Google Picasa on Mac

Google Lab's free photo organizing/editing/sharing service, Picasa, has proved to be an amazingly useful tool for simple photo enhancements, not to mention the simple ability to share pictures online with family and friends. The only real counterpart for Picasa on the Mac side has been iPhoto, which just isn't a competitor. But now Apple users can download and use Picasa for Mac.



It used to be that the main (o.k., one of the main) draw for Mac users over Microsoft was dealing with graphics. Apple computers were the obvious choice for graphic designers and the visually inclined, and for the most part, still are. But for average users who don't need to seriously manipulate images, Windows and a simple photo organizer seemed to do the trick. Picasa brought simple photo management online for many, but hasn't been available for Mac until now.

Picasa for Mac is still technically in Beta testing, but should find several new homes with Mac users. Picasa Web Albums even have a free iPhoto plugin to upload, transfer, and ease the process of switching over. And while Mac purists will complain that the version of Picasa for Mac isn't Mac enough, several users (particularly recent Apple converts who are missing Picasa) will surely welcome the free photo software applications' availability on Mac.

Macs running OS X 10.4 or higher can get Picasa (with the same 256MB RAM and 100MB hard disk space required for Windows and Linux users). For high-end photo editing software, consider our side-by-side reviews. Or you can jump straight to our Picasa review, or read a few related posts:

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