Creative Writer 2-

"Creative Writer" and "Creative Artist" from Microsoft have been best-selling products since 1993. I am usually rather ho-hum when it comes to upgrades. I don't like having to pay a company for fixing something that should have been fixed in the first place. This upgrade however is well worth the money. A significant amount of research has gone into this project and I believe it is worth switching from older versions. This new version of "Creative Writer" allows your child to create to his or her heart's content, but a few twists make this program extra special.

The slick new layout of "Creative Writer 2" makes it much more user-friendly. If you are not sure what something is, simply glide your cursor over the icon and a screen will pop up telling you what you are looking at. Gone is that little alien fellow from the last version who kept whisking you around Imaginopolis.....sorry; although it was a good program, my kids never warmed up to good 'ole McZee. The box says that this program is for ages eight and older. In my opinion it is better suited for kids eight to sixteen or so.

There are many features included here that you would expect. You can write stories, books, newsletters etc. by using any of the more than 30 fonts, 99 type sizes, colors, clip art, sound attachments and page layout features. It is a well packed program, but this isn't what really makes "Creative Writer 2" sparkle. For a real change, you can wrap words around clip art, change the shape of your text or add anything you create with the fully equipped paint program. If your youngsters are stuck for a story idea, the popular "splot machine" from the older version is included here. These are great story starters which are meant to help get the creative juices flowing. Projects such as cards, banners, flyers, letterhead, signs and tickets are only a few of the many things you and your children can create.

As I mentioned, the things I have already told you about are things you would probably expect from a good creativity program. The really exciting stuff comes when you hook into the Internet. "Creative Writer 2" allows your children to send their creations to anyone via e-mail. The person on the other end does not have to own "Creative Writer 2" to see their creations. The program takes care of all the details for you and creates a nice little package they can use on the other end. As if that were not exciting enough, Microsoft has included a Web Page design feature. Your family can create Web Pages using projects they create without going through the hassles of learning html code! Links to other pages they have created or to other Web addresses are easy to add. The online features they have added started giving me all sorts of exciting ideas. There are a few features here I plan to put to use myself shortly. In this regard, it could be construed as an adult program. It is definitely a "family" program. It is a program I feel you and your family will be pleased with. It is an upgrade worth the money. Don't forget to download the teachers activity guide from http://www.microsoft.com/k-12/

Grading:

Educational value- 3
Entertainment value- 4
Use of medium- 5
Dollar value- 3
Age- 8+

Buy Creative Writer 2 at Amazon!