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (05 August, 2001)
list price: $44.95
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Editorial Review

Can't fold a map to save your life? No time to make sense of theseemingly endless online map sources, or don't know which ones you can trust?Fear not, road warrior: Microsoft Streets & Trips 2002 does the dirty work.

Installing Streets & Trips is simple, and working from its database of locationsand maps is speedy. The package offers more than 800,000 points of interest. Note that this number includes ATMs, gas stations, hotels, rest areas, colleges,and golf courses, as well as restaurants, museums, and galleries. And while themaps extend to worldwide proportions, you're most likely to find the 6.4 millionmiles of road in the U.S. and Canada the most useful.

One of the newer and more attractive features of the Streets & Trips package isits GPS (global positioning system) capabilities. This requires a GPS device(such as your handheld, a palmtop computer, or a straight GPS device) thatsupports NMEA 2.0 or higher. A free download from the Microsoft site will haveyou ready to store all your trip data in your GPS device of choice.

Getting started is fairly straightforward: simply enter your starting addressand your final destination. Adding side trips and stops along the way is easy,as is reordering your stops. After you've charted your course, you have fiveoptions for printing, including a zoomable map, point-by-point directions, and,of course, mileage between exits. You can also opt for Web output and allow yourfriends and family to chart your course as you progress.

Our favorite feature in this package is the customization capability. To getStreets & Trips to suggest when to stop for gas or a stretch break, simply tellit your preferences. By entering your car's average miles per gallon (in bothcity and highway) and your preferred driving speed, you can elect to include gasbreaks on your itinerary.

Overall, Microsoft Streets & Trips is a good value; we found its directionsreliable and concise. Now if Microsoft only made something to occupy the kids inthe backseat. --Emilie Herbst ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Good, but lacking in some ways
I got this product free with MS Works when I bought a new PC. It sat unused untill recently when I started traveling a lot more and began buying paper maps. Suddenly I realised I had a good solution to my travel woes sitting right in my CD case. I installed it and so began my journey to gorwing to love and hate this product.

Learning to Use Streets and Trips can be a long and twisted road indeed. The interface is intuitive in some ways, but sorely confusing in others. There's no tool for centering/zooming so you need to manually center the map over the portion you want before using the zoom slider to zoom in or out or you'll lose your spot. The routes it gives are pretty good for the most part. Sometimes however it seems to give some odd travel suggestion. I occasionally find myself questioning the accuracy of the roads. On the bright side you can zoom RIGHT in, and see every contour and curve of the roads. This is nice. It even lists exact exits and will very clearly show you your journey down an off ramp, down to the circle and all.Many paper maps just show an exit without really showing you any conceptualization of what you'll be doing. This is good for people less experienced at traveling on interstates or who are going to unfamiliar places with "interesting" road layouts. However ocassionally these details seem a bit off, and when that happens it can be very vexing indeed.

I was disapointed by the shortage of information. I expected microsoft to create an all-inclusive product with a vast database. But sadly S&T 02 is lacking. It doesn't show speed limits, traffic statistics, city/town statistics, or anything like that. Maybe this is asking too much, but knowing where construction or road work is currently being done, or knowing speed limits or statistics could help in planning a more effecient route. Also when you're traveling to the country in winter and you're unfamiliar with the area, it'd be nice to know which roads tend to suffer worst from the elements or deer or well you get the idea. Or how about looking at a city that is on your route and seeing what the population or crime rate is... not vital info, but nice to know.

No, mostly this is about maps and simple directions, a one trick poney. And the route planning and other tools are sometimes complicated to use and many times lack features you wish they had included. I personally found it a little clumsy to use for making very precise routes. You will be able to find travel times and such, but the versatillity is lacking. Ask for directions and it gives you one route. No alternative routes or choices. Sometimes I want the fastest, others the most direct, and sometimes (such as during snow) I want all main roads... but S&T cant differentiate.

lastly... I found the things listed on the maps to be VERY poor. Only a small fraction of resteraunts, businesses, hotels, etc are actually shown!! And it doesnt clearly outline plazas... nor does it show important landmarks... all this is sometimes very helpful in navigating! I was shocked at just how many businesses were NOT shown on these maps. Phone numbers and addresses for those shown are included which is nice, but what good is it when the one you want is non-existant!? Sometimes entire malls are missing from the maps!

