When looking for just the right software, and reading all the technical specs and reviews, we all have to wonder, "Why don't they tell me which software application is best?" "Which one by comparison is better than another?" The answer is complex and simple at the same time. The answer is really subjective. Oh, sure, there is software that's not worth the time to look at, but for the most part, each application has is good and it's not so good parts. Of course, that's also subjective. What I may think is not so good may be touted by the community as terrific and software that I think is terrific, may not rank in the top ten. That's where paying attention to software reviews comes in. Don't just skim over them. Read them.

I do a lot of software reviews and I use a lot of software. I judge software by what it claims to be able to do, ease of use, and the learning curve involved for me. If a particular application can live up to it's claims, it's specific function, and it's easy to use then it's good software. If it does more than the norm, it's even better software. And yes, sometimes as soon as I open an application I can be blown away by what I see. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. On those occasions, I try to make it very clear the very definite advantages of that particular piece of software. It would so easy to bias reviews, to only "talk up" the things that I think are fabulous. But that wouldn't be fair to you the reader or the software companies. Let's face it, there are thousands of terrific software applications available. For me as a reviewer, it would be very unfair to you to bias my reviews towards the software that "I" think is best. Of course if you need to have that "personal" opinion, I for one, am as close as an email. Unfortunately we can't afford to have all the great software, so we all have our personal preferences and my opinions have to be based on what works best for me. If you follow the guidelines at the bottom of this page, you should be able to pick which applications are best for you.

When we start to compare software, it becomes a totally subjective process. The way I use software may not be the same way you would use a particular piece of software. Our objectives may be different. User interfaces that are clear to me, may not be clear to everyone and vice versa. That's why we look at reviews. We need to see the user interface and we need to see what the software can do. Let's take some graphics software for an example. Professional Graphic Artists for the most part use Adobe PhotoShop. But we can't discount the value of CorelDraw 9, Paint Shop Pro, and other similar software. Although the price differences are major, I think it's all in what we are "accustomed" to and comfortable with. I for one love Paint Shop Pro and do the majority of my work in it and struggle with the complexity of Adobe PhotoShop. CorelDraw 9 is a fabulous piece of software, but my comfort zone keeps me with Paint Shop Pro although I still use the other software if I find I need something I can't get otherwise.

And, what about 3D software? There is tons of it out there. trueSpace, DeepPaint 3D, Amapi 3D, Cinema 4D, CyberMotion, Imagine, Organica, Bryce, and the list could go on and on. You will find diehard users of each of the different apps who will swear theirs is the best. And they are right. For each of them, their particular 3D application fits their needs, their uses, and their comfort zone. They understand their particular software application.

All of these things can be said of any grouping of software, such as word processing software, HTML editing software, java applications, and on and on.

So the question is, how do we decide which is the best application for us because what is great for me, may not be great for you. At this point there is no us. There is only you and me. I may be a fanatic about one piece of software in a group while you may think it's terrible.

How do we decide? We read all we can about an application before we do anything else. We start on the applications software site. We read reviews. We check system requirements. We visit Usenet groups and talk to others. And we always,  always, download the demo if one is available and check it out for ourselves to be sure it is something that we like before we ever decide whether we want to buy it. But it doesn't stop there. Before we spend our hard earned dollar, we check out the competition. We follow the same logic above, and then download the demo to try it out. Compare it to the one we think we want. And then, and only then do we part with our hard earned dollars.

So, "What's the value of a review then?", you ask. The value of reading reviews is that you get a look ahead at the interface most times, you get a look at some examples of what the software can do. You get an inside, impartial, objective view from someone who is not involved in selling the software. Most times you get technical information that helps you decide whether you can use the software on your particular machine and you find out if the software does what it claims it can. Most times, you can also find out if the software can do what you need it to do. After reading reviews, you can decide which software to demo saving you time and effort. Reviews point you to where you need to look.

The decision about what software to buy is a hard one especially when the software is expensive. Some software can cost as much as a used car. When you go to buy a used car, you check out all the possibilities. You don't just buy the first or even the second car you see. The same principle would apply to buying software. Read what the manufacturer has to say, read and hear what other people have to say, and most important of all, take it for a test drive.

Reviews are an important part of learning about particular applications and a good indicator of whether it can live up to it's claims. But, you and only you can decide whether it's the right application for you.

So I say, it would be presumptuous of me or any reviewer to tell you what application works best for you. It's not fair for me to compare competitive products and tell you which one is best for you because although many applications may do the same things, they may do it in different ways. And it's in those differences that we each become diehard brand name fanatics. It's what separates the Adobe PhotoShop fans, from the CorelDraw 9 and Paint Shop Pro fans, the Ford and the Chevrolet fans.

Here's a checklist for how to buy software:

1. Visit the developers site

2. Read their FAQs

3. Read their bug reports

4. Find out about their upgrade policy

5. Check to see if there is a newer version coming out in the near future and their upgrade policy for that

6. Don't be afraid to email the developer with questions

7. Keep track of how long it takes for a response from the developer to give you an idea of how support conscious they are

8. Check the system requirements (a very important first before you go to a lot of work)

9. Read all the reviews you can find (keeping in mind that each reviewer brings their own experiences to the software)

10. Check out competitive software

11. Download and take a test drive of all the applicable competitive software

12. Compare prices

13. Compare ease of use

14. Compare the learning curve for you

15. Check what other people have to say

16. Check to see if there is a Usenet group for the software and keep your eye on problems and advantages people who are using the software have to say.

A note about Usenet:

When following a Usenet group, keep in mind you will see good as well as bad postings. When you see those bad postings, keep in mind that each person uses different machines with different configurations. Each person has a different experience level. Be objective about what you are reading and don't dismiss a piece of software out of hand because there are bad postings. Analyze what you read.

Once you have done all that, then decide what software is best for you and buy it!

Happy software hunting!

Copyright Vikki Olds, All Rights Reserved