Picasa photo management software

  • Thread starter Thread starter VH
  • Start date Start date
It's also not freeware and has not seen a single upgrade since
the first very rudimentary version. And now it has been bought
by Google.

Rgds

Martin
 
It's also not freeware
Click to expand...

Really? I didn't see anything on that page that said it wasn't
freeware, or that it was time-limited or crippled.

I see it defaults to automatic update checks, but the licence even
gives directions on how to disable that.

In what way doesn't it qualify as freeware?[/QUOTE]

<quoting from http://www.picasa.com/google/category.php?cid=4&>

Difference between trial and full version of Picasa

Q. What is the difference between the trial version and the full
version of Picasa?

A. There is no difference in features between the trial version and
the full version of Picasa, however, the trial version will time out
15 days after the date of first use.
</quoting>

Damn! And I didn't see your warning, Martin, until *after* I'd
finished the download just now -- so I then had a bit of a squiz
around tha site and found the above under "Installation". :-(


Cheers, Phred.
 
It's also not freeware[/QUOTE]

Really? I didn't see anything on that page that said it wasn't
freeware, or that it was time-limited or crippled.

I see it defaults to automatic update checks, but the licence even
gives directions on how to disable that.

In what way doesn't it qualify as freeware?
 
On 16 Jul 2004, Phred wrote
<quoting from http://www.picasa.com/google/category.php?cid=4&>

Difference between trial and full version of Picasa

Q. What is the difference between the trial version and the full
version of Picasa?

A. There is no difference in features between the trial version and
the full version of Picasa, however, the trial version will time out
15 days after the date of first use.
</quoting>

Damn! And I didn't see your warning, Martin, until *after* I'd
finished the download just now -- so I then had a bit of a squiz
around tha site and found the above under "Installation". :-(
Click to expand...
Many thanks for clarifying; that's definitely well-hidden on the site.

It isn't entirely clear to me, though, that the downloaded version from
that link is, in fact, still the trial version, and not some sort of
promotional freebie under the new google ownership. The reason I
wonder about this is that if you install the program, the "Upgrade
Picasa" link under "Help" is greyed out -- the "Register Picasa" link
is live, but gives you the option to "never register".

I'd have thought that if it was a trial version, the "upgrade" link
would be live. (I'll probably leave it on the machine for the 15 days
and see what happens.)
 
Difference between trial and full version of Picasa
Q. What is the difference between the trial version and the full
version of Picasa?

A. There is no difference in features between the trial version and
the full version of Picasa, however, the trial version will time out
15 days after the date of first use.
</quoting>
Click to expand...

Interesting. No other mention of this is to be found anywhere on the
site. Also conspicuous by it's absence is a means to purchase the
full version.

I guess we will just have to wait and see. I hope it's a feebie
because I was looking for something like this to casually manage all
the gfx files on my laptop.

Thanks,

Chris
 
Chris Dubea blurted on 16 Jul 2004 11:43:03 -0700:
Interesting. No other mention of this is to be found anywhere on the
site. Also conspicuous by it's absence is a means to purchase the
full version.

I guess we will just have to wait and see. I hope it's a feebie
because I was looking for something like this to casually manage all
the gfx files on my laptop.

Thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...

On the uk Google page it says Free:

http://www.google.co.uk/
 
Ron S said:
On the uk Google page it says Free:

http://www.google.co.uk/
Click to expand...

Now I am annoyed... I paid for something full of advertising -
and now it's free! (and probably still full of advertising!

The only thing Picasa is undenyably good at is emailing a
small copy of a photo... but it fills the mail with self-
promotion. Even when I paid for it... it still sent the mail
saying "made with Picasa: download a free trial" (etc).

This I found increasingly irritating (as I expect ad-ware to
be free).

Greetings

Martin
 
Harvey Van Sickle said:
In addition, if you download and install it, the only
logical option under "Help" to pay for it -- "Upgrade
Picasa" -- is greyed out.
Click to expand...

ANd now nowhere to gripe... the Picasa forums have been taken
down! Great!

Rgds

Martin
 
Interesting. No other mention of this is to be found anywhere on
the site. Also conspicuous by it's absence is a means to
purchase the full version.

I guess we will just have to wait and see. I hope it's a feebie
because I was looking for something like this to casually manage
all the gfx files on my laptop.

Thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...

On the uk Google page it says Free:

http://www.google.co.uk/[/QUOTE]

In addition, if you download and install it, the only logical option
under "Help" to pay for it -- "Upgrade Picasa" -- is greyed out.
 
