• Windows 98
• Windows Me
• Windows NT
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows Vista

Easy to use-But very limited

I bought this and the Punch interiors software. This software is easy to use compared to Punch, but I suspect thats partly because H&G is very limited in options. For instance in Punch you can design your doors exactly as they are. In H&G you choose a style and have a few options. Punch also has a large library of trees, shrubs and plants to use to landscape your design. H&G only has potted plants. With H&G there are few backgrounds to use, and most look like they were taken from the west coast; mountains, sand dunes and million dollar homes on the beach. Nothing for the average person living in a suburb. Punch allows you to import your own digital photos as background, or just use their sky background. Either works well. I imported several panoramic photos of my backyard and side, and you can then put them at any angle to completely surround your design. BUT, you better read the manual (342 pages), it's not an intuitve program, H&G is. With H&G you can basically start after just a little homework. H&G; easier to use with less options. Punch; harder to learn but more flexibility.

Limited

As another reviewer said, the furniture selections are very limited and fairly lame in appearance. That includes lamps, rugs, accessories etc, too. You will not be able to duplicate a space that you see in the design magazines, but you will be able to get a general idea of what your space will look like in terms of color combinations and furniture arrangement. The object selections are just not comprehensive enough. The software is fairly stable, but slow ( I am using a 1.7ghz computer with almost 1 gb of memory). The camera controls are awkward, but usable. For painting, there are many colors to choose from and its easy to show different combinations. Floor plan layout is good. I did not need to get precise, so I do not know how it would hold up in a more serious application.^M

Good software and fun, too

I have not spent tons of time working with the program yet, but have done enough to know that the learning curve is reasonable if you are somewhat publishing program literate. It has lots of potential for aiding in visualizing what your project will look like finished. If you are willing to invest some time to learn the program features, it performs as promised.