In short.. this isnt bad if it's only used for certain purposes. But it lacks in features, completeness, polish, usabilliity and integration of the features it DOES have. If it shows a theater on the map why not link to the website for the movie times for example. Or plan your gas stops for you? I could be expecting too much, but even just as a mapping tool, the occasioanl inaccuracies means you should always have paper maps, and/or use one or more online mapping services in conjunction with this product. It's nice to have this installed on a laptop with you in the car, and if you got it with works or with a new PC then you might as well use it. Other than that... you're probably better off using yahoo or mapquest in conjuction with paper maps and saving your money. Hopefully the newer versions will be imporoved and enhanced... but Ill have to check them out before I ever shell out the money.

Lots of Streets, Lots of False Info
Microsoft Streets and Trips 2002 is a great program with basically every single street in America. It is great for general mapping and finding out addresses and other stuff like that, but when compared to the accuracy of Microsoft Expedia Trip Planner 1998, the reliability begins to fail. Streets and Trips 2002 adds random ramps at interchanges, leaves out forest and picnic areas, and displays many roads that aren't paved as passable to standard vehicles. It's also odd to note that many freeways, which opened up in 2001, were not on Streets and Trips 2002, including a major part of the 210 Freeway extension in southern California around Interstate 15. That's just one example of how the program missed out on updates that should have taken place. I hope 2004 is better; otherwise, I'll just wait until 2005 for an upgrade.

Won't work on my handheld
Even though the product information states that the MIPS processor is supported (but not tested), I could not get this program to load onto my Fujistu Pencentra 130 Handheld PC.I had to send it back to Delorme. ... Read more

Asin: B00005MF7Q
Subjects:  1. Travel Planners (Planning)    2. Route    3. Map Info (Mapinfo)    4. Computer software (programs)    5. Reference    6. Maps (Mapping)   

Magellan MAP 330 GPS (12 Channel)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $299.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Someday we'll all have a GPS built into our cars, but that will still beof no help when hiking, skiing, or on any sort of wilderness adventure. For allyour road and off-road trips, you can rely on Magellan's GPS MAP 330 fornavigation, mapping, and compass directions with a 12-parallel-channel receiverand quadrifilar antenna for fast satellite signal locking and accurate tracking.

The palm-size MAP 330 is designed for sturdiness and simplicity, containing an 8MB base map with political/national boundaries, major roads and highways,national parks, airports, and waterways. An additional 8 MB of rewritable flashmemory allows use of an optional CD-ROM for comprehensive street details. Usingfour onscreen and six hard-case buttons (plus cursor), we could easily plan andtrack our journeys. The map screen enabled us to find our place on the planet inthe general vicinity of our city and state. The data screen displays heading,bearing, speed, and distance covered, while the position screen displays time,elevation, longitude, and latitudinal positions and the trip odometer.

For novices the setup may seem a bit complicated. We recommend that youinitialize your unit, then settle in for armchair exploration of the user manualto familiarize yourself with the rather complex programming setup, which can bedifficult to follow. For example, the backlight, which quickly drains batteries,will shut down automatically in four seconds when not in use, but you can alsoset the light level by pressing the light/on/off button. However, when we triedthis method, the unit simply shut off each time.

Once you get the hang of the MAP 330, or if you are an experienced GPS user,you'll soon be itching to explore the world. --David Greenberger

Pros:

• Rugged GPS device for the outdoors
• Compact and very sturdy design slips in a pocket or backpack
• Lock-on tracking whether in a closed vehicle, in a boat, or on foot

Cons:

• Without the optional MapSend Street CD-ROM, you will not get the specificstreet information to guide you door to door
• Learning curve may be longer for the novice user to master the programsequences

... Read more

Reviews (8)

good, but some faults
Loved my 330, but the orignal one died after just over a year of use. Had to send it back to Magellan/Thales to have them replace it. Cost me seventy bucks ($70), which was a bit annoying. However, to Mag/Thales credit, when they returned it, they included a bunch of accessories, which was really nice. I guess they had just debuted their new line of Meridian units and had a wharehouse full of old stock to unload. Whatever...I'll take it!

