You have one piece of software for editing photos, another for desktop publishing and a final one for putting together simple presentations.

We've always thought it'd be nice if somebody could launch one package capable of doing the lot. Print Shop Deluxe claims to be that piece of software.

Produced by Broderbund and distributed in the UK by Mindscape, Print Shop Deluxe is a compendium of integrated programs to help you to produce presentations, videos, photos and stationery of all kinds.

The fact it queries you at several stages may indicate it's targeted at the novice market.

The software comes on two CD-Roms and includes a further two discs of artwork and other resources. After a protracted installation procedure, you are the new owner of a whopping 280,000 'Premium' images and 14,500 Project Templates.

An intrusive registration box that only accepts American users must be filled out to access certain features. Those on this side of the Atlantic must submit to the indignity of making up a false address to get to bits of the package.

The Media Manager feature is a reasonable tool for organising images and sound clips. It absorbs any images on your hard disks into the catalogue and any subsequent images that you put on the computer will be added too.

The tools supplied for photo editing are reasonably powerful. It's no substitute for a serious package but for simple improvement of holiday snaps, it is adequate.

The projects on offer are for greetings cards, newsletters, calendars, labels and so on, which you can produce either from existing templates or from your own designs.

It's all very basic and will be well-liked by youngsters, but for everyone else it will be a little too simple.

This program is a curate's egg: some parts - Media Manager and the photo editing facilities - being better than the rest, including awkward navigation.

On balance, there are better solutions around.

DETAILS

Price: £30
Contact: Mindscape 01293 651335
www.mindscape.co.uk