Customer Reviews

Instant Home Design (4 CD-ROM)

5 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(16)

 

 

I'm getting ready to have a house built and I wanted to do some planning for options, upgrades, and furniture placement. I was looking for an inexpensive software package instead of having to draw the house with pencil and graph paper. I ran across this as a cheap alternative to the more expensive "CAD" type programs. "You get what you pay for" is very true in this case. My first complaint is in the packaging of the product. While the product tells you it can perform many functions, it really doesn't inform the buyer of the extent of it's functionality. I should have realized something was amiss when the comparison chart includes the stat that this product has 4 CD-ROMs while the others only have 1! It claims you can start a room from scratch, but don't even try starting with a 2D floor plan. If you don't have a photo, this program is pretty much a boat anchor. I decided to try and model a room first. The installer program installs the first disk and then runs the program. There are no follow on links to install the rest of the CDs. After loading the first CD, I searched for the room design function and couldn't locate it. Realizing it must be on CD#2, I tried to install it, but the autorun program for installing #2 crashed. It installed fine using the start menu Run command. This program is very non-intuitive. For instance, once you set a room size, there is no indication of where to go and change the room properties. While searching for it, every time you click on an icon, a movie-tutorial starts up, which really doesn't seem to explain what you want to do, but what you are doing. Even the help index brings up a movie. No wonder it takes 4 CDs. Most of learning this program seems to be mouseclick trial and error. This program doesn't even have a mouseover explanation of what the icon does prior to clicking. I'll be returning this and spending a little bit of money on a better package.

I bought this software (at Best Buy) thinking it was going to have many of the features that it advertised such as "instant" home design. I just wanted to have fun and build my fantasy dream house. Boy, what a lemon product. My computer froze EVERYTIME I tried to embark on a project. None of the disks worked. Directions were confusing. It was such a disappointment. DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT. (Note: Best Buy has the WORST return policy of all. Avoid shopping there. In addition, their credit card department is a sham. Bad customer service.)

This product says that it can perform, but it isn't worth messing with unless you're willing to sacrafice your ideas of what a "dream home" should be. All the rooms have to be square or rectangular, and if you want one of another shape, you can dream on, it won't do it for you, nor will it let you do it yourself. The 3rd of the 4 discs says that you can build your dream home, if your dream home looks like everyone elses home, then this product may be useful to you, but if your dream home is unique I would avoid this software like the plague. ON the back of the packaging, it states that it has "state-of-the-art" features, "Computer Aided Drafting" programs. I don't see anything that even remotely resembles a cad program (on any of the discs for that matter) I highly suggest saving your money for a software program that can deliver what it promises, and that doesn't use FALSE ADVERTISING to sell and promote its product.

This program just allows you to make Scrapbook type 'paste ups' of photographs.
If you have a scanned or digital photo of your house, room or yard, you can size and paste pictures of furniture, appliances, decoration or garden items etc., over the top, to see what it may look like, but it's not very easy.
The controls are non-intuitive and the 'how to' videos are annoying.
I'm sure there are better products.

Not much more to say. Total waste of time.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH THIS PROGRAM!!!!! I cant believe that the manufacturers of this thought it would be something that someone would buy! I wish I had read the reviews before I bought this, but mistake learned, and I will NEVER buy Topics Entertainment CD program AGAIN!!!!!!

This is a piece of junk. Like previous reviewers said, the packaging look impressive and the price is low. But all you are buying are four disk that will ultimately become beverage coasters. I spent money and now I still have to go buy another program! I wish I had read reviews first!

Not what I thought it would be. You can only use actual pictures and you need a scanner. It is virtually impossible to use.

This program is awful! Not only is it incredibly difficult to figure out but it is severely limited. I was suckered by the box comparisons and swayed by the price, but now I'm stuck with a 20$ piece of garbage and I have to buy a new program to do what this one claimed it would. Don't waste your time or money!!

I thought this would have more potential based on what the back of the box said and how this program "compared" to the other similar programs! I was so frustrated and disgusted by the time I was done! Not everyone out there has a big, sprawling house... I have a simple cape that I want to do some remodeling on and this program basically ignores any thing of reasonable/modest size - so if you have a modest size house DON'T waste your time or money with this you're better off drawing it yourself with paper and pencil!!!!!

If I could I would give it "0" stars.