The package is very easy to use and for the beginner ideal in getting you started with the two packages seamlessly integrated. The package is very wizard based and similar in style and approach to Roxio's Photo editing suite offering everything from the ability to add filters to your images as well as fix red eye. Microsoft firmly believes that you won't be able to get the same grade of photo editing manipulation in any other album software package, and on this note they are true. Microsoft claims one of its main features over the other album software packages available is it inclusion of Digital Image Pro, its fully functional art image manipulation package. Although this is merely another way of doing it, the results aren't as user friendly as Adobe's or Jasc's versions.

Similar to Adobe's timeline system an additional window can be called upon to arrange and display the images in some form of order, be it by date, size or rating. Once you've got your images add to your album you can view them via the main window as well as see the folders you are accessing by a further window to the right.

Scanning your hard drive causes every image to be found, even if it's a graphic buried deep within a game and unfortunately there isn't anyway of scanning specific folders on your harddrive without browsing and manually selecting each file individually. Images that are already stored in you're My Picture folder within XP are automatically imported into the Album and if you want to add further images it's a case of browsing or scanning for them. The package, as you would expect takes on a very Windows XP feel and those that are currently using this operating system will have no qualms or queries when it comes to finding your way around the software. Microsoft is therefore a relatively new comer to this field and it hopes that it's Picture it! and general Windows XP imaging experience will lend itself to an album package that will out perform and out sell its rivals. Both these packages have been spawned from well founded art packages within the professional and enthusiasts markets. There are a few software companies that provide album packages such as Adobe's Photoshop Album and Jasc's Photo Album 4. After all with prints you store them in a photo album, so why not do the same with your digital images only in a software enhanced version. With digital photographer users creating tens if not hundreds of images the question of what you do with them when you download them to your PC or Mac is an important one.

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