Microsoft Visio Standard 2002

A wealth of new features awaits, with Office XP integration high on the agenda. True, Visio always worked well with Office, but now you'll find XP menus, a new task pane, Auto-Recover, Office Search, and application error reporting added to the list. Note that it also uses Microsoft's new XP registration feature and will stop working after 10 goes if you haven't entered an activation code.

A Drawing Type Selector gets you off the starting block and lets you choose diagram styles ranging from building plans, Web site diagrams, and process engineering to databases, flow charts, and physical or logical network maps. Organizational charts are much improved and a wizard helps to create new charts or import existing information from TXT and XLS formats or ODBC-compliant data sources. The curved-wall tool makes creating building layouts more fun, and you can import and export drawings in standard CAD file formats. Pictures can also be imported directly from a scanner or camera.

If you're serious about your charts and diagrams, then Visio 2002 Standard has everything you could possibly need, while the new interface makes it even easier to use. --Dave Mitchell

Amazon.com Product Description
Microsoft Visio Standard 2002 creates visual diagrams for the knowledge worker in a concise, memorable, and universal manner. It allows the user to create a wide range of diagrams, including flow charts, timelines, calendars, organizational charts, block diagrams, sales and marketing visuals, and basic office layouts. This version of Visio features an improved interface to make it more Office-like.

Importing Visio diagrams into Word and PowerPoint and exporting Excel, Word, and PowerPoint data has also been improved. Other new features streamline the process of rolling out and maintaining Visio 2002 across an organization. The program offers improved property reporting, more powerful search capabilities, and a streamlined work environment. Developers gain greater flexibility in creating custom Visio applications through support for COM add-ins, a new XML file format, and more than 90 new automation methods.

So yes. Power users, maybe spend the money on Visio; "regular" people, download OpenOffice.org and try those connector lines and the gallery where you can put all the existing shapes you need.


Look at OpenOffice.org draw features before buying   January 26, 2003
13 out of 15 found this review helpful

I've been fiddling with the OpenOffice.org and StarOffice features for a while, then took a look at the Draw program. I was blown away. It's like a mini Visio Elements -- it's got the connector lines you need and really good control over positioning, plus it's got a gallery where you can store prefab shapes.

Seriously, download OpenOffice.org if you're not a huge Visio power user. You'll be really surprised and impressed, and of course OpenOffice.org is free, so that helps.


For most, PowerPoint will suffice   January 24, 2003
Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

No doubt, Visio is a powerful program. But I'm here to advocate a different approach to diagramming. With the release of Office XP, Microsoft has made PowerPoint so intuitive, precise and powerful that - for the vast majority of us - Visio is overkill.

I do lots of business flow-like diagrams. I've worked with Visio in the past, but I feel like the following method works far better for me:

1) Start by building a rudimentary version of what you want in PowerPoint. True, PowerPoint doesn't give you the snap-and-lock type features that are at the core of Visio...but you can closely approximate it with various easy-to-learn techniques. The best thing about PowerPoint is that every action is completely intuitive. I've been able to build some pretty complex things without once looking at online help.

2) Now, once your rudimentary version is in place, you can go back through and punch things up with appropriate graphics. Microsoft provides a great online tool for this purpose called "Design Gallery Live." You have access to it as part of your Office XP purchase. Say that at a certain place, your diagram calls for a picture of a CPU. Bring up Design Gallery Live through the "Clips Online" option of PowerPoint and put 'CPU' in as the search term and, voila, there are four pages of images for you to choose from.

3) You can go beyond Design Gallery Live with the help of Google. Their (relatively) new Image search feature is a boon for anyone putting together a presentation. The other day, I needed a generic image of an ATM. I put "Automated Teller Machine" in as a search term for a Google Image search and got nine pages of images back.

4) Back in PowerPoint, once you drop these images into place, you can double-click on them & go to the 'Size' panel of the 'Format Picture' dialogue box. Play with Height & Width parameters to get to proper scaling for each of the images you've selected (keep the ratios equal, though).

5) You can use the various 'Alignment' options (available through the Drawing menu at the left-hand corner of your screen) to line up the various objects as you see appropriate.

I suggest you give this approach a try as well before committing extra money to buy Visio. You'll be surprised at how powerful Powerpoint has become & how you can assemble professional, eye-catching presentations in a very short period of time.