Demo Software

Need a cool software demo? Word has it that Macromedia is set to release their new demo software, Captivate, this month. The software, previously known as RoboDemo, is more than a revved up screen capture app. Captivate allows users to record what's happening on screen, in order to create software demos and presentations in the Flash format. While there's presently a good number of demo software makers on the market, Macromedia's revision may find success ...

The focus with Captivate is on ease-of-production. It's software demos can be produced without programming, with the idea being the faster you can produce, the faster you can inform or train.

"As more organizations invest in software as a critical component of their infrastructure, Captivate enables them to train users rapidly and more efficiently," explains Macromedia's Tom Hale. "Instead of the time investment and cost of training users in person, Captivate lets anyone record actions, add annotation and voice, and create an experience as rich as having an instructor in the room."

Sounds like cool stuff. The more I move away from the tedious nature of writing those big fat books, the more I look in the direction of demo software. I'm itching to give Captivate a spin ...

Captivate is priced at $499. Owners of RoboDemo v 4.x and 5.x can upgrade for $299. eHelp, the original developer of RoboDemo, was acquired by Macromedia in December, 2003.