Desktop Photo Management Software

[Axel PC]

Afternoon everyone!

I would really like to hear what everyone is using to management their photos. From digital cameras, cellphone pictures and downloaded photos off the web.

I've managing mine via the windows file system. Meaning I'm currently not using any specific piece of software to manage them. I've been creating folders manually, editing properties to show what I want, etc.

I used to use Picasa back before Google bought them out and it was great. I just stopped using it for some reason. I then used Microsoft Photo Gallery which was good but it's not as refined and intuitive as Picasa. So now I'm tired of just using the Windows file management to manage them and would like to go back to Picasa. However, I understand that Google dropped support/updating Picasa a few months back. Does anyone still continue to use it? And what would be any drawbacks from continuing to use it? And have any of ya'll switch to something else? Or do you using another piece of software to manage all your photos?

I know that's a lot. But this is major nerd lip and photo talk here. So please post all your thoughts and suggestions. I'd much rather do my research here versus surfing the web all day long researching and randomly hitting websites filled with more ads than content if you know what I mean.

Thanks all, looking forward to your replies.

 

[brkkab]

Actually, there's a lot of software out thei. A lot of printers come with software for it. Various Media Suites do, too.
CyberLink Media Suite Ultra has a lot of stuff in it Blu-ray/DVD playback, Photo editing, Video editing/conversion/uploading.
Basically, the only thing it doesn't have is tv watching/recording. Everything, else multi-media, it has.

 

[brkkab]

Here's a link to CyberLink Media Suite Ultra. Media Suite 13 Ultra
Here's one to their Media Suite Ultra. Media Suite 13 Ultimate
Pinnacle, Corel & Nero still sell suites, too.

 

[Axel PC]

Yeah, there is a lot of choices out there. Yeah, the last all-in-one software I used was Nero. But that was a long time ago when they first starting going mainstream; meaning available at retail stores like Target and Wal-Mart. I think it was best back when it concentrated on burning CDs/DVDs. It became bloatware fast once it got mainstream.

But I'm not sure something like CyberLink Media Suite is what I'm looking for. I use Camtasia and Windows Movie Maker for making home movies and am very comfortable with those. But please keep the suggestions coming, even if it's an all-in-one suite.

@brkkab what do you use to manage your photos and wallpapers?

 

[brkkab]

Yeah, I know back in 2005 my Windows XP pc came with a lot of full paid software. It had some of the Pinnacle software on it.
Now, with having a Blu-ray burner on my pc and Windows 10 doing away with dvd playback, the CyberLink Media Suite Ultra, pretty much covers everything I need.
I will say that I do still use Hallmark software for creating various cards.
Some of the stuff I use, I can't remember. I'm in the process of building a new pc, so some of the stuff from this pc are in the new pc's case now.
I'm kind of limited on space on this one for now.
Like this one just has a Samsung 840 Pro 256GB ssd for Windows, Programs and a few games and a WD Caviar Black 1.0TB for storage.
It has my old Samsung DVD-RW in it.
The new one has:
Samsung 850 EVO M.2 500GB ssd (New) for Windows, Programs and bigger Games that will fit on it.
Intel 530 Series 480GB ssd More games (from this pc)
Seagate Barracuda 3.0TB - Data (from this pc)
LiteON DVD-RW 9from this pc)
LiteON Blu-ray Burner (from this pc).
I'm just waiting for Newegg to send me my replacement motherboard. The first ones PCIe x16's slot one popped off the board.
That should be shipped either tomorrow or Tuesday. It already went through their inspection and approval stage.
The photos can be done with numerous stuff in the CyberLink Media Suite Ultra. PowerDVD adds them, your music & videos too it(plays DVD's & Blu-rays, too), You can creates slide shows in it's Media Show. It has Media Sow,Power Director & Photo Director for various picture stuff. Media Espresso handles video conversions and uploads to YouTube. It has a backup program, too. Power Back for backups of anything you want. It can do everything, except I'm unsure if it can handle a system image or not. That's one that I've never really used
I have a unlimited space online backup, so I use it. It can do system images on my external hd, too.
For my desktop, I've just always downloaded the Windows Themes from Microsoft's site. They, still work in Windows 10. They just stopped adding new ones.
I don't need anymore, though. I'm pretty sure I have over 100 of them.
I like themes better than the regular wallpapers, because they have more than one picture in them and the image changes every half hour. Some of them have different sounds, too.
Actually, I didn't realize it. I have 418 of the themes.
I tried to upload a zip file of a Ireland theme I have. It has bag pipes in it. Microsoft has taken a few of the themes off their sight recently, I've noticed. All the ones, except of a few of the panoramic ones. The panoramic ones I never cared for that much Heres a link to what they still have for themes. This is one link for themes, wallpapers, sounds, etc.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17777/downloads-for-windows You just click on what category you want. These are the various themes. They have different categories on the left side. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13768
Wallpappers link. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13768
Languauges link. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13768 . I guess it's for people that speak more than one language or travel a lot.
A few weeks ago I did a search for themes and came up with a few various ones, too. I just can't remember where it was, but they had some good games, movies, etc. ones.
They had quite a few good ones. A few you needed to sign up to get them. I didn't bother, I probably got about 50 from them. games like Batman: Arkham City. Movies like Batman: Thr Dark Knight, Batman vs. Superman (need to sign up to get it). Crysis 2 and a lot more.
I also got a few games wallpapers, too. Assassins Creed Rogue Chronicles China, Assassins Creed Rogue, Crysis 3, Far Cry 3 and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist.
All, except the Crysis 3, I got through Ubisoft's Uplay, as I have those games from them.
For Crysis 3 I just did a search for it. I have the game, too.
Basically, I don't play my games all that often anymore, I just do benchmarks with them.
I've had a few issues with my left hand for a few years now. It's from diabetes. My left thumb, if I move it wrong, will lock my thumb and four fingers in position for a few minutes. If you ever saw Robin Williams when he played Mork in Mork & Mindy. My fingers lock up in the NaNoo Nanoo position he did, after my thumb locks up first. Then recently in like the last 2 months after that episode happens, my left forearm and right forearm lockup. All usually are frozen for a few minutes.
I'm just glad, I don't let the medical stuff bother me. I've had it since I was 12, so I've dealt with it over 36 years now.
I've gotten to expecting the unexpected medical wise over the year's