After downloading the latest version of iPhoto from Apple's web site, all you need to do is mount the disk image, and run the standard package installer. You will need an administrative password to do so.

The best way to describe iPhoto is going through its 5 categories. These are Import, Organize, Edit, Book, and Share. Using the main window you can get to these five categories, as well as viewing thumbnails, albums, and more. While the interface is clean, it can be hard or cumbersome to use at times. Once you learn the interface, you can navigate this digital photo application with much more ease.

The first category, Import, is what you use to bring digital photos in from your camera connected to one of your Mac's USB ports. While this process is as easy as one click, it would have been nice if Apple included the ability to pick and choose which files are downloaded to your computer. Also, be careful with the "Erase camera contents after transfer" check box. Some cameras do not like computers manipulating their files.

Next on the list is Organize. This is where you create albums, view picture thumbnails, move and remove pictures from albums, set picture attributes, and more. You can put photos in specific categories, as well as search by keyword. While the organization may be simple, it gets the job done very well. This is what Steve Jobs meant by the "shoe box for digital images."

Now on to Edit. The editing portion is weakest aspect of iPhoto. The tools here are nothing close to what Photoshop or other image editing programs offer. Apple does let you adjust brightness, contrast, take out red eye, turn the image black and white, rotate, and crop. However, these editing techniques don't seem to work as well as they should, and there are no blur or sharpen tools. Furthermore, when Apple first announced iPhoto, they showed off a very cool image enhancing tool, but for whatever reason, that has yet to make it into iPhoto. However, keep in mind that you can set up iPhoto to use any application you wish for editing photos, bypassing the built in editor.

That brings us to Book. In Book mode, you can create a hard bound book, complete with cover, captions, title, themes, and your own page designs. Then, the book specifications, as well as the photos, are sent to a printing house, where they charge you an arm and a leg to print and bound this book. While it may be a nice gift, or a way to remember a great time in your life, the books are too costly for many users.

Finally, the Share category. This is where you get to share your digital images with the rest of the world. You can print your images, create a slide show (with fading effects and music), attach the photos to an e-mail, order prints or a book, create a web site, save as a desktop picture, create a screen saver, or export your pictures as stand-alone images, a web page, or a quicktime slide show. The ways to share your pictures and memories are numerous, but keep in mind, some cost you, some only work how Apple wants, and others may cease to work without iTools (now .Mac).

I have not encountered any problems other than software limitations while using iPhoto.

If you are a Mac OS X user who likes to play around with digital photography, you should at least give iPhoto a try. The editing tools may be simple, but the organization, sharing, and storage are top notch.

Pros	Cons
It's free Great for organizing Good for sharing Cool album Feature Compatible with most digital cameras and printers Can order high quality prints or books Easily create web pages	Editing tools are lackluster Books and prints are expensive Interface needs a little work
7/10 stars