The reception of the Magellan 315/330 is much better than my old Garmin eTrex.

Wow, There I Am...
Is really cool to use on an airplane.45,000 feet at 520mph over Milwakee, WI!!It is hard to get a fix when surrounded by Large buildings in downtown metro areas.On the open road its great.I like being able to leave the major highways to see some little apple shop or what ever not being worried about finding my way back.This device leaves a bread trail as you travel so you can just turn around and follow it back to the highway, pretty cool.I would highly recommend this unit to anyone who is uncomfortable with being lost, but wants to venture out a little bit.

Accurate and easy to use
This is a really nice product.I bought this about 8 months ago (summer 2001) so that I could start geocaching with a friend.I didn't know anything about GPS units and didn't really research it, but I had heard of Magellan.I've used it a number of times, and the accuracy is better than the Etrex Vista that my friend uses.The menu system is easy to understand and the control buttons are logical.Basic functions are easy to reach and use with just a quick review of the handy manual included.Battery usage is more than I expected and I would like a display more like the Etrex.Map data resolution isn't really suitable for road navigation for anything less than major highways and streets, but you can buy a software application to load more detailed maps if needed. ... Read more

Asin: B000050IO6
Subjects:  1. GPS 330   

Garmin GPSMAP 76
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $400.00 -- our price: Too Low To Display
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

The key to success in life is knowing where you are, where you've been, and where you're going. Garmin's full-featured GPSMAP 76 puts all of that information in the palm of your hand, mapping your movements off-road or on--and even afloat. Plus, its extensive features, PC connectivity, and extensive add-on map options make it powerful enough for practically any need.

About the size of a small paperback book and weighing less than 8 ounces, the GPSMAP 76 fits comfortable in the palm of your hand, but is a bit big to carry in a shirt pocket. Using the unit requires almost no setup. Just put in two AA batteries, turn it on, go outside, and wait. In about a minute or so it will determine your location. It's accurate to about three meters, thanks to the unit's support of WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System), which augments GPS signals for even greater accuracy.

Knowing your longitude, latitude, and altitude doesn't mean much without a little context. That's where GPSMAP 76's backlit LCD display comes in, displaying your location on detailed maps. The unit comes with a built-in basemap that includes major roads, railroads, rivers, and lakes for the U.S. and Canada, as well as a high-level worldwide map. The unit also has 8 MB memory for storing maps from optional CD-ROMS; available maps include topographical maps, BlueChart marine cartography maps, as well as city maps with detailed information on city streets and points of interest.

The eight buttons, directional rocker thumbpad, and menu-based interface made it simple to access all of the unit's features and customize the display. For instance, it's a simple matter to use the buttons to set and name waypoints and build planned routes. Extra features include information on tides, sunrise and sunset, and a trip computer for seeing how far you've traveled and your average speed.

To test the GPSMAP 76, we used the included serial cable, connected it to our PC, and loaded it up with topographical maps using the optional United States topographical map disc. We then hit the road and headed for Muir Beach north of San Francisco. It tracked our progress along Highway 1, and once we reached our destination, we found it very simple to use. It showed both the elevation of the hills as well as the paths we could take. The zoom-in and zoom-out function made it simple to plan out and automatically measure the distance of our intended route.

After walking for a while and enjoying the scenery, we used the TracBack mode to guide us back to our car. The unit automatically stores waypoints as you walk along, letting you display the way home clearly on the map. We even used the TracBack capability to guide us on the roads back to the freeway.

