BoingBoing posts that Picasa, Google’s free Windows-only photo management software, has been updated to version 2. If you aren’t lucky enough to be able to use iPhoto on a Mac, then I highly recommend this software. I’ve been spreading it around to many Windows users around here who’ve been dealing with their digital photos as files and folders – which patently doesn’t work. Available for download right now!
(My current opinion of Picasa, based on version 1, is that it may not be as good as Adobe’s Photoshop Album, but it’s free and PSA costs around $50. There is a free version of PSA but I’ve found it to be frustratingly hobbled. I haven’t had a chance to try Picasa 2 yet – no Windows here! So the new version might even trump the full version of PSA.)
I don’t know whether it’s related or not, but Apple recently announced an upgrade to its iLife home software suite called iLife ’05, which includes, among other significant updates, a new version of iPhoto, Apple’s superb photo management software. If you currently use iPhoto and find it indispensable (like us) then I highly recommend that you consider upgrading to the new version. It looks like there are some really great improvements and new features. It starts shipping this Saturday, the 22nd of January.
