Evaluating Software – a painful process!

I’m sorry, but I view evaluating software as just as much fun as having a root canal. There are people in the world that love to evaluate software – I’m just not one of them. I just have a job that I want to get done and I need some software to help me out. I would prefer that someone just find the perfect package for me, but I’m too picky to rely on someone else!

So here was my most recent challenge. Graphics generation is something that I have always struggled with. I really need Adobe Illustrator, but just can’t find it in me to pay such an exorbitant price for that software! So I recently embarked upon an evaluation of other options. It actually didn’t take me that long. My friend who loves to evaluate software taught me how to search using the term “alternative”. Putting the string “Adobe Illustrator Alternative” into Google netted some interesting results included in the binder below:

If you just want to cut to the chase, Xara was my hands-down favorite for price/performance.

The binder worked great for this process though. Like most people, I asked everyone I knew which graphics package I should use. When they suggested one I had already eliminated, it was great to use the binder to remember why I had eliminated that selection. I think I will keep this binder around just in case I ever revisit this decision!