Used Windows Live Photo Gallery for Windows? Share your experience and help other users.
Key Details of Windows Live Photo Gallery
- Transfer photos and videos from your camera to your PC
- Last updated on 04/14/11
- There have been 0 updates within the past 6 months
- The current version has 0 flags on VirusTotal
Editors’ Review
Windows Live Photo Gallery collects simple tools for downloading, editing, and sharing photos. Its functional design and excellent capabilities make it one of the most user-friendly photo programs ever tested.
Microsoft designed the program's interface, and it felt instantly comfortable, with the familiar feel of Windows. All the commands and functions were logically organized, and the program was pleasing to use, though the Help file's vague instructions for panoramic photos were a disappointment. Nevertheless, we uploaded some photos from our digital camera with a single button click and were quickly able to choose a shot to edit.
Windows Live Photo Gallery offers basic editorial tools that delight novices and frustrate photo experts. The program quickly cropped our selected image and minimally adjusted its color, but not much more. Newer users will appreciate its straightforward tools like red-eye reduction, resizing, and filters. An additional strength of this program is its seamless integration with Microsoft's ecosystem, allowing users to sync photos directly to OneDrive or Windows apps. Furthermore, its tagging and search features make organizing photo libraries incredibly efficient.
We could publish our photos online or even burn a CD within the program's interface, a surprising but pleasant addition. One disappointment was the Panoramic Photo feature. We were curious about creating panoramic photos, but you can't select it as a function, and the Help file offers little useful advice. Beyond that misstep, Windows Live Photo Gallery remains a smooth and likable entry-level photo management system. This is a photo program anyone can use.
Comparison with Google Photos
Google Photos, a cloud-based photo management platform, is an alternative to Windows Live Photo Gallery. Unlike Windows Live Photo Gallery, Google Photos provides automatic backups to the cloud, ensuring that users' photos are protected from hardware failures. Its AI-powered tools allow users to search for specific people, objects, or locations in their photo libraries with remarkable precision. Furthermore, Google Photos excels at creating panoramic photos through its Auto-Stitch feature, which requires no manual intervention.
While Google Photos outperforms Windows Live Photo Gallery in cloud integration and advanced editing features, Windows Live Photo Gallery maintains its appeal with offline usability and Microsoft-centric integration, catering to users who prefer a simple, local storage-based approach. Both apps are free, but Google Photos offers paid options for additional storage, which may be a drawback for budget-conscious users.
Bottom Line
Windows Live Photo Gallery is a free Microsoft utility. While its panorama option caused some issues, the overall program was smooth sailing, and we recommend it for beginners seeking an offline photo management solution. However, users looking for more advanced tools and cloud-based services may find Google Photos a better fit.
What’s new in version 2011
- Ribbon user interface: A modernized ribbon interface for better navigation and ease of use, similar to other Microsoft Office products.
- Batch processing: Edit multiple photos simultaneously, saving time on repetitive tasks.
- Clone tool: Remove blemishes or unwanted objects from images with precision.
- Facial recognition: Automatically identify and tag people in your photo library.
- Geotagging with Bing Maps: Add location data to your photos and view them on an interactive map.
- Image stitching: Seamlessly create panoramic photos by combining multiple images.
- Noise reduction: Enhance photo quality by reducing digital noise in your images.
Used Windows Live Photo Gallery for Windows? Share your experience and help other users.
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