CNET Editors' review
Picasa for Mac is a free app from Google for importing, editing, organizing, and sharing photos. The first time you launch it, Picasa can quickly search your hard drive (or select folders) for your existing photos, pulling them into the Picasa interface without actually duplicating them and taking up drive space.
Picasa's interface feels un-Mac-like at first, with a nonstandard scroll bar and even slightly fuzzy fonts--but it's still instantly recognizable (and usable) by anyone familiar with iPhoto, thanks to its similar toolbars and three-pane organization with folders and albums. Picasa makes it easy to create slideshows, movies, and collages, and--not surprisingly--the app has tight integration with Google's Blogger and the excellent Picasa Web Albums photo-hosting service (online companion to the desktop app). Picasa has good editing tools, as well, which let you try different effects and easily add text to photos. It also has an intuitive tag system that lets you add batch tags, geotags (using Google Maps), and even name tags using a fairly proficient face-recognition feature (which can tap into your Google Contacts).
Picasa isn't perfect--with flaws that range from its interface idiosyncrasies to an initial setup that's likely to grab many irrelevant images--but this app provides a relatively feature-packed and much cheaper alternative to similar photo-management apps. It's especially attractive if you're already using many of the Google services it accesses.
Watch the CNET video review of Picasa:Publisher's Description
From Google:
Picasa is an easy way to find, edit, and share your photos. Manage your photos in one place, and find photos you forgot you had. Eliminate scratches and blemishes, fix red-eye, crop and more. Turn photos into movies, collages, slideshows, and other creations. Upload seamlessly to Picasa Web Albums to share with friends, family and the world.
What's new in this version:
- Fixed the 'Picasa is moving My Contacts to Other Contacts' issue.
- Updated various translations.
More Popular Media Management downloads
- CorelDRAW
1,856 downloads
- Picasa
1,832 downloads
- Apple iLife
733 downloads
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
290 downloads
- The Print Shop
198 downloads
-
All versions:
3.5 starsout of 63 votes
-
Current version:
3.3 starsout of 10 votes
-
My rating:
Write review
Results 1-10 of 10
-
"Mac OS X - PPC NOT Supported"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Well ... there would be a pro if this were a universal binary. However it seems as though Google has taken the shorter path and decided to leave the Mac OS X (PPC) Community out in the cold.
Cons
There are many PPC users left I am just one of many. Whilst I do have an Intel iMac. I still use my PowerBook G4 which is based on PPC technology. Running Mac OS X 10.5.8 (PPC).
Summary
Why should I upgrade my hardware because a developer is too lazy to create a Universal Binary that could be used on Both PPC/Intel architecture. So I will find another alternative to the Google empire.
-
"almost as good as iPhoto"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
super fast upload/downloads, face detection works very well
Cons
doesn't recognize faces well enough, having to select many youself
Summary
great program
-
"Fast and does the job but"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Fast and does the job
Cons
The menus are odd (at best)
I can't get rid of the "ignored faces" album that appears first in the people folder - HELLO GOOGLE - these are the faces of people I don't know/care - just let me hide those. -
"Could be great but older Mac owners will never know"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Google product
Cons
Completely shuts out those without Intel processor. Unfriendly, if they want to guide consumer to their product next time they DO in fact buy an Intel-machine.
Summary
Will remain a mystery to me for several years due to not insignificant (albeit shrinking) pushed-planned obsolescence of Mac PowerPCs. This, an interest in Picasa was killed, and will likely remain, as I have been with other photo apps.
-
"How do you know...?"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
I love google's inventions and esp. its freeware tools - based upon corporate mission statement "Don't be evil". But once the info on your HD is in their database, how much control do they have to avoid evil being done with it?
Cons
Scans your HD files (and who knows: your external storage devices too? your iPod? inserted flash? LAN? hidden folders? MacOSX [UNIX] rights permission limits? Remember - once given permissions beyond readable prefs (cookies++) what else can it do?
Summary
I am just a bit nervous about installing it, giving it permission to scan my HD, and then later, say, I change my mind. HOW is it going to 'forget' what it already knows about my files / file storage structure/hierarchy, etc.
P.S. listen to this week's edition of the BBC Radio's "Digital Planet" weekly show to listen to more opinions about google-tag aspects, such as the report on what MIT students did with geotagging info... careful, careful... -
"Works well."
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Seems easy to use and is user friendly.
Cons
I have found none yet.
Summary
I would recommend this to anyone looking for something similar for photos.
-
"Very fast image organizer - good editing tools"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Picture layout is useful
Cons
exporting pictures is cumbersome
-
"Simple, fast, easy"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
It manages the images "on location" unlike iPhoto
Cons
No format selection for storing changes to edited photo.
-
"Useful and simple to use"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Works as it claims, with no surprises.
Cons
No problems or criticisms.
-
"Useful but idiosyncratic"
Version: Picasa 3.8.7.261
Pros
Album upload to Picasa, face detection
Cons
WINE, Non-native, face detection happens on every launch, cannot revise captions which can be done with the Picasa Web Albums Uploader.
Summary
It's quite useful if you have albums going to Picasa Web Albums. It works with slightly different parameters than the Picasa Web Albums Uploader, which is confusing. Unable to edit captions and upload sizes differ. The face detection is particularly useful when tagging hundreds of people, as I have for sales. It is also maddening because it does a scan on the application launch and it misses faces if they aren't at a certain angle. The scroll bars are non-standard on all operating systems--they're more like acceleration bars. The more you go a certain way, the faster they move the list. It's a useful application in grouping (I don't edit with Picasa) but it takes some patience.
Results 1-10 of 10
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
Previous Versions:
