very easy to use and surprisingly solid!

they do have a se version that can export your movie. the export quality is not too shabby at all, imho...

One feature--I should say shockingly MISSING feature--of this software is the very expected ability to export your saved movie in some common format(s).

Yes, you read it right. Sure, you can save your movie and even share it online with others who have the same software but you cannot save it in an exportable format like mpeg or avi or mov, or whatever, for independent distribution.

This frustrating and disappointing fact is only discovered by two ways that I can see:

1. If you visit the Comixware website and then go and compare the ordinary version 2.1 and the "Pro" version (assuming you even knew there was a "Pro" version beforehand). And, um, the Pro version is scheduled for release this Spring for "only" around $120 to 180 a pop. So I URGE you to go there before you do anything else and read the comparisons.

2. The other way is to make the mistake I did: fool with the trial versions, buy 2.1 and then discover the truth by trial and error. I assumed that such a feature was simply a limitation of the demo version (duh!).

It was naiive of me, I'm sure; "Caveat Emptor" and all that corporate legal crap. But the software otherwise seemed like just the ticket for my particular needs, judging by all the reviews I read, the initial promise of the interface and the sleek and sophisticated "demo" movie that comes with it (which, by the way, soon becomes a continual annoyance you are essentially forced to deal with).

Don't forget the bugs. One is supposed to be able to add one's own "assets", or visual and audio elements, to the library provided, but this is tricky at best and impossible at worst.

At this stage, the software seems to mostly be a clever marketing device for a running serial animated comic called "Float", and as a teaser promotional for the much more expensive Pro version.

You can fool around with their demo movie and modify the heck out of it, maybe even figure out how to add your own visual and audio "assets", but in the end it's never 100% yours. At the very least, you have to use their provided introduction, title graphics and closing banners. And, like I said, you can't do much with it if you can't export it the way you see fit. In my opinion, this deficit alone is a fatal flaw.

So, if you want a toy for $39, which you'll likely soon tire of, then this is for you. If you want something so that you can actually make uniquely authored storyboards for export then look elsewhere.

Of course, you can always take your chances on the "PRO" version instead. But then, for its expected price you should have other options with better track records.

Can you imagine what would happen if any of us "little guys" deceived the public the way some corporations routinely do? We'd go to jail. Our remedy? All we can expect is, "Tough! You shoulda read the fine print".

Still, I like to think Yimagination.com was not sinister in their marketing strategy--there is a culture/langauge gap afterall. On the other hand, there's the disturbing fact that they banned me from their community forum. Me, a paying customer for their upgrade, ostensibly for posting my very civil complaints and suggestions about their product.

I hope this article helps others avoid wasting some time and money.

All in all, it's a pity, Comixware coulda been a contendah! Let's see if the company does the right thing with it's next version.

Regards