The GPSMAP 76 comes in handy almost anywhere, whether you're hiking, driving, boating, or wandering around a city as a tourist. Its easy-to-use interface makes it immediately useful to novices, and as you learn to exploit its programmability and features, it can become an extremely powerful navigation tool. --Ken Feinstein

Pros:

• Large backlit LCD
• WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) support
• Automatic TracBack shows you the way back to your start location
• PC connectivity with wide variety of uploadable maps available

Cons:

• 8 MB built-in memory can't be expanded
• Too large to fit comfortably in a shirt pocket

... Read more

Features

• Trip computer with current/average speed, timer, and trip distance
• Programmable alarms and tables; 500 waypoints
• 8 MB memory for downloading data from optional Garmin MapSource CD-ROMs
• WAAS enabled Global positioning system (GPS) receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites
• Preloaded maps of rivers, lakes, worldwide cities, navaids, and tide data

Reviews (11)

Garmin GPSMap 76 A Great Hand-Held Device
This is a great gps, especially for marine purposes.I searched around and researched before deciding on purchasing the gpsmap 76.I find the preloaded base maps to be very sufficient and fairly detailed.It's waterproof and submersible, what else could you ask for.The only downfall is that it's not colorized, but big deal.It's quite easy to see when you're standing in direct sunlight.This is one of the best gps devices out there for this price range.It's well worth every penny, and comes highly recommended.

list price isnt 400$
this makes no sence garmin says the list price for the gps map 76 is only 321$. I dont get about this is that the vista was released at the same time if not later than the gpsmap76 and The both have the same exact list price so why is the gps76 so much more expensive. Also eopinions says your sellin it for 199$

A Great Sea Kayaking Companion
Before my GPS purchase, I considered a number of Magellan units in addition to some in the Garmin E Trex series. I finallydecided on the Garmin Map76.

In addition to being relatively easy to use, I preferred the slightly larger screen of the Map76 over the other units.Since I was purchasing the unit to use while sea kayaking, I found the screen on the Map76 was much easier to read in the sunlight than the smaller screens on the E-Trex models.In addition, you can upload map data into this unit. (Although the unit includes a basemap, Garmin also manufactures a number of optional mapping products which cover roads, waterways and topographical features in more detail).For kayaking, I use the optional BlueCharts which is essentially like having Nautical maps at your fingertips.(These are sold by regions and tend to be a bit expensive however).

The tide station/prediction feature on the Map76 was also an important deciding factor.With this unit, you have the ability to get tidal predictions for virtually anywhere in the US at your fingertips.

The Map76 often receives criticism on the low amount of memory for uploading map data.The tradeoff however is that it also drains the battery power at a slower rate than those that boast more memory. (I also considered the GPS Map76S which has an added electronic compass and more memory, however after a trial use from a friend's, I found the Map76S unit to drain battery power far too quickly for my intended use. The Map76S was also about $100 more in cost). Although the Map76S was a slightly upgraded Map76, I didn't feel the extra features of the 76S were worth the added cost, especially with the faster rate of the battery drain.

I've logged over 500 miles of sea kayaking with this unit and am very satisfied with its performance. I find the memory capability in the Map76 is adequate for uploading maps for day trips and the balance with the battery drain is also sufficient.

Although it is waterproof, I highly suggest a transparent waterproof bag for using while kayaking to avoid salt water condensation corroding the battery leads.

Garmin also offers toll free phone and email technical support for their units and software.

This unit makes a great paddling partner. ... Read more

Asin: B00005B4BJ
Subjects:  1. Marine Navigation (instruments)    2. Chart plotters   

Microsoft Office XP Professional Upgrade
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (31 May, 2001)
list price: $329.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Microsoft Office XP's empowering document design tools, integration of voice recognition functionality, and impressive network- and Web-based sourcing capabilities should be enough to convince those interested in saving time and consolidating effort to take the leap.

