I didn't have anything to do with the installation process of the Sony Sound Forge 8 software that I have used, as it was already installed on the system that I used it on at my school.  However, in my time using it, it always worked well without too many bugs or issues.  The interface of the software didn't take me all that long to get accustomed to as it is a pretty user friendly piece of software, although there is a lot that you can do that I didn't get too into.  All of the typical features and functions are easy to find and understand though, so unless you're looking to learn all of the ins and outs of the software, I don't think that a manual is necessity.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The system that I ran Sony Sound Forge 8 on was a PC desktop running Windows XP.  Although this wouldn't have been my first choice to run the software on, I do have to say that it ran pretty well within this configuration.  I don't know all of the specs of the computer that I ran the software with, but definitely wasn't a top of the line computer or anything like that, and was rather ordinary.  I first used Sony Sound Forge 8 about four or five years ago in a Music Technology class...


OVERALL OPINION

The extent of my use with Sony Sound Forge 8 had to do with manipulating samples and experimenting with effects and digital processing.  I didn't go into too much detail in terms of mixing or creating, but for what I used it for it got the job done very well.  There are a few newer versions of Sound Forge that have come out since, although I haven't had a chance to check them out yet.  The price of this one and the newer versions are comparable, so I would probably recommend checking out Sound Forge 10, as I'm sure it is more up to date and has more to offer.  However, if you can get a cheaper version using Sound Forge 8, definitely keep in mind that on its own this is a powerful piece of software with a ton of capabilities...