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Easy CD Creator 4 Deluxe
by By Jerry Kamen, February 2000 Sarasota PC Monitor, Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. http://www.spcug.org/ - April 20, 2000 at 18:23:40:
The latest and most popular device for computers is the CD-RW drive. Similar to a CD-ROM drive (for which it can alternately be used), it will accept a blank CD onto which you can transfer any kind of files you can load onto a computer. These could include:• Data files you are backing up.
• Image files of your many digital photos.
• Digital videos you have taken, or other .mpg files.
• MP3 music files
• Duplicates of any of your CDs.
The CDs themselves come in two varieties: A CD-R that you can create permanently one time and that cannot be altered. Second, a CD-RW (rewritable) whose contents you can modify, alter, delete, etc., the same as a floppy disk. Unlike a floppy disk of 1.44 MB capacity, or a ZIP disk of 100Mb, a CD can hold 650MB of data.
If you are going to make or duplicate your own CDs, you need more than a CD-RW drive. You also need a good software program that will do the job. Without question, it is universally recognized that Easy CD Creator 4 Deluxe, the latest version of this outstanding software, is the software you need to be using. In fact, when you open the box containing your new CD-RW drive, you will more than likely find a condensed version of this program. It is the most widely used and accepted software of its kind. Chances are, once you use it, you will go out and get the Deluxe Version 4 that has all the bells and whistles. If you are using an earlier or standard version of Easy CD Creator, you will surely want all the additions in the Deluxe Version 4.
After a simple installation that proceeds by itself, when you open Easy CD Creator you will be greeted by 5 buttons:
• Audio—A wizard will take you through the steps to create your own music audio CD.
• Data—For storing, sharing or backing up your data files.
• CD Copier— A one-button step that will duplicate the contents of a CD onto your blank.
• Jewel Case Creator—Create beautiful custom jewel case covers, inserts, and CD labels.
• Photo & Video—The tools to enhance and add effects to digital photos and videos. Create dynamic CD post cards and video photo albums to share with your friends and family.
Each of these features contains numerous enhancements and provides the capabilities to insert your own special effects. Take the CD Spin Doctor feature, for example. It not only allows you to transfer audio from an LP recording, using Easy CD Creator’s Sound Editor, you can also clean up scratchy sound and distortions, filter unwanted noise, and morph special effects like change the pitch or gender of a voice, or creating concert hall quality by adding reverb and converting monaural sound to video. You can essentially do to sound what Photoshop can do to photographs. And what makes it all so special is not only the things that Easy CD Creator will do, but how very simple it is to do them.
Easy CD Creator allows you to gather your photos into photo albums. You can then create a self-running slide show of photo or image files from your albums and distribute the CD to your favorite recipient. In the least, your photos will be archived on to a CD for organization and preservation.
Easy CD Creator will also allow you to create a Web Album that will allow anyone with a browser the capability of viewing the photo album on your CD.
Along similar lines, if you are into video, Easy CD Creator can create a video postcard that lets you store video clips and personalized text on a CD. CDs are particularly well suited for storing .mpg files because of their very large size.
Whatever you are trying to do with Easy CD Creator, you would find it extremely difficult to stumble. Almost every step of your operation in clearly marked, and each procedure is boiled down to its lowest common denominator. Wizards that guide you, step by step, are ever present. It would certainly be nice if all software were as easy to use as this one.
Creating or copying a data CD is the heart of what Easy CD Creator is all about. Slip a CD you want to copy into your CD-ROM drive. Place a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc in your CD-RW drive. Click on one button, and Easy CD Creator will create a duplicate of your original CD. Easy CD Creator’s Direct CD feature will also copy files on to your CD from any source as easily as you `Save-As command, your Windows explorer Drag And Drop or send to commands, or your MS-DOS command line from within Windows to transfer data to a CD.
I would greatly recommend purchasing the Deluxe over the Standard version of Easy CD Creator. I would also urge you to upgrade if you have an earlier version. The latest, 4.0 Deluxe contains so many more embellishments over the others that it is certainly the one to have. And if you have a CD-R or CD-RW drive, you need this program!
Included with the software is an excellent, easy to follow comprehensive manual, a CD labeling device and kit, a copy of both MGI VideoWave II, and PhotoSuite II, free authorized MP3 songs, cable to connect your stereo to your computer, and a $20 rebate certificate.
The software is published by Adaptec, Inc., in Milpitas, California. Adaptec is well known also for a variety of high quality of computer hardware accessories. www.adaptec.com. You will find the software at a street price of around $80. :
Copyright 2000.
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