Editor's Choice 2007: Imaging Essentials

EDITOR'S CHOICE Imaging Software

Microsoft Windows Vista

An operating system isn't imaging software, we grant you. But Microsoft's long-promised OS is having a big impact on the post-production lives of PC-based photographers. You know how Windows XP ignores your RAW files if you use its photo importer? Not so with Vista. The new OS handles RAW just like any other kind of image file. Download the codec from your camera's manufacturer (to find it google "nikon vista codec," for example) and you'll be able to preview those files in Windows Explorer, import them as is into Microsoft Office 2007 apps, and sort them with the new Windows Photo Gallery feature. Gallery is a great supplement to a Photoshop-heavy workflow, because any tags and star ratings you add to its images' IPTC data will be visible in Adobe Bridge and searchable from anywhere in Windows. Gallery also lets you fix photos without changing the original data, good for times when you don't want to go into Photoshop for rush touch-ups. From $200.

Read more on Microsoft Windows Vista. Next product: Adobe Photoshop CS3.