The Bottom Line
The content of this program is much the same as Romaniello's book, Photoshop 7 Savvy. Unless you prefer reading on-screen or you really need the search and demo features, just get the book.
Pros
- Navigate in sequence or choose your own way
- Indexed and fully searchable
- Video content is clearly identified
Cons
- Primarily text-based (reading on screen)
- Videos don't add much to the book's value
- I wonder if Steve Romaniello smiles in real life?
Description
- Interactive training program on CD-ROM with a companion book by instructor Steve Romaniello.
- Narrated demonstration videos accompany many of the lessons; lessons with video are identified.
- Nine hands-on projects you can practice in a simulated Photoshop environment.
- Includes the book, Photoshop 7 Savvy. See below for a link to the book review.
- "Show me, try me, test me" feature lets you click through the projects with pointers to guide you.
- Content is indexed, fully searchable, and cross referenced.
- Search results provide icons for different types of content and links you right to it.
- Comprehensive coverage for beginning to intermediate Photoshop users.
- See my review of Photoshop 7 Savvy (link below) for an overview of the content and projects.
- For Windows 95 or above or Mac OS 9 or above. Requires Flash Player 6. 1024x768 screen resolution.
Guide Review - Photoshop 7 Learning Studio by Steve Romaniello
Photoshop 7 Learning Studio is basically Photoshop 7 Savvy, the book, put into a browser-based format with demonstrative videos, narration, and a search engine added. Steve Romaniello is a good writer, but doesn't seem to have much of a personality. After watching a few of the narration-only videos, I couldn't watch any more--he never smiled. The "hands-on" projects are presented in a simulated Photoshop workspace, which may inhibit the experimentation necessary for learning. They also seemed too long for the click-through approach and provided little satisfaction in completing the rigidly-guided projects. I think some people will learn from this, but there was not much added value over the book alone, and it may even inhibit learning.
