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You Can't Lose
 Starting up StudioLine Photo 2 on your PC, you might wonder if Ironclad Macintosh Robots have taken over your machine. This image-archiving program looks and acts differently from most comparable PC applications, but the change, if confusing at first, is refreshing and fun with a little practice.
One of the most attractive features of H&M Software’s StudioLine Photo 2 (www.studioline.biz; 201-934-3414) is its price. At $44 (download), it’s one of the least expensive organizers/editors around. Like other low-buck competitors, this program does a great job organizing all images, from snapshots to masterpieces. And, like its competitors, its editing functions are best left to your snapshots. If you have an image on which you’d like to spend some time and TLC, use Photo 2’s export function to work on it in another program. But for editing a bunch of snapshots with similar problems, this program is aces.
Lucky for anyone who’s quick on the draw with the mouse or prone to experimentation, StudioLine goes out of its way to preserve the sanctity of the original. All your actions happen in real time and pile up in their own floating toolbar. When you like what you’ve got, you can print, share, or export it. But even if you open and close the program, you can get rid of the effects. And, when you’re pleased with a particular set, you can quickly copy and apply it to multiple images. The same goes for image descriptors.
Photo 2 is another addition to the ever-increasing catalog of easy-to-use image organizers/editors that create slide shows and web sites, burn DVDs, print contact sheets, etc. What makes it stand out is its fun and cool interface, and, ultimately, its undying respect for your sacred digital negative.
What's Hot:
Your original is always safe. Retains EXIF data. Easily copies descriptors and adjustments to batches of pics.
What's Not:
Strange interface requires a manual. Not for serious image editing. Windows only.
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