The Hoc 100 - Buyers Guide

Home Office Computing, Dec, 2000

... Image Editing Software

Gold: Micrografx Picture Publisher 8

($50; 888-744-1210, www.micrografx.com)

Picture Publisher walked away with an HOC Value medal in April's Buyer's Guide because it offers advanced image editing and Web design, plus loads of extra fonts, photos, and clip art for a low, low price. It snags the top spot here for the same reason: You get professional results for practically pennies.

Silver: Adobe Photoshop 5.5

($609; 800-833-6687, www.adobe.com)

The granddaddy, the king, the Everest of image editors, Photoshop can't be beat when it comes to versatility, capability, and ubiquity. Version 5.5's state-of-the-artist features include instant contact sheets and Web graphics optimization.

Bronze: Corel Photo-Paint Digital Camera Edition g

($79; 613-728-0826, www.corel.com)

Another inexpensive but robust choice, this value version of Corel's Photo-Paint is anything but "lite"--it packs top-of-the-line features into a remarkably uncluttered interface. Of course, you'll also get Corel's trademark cornucopia of extra utilities, clip art, and fonts.

... Desktop Publishing

Gold: Microsoft Publisher 2000 Deluxe

($129; 800-426-400, www.microsoft.com/publisher)

Microsoft Publisher's hand-holding wizards are as simple as any greeting card or banner printing program's--but its Web support, tables, and process color separations are thoroughly professional. It's a bargain bundle with amazing range and depth for users of every level.

Silver: Adobe PageMaker 6.5 Plus

($499; 888-724-4508, www.adobe.com)

Marketing-wise, it's been demoted from publishers' studios to the mainstream business market. Their loss, your gain: PageMaker remains a superb choice for everything from newsletters to book-length documents, and comes with everything from Photoshop LE to a library of templates and photos.

Bronze: Adobe InDesign 1.5

($699; 888-724-4508, www.adobe.com)

InDesign isn't the least expensive DTP solution, and it isn't the industry standard. What it is is the best professional publishing package available. Users switching from QuarkXPress will adore InDesign's superior Web features, and everyone will enjoy its sophisticated page assembly and first-rate drawing tools.

... Web Publishing

Gold: Macromedia Dreamweaver 3/ Fireworks 3 Studio

($399; 800-457-1774, www.macromedia.com)

From Web author to Webmaster: Drag-and-drop design windows plus handy object and history/undo palettes make this deluxe HTML- and image-editor bundle a top choice for creative control freaks.

Silver: Trellix Web

(Free with Web hosting deals, $69 for "post anywhere" version; 978-318-7200, www.trellix.com)

It doesn't get any easier than this: Trellix Web's point-and-click templates and drop-in add-ons (from maps to animations) let beginners make cool sites, not cookie-cutter or "canned" ones.

Bronze: Microsoft FrontPage 2000

($149; 800-426-9400, www.microsoft.com/frontpage)

Last year's Gold winner remains the de facto standard combination of powerful design tools, hand-holding wizards, and great Office integration.