Picasa 2 is a great program. It has one drawback - it is a "resource hog". Picasa runs in the background ALL the time regardless of whether you are using it or not. This is so that it can keep an "eye" on all your images as you add, delete or alter them. This is a good feature provided you have the spare computer resources to sustain its activity all the time. If you don't have a lot of free processor power, I would suggest avoiding it and its companion, Google Desktop Search. Lance P. S. Check out Legacy Family Tree today! This full featured genealogy program can be downloaded FREE at http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Index.asp?mid=52583ii -----Original Message----- From: David Creelman [mailto:davidcr@sympatico.ca] Sent: Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:01 AM To: SENIOR-NEWBIE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SR-NEWBIE] Photo program Picassa 2 is a great free program. Google bought this formerly pay program, and is giving it good support. It does most things a 'for pay' program will do to edit pictures, and organizes them as well. Check it out: http://www.picasa.com/ While not in the same league with Jasc's Paint Shop Pro, or Photoshop Elements, it is easy to learn to use, and a lot of fun. Picture editing and organizing tools are not always easy to get a handle on. I usually use Photoshop CS, but enjoy the way you can jump in and try many visible features in Picassa. The most common tools are right there(most of the ones you will need), and there is plenty under the hood as you get to know it. This may be the ideal program for those not quite ready to pay cash for the newest interest. For new computer users, it would seem to be about the easiest to learn too. Not that dealing with pictures is ever completely easy. There are lots of things to learn, by Googling or from a good book. David Creelman

> Picasa 2 is a great program. It has one drawback - it is a "resource hog". > Picasa runs in the background ALL the time regardless of whether you are > using it or not. This is so that it can keep an "eye" on all your images > as > you add, delete or alter them. This is a good feature provided you have > the > spare computer resources to sustain its activity all the time. If you > don't > have a lot of free processor power, I would suggest avoiding it and its > companion, Google Desktop Search. > > Lance You can turn that feature off Lance. Tools-- Options-- General. Uncheck 'Automatically Detects Media'. You will want this on when you begin, and when you have added some new pictures, but definitely off unless you have resources to spare. With that tip in mind, I don't think there is another free editing/organizing solution out there of this quality. Since this is one of Google's free giveaways, I imagine they will keep improving the product. Google Desktop Search is a bit overrated and I wouldn't recommend it. Copernic Desktop Search is better in my opinion. Definitely also a resource hog though! 30 megs ram. I use it because I need to find things Microsoft XP is not too helpful finding. I shut it off when I'm using other greedy applications. Copernic, in my personal tests, found what I needed(files, pictures, emails) way better than Google. Also free. David Creelman