Improved interface, object and layer handling, plus integrated 3D painting add greatly to power, usability and value

Microsoft prepares to march into Adobe territory with its forthcoming suite of graphics and web development software.

Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value.

Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value.

Modern and efficient conversion to WMV with ahead-of-the-curve Silverlight capabilities

A shift of focus to advanced CSS and JavaScript handling, but Dreamweaver is beginning to look old-fashioned

What makes PDF (Portable Document Format) unique is that it can provide an exact electronic replica of any document from any application on all major platforms, including all text, graphics and fonts. It’s an amazingly flexible format with a myriad of uses ranging from electronic manuals and e-books, through secure document exchange and archiving, to multimedia presentation and high-end commercial print.

Revolutionary approach to modern web design that removes the pain from CSS-based theme designing.

Microsoft finally recognises that web authoring needs a standards-compliant tool, albeit on its own terms.

PowerPoint’s ease of use, The efficient web delivery of Flash, and a truly professional player.

Four powerful and long-serving Photoshop plug-ins at a cut-down price.

With Flash media handling and integration with Acrobat.com the Acrobat platform embraces the Internet – at last

Modern photo management software that offers surprising power, especially considering it’s free.

QuarkXPress defines and dominates high-end publishing in much the same way as Adobe Photoshop does photo editing.

New effects enable richer design results, while a host of other improvements boost productivity.

When you think of photo editing, the chances are you think of Adobe Photoshop. However, the majority of non-professional users don't need Photoshop's high-end power and can't justify its cost. That's where Paint Shop Pro (PSP) comes in. Its low price is definitely its initial attraction, but that has never stopped it aiming high. At times, as with version 6's introduction of vector layers, it has even left Photoshop trailing behind. However, version 7's minor fiddling was a serious letdown and as time passed, it began to look as if PSP had run out of steam. Version 8, though, shows this isn't the case.You begin to realise how fundamental the overhaul has been as soon as you load the application.

With advanced packages such as the latest Photoshop (to be reviewed next month) Adobe is the leading software developer when it comes to traditional graphic design...

Improved interface and drawing capabilities, new photo matching and hand-drawn effects – and it’s still free