The Bottom Line
- Picasa is free. Integrates with other free Google services (Blogger, Web Albums, and Hello).
- Provides good red-eye removal, quick fixes and effects, and online sharing options.
- Editing info is stored in INI files, making all edits reversible without saving multiple versions.
- Display your pictures as a custom screensaver, collage, or slide show movie.
- Designed for non-techies and casual digital photographers.
- Uses a folder-based system of organization.
- Limited organizational and searching features.
- No way to edit a photo's embedded date.
- Litters your computer's folders with Picasa.ini files.
- In slide shows, video clips do not play (only the first frame is shown).
Description
- Picasa scans your computer for pictures and organizes them into albums based on folders and dates.
- Automatic import from USB cameras, scanners, memory card readers, and CD drives. Supports RAW files.
- Monitor selected folders for new pictures (including mapped network drives).
- Organize with virtual folders called Albums. Add keywords & search by keyword or album information.
- Remove red-eye, crop, rotate, one-click enhance, auto and manual tuning. All edits can be reversed.
- One-click effects: sharpen, B&W, sepia, warm, tint, film grain, soft focus, glow, saturation, etc.
- Export photos as Web pages, movies, collages, and posters; Create Gift CDs for sharing.
- Email pictures or share online with Google Web Albums, Blogger, Hello, and Google Earth.
- Order prints through online photo labs, or print photo layouts and contact sheets yourself.
- For Windows 2000/XP and Linux. An older, Windows 98/Me version is available for a limited time.
Guide Review - Picasa Digital Photo Software from Google
I'm glad Picasa 2.5 added a way to view your folder hierarchy, but this is still not an ideal photo organization system. I'd love to see Picasa's hidden keyword feature expanded and improved to work more like a tagging feature.
In addition to the folders list, you can create custom photo groupings using "Albums." Pictures can also be annotated with keywords and captions which are written to the photo files. Picasa does not offer a system for rating photos, but you can apply a star to photos you wish to mark as favorites.
The new Web Albums feature in Picasa 2.5 gives you 1024 MB of free space to post your photos online. This feature is nicely done. Picasa also integrates with Google's Blogger and Hello, a separate peer-to-peer photo-chat program. Geotagging is a new feature which allows you to add GPS location information to your photos and display your photos on Google Earth's satellite map.
One problem I have with Picasa is that the highlights/shadows adjustment only lets you brighten the highlights and darken the shadows — which may not always be what you'd need. Some other features are a bit silly, such as the 3D timeline and some effects.
Picasa's slick user interface creates a great first impression, it's very easy to learn, and it has just about everything home users will need for working with and sharing their personal digital photos. Best of all, it's free!
