Iscrapbook

The software deserves five stars but their customer service is zero stars. That's why I gave an overall rating of three stars.

I bought iScrapbook at a retail store and discovered it is version 1. The developer's Web site says I'm eligible for a free upgrade to version 2 so I didn't return the unopened box to the store. I submitted the upgrade request and their site said it would take 3 to 5 business days to get the upgrade code. It has been three weeks and no response. I have submitted multiple questions using their online question form and resubmitted the upgrade request with no response. There is no contact phone number provided. There appears to no customer service at all. I'll be forced to pay for the upgrade to version 2 because I used version 2 for my project in anticipation of receiving the promised free upgrade.

Do not buy a version 1 box in hopes of getting a free version 2 upgrade. You won't get any response from the developer. Their customer-service question form appears to be a hoax.

In April 2008, I bought iScrapbook v.1 and found it to be refreshingly user-friendly and intuitive, compared to more complicated Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. I consider myself pretty computer-savvy and like that I can create a very professional and beautiful page without having to think too hard about it while I'm doing it. Yes, the available backgrounds and elements are somewhat basic, however with all of the free digital downloadable kits on the internet, you can easily add to your collection of backgrounds and elements, so the possibilities are truly endless for what you can make. I suggest googling "digital scrapbooking free downloads" and you will see a wealth of sites you can join, making you eligible to download the freebies. On the downside: I do occasionally have trouble opening the software: it ends abruptly and then I Just have to open it up again and then it's fine. The newer version supposedly fixed that bug but frankly I'm afraid to upgrade after reading the other reviews. I too had painfully slow or no response from iChronos Support. Another problem is that sometimes after creating, naming and saving a page, when I open the program later the page that I named and saved is now blank, which shocked and scared me at first until I realized that the page I had created is actually still there, just without a name, so I have to rename it. I suggest saving every page you create as both a jpg file and as an iScrapbook file, just to ensure you will never lose anything. I also suggest buying a large (16 GB) flash drive to back up your finished pages. Everything I do is digital now, and I can even view the finished pages on my TV. I love this software so much; it has truly changed my life. I no longer go for days or weeks without getting time/space to "scrap"; I can easily start and finish a page in minutes. There are no pieces of clutter laying around for my kid or cat to mess up. Everything is in my laptop now and I love that I can even scrapbook on car trips. I could go on and on. I think you get the hint that I'm truly addicted. I also am thrilled that iScrapbook has enabled me to go "green" with my favorite hobby. I no longer print out my pages since I can view them on my laptop or TV quickly and easily, and I'm saving money on paper, ink, etc. I like being able to email the jpgs to friends and family, and the fact that I no longer spend fortunes on the old-fashioned scrapbooking "stuff". I have volumes of the old-fashioned scrapbooks and can honestly say that you can create almost every effect digitally. I am always learning something new from the professional digital designers out there on the Web, so it never gets old for me. I hope this review helps those of you who may have gotten turned off by the other reviews. iScrapbook has taken me to a new level in this hobby and despite the support issues, they deserve some credit for a terrific product. Thanks!

I had high hopes for this software, and version 1.0 was okay, but this version is atrocious. Making the situation even worse is that customer support from Chronos Software is so unbelievably bad, I almost wish I could give this product negative stars.

Font controls are positively medieval. Rather than being geared for decorative titles, they are more fitting for Microsoft Word for Windows 95. The shapes tool is just as dated.

Version 1.0 made it easy to use artwork with the application. With this version, however, Chronos opened its own artwork store online and made it very difficult to use artwork from other sources. You can't import other scrapbook assets (such as other papers, or embellishments) from outside of iScrapbook, which means items you use frequently, like a brad or ribbon, must be dragged and dropped every time you use it.

It would be better to save your money and spend $70 for Photoshop Elements. There is much more flexibility with layouts. Most importantly, when most of the digital scrapbook community isn't using iScrapbook's proprietary kits, it seems silly to limit yourself by using this application.

Finally, the most frustrating part of using this application is the software support. I have sent emails, posted messages on their corporate message board, all to no avail. I can see there are staff members reading the message board, but they almost never reply to questions. Considering the software manual has very little information, basic inquiries should get some sort of response. A question such as, "How do I use this scrap kit I just purchased?" should merit a quick tutorial somewhere on their site.

I buy a lot of software for a lot of different uses and this is, without a doubt, the most disappointing purchase I've made in a very long time.