best software and storage

[maggie]

As an earlier post indicates, I am new to the digital photography arena. While this forum is excellent, being a technodumbass leaves me confused from one message to the next. Although nobody was able to assist with my privacy/security concerns, what about. . .

I have a new S30 shipped with standard software. It seems the majority of people here think such standard software is junk. Therefore, for a person who will primarily take shots of the kids, friends and occasional landscapes, but who b/c of the kids and family can't donate large amounts of time to learning the ins and outs of the more advanced software, what is recommended? What is preferred over Zoombrowser EX for the amatueur? Breezebrowser? Others?

Should I purchase PS Elements? Other suggestions?

Again, time is of the essence. I am better off taking lots of pictures of the kids than disappearing into the basement to work on the software for the picture I took last week.

Thanks so much for any advice you might share.

Mag

[Mike K]

For the download and image browser:
For the causal user, I think Zoombrowser is ok, not great, but ok. Make sure you have version 3.2.1 or later, as this was the point at which they made Zoombrowser much more robust (it crashed readily before with windows explorer commands, but no more!). Get that version from the Canon Powershot website if you don't have it and install it over your current zoombrowser.
http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/zoombrowser.html
Zoombrowser can get less useful if you have thousands of pictures, but you may never accumulate that many. (back them off to CD in any case).
Breezebrowser and Breezedownloader are very good, I use them all the time and they have technical advantages of Zoombrowser, but I still think ZB is ok for the casual user. You can easily uninstall it and get something else if it doesn't suit you. Afterall its free with a Canon camera.

I have 3 versions of Photoshop including the LE that came with the camera and Elements. for speed in learning Elements has a good book and LE doesn't, and other good Elements books are available at the bookstore. Elements is missing Curves, quickmask and the ability to run standard PS 6 actions, but again if you are a modest user you may be more than satisfied. You should be able to find Elements with a rebate for about $50.
The panorama program, photostitch, is quite easy to use and a lot of fun. It is somewhat limited in that it doesn't perform perspective lens corrections, but it will make straight forward panoramas with little fuss. Everyting else is quite a bit more complicated. Again give it a try, its free.
Mike K

[maggie]

Thanks Mike. I appreciate it.

[Saeons]

You might want to install Extensis Portfolio too. It's one of the most powerful image cataloging applications out there. Version 6 costs a whopping $200 but you should be able to find the Full Version 5 FREE on a magazine coverdisk.

saeons

[braeburn]

For simple software for printing a number of pictures in (eg) 4 to a page, have a look at Jifprint.

http://www.braeburn.co.uk/jp.htm

It's £18 or $27US to register and the download and screen shots etc are on the web site above.

Regards