Introducing Picasa for Mac (beta)

by DailyMac on March 17, 2009

Google asked:

A quick introduction to the Mac version of Picasa, free photo-management software from Google.

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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

flowervid March 18, 2009 at 7:55 am

The photos on this video do not look sharp (cloudy and fuzzy) and do not do justice to the product. It also needs a better voice for the narration.

smellymichele March 20, 2009 at 4:56 am

But neither iPhoto nor Picasa were built to edit photos. They were built as organization programs. Picasa’s organization system drives me crazy though because it messes up the actual files (it did on my PC, at least. I don’t have the guts to mess with it on my Mac). iPhoto also does, but the beauty of a Mac is that you can access iPhoto itself through any program rather than going PC-style and having to sort through messes of files and folders.
I do see where you are coming from here, though.

smellymichele March 20, 2009 at 12:41 pm

Well… you can still download it! But it doesn’t bring the $200 back, sure, but Aperture has capabilities that Picasa can’t touch. Picasa’s no Photoshop.

fatsotomuscles March 21, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Dammit! I should have waited for it…Now it feels like I wasted 200 bones for Aperture when Picasa is free!

HarryL77 March 21, 2009 at 4:04 pm

Check the iPhoto preferences.
You can keep your original file/folder structure. No need to let iPhoto duplicate and mess up your files.

rosie14671 March 26, 2009 at 11:41 am

does anyone know how to download an album sent to you using Picasa? or IPhoto, for that matter, It was lots easier and fast with Microsoft.

vh24 March 27, 2009 at 7:08 am

you can use picasa 3 with crossover in mac, works great.

Dunkleosteus3691 March 28, 2009 at 10:32 pm

… you’ll see nested folders (with “meaningless” names) which in turn have the “original images” inside them but with new names (not the ones you or your camera gave them).

iPhoto does leave your original photos and images “alone” so you can go to those to find images you want to edit or work on with other apps - but that means duplicate files!

I import into iPhoto - only - pics I want to use for slide shows using iMovie. Then I delete that “album.”

Dunkleosteus3691 April 1, 2009 at 4:19 am

Hi Arty,
You’re right to ask about iPhoto, a lot of people start using it and just assume that’s the way all such apps work. It’s not.

What I meant by “private library” is that, once you put your digital photo files into iPhoto - the names are changed so you know longer know what happened to them - if you ever want to pull one out to work on with a - better - photo editor.

Check it yourself, just double-click to open the iPhoto Library folder, you’ll see nested folders- (next entry)

ArtyomD April 4, 2009 at 10:29 am

None of them suppose to have cause they haven’t been built for tech savvy guy as I assume you are.
What’s so bad about a private library in iPhoto? I never heard of it perhaps because I never had any problems with iPhoto starting from 6.0

Dunkleosteus3691 April 6, 2009 at 6:09 pm

Neither Picasa nor iPhoto are “good” image editors. Period.

Same applies for “photo organizing” - both are “adequate.” Picasa has the edge: they didn’t use the screwy “private library” idea that Apple used. GraphicConverter, Photoshop Elements (all 6 versions) both have better organizing capability.

Supposing the real advantage offered in Picasa is the web gallery and web sharing features. Most Mac / photogs already have more than one web gallery - with slide show feature.

PRP1445 April 7, 2009 at 11:35 pm

geotagging with google earth doesn’t work on a mac yet

huzizach April 9, 2009 at 9:42 am

where’d u get your copy of Aperture?

chameleon1905 April 12, 2009 at 8:22 pm

yes if you edit it i suppose
no if you just browse the pictures on your harddrive

ZioZambe April 16, 2009 at 5:20 am

Even if you attach the sRGB profile to a picture, Picasa ignores it. That’s the problem

Patrick923B April 16, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Hmmm….yes, this would seem to be important, but can’t you just apply the sRGB profile on your mac, and then when it is uploaded, the profile is embedded in the photo?

ZioZambe April 18, 2009 at 4:02 pm

Picasa for Mac desperately needs the ability to manage sRGB color profile! Without this ability, all the photos will look desaturated and unreal.

PLEASE GOOGLE FIX THIS PROBLEM

brightonbloy April 21, 2009 at 10:07 pm

So that means it copies your files therefore doubling the space on hard drive?

DreadedKilla April 24, 2009 at 11:39 am

Actually, there is. If you double click an image, you are able to edit the photo. You can crop, change the color balance and remove red eye among others.

chocxtc April 27, 2009 at 10:05 am

I love using Aperture and Photoshop CS4, but those are for the hard core photographer types. iPhoto and Picasa are just fine for the simple stuff

Fabilousfab April 29, 2009 at 5:39 pm

Picasa fuckin rocks!!!! It’s not based on the library system. It automatically scans the folders already imported and when there is the html export, it beat iphoto in almost every aspect. So thanks google for finaly bringing it.

mani1239 April 30, 2009 at 6:11 am

There’s no photo editing on iPhoto? I thought there was. I’m able to change the color, remove blemishes, and stuff like that.

drumboy245 May 1, 2009 at 10:59 pm

Ah, Aperture 2.0 costs $200! Make way for bankruptcy!

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