Google Picasa 2.5

The best new feature is Web Albums. This lets you quickly post original photos to the web. Using your browser, you can then organise your images, view them as slideshows, add captions, and send email invites to view the images.
Alternatively, you can make public galleries for anyone to view and post comments. It means Google should be well positioned to build up Flickr-style search and community features. Hopefully, it will also increase storage, which is limited to a maximum of 250MB for UK users.

Picasa doesn't offer the same depth of functionality as Photoshop Elements, particularly when it comes to editing. However, for many users, it gives them all the power they want, or have time for, in a simple and attractive environment, and with the knowledge that the program's future is likely to be brighter still. Picasa 2.5 richly deserves its Recommended award - and would win it even if it wasn't free.

Download it for free from picasa.google.com.

Author: Tom Arah