In keeping with Microsoft's much-ballyhooed .NET strategy, Office XP introduces several features that utilize the vast infosphere inhabited by the 21st-century desk jockey. Smart tags beckon underneath recognized objects like misspellings or symbols, offering a stock quote here, a synonym there, or "Would anyone care to configure my auto-correction list?" The task pane looks similar to Microsoft Internet Explorer's Explorer Bar, and acts like an open tool chest pulled up alongside each application in the suite, providing readily configured searches for information or multimedia files. Putting up a team Web site that tracks projects and serves as an information hub requires only the use of one of the included templates, ready to be customized and uploaded to the server.

The Send for Review feature further streamlines the collaborative process by allowing the sender to view revisions made by multiple parties within the framework of the original document. Outlook now features a color-coded calendar and easier meeting management, along with instant messaging and variable e-mail account access. All user system errors can be tracked globally, and then network security settings modified remotely while anti-virus and debugging IT resources are diverted accordingly.

After firing up Microsoft Word, typing "Dear Somebody," and hitting the Enter key, we made a startling discovery. Up popped Clippy, Microsoft's publicly pink-slipped office assistant. Clippy might have aptly announced, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," but instead predictably observed, "It looks like you're writing a letter." Once the groans of disbelief had subsided, we quickly right-clicked and banished Clippy to the silicon ether, presumably forever. --Dominic Johnson--This review refers to Office XP Standard Edition ... Read more

Features

Reviews (107)

Good, but free substitutes are available.
Microsoft did a pretty good job with its office products. They are easy to use, powerful and versatile. Between Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can get al;; your office needs met, whether you are a beginner, student, or a professional
The best feature of the Microsoft Office suite is Outlook. It combines an easy to use calendar, email program that can handle multiple email accounts, task lists, and many other features that are just right if you need an all-in-one organizer.

HOWEVER ---

One of the other reviewers mentions that "the bottom line is value... why pay retail?" My question is - why pay at all? There is a FREE office suite called Open Office that you can download (again, for free, and legally). All you have to do is Google Open Office, and you will find the website. Granted, Open Office is not as good as Microsoft Office, but it is quite close. If you are looking for basic word processing, presentation software, and spreadsheet package, and if you do not require advanced features and your budget is tight, Open Office would be perfect for you.

Office
Well, actually I like Excel and hate Word.The other programs included I have little or no use for.
I use Excel all the time for engineering calculations, including writing VBA macros to automate things that I can't do easily in the cells.It's very useful, like having a calculator that remembers everything you've done, writes it down, but allows you to change inputs and recalculate everything automatically.Unfortunately, there is a bug in the help files, so I can't get Visual Basic help anymore.The IT guys at work fixed the regular help but never could get the macro help to work again.Very annoying.
Word is terrible compared to WordPerfect.What I used to be able to do with a couple of keystrokes, now takes minutes of navigation thru menus and dialog boxes.Outline formatting, numbered lists, etc. are especially frustrating in Word because nothing is obvious.You shouldn't have to get a college degree in word processing in order to learn to write a specification and get the formatting correct.One annoyance is that paragraph formatting is hidden in a selectable little space at the end of the paragraph, so if you try to delete the last few words by hitting shift-end and delete, you will delete numbering, formatting, etc. of that paragraph.Also, the thesaurus that came with WordPerfect was much better.
In general, Microsoft Office tries to be everything for every possible user, automates many tasks to do things that it thinks I want to do even though I don't, and makes it hard to figure out how to undo them.
I am using WordPerfect wherever possible and trying StarOffice.

Real problems with this one..
Installed the upgrade over Office 2000 on a well equipped XP Professional system.Liked it well enough but after an online update, File->Open began taking 20-30 sec per level to navigate to the file.Unfortunately, installing this package seems to put the 'better' file menus in and everything came to a crashing halt.Worse news is that it wouldn't uninstall nor reinstall/fix (something got corrupted). A Msoft A+ beat on it a long time then finally reinstalled XP (unfortunately an all too common occurance, for lots of reasons) andall was well until I installed Office XP again. The problem recurred but this time, a system restore cleaned it up.Still using Office 2000. Now using Office XP as a gold coaster.I've heard of this happening on other systems.. something in the networking maybe.. We're using a Linux server w/Samba drive.Works great with everything else.. ... Read more

