Photo Explosion 4.0

I've spent an hour trying to do something as simple as draw a circle on a photo. The manual says to insert one using the "Insert Menu", but that menu is not to be found. Help does not mention it, nor does the manual index say where it is. I'm new to this application, but I should be able to find answers using the help menu and the manual. Nova's web site has no help feature. In fact, much of the site is not working. The "Learning Center" tab instead goes to an application to join the "User Community". The "User Community" tab goes to "Product Updates", and the "Product Support" tab goes to "Page not found". What a joke. The site promises a 90-day "satisfaction guarantee or your money back", but no supporting info, no way to actually use the "guarantee". Don't waste your time with this product or this company.

using the manual to just figure out how to crop. Still haven't found templates or some other items. Definitely not for the beginner

This is a very good Photo Editing program. It replaced a 10+ year old Adobe PhotoDeluxe program I couldn`t load to Windows 7. ( PhotoDeluxe is an early version of Photoshop) I did have a free trial version of Adobe Photoshop 8 Elements with my new computer running Windows 7 and the Photo Explosion is very similar in layout and function. In fact, I found some Adobe 8 Photoshop Elements books at my local library and used them in addition to the Explosion manual. It's basically the same thing. The 392 page Manual covers all the features. I only needed to refer to the Editing portion of the Manual which is less than 1/3rd of the book. For more detail you should use the Software Manual. (Or check your local Library as mentioned earlier) There are a few more steps than I was used to with my old Adobe program. Many tools and functions were the same so at least I had a general idea of how things work.

I purchased Photo Explosion exclusively for editing photos, I don't use the Album, Organizing, or Projects features. The tools I use the most are all there, The basic Color, Exposure, Brightness, Contrast... image adjustments. Straightening crooked photos , Cropping, Cloning, Smudge, Perspective adjusting. (straightening the sides of buildings taken at low camera angles) There is a simplified Quick Fix option for basic editing. (You can also edit photos in the Photo Album so there is some redundancy) And if needed, there is a handy a step by step on screen guide which can be brought out on the Left Side of the workspace or hidden for more editing room. The only complaint I have is that some of the advanced editing features require way too many steps. (Like Faking a Suntan) Adobe excels in this area with fewer steps to do the same thing. Not a big deal since I mainly use Photo Explosion for the reasons I listed earlier. Those require the same steps as Adobe's. The much less expensive Photo Explosion is certainly a better deal than the pricier Adobe Elements.

This is very hard to get the hang of compared to programs I have had in the past.

This photo editing software is SO complicated! It has a HUGE user manual! I bought it because I wanted something quick and easy.. This is NOT! If you are an advanced editor, then this would probably be great for you.. but beginners.. I feel like I have wasted my money!