Picasa: Another power tool from Google

Like many web users, I use Google a lot. Their search engine is invaluable for research and fact-checking—common knowledge for anyone with a serviceable computer. Google Desktop helps me find files on my computer (it puts Windows Search to heretofore unknown levels of shame) and on my work email. I have a personalized homepage also, which presents news headlines, links to websites, my Gmail inbox, and my RSS feeds all on one page when I open up my Browser. On the settings page, you can pick and choose from hundreds of features compatible with Google's personalized home. Their new photo organizer, Picasa, seemed like a perfect match for me.

If you are unfamiliar with Picasa, about.com's Peter Marshall has an excellent, informative review here.

Professionals and those with a serious interest in photography will find Picasa is missing some features they find essential, and it certainly won't replace Photoshop or Photoshop Elements as an image editor, or a fully-featured image management program. But for many people, it will do all they need, simply and without fuss. If you are having problems getting started in digital photography, Picasa will probably make them disappear.

...Probably. My experience with Picasa has been more frustrating than anything else. Some images are missing, some are sorted incorrectly. My use of "some" here is pretty broad: according to Picasa, there is only one picture from 2006 on my drive. I beg to differ. You can go into browse mode and select files to import, but you can't import folders in their entirety. The answer probably lies somewhere in the interface, buried in tab menus and check boxes. My difficulties with a program that is supposed to be quick and easy to use are familiar: I'm reminded of iTunes, which is touted everywhere as being simple and clean. They just don't mention the pain involved with compatibility isues, actually assembling a playlist and burning it to CD, or all of the extra mp3 files that multiply like rabbits. But I digress.

My verdict on Picasa? Akin to iTunes—excellent if you want to find media on you machine, but if you're looking for a way to organize the chaos on your PC drvie, it's going to be tough going no matter what you do.