Asin: B00005AFI1
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Office Suite (Suites)    3. Bundle (Bundles)   

Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Standard
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (13 February, 2002)
list price: $109.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

More than just a programming language, Visual Basic .NET is a visual development tool for Windows. Building an application is a matter of first creating a visual interface using the drag-and-drop form designer, and then writing code to bring the interface to life. Visual Basic is popular with beginners because the language has an English-like syntax and the visual tools make it easy to get started. The same qualities enable professionals to work faster, making this a great tool for business use as well.

Visual Basic .NET is substantially different from earlier versions. It builds applications for the .NET Framework, a run-time layer with improved security and reliability. In order to achieve this, Microsoft made numerous changes to the language. Most of these are beneficial, including full object orientation with inheritance, but the new Visual Basic is not compatible with the old. To migrate an old project you use an upgrade wizard, followed by manual fine-tuning. Applications built with Visual Basic .NET no longer support Windows 95, while for development, Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP is needed.

Despite these heavy system requirements, there is a lot to like in Visual Basic .NET. Perhaps the best feature is that developers can build applications for the Web almost as easily as for Windows. These have to be hosted on a Windows Web server, but can be accessed through browsers running on any platform, using a technology called ASP.NET. There is a host of components available, both in the box and from third parties, for true rapid application development. It is also a good choice for database development. Microsoft's ADO.NET database API uses a disconnected model, fitting well with the world of laptops and other mobile devices. XML support is good, including the ability to program XML Web services, which enable applications to communicate over the Internet. Developers can also build software for the Pocket PC and other Windows CE devices, using a downloadable add-on called Smart Device Extensions.

Visual Basic .NET has a superb development environment, although you need to double the minimum system requirements for good performance. The main work area is tabbed so that integrated online help appears alongside the code and the visual design surface. Tool windows can be docked, floated, or hidden. Automatic code completion and dynamic help speed coding, while ToolTips reveal the type of any variable. For deployment, there is a setup wizard and a setup project type.

Overall, this is a powerful tool with few limits on what can be achieved. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Best Buy For the Price
Visual Basic.NET Standard is the best buy for the money. For all the people that think this version is crippled. It's not, you just have to do a little more work with it.

This is not a trial version, the people that made that complaint are either too lazy to learn to code and are dependant on wizards ( scary ) or just lazy. You can do alot with this package and for the money like I said before this is
an excellent buy.

As Far as not being able to compile dll's yes you can if you write your own project wizard, like I did :)

Things VB.NET Standard CAN DO
Windows Apps
Web Apps
Console Apps
Web Services

AND Yes Class Libraries if you know what you are doing.

It's a 1.0 version
I like some of the new features, but VB6 was a more mature product. I was frustrated in that I spent a couple hundred dollars on additional books and all assumed you had visual studio.net. I am selling this to fund my purchase of Visual Studio.net. As someone said, it is handy if you want to start learning and delay purchase of visual studio.net for a few months.

Incredibly powerful & easy
I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), when this software is so powerful.

First, let me say that it's true VB.NET Standard Edition is somewhat crippled in that it doesn't let you create DLL's or mobile apps for WinCE devices. Nor does it include Crystal Reports, or some other features you'd find in VB.NET Professional/Enterprise.However, it'sperfect for making small utilities/applications.

Most of my programming experience has been with Perl, PHP, Java, C, C++.I had a little exposure to Visual Basic in college, but I had forgotten everything I had learned about it.With VB.NET standard and _Visual Basic .NET Step by Step_ (ISBN: 0-7356-1374-5) I was able to write a fully functional and moderately complex application (and distribute it with the included Windows installer) in about 2 weeks time. I was astounded by the low learning curve.

There are two different types of programs you can create with VB.NET, those based on Windows forms and those based on Web forms.Windows forms would be your traditional type of Windows application, while Web forms are designed to work through the Internet.I have no VB.NET experience creating Web forms, but the features look promising.

