Image Editing: Picture It 7: Still Fuzzy
Would you enjoy having a drill sergeant supervise your housework? If you can't make the bed with hospital corners, he will gladly instruct you again and again until you get it right. Microsoft's Picture It Digital Image Pro 7 image editor takes a similar approach: Just like sarge, it makes you perform tasks the correct way--its way--every time, whether you want to or not.
Picture It comes in four different versions, each with its own capabilities and price; I tested a beta copy of the top-end, $109 version (it should be in stores by the time you read this). Despite its Pro tag, however, the program would not let me escape its incessant hand-holding, often forcing me to take multiple steps to complete even simple tasks.
That said, the program does offer some advanced tools, comparable to those in Adobe's $99 Photoshop Elements, making version 7 more sophisticated than past editions.
New tools include level and tint adjustments, dodge and burn (color lightening and darkening), and a couple of tools that provide functionality first seen in Elements. Picture It contains a wide assortment of tools that will please newbies or people looking for a shotgun approach to image editing. But if you anticipate growing beyond novice status, Adobe's Elements is likely a better choice for you.
--Alan Stafford
| Buying Information |
Microsoft Picture It Digital Image Pro 7 2.5 stars (11/01/2002) Beginners will like the structure--until they outgrow it. Street: $109 |