Picasa

There is a lot to like in Picasa (referring to version 3.8.7 for OS X here):

Basic, non-destructive editing, good folder management, working face recognition (used for the wonderful gimmick "face movies" which turn a bunch of portraits into a movie with the person's face staying in center), geodata, metatags. It's easy to create albums, collages and slideshows, although I find the latter's quality worse than what I can do with iPhoto/iMovie.

Anyway, I do all my basic photo editing in Picasa and batch-export cropped and downsized files to other apps or users. The new version integrates online image editing with Picnik, which is nice.

I'm missing a feature to create variations of an image, which AFAIK is not possible with the non-destructive editing tools without duplicating the source file. Also, I'd prefer a more customizable GUI, but basically Picasa does what it should.

A good app, but if you are paran... careful with regards to Google products, you might want to avoid Picasa Web Albums, because all recognized faces and geodata will become part of your uploaded albums.

Also linux verion is not available (same problem like teamviewer). In the deb package is wine, launchers, and cripled windows version. Apps like this makes bad name to linux based systems.

Sorry I didn't know there was a word limit. If you are interested you can read the TOS here...

http://www.google.com/accounts/TOS

The issue with picasa web albums is that google has a very open terms of service meaning they can use your images anyway they wish in their promotion including providing to other services (see below). Of course you may not have issue with this but I prefer Flickr where you can choose your own licensing terms.

You have to pay for a pro account but I prefer the small fee for wider file support and unlimited storage besides the above.

11. Content licence from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this licence includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organisations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various p

I like the fact you can download the original file you upload online, flickr doesnt allow this and that is something that makes picasa better, because I want to store it all online, but sometimes i need to pull it back offline.

I belive that picasa and picasaweb should be split for more control

Picasa is a very good program for editing photos. The only downside I find is that it doesn't save your edits automatically whatever settings you have on. You have to press the save button on the folder display whenever you want to update the picture files. It does have a wide range of good features however.