PC Magazine - 2009 11.pdf - Libertad Zero

FIRst looks SOFTWAREAdobe PhotoshopElements 8Standard, $99.99 direct; Plus,$139.99 directL l l l hPros Powerful. Photo recompositionfeature as amazing as its CS4counterpart. Tight integrationwith online services and PremiereElements 8. Extensive selection ofhelp and tutorials.Cons Few major changes fromprevious version. Some tutorialsrequire paid Plus membership.Adobe Photoshop Elements 8Powerful Photo Editingfor Non-ProsJust arrived in its next iteration isPhotoshop Elements 8, the superpowerfulconsumer version of itsindustry-leading Photoshop. Withthe exception of adding a few newfeatures, Adobe decided not to mess withsuccess. Therefore the interface is largelyunchanged. So unless users of Elements7 really want the new features discussedbelow, there’s not much reason to upgrade.But for those without a photo editor, Elementsis the best.The most exciting new addition is theRecompose Photo tool. This feature lets youresize images with respect to their contents,reducing unused or underused space butkeeping the most important parts. Note thatit takes some practice to master this feature.The other editing changes are mostlylow-key embellishments on functions thatalready exist. For example, Photomerge nowalso comprises exposure functionality, lettingyou blend a series of over- and underexposedphotos into one that looks perfectly lit.And Quick Fix previews in Quick Edit modenow let you preview prospective changesbefore you commit to them. Tags are eveneasier to use, and the new Auto-Analyzercan automatically apply Smart Tags to yourfiles. There are also the expanded help sections—somewith video tutorials.Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 remainsthe best option for consumer photo editing.It offers more than the competition ina package that’s as attractive and unthreateningas this kind of software can be.—Matthew Murray>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE18 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009