Is there another option to Picasa with similar ease of use and simplicity?

Question

On a previous post, I had asked about multiple installations of Picasa. The answers tended to be more trouble than they were worth, so I'm on to option 2:

Is there a good alternative to Picasa I could use on my computer that would handle just my work photos? I would continue to use Picasa for personal photos by setting it to only check certain personal folders.

Solution 1

How about Windows Live Photo Gallery:

With Photo Gallery, it's a snap to get your photos and videos from your camera to your PC. Find your favorite photos and share them with friends and family. Make your great photos look even better, and create impressive panoramic photos too.

Solution 2

Have a look at what IrfanView has to offer:

• Many supported file formats
• Multi language support
• Thumbnail/preview option
• Paint option - to draw lines, circles, arrows, straighten image etc.
• Toolbar skins option
• Slideshow (save slideshow as EXE/SCR or burn it to CD)
• Show EXIF/IPTC/Comment text in Slideshow/Fullscreen etc.
• Support for Adobe Photoshop Filters
• Fast directory view (moving through directory)
• Batch conversion (with image processing)
• Multipage TIF editing
• File search
• Email option
• Multimedia player
• Print option
• Support for embedded color profiles in JPG/TIF
• Change color depth
• Scan (batch scan) support
• Cut/crop
• IPTC editing
• Effects (Sharpen, Blur, Adobe 8BF, Filter Factory, Filters Unlimited, etc.)
• Capturing
• Extract icons from EXE/DLL/ICLs
• Lossless JPG rotation
• Unicode support
• Many hotkeys
• Many command line options
• Many PlugIns
• Only one EXE-File, no DLLs, no Shareware messages like "I Agree" or "Evaluation expired"
• No registry changes without user action/permission!
• and much much more

or XnView:

• Import about 400 graphic file formats
• Export about 50 graphic file formats
• Multipage TIFF, Animated GIF, Animated ICO support
• Image IPTC, EXIF metadata support
• EXIF auto rotation support
• IPTC editing
• Resize, rotate, crop support
• Lossless rotate & crop (jpeg) support
• Adjust brightness, contrast...
• Auto levels, contrast
• Modify number of colors
• Apply filters (blur, average, emboss, ...)
• Apply effects (lens, wave, ...)
• Fullscreen mode
• Slide show with effects
• Batch convert, batch rename
• Create WEB page easily
• Screen capture
• Create contact Sheet
• Create or edit Multi-page file (TIFF, DCX, LDF)
• TWAIN & WIA support (Windows only)
• Print support (Windows only)
• Drag & Drop support (Windows only)
• Compare image side by side
• Filmstrip layout
• 44 languages support (Windows only)
• And many many other things...
• No Adware, No Spyware

Both are free, portable versions are available as well. Neither program is limited to one installation or one running session only.

Solution 3

frankly, I just ask my self the same question, I have the same dilemma too. because Picasa doesn't animate the GIF file I opened, and have trouble viewing TIFF (that have multiple images in one file, scroll-able) and SVG formats.

for my need : I need to also use the above. anything not in my complaint = is solved by the current software (picasa in this case). picasa have a lot of good point. but the bug/feature/characteristics/feel I mentioned above = not solving my problem.

Every user have their own needs, style, and set-up (lcd/crt, with or without graphicards, with or without installation space to spare, etc..). U and me, and all others too, may be different. I don't need the upload feature, advanced editing feature (which I can always use photoshop for that), and putting stars on my picture. But I need a way to manage the picture library and picasa offering is quite interesting.

I've been a fan to IrfanView before, but I installed picasa instead just to have a run on it. after few years and work, I keep on stumbling upon by the same 'imperfection' mention in the 1st paragraph, regardless of how many times they update their software.

My point is, try to be purpose driven in your search, and NOT to 'try' other software.. just use it(not for long, 3 months is good enough for myself). define your needs specifically, eg:

1. do you need speed of picture loading or 'eye-candy'ly interface is preferred?
2. do you use/refers to EXIF data in your work?
3. is advanced image editing applicable?
4. do you really need an image management system in your viewer?

and so on..

since picasa is free, and i'm not paying the coders salary.. then it's almost useless even if I highlight it and 'request' for a feature that I need, but not the normal majority. Same case with other Image viewer program, Irfanviwe can view more formats than just images/photo/RAW/animated gif, but it's not really an 'eye-candy'. :)

if you can specify those needs that I listed above..and the more specific it is.. the better.

then we look for these features/bug in user reviews or technical bench-marking (that normally done by it magazines like Chip magazine), or even in wikipedia. shortlist your picks, and install them demo use them one at time, just to get 'feel' take note on your 'result' and pick one. (^^)/~

May the search begun..

Plan B :

My plan B? I don't have one. Just use what I can install, and use ONLY that software at all times. :)

Let say I still want all the features that I've definitively defined, and there is absolutely no software that can offers that.. then I only have 2 choice, either to abandon the 'project', or to proceed with the same plan, but different approach.

