FlipAlbum Suite 4.0

Rating:
Summary: No Frills - Meets the Goal though
Review: I use this for distributing photos on CD to others without having to spend time/effort explaining how to get at the photos. FlipAlbum is a nice solution for taking your .JPG's of any size/resolution and getting them quickly into a FlipAlbum which works like a simulated photo album where anyone can easily figure out how to click between pages, view thumbnails and hav a slide show.

FlipAlbums work well enough for posting on the web where others use the same simple method for viewing as FlipAlbums distributed on a CD.

4.0 Suite includes the CD utility which works easily enough to create files for a self-launching CD(when the destination PC has autorun enabled for the CD drive). This utility relies on your existing CD burning software and simply creates the files and give simple instructions what files to put on the CD.

The flipalbum itself is aimed at viewing your photos and includes no photo editing/adjustments like brightness/contrast, redeye features. You are expected to have decent files before copying them into FlipAlbum. You can however, change orientation of the pictures. I would hope future versions add some rudimentary picture enhancement features.

Also the look and feel customization in FlipAlbum is rudimentary (i.e. change the text on the cover, change colors/backgrounds of the pages and add .MP3 or .WAV music to different sections of the album. I found all of these features, cute enough but not very robust or extensive. But that's not the purpose of this software.

If you want a simple, fool proof way to get your photos on the web or especially to send a CD to grandma so she can pop it in and then painlessly flip through all of your recent photos, then I recommend FlipAlbum 4.0 or FlipAlbum 4.0 Suite (w/ CD creation).

Rating:
Summary: Order 4.1 from website
Review: If you order this suite 4.0 you will have to download a 15 mg upgrade to 4.1 and also download two design CD's. In the end you spend more money when you order this outdated new product.

Rating:
Summary: FlipAlbum
Review: This program is the best one I've found for viewing photos. I've scanned all of my old photo albums and created CDs to give to family members, and it's been really easy cataloging new photos as I take them (digital). The mp3 feature in the new version has been great. Some people have complained that the program doesn't have a photo-editing feature, but I already have Photoshop (and I think most scanners and digital cameras come with some sort of software).