Return To Summer 1996 Index
Return To Summer 1996 Index
Things have certainly moved on in the ever-changing world of information technology. Today's sophisticated software can achieve tasks almost unimaginable ten or fifteen years ago. So it comes as no surprise that with the advent of Windows 95, a new generation of so-called 32 bit applications is now hitting the streets.
These high powered applications also require some seriously hefty hardware, often to a specification, that only a year ago would have been prohibitively expensive. This month we look at one such program, Corel Corporation's CorelDRAW! version 6
CorelDRAW! version 6 is not merely an excellent drawing program, but also comes bundled with a photograph editing program, animations creator and a program designed for presentations, similar to Microsoft's Powerpoint. It also features a very interesting three dimensional drawing program called CorelDREAM 3D.
CorelDRAW! is a massive bundle comprising of four CD ROMs, a fairly thick manual, and a book showing its vast array of bundled clipart - drawings which you can edit and drop into in your own work. There are also loads of fonts - styles of print which you can use with CorelDRAW! and virtually any other Windows program.
The setup is automatic. Simply slam compact disc 1 into your CD ROM drive and Windows 95 runs the set up program for you. It asks you a few daft questions, and five minutes later, you're ready to rock and roll!
Seasoned Windows 95 users can dive straight in - producing high quality colour drawings quickly and easily. For less experienced users, the on-screen help feature is superb. This is just as well, because the manual is not very comprehensive, and CorelDRAW! 6 certainly has lots of whistles and bells to play with.
As part of the package, you get CorelPAINT! a, program that allows you to touch up scanned photographs. To make full use of this you will need access to a colour scanner. Its vast array of tools generally work well, but you need a decent mouse or trackerball to use them
For example, the airbrush feels remarkably like the real thing, so long as you remove the biscuit crumbs from your mouse first!
However, compared with the latest, Windows 95 version of Adobe Photoshop, generally considered by those-in-the-know to be the Rolls Royce of photograph editing software, we found CorelPAINT! a bit lacking.
The main part of the package, CorelDRAW! itself has lots of features but is tediously slow, even on a big 486 packed with 24 megabytes of RAM. In fact, its speed is reminiscent of the bad old days of running Corel version 3 on a 386 PC.
If you are a graphics fanatic, then you will need to team CorelDRAW with at least a decent 486 PC, or preferably a Pentium. You will need to be running Windows 95, and have at least 185 megabytes of free hard disk space, for a full installation. You PC will also need at least 16MB RAM, and a decent monitor and graphics card.
You can run also CorelDRAW! directly from CD ROM, but this option still requires a staggering 30MB of run-time files on your hard disk, and, unless you have a very fast CD ROM drive, its performance is slow.
In conclusion, Corel has bolted together lots of good quality software, in a very comprehensive bundle. However, the serious professional would argue that there are a number of dedicated standalone packages that do a better job.
Tip: If you are considering buying a graphics package, insist on playing with the program prior to purchase. Comparison of the features offered by various graphic packages is often an issue of personal tastes and preferences - and you don't want to spent money on a package you don't like..
You should also consider a reasonable quality colour inkjet printer, if you want to show off your masterpieces to full effect. The complete Corel package currently retails in the UK at about £400.00
. For more info... http://www.corel.com
