Adobe PageMaker 7.0 Upgrade [Old Version]

by Adobe

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005M63L
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 12, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,534 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #49 in Software > Web Development > Professional Development
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Adobe may have the lock on professional graphics production with Photoshop, but it has long been engaged in a drawn-out battle with Quark for the hearts and wallets of the desktop publishing crowd. PageMaker 7.0, Adobe's latest effort in the desktop publishing arena, won't set it ahead of QuarkXPress 4.1, but it does have plenty of appeal for small businesses and other audiences that have minor publishing needs.

PageMaker 7.0's user guide measures in at more than 400 pages, and it thoughtfully explains every aspect of the vast and complex program. A wide range of impressive-looking templates, which cover just about every type of document imaginable (including business cards, labels, newsletters, ads, posters, and more), makes PageMaker a little more accessible to users unfamiliar with its functionality. The templates are divided into various levels of complexity, with the lowest level containing helpful annotations for novice users.

While its improvements over version 6.5 are minimal, PageMaker 7.0 makes a few worthy strides to justify its sparkly new version number. Among the most welcome is a surprisingly intuitive data merge feature, which allows users to configure target areas in their publications and import respective fields from a spreadsheet or database. Unfortunately, it only recognizes comma-delineated CSV or TXT files; it doesn't import data directly from common file formats created by Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3.

Ironically, another area of improvement in PageMaker 7.0 is compatibility with other programs. It easily imports and handles layered image files from Illustrator and Photoshop 5.0 and 6.0, and features input converters for files created in QuarkXPress and Microsoft Publisher. PageMaker's PDF export capabilities have been enhanced both in the main program and with the included Acrobat Distiller applet, allowing users to configure security and embedded tag options.

Even with its plethora of templates, PageMaker 7.0 isn't by any means an entry-level application. Nonprofessional users who have never used a high-caliber desktop publishing program should probably consider a simpler package such as Microsoft Publisher. While hardened, professional magazine designers tend to prefer QuarkXPress, Adobe PageMaker 7.0 is nonetheless a complex and powerful tool that packs a serious learning curve.

PageMaker 7.0 is perfect for small businesses that can't afford to hire out designers for promotional materials, or for companies that have the need to create professional-looking PDF files. Owners of PageMaker 6.5 might not feel compelled to upgrade, but companies and creative folks newly in the market for a muscular desktop publishing tool will be well served by PageMaker 7.0. --Joel Durham Jr.

Amazon.com Product Description

This Adobe PageMaker upgrade will give you access to a host of new features and enhancements. You can now merge text and graphics stored originally in spreadsheets or databases to create custom publications, including form letters, mailing labels, envelopes, catalogs, or direct mail campaigns. You can also create and view Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files, adding document information, changing security and compatibility options, embedding tags for accessibility, and modifying advanced Acrobat Distiller settings--all from within PageMaker. You can easily place Adobe PDF files created with Adobe Photoshop 5.0 or 6.0 or Adobe Illustrator 9.0 directly into PageMaker publications. You can now save time by importing native Photoshop and Illustrator files by dragging and dropping the native file or using the Place dialog box. Finally, there is a new converter utility that opens Quark XPress 3.3 to 4.1 publications directly in PageMaker.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PagerMaker 7 - there's life in the old boy yet!, October 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Adobe PageMaker 7.0 Upgrade [Old Version] (CD-ROM)

PageMaker fans have long bemoaned the lack of attention Adobe has paid to Pagemaker. When they thought Adobe was finally going to get around to a PM upgrade, they got, instead, InDesign. With the release of PM7, however, Adobe shows that it hasn't abandoned its intensely loyal PageMaker users. This is not a significant upgrade in terms of features, which are few: native Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files can be directly placed into PM7, allowing you to skip the flattening/merging step, which allows you to update your .psd files and have them integrated quickly into your PM document. The PDF distilling options are set in PageMaker itself, not in the included Adobe Distiller 5.0, and there are more options than were previously available through the included Distiller. Interestingly, there are converters for rival Quark Express and Microsoft Publisher files, but not one for Adobe's own InDesign. Perhaps Adobe felt that no one would want to "back into" Pagemaker from InDesign: I say that since the initial versions of InDesign lacked a table of contents feature, which has been a PageMaker standard, there are a lot of Indy users who would have loved that option.
The best thing about PM7 is the changes under the hood that gear it to work with more advanced operating systems, such as Mac OS 9 and Windows 2000. (It does not run under the native Mac OS X, but it does run in OS X's Classic environment). With this breath of life, PageMaker users can rest a little easier. While Adobe seems determined to force its high-end users into InDesign, the loyal contingent who have invested time and money into their PageMaker skills can still produce top-quality documents.

5.0 out of 5 stars Adobe Pagemaker 7.0 Mac Upgrade, June 21, 2009

By 

Joseph Caruso "USS Oklahoma City webmaster" (Delray Beach, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adobe PageMaker 7.0 Upgrade [Old Version] (CD-ROM)

Great product - the original is the bible in desktop publishing software. This upgrade edition carries on all the good things from the original. It was exactly as described and shipped very quickly.

1.0 out of 5 stars The Age of Pagemaker is over, January 7, 2004

By 

C. Roberts (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe PageMaker 7.0 Upgrade [Old Version] (CD-ROM)

When I first used (Aldus) Pagemaker, it was version 2. At that time I thought it was the best.
A year later, I discovered QuarkXpress and nevered look back till now.
Later when Aldus was bought out by Adobe, I thought it was going to get better for PM. It has and it hasn't.
PM for years has always been second to Quark and when Adobe released InDesign 1.0, I knew it was the death knell for PM.
Professionally, I'm now using InDesign v2.0 and have jumped on the Adobe band wagon aside its bugs.
I do own a PM v 7.0 at home. It is an improvement, but a tactical mistake.
Save your money for the upgrade and use it to upgrade to InDesign CS Pagemaker version. You will be pleasantly surprised.