Image Editor
Favors Effects Over Organization:
Microsoft Picture It Photo Premium 9
Software; Software Review; Product/Service
Evaluation
By Rebecca Viksnins
WHILE IT'S CLEARLY NO ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Elements,
Microsoft's $49.95 Picture It Photo Premium 9 is a fine program if you're looking for a
simple way to make light edits to your photos and if you value fun effects over precise
controls.
Nevertheless, organizational and archiving tools aren't a
part of this package, so if you want to tag your pictures with keywords for easy retrieval
later, upgrade to Microsoft's more expensive Digital Image Suite 9, or consider a
competitor.
Importing photos from your camera or scanner into Picture
It is easy, thanks to its greatly simplified wizards. Then, with one click, you can remove
red-eye, adjust brightness and contrast, modify lighting, crop out trouble spots, and fix
color saturation. (You can also tweak these settings manually, if you wish.) You'll also
find restoration algorithms for removing dust and scratches from older photos. In
addition, Microsoft included a few Photoshop-standard features, such as Gaussian Blur and
Unsharp Mask.
Once you've spruced up your shots, it's time to dress them
up. In this area, Picture It beats the competition. Although other packages have cool
effects and templates, none has the pizzazz of Picture It. Whether you choose to install
the full version (550MB), which includes the full library, or opt for the 250MB standard
install and keep the disc on hand, you'll have access to more than 1,500 templates for
designing everything from holiday cards to party invites. The special effects, such as
Sepia and Mosaic, are pretty snappy, too.
Because it lacks any sort of organizational tools, Picture
It might not be the best option if you already have an unwieldy image collection on your
hard drive. Also, its editing tools, while fun, are fairly rudimentary, so if you want
more control, look elsewhere.
Nonetheless, Microsoft Picture It Photo Premium 9 is an
excellent choice for budding digital photographers who want an easy way to improve and add
some life to their photos.
EDITORS' RATING 7.3
PROS
Easy to use; chock-full of fun effects, projects templates;
improved wizards
CONS
No built-in organizational tools; limited editing options
REQUIRES: 64MB RAM; 250MB to 550MB hard drive space;
Windows 98, Me, 2000 or XP
Microsoft
888-218-5617
www.microsoft.com
DIRECT PRICE $49.95 (before $15 mail-in rebate)
BYLINE: Viksnins, Rebecca, Copyright
2004 Gale Group, Inc. ASAP Copyright 2004 ZDNet Computer Shopper January 1, 2004 |