Labs

FxFoto claims to be an all-in-one package and covers the same sort of ground as Photo Explorer, Photo Album and Photoshop Album. However, its emphasis is different from the others. The program offers the usual photo-management features, including keywords that can be attached to photographs and searched for later. It also provides facilities for creating slideshows, sending them via email and publishing them on a website. Although it lets you create collages of your photographs, it doesn't include the ability to create cards and calendars.

Many of FxFoto's features aren't as intuitive to use as similar products. However, FxFoto's photo-editing facilities are head and shoulders above the competition. Although they fall short of those in a dedicated photo-editing package, there's far more than is available with the other packages here.

We looked at the Creative Media Edition, but the differences between this and the Deluxe Edition are slight and not worth the extra money. The Standard Edition doesn't support collages or slideshows or have additional editing filters, but even this has remarkably powerful management and editing facilities.