Existing users, 
 Finale NotePad 2007 - 12.0.r1basic music notation software |
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Feedback Summary:
| Version 12.0.r1: | |||||
| Overall Rating: |   (3.6) |
Features: | (3.2) |
Support: | (4.5) |
| Ease of Use: | (4.8) |
Quality / Stability: | (4.8) |
Price: | (5.0) |
Key to Types of Feedback:
Reviews 
Troubleshooting 
Usage Tips 
Developer Notes 
Commentary 
Featured Reviews
Don't bother - Version: 12.0.r1, 10/20/2007 12:08PM PST
(0 of 1 users found this comment useful)
samext
After a roundabout registration process, entering data about myself and all that at the Finale website, I was finally privilaged to download NotePad just to try it out and find out in fact if it would do anything like I was hoping--I was looking for something that could import a MIDI file, perhaps even be able to save in other formats, eg .ly. But at least import a file. After all the sign-up-rigmarole I got my precious serial number, agreed to let it install itself anywhere it saw fit to (without my being able to select an install location). I launched it and, lo and behold, it doesn't do much. I guess one can pointy and clicky to enter notes. Not much more---except that it very sucessfully gathers information from people. For that reason my review is not of the software---I am about to trash it actually, so I haven't honestly used it--rather it's a review of Finale. 0 stars. I'll go back to playing with LilyPond, Guido, etc.
Does what it says, but problems registering - Version: 12.0.r1, 5/7/2007 12:23PM PST
(1 of 2 users found this comment useful)
coach_wade
I can't complain about the price of free software, but one thing that really gets on my nerves is the registration process to download the program. Unlike most of the other developers here on Versiontracker, Coda software requires you to enter your email address and select a bunch of topics you are interested in before they allow you to download the software. There is NO available link where you can opt-out of any mailings on the survey-selected topics.
Frankly, I'm on enough mailing lists from people in Nigeria that want to send me a million dollars for helping them get some dead tycoon's fortune out of their country. I don't need yet another dozen unwanted spam mails sent to my email because the developers want to interest me in future products.
I strongly recommend the use of TempInBox rather than your own email address for procurement of this software. The URL is here: http://www.tempinbox.com/english/
As to the software itself, I didn't use it, since I'm not the composer. My wife did, and was very pleased with the ease of use. There are a couple of quirky bugs: when trying to copy and paste the entire song, for some reason only the first two and a half pages of the four page song were transferred, so she had to re-enter the last bit.
I would also like to see a feature added where the name and composer of the song can be edited from within the song. The reason she had to cut/paste was because when I set up a test song, it was with a random name and composer. Not realizing that she'd be stuck using that as the title and author, my wife transcribed her entire song into the software, and THEN had to open a new document and try to move the transcribed music to it once she'd given it the proper title and composer name. It's minor, but it added about a half hour's work to the project.
There were also some relatively miniscule installation issues since I was installing to a multi-user computer. Make sure you install this to the admin user's folder first. I installed to my wife's folder, and then the program wouldn't run without the registration code (sent by email). Entering the registration code in her account did nothing for the software in my account, and required a de-install and re-install from the administrative user account, which propagated to all other accounts in the system. This could be an OS:X issue or a software issue; I don't usually install to my wife's account so it's difficult to be certain.
It's good software, and I recommend it, but I hate viral marketing and demanded email registrations for things that are "free." Take those away and I'd happily tack a five start review onto this.
~D.
Frankly, I'm on enough mailing lists from people in Nigeria that want to send me a million dollars for helping them get some dead tycoon's fortune out of their country. I don't need yet another dozen unwanted spam mails sent to my email because the developers want to interest me in future products.
I strongly recommend the use of TempInBox rather than your own email address for procurement of this software. The URL is here: http://www.tempinbox.com/english/
As to the software itself, I didn't use it, since I'm not the composer. My wife did, and was very pleased with the ease of use. There are a couple of quirky bugs: when trying to copy and paste the entire song, for some reason only the first two and a half pages of the four page song were transferred, so she had to re-enter the last bit.
I would also like to see a feature added where the name and composer of the song can be edited from within the song. The reason she had to cut/paste was because when I set up a test song, it was with a random name and composer. Not realizing that she'd be stuck using that as the title and author, my wife transcribed her entire song into the software, and THEN had to open a new document and try to move the transcribed music to it once she'd given it the proper title and composer name. It's minor, but it added about a half hour's work to the project.
There were also some relatively miniscule installation issues since I was installing to a multi-user computer. Make sure you install this to the admin user's folder first. I installed to my wife's folder, and then the program wouldn't run without the registration code (sent by email). Entering the registration code in her account did nothing for the software in my account, and required a de-install and re-install from the administrative user account, which propagated to all other accounts in the system. This could be an OS:X issue or a software issue; I don't usually install to my wife's account so it's difficult to be certain.
It's good software, and I recommend it, but I hate viral marketing and demanded email registrations for things that are "free." Take those away and I'd happily tack a five start review onto this.
~D.
The product is essentially the same as 2008 with the exception of XML support and some funky changes to the sound output. Took em awhile to actually get sound out of it, and I have to reset it with each new startup. That needs to be worked out.
A warning to people who want to install this on a MacBook or MacBook Pro: The registration process is broken and you should expect the program to forget that it's registered. As a result it will revert back to its demo mode. There is no way to easily reset your registration with the registration server, and as a result you need to call their support line or open a support ticket to have them reset the server so that you can register the program again. With version 14.0.r1, this happens all of the time. As of 10-14-2008, there is no workaround.
I think the program is a step in the right direction, but the registration woes and the lack of significant features from 2008 to 2009, I would suggest holding off on this update.