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[SpiritRising]

Originally Posted by veneman

I don't agree with the very negative comment of "SpiritRising". I have use Composer from its first beta and are very happy with using the program.
I also tried to use quite some other program's amongst them Finale and Sibelius and experienced a their high learning curve, where Composer is far superior.

Hi JaapV,
I agree that Sibelius and Finale are nightmares to learn, and I have hopes that Composer will become easier to use for novices (I'm a former software designer so I'm perhaps too picky).

Sibelius/Finale have a price and feature set for the musically sophisticated high-end user. I do think there is a big market for intermediate software products and that Composer should aim for it. But the software must be GREAT at ease-of-use, not just better than bad at it (which Sib/Fin are). Most people are intimidated by Finale and Sibelius, so there's an opportunity for Composer to do well. Or better.

I'd recommend that rather than add many new features (I'm sure the wish list is a long one), stop new development and study how new users react to the product, and then revise the interface to eliminate the wrinkles. Literally watch users and see where they hesitate or get frustrated when using the program. Eliminate the causes of frustration and confusion through improved software design. That way, when someone like me uses it everything works well and the job gets done. Then we tell other people about it. If Composer worked smoothly I would tell every choir in my town, and there are a lot of them.

I like Composer. I want it to do well.
My plea: focus on making the beginner's experience smooth and it will be a GREAT product that could easily compete with Sibelius/Finale in the sizeable low-midrange markets.