ArcSoft PhotoImpressions 4

This photo shop software came with a “cheap” mini digital camera, but the software is well worth the 15.00 bucks that I paid, even if you do not use the camera that came with it. I have had other photo shop software before and I think this one is just as good as any of them. I assume since it came with a cheap piece of crap that many people think it is as well.
You can “get photo’s” from your folders, camera/scanner, and create screen shots. The edit section is easy to use and works great; I have cleaned up regular photos (from a camera) and scanned drawings. You can use the zoom to get right down to the pixels (little boxes) to manipulate them one at a time. Another cool thing is the preview window at the top right corner. It gives you a full view (but tiny) of the picture so when you are zoomed in you know where you are at on the picture.

You can also move around the picture while zoomed in with the preview window. There are blue lines that make a box on the picture, that is where you are zoomed in, to move you just put your courser over it, click and hold while you drag it to where you want to zoom in (or out). The only thing I do not like is the little boxes, I would like to be able to fill half of one of those boxes with color. It would make cleaning up lines easier.
The ‘create’ section has quite a few templates to choose from, the categories are: frames & edges, cookie cutters, calendar, greeting cards, and photo fun. Some of those have sub-categories. You can add more by clicking on “download more templates” that is just to the left of template selection area (it takes you to the ArcSoft website). The templates that come with it are a bit cheesy, but I still like them. My favorite is the 100-dollar bill template where you can put someone’s face on the money and the ‘found guilty’ on the front page of a newspaper template.
You can have up to two photos open at the same time (for cutting and pasting one to the other), I like being able to compare the one I have messed with to the original. Great feature.
Learning how to use PhotoImpressions 4, may take some time, especially if you are used to another photo shop software.
Uninstalling is easy since it has that option listed in its folder (Start-All Programs-ArcSoft PhotoImpressions 4). I hate it when software does not have an uninstall option.
I have not had any technical problems with PhotoImpressions 4. Before I got this one I was going to buy a more expensive photo shop software, but now I do not see the need to.