VB.NET is different than earlier versions of VB because it is built around the .NET framework.The .NET framework works more like Java.Your programs are converted to bytecode which runs on the .NET framework (which your users must install to run your apps).That would probably explain why it is slower than older VB compilers.

In the past, applications created with Visual C++ would run faster than those made with VB.This is no longer the case.All Visual Studio Languages (C#, C++ and VB) all compile to .NET bytecode.Because the resulting bytecode is the same, you choose the language whose syntax you are most familiar with.

I feel the benefits of switching to .NET are worth the performance loss.Because .NET is Microsoft's answer to Java, everything is now heavily dependant on Objects.OO programming with VB.NET is incredibly simple.Chances are any structure or function/method you'd like to use is already written - you just need to find the proper namespace in the .NET framework, import it into your code and then create an instance of the object you want.It's OO at its best.

I would definitely not recommend VB.NET to people who have no programming experience.You need to get your feet wet with something else before delving into this.

Just to clarify compatibility issues; VB.NET requires WinNT, Win2k, or WinXP Professional.It's my understanding that it will work on WinXP Home for applications, but you need XP Pro for creating/testing Web forms. ... Read more

Asin: B00005RV4Y
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Programming Languages    3. Visual Basic (visualbasic)    4. VBA (VB)   

The Complete Visual Basic .NET Training Course
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 June, 2002)
list price: $109.99 -- our price: $76.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (2)

Very well written! Worth the price.
This book is massive and the price tag is a bit heavy as well, but trust me, it is worth the price. I'm a VB6 developer trying to make the transition to VB.NET. I analyzed a number of different books, including those published by Microsoft Press, and ultimately decided on this one for its thoroughness. Overall, the book is very well written, organized quite logically, and doesn't miss any details. On top of that, the bonus CDs you get with this "complete course" over just the book alone are incredible! I found most of the audio commentary extremely dry, and didn't really add much to the printed material, but the extra exercises and having all the code and answers right inline with the text was amazing.

The exercises at the end of each lesson are extremely challenging and really sound down the concepts into your mind. For example, on the chapter dealing with arrays, including sorting and searching, one of the exercises is to rewrite the QuickSort algorithm that Microsoft uses natively in the Array.Sort method. This exercise really impressed on me how to get the most out of recursive functions, and how to build efficient procedures.

Currently, I'm only about 400 pages into this 1500+ book, but I'm eagerly looking forward to finishing it. To be honest, I think this book is better than taking an instructor-led course. I can't wait for Advance VB.NET to come out from Deitel so I can tackle that as well.

Bottom line, buy this complete course. You won't regret it.

The worst computer book ever written
This maybe the worst computer book ever written.The authors have a way of making even the simplest things complex. I surely can not recommend this book.

Richard Bonn
MCSE ... Read more

Isbn: 0130425303
Sales Rank: 453946
Subjects:  1. Basic (Programming Language)    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computers    5. Microcomputer Application Software    6. Programming - General    7. Programming Languages - Visual BASIC   

Epson SP1280 Inkjet Printer
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $499.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Epson Stylus Photo 1280 inkjet printer offers stunning 2,880 x 720 dpi resolution and a quick-drying six-color ink palette to produce large photo prints in crisp detail and true tonal quality. These impressive features provide you with borderless photo prints in sizes up to 13 by 44 inches.

The Stylus Photo 1280 fills nearly all of your photo reproduction needs as it produces breathtaking, quality 4-by-6-inch color prints in less than a minute and 8-by-10-inch color prints in under two minutes. Black text prints at 9 ppm. The 1280 prints photos either with borders or in full bleed.

With a 100-sheet input tray and a 50-page output tray, the printer has an automatic low-ink detection sensor to alert you as your cartridges run low. Image lightfastness (related to paper quality) is rated to 25 years before fading when stored under normal indoor display conditions.

