MS Expression

[SCync]

MS has gone back to calling Expression, Expression! The code name,Acrylic, lasted for one beta release. Anyway, the point is, if you haven't had a look at this product, for a while, take a peek. The latest release (Jan 06) has added a lot of small things, that make it a well balanced vector/raster app. I've been messing with it for the past few days, and I like what I see. The UI initially is a bit a a complicated mess, but becomes comfortable, very quickly, once you drone some shortcut into your melon. I'll post a couple of things in the next day or two.

At this point it's still a free download. Unfortunately, it PC only.

If it's of any interest, have a boo here, (and there are some fairly good introductory videos)
http://www.microsoft.com/products/ex...r/default.aspx

[gare]

Hi, SCync--

Actually, Expression is now called Expression Graphic Designer; Expression has been adopted by Mother MS as an umbrella for the whole suite: Sparkle (the Flash condendor), et al.

I'm with you on the Win-only issue; fortunately, with the new Apple OS for the MacIntel chip--and the hacks to get the Apple OS to run on a PC, pretty soon the point will be moot about OSes. I'm twirked that MS took out the Adobe plug-in feature in the January Community Technology Preview ("beta" in other words 8}).

But with the additional capabilities now, Graphic Designer seems destined to become the Corel Painter of vector apps; it won't replace Xara or Illustrator, but instead makes a welcome companion. I played between vector and bitmap mode a little here--I really like the capability to define vector patterns.

My Best,

Gare