Visio 2010 is available as a beta download today from www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/visio (requires registration).
Having written a number of books on Visio (98, 2000, and 2002 releases), I was interested to see how far Visio has progressed over the last eight years. After reading the features that Microsoft marketing considers to be among the Top Ten, I was dismayed that little had changed.
Here's a sampling:
- Visio 2010 makes every step in creating diagrams easier.
- Jump-start diagramming with a diverse set of pre-drawn shapes, sample drawings, and templates.
- Add and align shapes easily and accurately.
- Make your diagrams more appealing and professional-looking in seconds.
- Easily connect your diagrams to one or more data sources.
Some one wake up Rip Van Winkle. His software from 1998 is ready. Too bad Autodesk gave up on Actrix.
I wonder if Visio tried to be so many things to so many people it just got lost.
Was it a graphic app, development tool, design software...?
Although it gets "refreshed" you get the impression that Microsoft aren't sure what to do with it either.
Posted by: RobiNZ | Nov 19, 2009 at 09:49 PM
Actrix... Wow... That made my head spin... Haven't heard that one in a while...
Posted by: Jarod Schultz | Nov 20, 2009 at 01:53 PM
Ralph, please! Don't encourage more change, for the sake of change - that's Autodesk's business model, and it's primary purpose is to generate revenue for the shareholders. If Visio 98 works, then minor tweaking is all that is warranted. Thankfully, it doesn't force users to learn a 'new' interface where all the command buttons have been re-arranged, just to keep the training segment employed.
Sorry about the rant tone ....
Posted by: Peter Lawton | Nov 24, 2009 at 06:34 AM
I don't like change for change sake, either (c.f. AutoCAD 2008->2009->2010). I was amused that Microsoft marketing's top-ten list could have been written for Visio 98.
Posted by: Ralph Grabowski | Nov 24, 2009 at 07:24 AM