ChrisLumix

time

Yesterday I noticed that Texaco diesel was 139p a litre, while Tesco was 141p. Supermarket petrol isn't even cheap anymore. They lulled us into a false sense of security over many years.

I didn't realise Richard wanted to import RAW from his camera - he just mentioned 'image editing software' originally.

Carrott

Blimey Richard, you can't read! I already said you can get CS2 (the whole suite, or bits of it) free from the Adobe site!! Then Elements is very capable if you don't need batch editing or CMYK processing. And if you install Windows on your Mac - and buy Parallels - you can run Window apps within OS X, so you could port the Windows PS app across.

I use Photoshop, but it's quite heavyweight as a learning experience. However, you can currently download CS2 (Photoshop 9, and not really very much out of date) for free from Adobe's website, just Google "Adobe CS2" and just download the Photoshop app. Then there's Photoshop Elements, which is much cheaper than the full Photoshop but contains most of the full version. For simple editing (i.e. exposure, Levels, sharpness, cropping, rotating, colour changes, etc), iPhoto comes free with a Mac and is very capable. But you can't do anything involving selection, layers, text, cloning, etc, so it's 'sophisticated basic' if you get my meaning. Nearer to Photoshop, with a gorgeous interface, layers, text, etc, is Pixelmator which is quite cheap. Somewhere between £20 and £30 i think. About 2/3 of the capabilities of Photoshop, or 90% of what most people use Photoshop for. There's a very heavyweight free app called The GIMP. But it is not pretty though it is very powerful. Too difficult to learn in my experience. If you don't mind something quite quirky which does a lot well, but is missing something (some believe), there's another free app called Seashore. I've never used Acorn, or Picasa so can't comment on them. That's only an overview anyway. There's lots of software out there.

It's weird - I came across a book on my shelves from the mid-80s called something like "1000 Photographic Hints", and I started to read it. It was SO out of date! Yet, I also have a little Mitchell Beazley pocket book from a few years before that, which is still relevant today - it concentrates on technique and composition and colour and focus, much more than it does on equipment, so what it says is fresh and applies as much to digicams as film.

file no, er flies no, no - FILE

I've tried for this kind of thing many many times and always failed, so I know how difficult it is to get. Nice one.

I remember having a similar problem on my Mac. In the end, I downloaded a free utility that gave me much more slideshow control than I got with iPhoto. There must be something out there for Windows?

Yes - they are stand alone. Photoshop is the image editor, In Design is the DTP package, Illustrator for graphics designers, Acrobat Pro for complete PDF control, etc. You can run the Photoshop program on its own, you can even download just Photoshop if you want. That warning from Adobe is to do with the activation servers. I think that's why they are now offering it free, and with a generic activation key to get round the problem. As ever with Adobe, their messages are confusing and unhelpful, but the software will work if you download it and use the activation key that was still up there the last time I looked (yesterday).

..Adobe are now giving away the entire CS2 suite as a free download for Windows and Mac, or you can download just the parts you want, e.g. Photoshop. The activation key(s) are also supplied so you can start using without hassles. Adobe say they are doing this because 'CS2 is old technology and doesn't work on much of today's technology'. I can only think they mean iPads etc because I've not yet encountered a computer, old or new, that won't run it. So if you have always wanted to use Photoshop but jibbed at the price, it is now free! And CS2 may be years old but it's still a very usable version with most of the 'bells and whistles' - and more - you could want or need. http://www.adobe.com/downloads/cs2_downloads/index.html

Which explains in a nutshell why - when PCs are so cheap but Windows so expensive - Macs are so expensive but OS X upgrades are so cheap!

Wow, thanks everyone (I thought there was only one notification but when I saw it there were lots of replies!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsFWpbb_NqE

NOW

My name is Chris, and I live in the SW of England. I've been an amateur photographer since I got a Zorki4 in the 70s, through a range of Minolta SLRs, and now my trusty Lumix superzoom (tiny little sensor, but great otherwise). Disability now limits my shooting so I'm more the custodian of my photographic past than a very active photographer.