March 3, 2005

Greeting Cards for Dummies (**** out of four) is a straightforward program for making greeting cards, invitations and announcements easily and quickly--but there are also plenty of options for making cards that are as customized and creative as your time and ability allow.

The program includes an extensive list of types of cards, categorized by type, and within each type, there’s a wide selection of images and sentiments. Additional images and clipart are available on the same disk, all categorized by type.

If you want to simply make a card quickly and easily, just click on the type of card and then select the one with the image and sentiment you want from the display on screen. If you take the time to enter your personal information first, the program even inserts your name in the appropriate place. Then print your card or send it via email. That easy. You can also create a contact list and use it for sending multiple cards, invitations, announcements and the like.

But there’s much more to the program. You can personalize any card, change the image, import a new image, photo or icon , change the message (and the font, color, size and alignment used for the text), also easily and quickly. The tools for making all these changes are a click away. If you need more help, there’s a comprehensive online manual and also an included 116-page printed manual that includes party tips.

If you want to use some of the more advanced features, you’ll find many available here. You can make extensive changes to images by using the tools that allow you to rotate or change the size, shape and color of any image except clipart; also insert lines, frames, or objects, create and add layers, and much more. One feature we especially liked is the ability to lock any layer--so you can avoid deleting or changing all the layers when you really only wanted to change just the second or third one (the program has a good explanation and makes it easy to use layers). You can unlock any layer whenever you want. Create your own templates from scratch or use the included Wizard to walk you through the process. Combine all these features with the extensive collection of included images and clipart, and there’s no limit to what you can create.

Use this program for cards that are simple and easy or complex and creative—the tools are there for either type.

If you can’t get enough fishing, no matter what the season, In-Fisherman: Freshwater Trophies (**** out of four) is a great fun fishing program for you or anyone. You begin by setting up a profile for yourself. Choose an on-screen avatar (ladies are included) and a name. For some practice fishing, try a Fishing Trip, with just you and the fish. You can choose the lake from 10 available, such as Lake of the Woods, MN, Lake Okeechobee, FL, Lake St. Claire, MI, Lake Champlain, NY and others. Then select the time of year: spring, summer or fall (sorry, no winter or ice fishing offered). Next choose weather: rainy, foggy, clear. Finally, choose water clarity and select a choice of two styles of boat in any of four colors. Then off you go. Control boat direction and speed with the cursor keys, but if you’re in a hurry you can call up the map and click where you want to go--and presto, you’re there.

Open your tackle box to get the desired rod, reel, line and that all-important lure (70 fully rendered lures, including live bait, are available). Turn on the sonar and watch for fish. None here? Move the boat over to the cove. Cast out and reel your line in. How you control the rod and reel depends on several choices of speed, drag and lure. Fishing teaches patience, and you need it with this program. Keep trying and sooner or later you’ll reel in a fish without having it get away, break your line and so on. If you’re still fish-less, a special Tips section from the editors of In-Fisherman magazine offers pages and pages of fish-specific advice on locations, lures, rod and reel handling and more.

After some practice on the fishing trips, you’re ready for Tournaments. These differ from the casual trips because you’re fishing against the computer (or other players if in multiplayer mode) for a specific species of fish--and there’s a time limit: one day, two days and so forth. To earn high marks and money you need the big fishes. String together a series of successful tournaments, and you get to fish in the In-Fisherman Freshwater Trophies Championship.

The graphics are very good both in and out of the water. It’s fun and frustrating watching those fish ignore your lure. Especially cool is the change in daylight as you go from early AM through the day. Rod and reel control are very straight forward--just point to where you want to cast and cast. The finesse and practice comes with how you handle the reel-in technique and set your hook. Good fun for everyone (except the fish).

From Bold Games, Windows Me/2000/XP with Pentium III, street $18.

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