Amazon.com Review
Visio 2002 Standard represents the first significant update of this well-respected diagramming and charting software since it joined the Microsoft stable. The Visio product suite now comprises two members, with 2002 Standard and 2002 Professional (which integrates the previous Visio Technical edition).
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.
