Saturday, January 29, 2011

Digital Scrapbooking with sbcStudio for Mac


I've received several e-mails asking about the new sbcStudio software from Creative Memories. It's CM's first digital scrapbooking software for the Mac. I mentioned that I've been frustrated while learning to use the software, and that is still true.

It's not so much learning how to use the software, as that there are a lot of bugs in it, and I've spent a lot of time trying to get things to work that should be working, but aren't. The software was initially scheduled to come out on November 1st, but then was delayed until the 22nd. Within a month, the first patch was released to fix bugs, and another is scheduled for January 31st.

I've advised several people that are considering buying the software to wait until the bugs are worked out. That being said, some of you have it already and are seeking help in using it. I found a Facebook Group called How to Scrap on Mac that is just for the sbcStudio software, and it is pretty helpful.

I've also e-mailed CM's technical support for help, and they've been pretty good at getting back to me. If you have the software, and you need help, I encourage you to e-mail them. The e-mail address is sbcstudiosupport@creativememories.com. The more people that Creative Memories hears from about problems they are having, the faster the problems will get fixed. 


If you don't have a Mac and you're looking for digital scrapbooking software, then I highly recommend the StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 software. It has been out for several years now, and has even gone through a couple upgrades. It isn't Mac compatible, although I've used it with success on my Mac, by using a Bootcamp partition which allows me to run Windows driven software. The only thing I don't like about going this route, is that I have to restart my computer in Windows whenever I want to use the software. I have to wait 45 seconds or so for the whole process, and I'm very impatient.

All that aside, the software is super easy to use, and there are lots of tutorials available on the web. One of my favorite places for help, is Cathie Owens' blog which is specifically geared towards using the StoryBook Creator Plus and the Memory Manager software. She also has some things for Mac software users.

I hope this answers some of the questions I've been getting about the digital scrapbooking software. Feel free to e-mail me (just click on "contact" in my menu bar) if you have other questions.

Reader Lori Stevens left a comment about Pixels 2 Pages, which is another great site for StoryBook Creator Plus tips. 

7 comments:

  1. For help with Storybook Creator 3.0 for windows, Pixels2pages.net is another absolutely fantastic resource! It is run by Creative Memories consultants from the US, Canada and Australia, and it is sanctioned by Creative Memories Home Office! Just thought I'd let you (and any others that might be interested) know!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the tip, Lori. I'll add this link to the end of my post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a Mac user, too. I just had to laugh when you mentioned that you have to reboot in Windows and wait 45 seconds. That kind of stuff irritates me, too! Love my Mac!

    ReplyDelete
  4. For those who use Macs - and I use mine under protest - there is a scrapbooking program called Memory Mixer. It's not bad and it works with both PC and Macs. It is much easier to use than anything else I have seen that has been done specifically for the Mac. I forget how much it costs but you might want to look into it.

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Facebook 'How to Scrap on a Mac' page has really helped me -- glad you found it too! I agree that it's the 'bugs' in the software that are the most frustrating. Good Luck!

    Megan

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just wanted to let you know that I love your blog and passed along the "Stylish Blogger Award" to you. You can go to http://www.ssmandhersidekids.blogspot.com to view it and find out how to pass it along to 15 other great bloggers.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for the kind words about How To Scrap on Mac. Sadly, we still are waiting for bug fixes. *sigh* ~Leslie (administrator)

    ReplyDelete