Different approach is hard for me to explain in text. I share my personal case on how I work around it.

my case : "To look for image viewer/manager/editor that can do standard things, but including :

1. open RAW in high speed
2. open 94.1 MB jpeg file in high speed
3. view a collection of High-res photos in high speed
4. provide a black/dark frame, so that pictures viewed = clearer | great for presentations
5. have contrast control so that I can brighten in prior to printing
6. I need to look into EXIF data. And don’t want the EXIF data to be lost after the editing.
7. sometime I do batch prosessing, means doing the same thing (image resize/retouch/convert to other format) in bulk.
8. My machine is not high-end,and limited space for installation partition, If possible I don't want a 'heavy' apps. 9.e

upon trying around, these software only solved my need partially, say :

Picasa - solved prob # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Photoshop CS - solved prob # 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7

GIMP - solved prob # 5, 6

Irfanview - solved prob # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Win Pic Viewer - solved prob # .. actually, none of above

Ms powerpont* - solved none

Ms explorer** - solved none

Ms office pic viewer - solved prob # 5, 7

Clearly, CS is not an image viewer, but from what it offers, it answers majority of my needs. so i ended up having it in almost every pc i'm working on. :)

so.. what about feature no 3? how do i work around it. Still, I'm looking for a photo/image/picture viewer, not an editor.

solution (for my case) :

• Picasa = Image viewer, except for GIF & TIFF
• Powerpnt/Internet explorer = GIF viewer
• Internet explorer = SVG viewer
• Powerpnt = simple editing/crop
• Photoshop CS = all my editing/opening any rarely-heard-of picture format.

cheers, good luck in your search. hope this helps.. in any way possible. :)

Comments

[NoCatharsis]

Honestly none of the suggestions (and ensuing arguments) really turned me on. I really love the ability to put stars on my photos in Picasa and to add tags in the Google way. Picasa is just too smooth a program for my purposes (and again, my purposes are not extreme photo editing, just simple managing).

[ceejayoz]

If the OP is a fan of Picasa, he's probably looking for alternatives with similar qualities. -1 from me.

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - ah yes, and those programs don't have similar qualities??? LOL ... both beat Picasa hands down and you don't have to worry about privacy breaches Google products are notorious for.

[NoCatharsis]

You sound like a spokesperson for Microsoft! But I appreciate the answer and will give it a try. Thank you.

[John T]

Just took the blurb off the page to give you some background information before leaving this page :) Let me know how it goes!

[Ivo Flipse]

I like the polish of Picasa, but if it's just features you're after these two will certainly do.

[Ivo Flipse]

Meeh, I if I didn't like it I would stick with Windows 3.11 or use a netbook ;-) I would +1 again for the edit if it were possible!

[ceejayoz]

@Molly Having a third of the interface taken up by a Windows directory tree really doesn't scream "simplicity" to me. None of that looks compelling to me in comparison with something like iPhoto, Picasa, etc.

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - maybe you should have a closer look at these programs before making such uninformed comments. as for "third of the interface taken up by a Windows directory tree", you can easily make the tree go away (CTRL + SHIFT + F in XnView). You know, there's often more than meets the eye from a single screen shot.

[ceejayoz]

@Molly Again, that's not simplicity, nor ease of use IMO. Both look like they suffer from the classic "designed by a programmer" issue that hampers usability for normal folks. You may like both tools, but if someone's using Picasa and enjoys its "ease of use and simplicity", I don't believe the two apps you posted fit the bill.

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - while you are perfectly entitled to your opinion, i hope you don't mind if i don't take your criticism too serious as it is based purely on a look at a screen shot and only proves that you obviously haven't got the faintest idea about either program. both programs can be as easy-to-use or as complex as you want them to be. furthermore, ease-of-use is not a criterion the OP is asking for, all NoCatharsis is asking for is a program "that would handle just my work photos" and i daresay either application is well capable of that ... and beyond.

[ceejayoz]

The OP isn't asking for ease-of-use? Why does it say "with similar ease of use and simplicity" in the question title, then? I didn't look at just one screenshot, I took a look around both of their sites, where there are many more shots available.

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - i strongly suggest, you grab the portable version have a look yourself, and then come back and tell the rest of the world how uncomfortable you are with IrfanView or XnView, until then, have a good day.

[ceejayoz]

Is there a secret "not shown on the website" mode or something?

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - I find it somewhat tedious, arguing with someone as clueless as you seem to be. You made your point: XnView and IrfanView are rubbish and you downvoted my post. Take my word for it, there is nothing complicated or 'uneasy' about either program. Why don't you post an answer yourself if you think there are better programs to fit the bill.

[ceejayoz]

Now you're just putting words in my mouth. I've never said they're rubbish. I simply stated that, judging from the screenshots they use to show off their apps, that they do not appear, in my opinion, to fit the bill of "similar ease of use and simplicity". You said you don't care about polish, but the OP appears interested (per Q title). It seems to me that you're taking disagreement and a downvote far, far too personally. As a Mac user, I don't have much input on other programs - iPhoto doesn't come for Windows - but that doesn't mean I can't have my say on other peoples' answers. Chill out.

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - "they suffer from the classic "designed by a programmer" issue that hampers usability for normal folks" this statement of yours actually sounds worse than 'rubbish', in fact it is rather an insult for the designers of these outstanding programs, especially if it comes from someone who is "judging from the screenshots". Oh, and XnView is available for your Mac: xnview.com/en/download.html

[ceejayoz]

I mentioned that I was a Mac guy to indicate that my recommendations would have to be Mac apps, not as an argument against XnView (as the OP wants Windows apps). You can be as insulted as you like on behalf of the designers of those programs if you like, but you said you don't care about polish. Like it or not, some level of polish helps make apps accessible to non-technical users.

[Admin]

@ceejayoz - au contraire, XnView is greatly polished and designed, the beauty of simplicity (which may elude the ordinary Mac user :) but in general, i don't care for design as long as the software does what i want it to do.