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new disk drive. Newer operating systems, such as Windows XP may do this
automatically, older operating systems, particularly Windows 98 and ME, will require
that you install drivers from the included disk.
After you plug the cable into the computer, leave it there. Don’t carry it around with you.
It is difficult and expensive to replace.
If you need to access the pictures on the road, use a “card reader.” These will allow you
to read the pictures off the card directly without the special cable and without powering
up the camera. These are available as a single card reader of the type you need or a
“multi-card” reader that will accept most common cards. They plug right into your
computer and you read the card just like another disk drive. You don’t need to add any
software from the camera’s disk, as you do to use most cameras’ USB port (again with
the exception of Windows 98 and ME).
Digital camera software
When you buy a digital camera it will come with some software. This software is broken
into three categories:
• Drivers so your camera will interface properly with your computer
• Simple album and editing software to organize your photos, make galleries and
slide shows. This software usually provides the ability to crop and adjust color. It
is usually limited to only simple editing tasks.
• Optional stitching software to make panorama with the “stitch assist” shooting
mode of the camera
Once you get the pictures into the computer and begin editing you will quickly outgrow
the software that came with the camera. There are some great photo editing suites on the
market:
Adobe Photoshop, $600: The undisputed industry standard for professionals. It has so
many features that non-professionals may find most options inaccessible. It is simply too
much for most people.
Adobe Photoshop Elements: $99: The new “light” version of Photoshop. Extensive
built-in documentation means you should never need the manual. You can do almost
anything with this software. It has a “quick-fix” function to quickly fix photos and an
“email” function to automatically reduce file size and send via internet. For the money,
this is a phenomenal value.
Corel Photopaint, $99: Competitor to Photoshop. Very capable. Almost as powerful as
Photoshop and some people think it is easier to use than Photoshop. Not as good built in
documentation.
Jasc Paint Shop Pro, $99: A highly rated editor, with many similarities to Photopaint.
Well regarded as a very capable package.