Microsoft Publisher 2002 [Old Version]

As you'd expect, Publisher 2002 fits in seamlessly with Office XP, so you'll find features such as XP style menus and the new Task Pane and AutoCorrect to name but a few. Word users will approve of the Import wizard, as you can load documents directly into Publisher and apply new fonts, styles, and color schemes at the click of a mouse button. A huge range of predefined templates are provided, and you now get an additional 15 design sets focusing on business stationary themes--just pick one from the Task Pane and it's loaded, ready for your master touch. Fill effects and background choices abound, and you decide how you want text to wrap around each object.

The Web page design tools are a mixed bag, as Publisher allows you to produce excellent results and export them directly into HTML format. However, a lack of control over the Web page naming convention used for multipage projects, and the fact that Netscape Navigator doesn't cope well with Publisher's proprietary XML-based code, won't impress professional designers. It's a pity that Adobe's PDF format isn't supported either. However, while these shortcomings may make Publisher 2002 less appealing to professionals, it offers the rest of us a flying start into the world of desktop publishing. --Dave Mitchell

Amazon.com Product Description
Microsoft Publisher 2002 provides tools to create professional and compelling marketing materials that will help you take your business further. With professional page layout and text tools, you can build a strong visual identity for your product or company. Use one of 15 new, refined master sets designed by leading design firms. Using font schemes, choose fonts that work well together. Customize with expert precision and control. With the measurement toolbar, achieve precise object positioning and advanced text treatment such as tracking, kerning, and scaling.

With Publisher 2002, you can easily update your Publisher-created Web pages. Simply open them in Publisher and make changes. Start from scratch with the Web site wizard, or auto convert an existing brochure or newsletter into a Web site. Send your Publisher file as a rich e-mail message so anyone can view it, or send a file as an attachment. You also have the ability to open basic Word files within Publisher while retaining their original formatting, then use the Task Pane options to further enhance your document. Apply color schemes, font schemes, layouts, and more. With Smart Tags, you can accomplish tasks on the fly. Create custom toolbars containing spell checking, thesaurus, print preview, headers and footers, and the picture toolbar.

I quickly became a Microsoft convert and now use the program for every concievable academic, personal and business need imaginable. How I survived for this long previously withhout the program is a medical mystery because I shake my head and cluck my toungue at those people who remain trapped in the past of desktop publishing.

While the formats of the pre-programed options are limited, your personal imagination is expansive, and a hallmark of Microsoft has been the software's inevitable flexbility towards the latter when it would have been easier for them (as many other companies in the early days of the computer revolution) to retain complete control over the program's capabilities and set definite paramaters. From custom projects to color schemes, the user can truly make it "their" publisher.

My only main gripe is that it does not seem to come bundled with many current windows systems.


Publish This: ONE OF THE BEST   April 8, 2003
 15 out of 16 found this review helpful

Microsoft Publisher has always been one of my favorite programs. Although with upgrades it is now left out of some OFFICE suites, it deserves to be there alongside WORD, EXCEL and POWERPOINT as it is one of the best programs Microsoft has come up with.

Printing brochures,cards, newsletters, etc. as well as importing clip art into documents is simple enough for the novice user; sophisticated enough for any home office or small business.

Everything is straight forward and if you have ever used any of the Office Suite products, then this just follows the norm so you won't be spending any time reading the instructions: you can start creating as soon as you've loaded the program onto your system.


Better off sticking with Microsoft Publishing 2000   February 13, 2003
 36 out of 41 found this review helpful

I own Microsoft Publishing 2000, which I bought several years ago for just [$$$], of which I have always had success. A couple months ago, I bought Microsoft Publisher for [$$$], thinking it would be more improved, up-to-date, and that it would have the same features as Microsoft Publishing 2000, with more. I was wrong.
Microsoft Publishing 2000 had everything: thousands of great ClipArt pictures built-in. Microsoft Publisher had the scantiest selection of ClipArt I have ever seen. I thought to myself, OK, I paid about [$$$] for this program and it can't even offer me good ClipArt? Also, after many tries, I couldn't (and still can't) find how to insert text without outlining it with a visible box, that shows up even when printing. There were many other things that are too numerous to outline here. My point is, if you already have Microsoft Publishing 2000, stick with it, and even if you don't and are considering buying Microsoft Publisher, pay about [$$$] cheaper and get an easier-to-use, amateur-friendly program that makes things simple - Microsoft Publishing 2000.

-AG


Microsoft Publisher 2002   December 7, 2002
 13 out of 16 found this review helpful

Microsoft has released another new version of Publisher. This program is excellent for those who do not have much knowledge of html or who want to work within preset templates. If you need it done fast and are satisfied with using pre-designed templates where you simply enter your specific data, this is a program you will want to invest in.

If you are the type of person who prefers to create your own web site from scratch or even design your own newsletter from scratch this program is not for you. In working with it I found that it takes more than the common knowledge that many of us have to work within the pre-designed template and still add some of your own coding.

"Since you are limited to templates, there is little that you can do to change the look of the project unless you create your own template," according to Jerry Stanley, Compute! Technician. "So for those who have already made their own template, Publisher can be a great timesaver."
The first project that I tried with Publisher was recreating my website. I already had most of the site done and only wanted a program to simplify changes and make it more professional looking.

To begin the project, I wanted to add additional bullets on the left hand side of the web page I was designing. I tried to write my own code as well as copy and paste Microsoft's code. I was not successful using either technique. I ended up with a second bullet that was actually linked to the same data as the original instead of getting another instance of the bullet. Changing the heading of this bullet also changed the heading of the original bullet.
"Although there is an option available to enter custom code into a project, there isn't an intuitive interface for determining the location of the code," Stanley advised. "Most other HTML editors have a code view as well as a preview view which would let one know where the new code would be placed."
In the end when I simply used what was available and didn't try to add anything that wasn't already part of the program, I was able to create a project that had a very professional look and feel to it in a very short amount of time.


I love this product   October 11, 2002
 18 out of 24 found this review helpful

I put together a newsletter for a nonprofit parent education school. Publisher is so easy to use it makes my job a breeze! I love the fact that I can just cut an article for Microsoft Word and paste it into my publication. It's very user friendly. I highly recommend it!