The Stylus Photo 1280 is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems and comes with a one-year warranty and the assurance provided by the Epson Overnight Exchange Program. ... Read more

Features

• USB and parallel interfaces; PC and Mac compatible
• Fast, up to 9 ppm print speed, 4-by-6-inch photo in less than a minute
• 2,880 x 720 dpi maximum resolution
• Prints large format, up to 13 by 44 inches
• Lightfast and water-resistant ink formula

Reviews (51)

ONE OF THE BEST EPSON PRINTERS EVER MADE
I have owned my Epson Stylus 1280 for over a year and a half now and have never once experienced any type of problem with this unit what so ever! I only use aftermarket Abacus Ink and have yet to have a glogged printhead issue. I use this printer to print images taken from my Olympus C 8080 widezoom at 8 megs.
The printouts are perfect! Epson has just released a new driver for XP which can be downloaded at the Epson site to bring this 1280's resolutions all the way upto 5620 x 720!

The 5th star would be Linux drivers from Epson
My 1280 died over the weekend.So I did some shopping and bought an HP Photosmart 7760.I figured I'd save some money and wait to get a larger-format printer later.

It was a bad move.The HP is going back, and I've ordered a second 1280.I used my first one hard.For two years.I used it for everything -- normal documents, and lots and lots of digital artwork on matte paper.

Amazon currently has about the best price on ink cartridges and matte paper around.

I did my own tests on the inks -- both water resistance and ultraviolet light resistance.My Bic pen that marked the sample faded in two weeks of sunlight, but not my printed image!(I put a control in my filing cabinet to compare to.)I will not buy compatible cartridges, because I've already investigated the quality of the Epson ink and paper myself.I sell what I print for $185 a page.Sometimes a little less.With framing, more.

If you are a Linux user (and if you don't know what that means or you aren't sure, you can disregard this), you are in for a tough trip.The gimp-print drivers don't come close to matching the Epson Windows drivers for color quality.Not one little bit.Bug Epson about this.There are some adjustments possible with gimp-print, but it would be entirely trial-and-error.

I don't suggest going to the HP side to fix the Linux problem.HP says they "support" over 200 printers with Linux drivers, but the one I happened to try was abysmal.It couldn't even center the image on the page, Gimp didn't work at all, and neither did OpenOffice.At least with my Epson 1280, I have a little printing support (albeit with crummy colors).

If you've used other Epson printers, the 1280 might have slightly different color rendering.I had a Stylus Photo 820 which produced beautiful blues for sky and water.On the Stylus Photo 1280 (under Windows -- we're no longer on the Linux subject), these blues were more grey.I wish the 1280 came with the 820's coloring.

One other thing I like about the 1280:you can print very close to the bottom of the page.Not all the way, but closer than many other printers.This is very helpful.

I wish Epson made an affordable six-color printer like the 1280 with a wider format, perhaps 17" or 22".In my view, they don't.

One warning; Epson claims that the 1280 can print up to 13" x 44".I haven't found a supplier for paper that size.Epson doesn't seem to sell any.At least not in matte finish.

I never print glossy stuff (longevity considerations), so don't consider me to be any kind of authority on glossy stuff.

Very Disappointing
I just bought the 1280 and I am extremly disappointed. I had a Canon i9100 for a couple of weeks, but returned it because it didn't print 11x14 borderless prints. The Epson did, so I bought it. Upon comparing the Canon i9100 to the Epson 1280, there really is no comparison. The Canon has vivid, and true color, the Epson prints couldn't come close to the Canon prints no matter what I did. The Canon is lightning fast. Even at it's highest resolution settings. The Epson is painstakingly slow at any setting other than draft mode. I was really hoping the Epson would work out for me, but no such luck. I'm returning the Epson and re-purchasing the Canon i9100. I'll just have to print out at 11x17 and trim off three inches when I need 11x14 prints. The $100 price difference for the Canon is well worth it. ... Read more

Asin: B000059SJ8
Subjects:  1. Ink Jet Printers    2. Inkjet Printer (Ink Jet Printers, Printing)    3. Photo Printer (Photo Printing)