Picasa Software - What Are the Differences Between Picasa 3 and Picasa Web Albums?

Picasa software can be confusing. The reason for this is that there are actually two...the software and the website. Both are owned by Google.

The first one is Picasa 3, the newest version, which must be downloaded onto your computer. It is free photo editing software.

The second one (or I should say "other" one) is Picasa Web Albums. This is the online site. Picasa Web Album does limit your storage to 1GB. After you reach this amount, you have the option of upgrading. The maximum size for each uploaded photo is 20MB.

So what's the difference between them?

Picasa 3 is a digital photo program which allows you to work with the photos on your computer, doing any of the things you might have previously done without it. You can move files, delete them, etc. However, it has many more features which make it fun to work with. Here are some of them.

1. Create Albums - take any photos and put them in an Album. You can do many things with Albums.
2. Upload photos to the Picasa website, Picasa Web Albums, for easy sharing.
3. Edit your photos - there are both simple and more advance tools for editing.
4. Create Watermarks
5. Make movies and upload to YouTube.

In Picasa 3, there is a main difference between photo folders and albums. Any changes you make to images in an album does not produce changes on your hard drive. This allows you to edit them without worrying about your originals.

Now for Picasa Web Albums, which is a website. You create your own account, and once you have done so, you can do the following:

1. Upload digital photos - keep them safe and secure. You can quickly view them there.
2. Create albums - easy way to organize photos.
3. Share them with family, friends, business associates, etc. - use the easy "Share" button.

Google has made Picasa Web Albums not only easy to use but also fun. You can add albums, individual pictures, or even slide shows to your Blog. You can also embed albums into your website. I have used the slide shows feature on both my Blog and website. It works very well.

Use both the Picasa software and the website together, and you can synchronize your albums. Choose to sync, and changes you make to albums on your computer will automatically change them on the website. I love this feature. There is no need to upload the edited photo again.

Both Picasa 3 and Picasa Web Albums make it easy to order prints of your digital photos. With just a click of a button on either one, you can choose an online digital printing service and place your order. Google automatically uploads the pictures for you. How easy is that? Picasa 3 gives you a choice of 14 printing services, while Picasa Web Albums gives you 4 to choose from.

You can use either one of the Picasa products. However, as mentioned above, using them together certainly can make things even easier.

If you need any help with either, Google has an extensive help file. Just go to Help and type in your question.