COMDEX 99: ArcSoft Presents PhotoStudio 2000

ArcSoft, makers of digital imaging software and various image editing software, announced the release of PhotoStudio 2000 amongst other products. While there, I got the chance to explore the program and not being an advanced image editor or Photoshop user, this program was very easy to use. Immediately, I was able to edit the image and enjoy the many fun features it has to offer. The menus were simple to follow and did not contain an overwhelming amount of sub-levels and advanced features which novice users would not understand. However, the program does provide the features that any advanced user would enjoy.

PhotoStudio provides an easy to understand, point-and-click user interface with features such as red eye reduction and sharpness enhancement to digitally edit your photos and increase their quality. PhotoStudio offers effects such as sketch and oil painting so that anyone can take a normal image and completely change it into a masterful oil painting with a few simple mouse clicks.

One of the most interesting and cool effects available in the software was the ability to combine two photographs into one. This effect is not the usual lined, straight-cut type of combination. The user has the ability to completely merge the two pictures and blend them such that it is a seemless transition from one photograph into the other, making it one image.

PhotoStudio also has an advantage over another of its type due to its very simplistic user interface and ease of understanding the features. This program does not confuse a user with complex and advanced features that the more expensive software packages provide.

Another of the products shown by ArcSoft at Comdex, was their new Web site Photoisland.com, which provided a multitude of functions and features to coincide with PhotoStudio 2000. This site gives members storage space for photos, albums and postcards which the user creates in PhotoStudio or other image editing programs. Along with that, members are allowed to assign a password to their personal photo albums and send e-mails to friends explaining the login process and providing them with the password. Members are also offered free e-mail, template albums, personalized postcards, as well as cataloging and archiving of photographs. ArcSoft provides "tips and hints" for editing in PhotoStudio 2000 and general digital imaging. Members are given 10MB by default for image storage. A multitude of information and other features is also available on the multi-platform Photoisland.com, compatible with Windows, Mac, Windows CE, and WebTV.

Visit the ArcSoft Web site to receive information on their other products and visit Photoisland.com to create your photo collections online.