Why is Picasa so cool?
Ok, writing about Picasa photo editing software under "Work Related" is a bit of a stretch. But perhaps not too big of a stretch. Picasa is a photo indexing, editing and uploading software that many could use to simplify their image collection management.
I downloaded and installed Picasa mostly out of curiosity. What I found though, was a pleasant surprise. Here are some things that make it a great application.
- Picasa finds all images on your computer and makes them available in an easy to browse interface. I had a problem of knowing where my images are. I had stored them on my computers hard drive, then backed them up to an external drive. I had created many folder for my images, but I wasn't sure where I have what. Upon launching Picasa for the first time it asks if I want to scan my computer for images. Once you select yes, it find all the pictures and brings them into Picasa interface. The default interface displays your images in their respective folders in a time line. All images can be scrolled. Images are presented with a large thumbnail that makes them easy to recognize.
- You can upload your images from Picasa to Google's web albums. There you are given 250 MB of free space and more space upon paying a yearly fee. What impressed me here about Picasa is how simple it is to upload photos and to share them someone. There are two options for sharing your photos. Both options would display your images publicly. One option is to list your images under an easy to read directory. This would make finding images simple. The other option creates a unique code behind the URL of the listing that cannot be guessed which is only available to the account owner. The owner can then copy this "private" link and provide it to those whom they trust. Unlike many other online photo services the person with whom you share your images doesn't have to have web albums account in order to see your pictures.
- Anyone can buy pictures from Google's web albums. A person can select from two print providers and use their service to order prints.
- Picasa allows you to create albums with your images.
- You can easily edit, create a presentation and create a collage with Picasa.
- You can easily include a images in Google's blogger from inside Picasa.
- Picasa is available with an Estonian language menu!