Email Google
Chris Dubea said:
Interesting. No other mention of this is to be found anywhere on the
site. Also conspicuous by it's absence is a means to purchase the
full version.

I guess we will just have to wait and see. I hope it's a feebie
because I was looking for something like this to casually manage all
the gfx files on my laptop.

Thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Invader said:
Email Google
Click to expand...
Incompatibility problems:

From the forum...

"In my three attempts at Picasa installation, serious incompatibility
with XP Pro was observed, with the computer crashing or freezing within
moments of running Picasa.

Picasa support was called upon and provided advice but in the end no
solution.

I notice other examples of PX Pro/Picasa incompatibility in some of the
questions raised by users. I also notice Picasa's relative silence on
this issue."

Son Of Spy


--

Some You Won't Find Anywhere Else...
http://sonofspy3.spymac.net/index.html
http://www.sover.net/~wysiwygx/index.html

. --- . . - - - - - - - - - - - -
/ SOS \ __ / Freeware - - - - - -
/ / \ ( ) / - - - - -
/ / / / / / / \/ \ - - - -
/ / / / / / / : : - - -
/ / / / / ' ' - -
/ / //..\\
=====UU==UU=====
'///||\\\'
' '' '
 
In addition, if you download and install it, the only
logical option under "Help" to pay for it -- "Upgrade
Picasa" -- is greyed out.
Click to expand...

ANd now nowhere to gripe... the Picasa forums have been taken
down! Great![/QUOTE]

They're still live -- http://forums.picasa.net/ -- and there's at least
one thread in there, started today, which raises precisely this
complaint. (The guys in there have every right to be cheesed off --
one says he paid for it just yesterday, another about a month ago.)

It seems like a nice product -- and going in the free direction is
always to be encouraged -- but it sounds like the change has been badly
handled.
 
Incompatibility problems:

From the forum...

"In my three attempts at Picasa installation, serious incompatibility
with XP Pro was observed, with the computer crashing or freezing within
moments of running Picasa."

Son Of Spy
Click to expand...

FWIW, I installed on two computers with XP Pro without any problem.
My only complaints after playing with it a little bit is that the
photo enhancement part is too limited in capability and that when
installed the initial setting of which folder and drives to scan for
photo is a little confusing but at least the scanning is very fast.
 
Interesting. No other mention of this is to be found anywhere on the
site. Also conspicuous by it's absence is a means to purchase the
full version.

I guess we will just have to wait and see. I hope it's a feebie
because I was looking for something like this to casually manage all
the gfx files on my laptop.

Thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm also thinking that the FAQ is just old. I'm crossing my
fingers and believing that Picasa is freeware for real. Google's motto
is "Do No Evil", so I'm sure what they're offering is genuinely free
and not a trick.
 
Chris Dubea blurted on 16 Jul 2004 11:43:03 -0700:


On the uk Google page it says Free:
http://www.google.co.uk/
Click to expand...

On the page I got my copy from (before I saw that stuff about "trial
version" etc.) it says *Free DOWNLOAD* [my emphasis].
See <http://www.picasa.com/google/>
I've seen that sort of scam before -- it's true you aren't charged to
download the program, hence "free"; but you are charged to continue
using it beyond a trial period.

Not saying this will happen with Picasa -- and I guess it's even
possible that the FAQ under "Installation" is a hang-over from the
previous owner's text that hasn't been edited out yet. (It's still
referenced as Copyrite 2004 Picasa, Inc. for example.)
[See <http://www.picasa.com/google/support_index.php?>
and scroll to bottom.]

While on that page, also notice the link to "Ordering Prints".
My first suspicion (before finding that "trial version") was that this
commercial activity was what it is all about -- the old Gillette
approach to marketing.

Anyway, I think I've pretty much lost interest in this program. Seems
that even when you actually paid for it pre-Google, it still spammed
left right and centre when you used it to send stuff to others. And I
sense some dissatisfaction expressed around here with its technical
capabilities too.


Cheers, Phred.
 
Yeah I'm also thinking that the FAQ is just old. I'm crossing my
fingers and believing that Picasa is freeware for real. Google's motto
is "Do No Evil", so I'm sure what they're offering is genuinely free
and not a trick.
Click to expand...

http://www.lifescapeinc.com/support/
The "Purchase" link here routes to google as well.

1.6 cannot be paid for, even if you wanted to!

Where this leaves 2.0, is the question?
A pay upgrade?
A free upgrade?
Dead?

Also glad to see google's one is a straight download, and not an
ActiveX installer.
 
Back
Top