Rating:
out of 5.
Based on features, easy-of-use
and value for the money.
Benefits: Comprehensive editing, and sharing features, enhanced
organizing with Auto Analyzer and People Recognition, PhotoMerge for Exposure,
new Quick Fix tools.
Cons: Some templates and tutorials require a paid Adobe membership ($40/yr).
Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service
Pack 2 or 3, Vista®, or Windows 7
1GB of RAM
2GB of available hard-disk space
Color monitor & 16-bit color video card
1,024x576 monitor resolution at 96dpi
or less
Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible display
driver
DVD-ROM drive
Web features require Microsoft Internet
Explorer 6- 8 or Firefox 1.5 - 3.x
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 boasts a number of new features in an attractive and intuitive tabbed interface. Top improvements include an Auto Analyzer to practically automate image tagging and a new People Recognition feature that identifies people in images, plus new one-click image editing tools. With this new release, the ultra-powerful Photoshop Elements maintains its position as the leader in non-professional level editing and organizing software.
New Features
Recompose Photo Tool
This is a nifty tool that lets you automatically resize or change the orientation of photos without distorting key parts. In other words, you can choose which elements of a photo you want to keep and which ones to get rid of. Say you have a horizontal picture of two people and you want to make it vertical. You can select the elements and bits of background you want to keep and which ones to eliminate without distorting the people or background.
PhotoMerge Adds Exposure Tool
The PhotoMerge feature has been enhanced with an Exposure tool which allows you to seamlessly merge multiple similar shots taken at different exposures into one optimum exposure. We've all encountered this: you take a photo of someone in bright sun and the background scenery looks great but the person's face is shadowed. You have to play around with Curves and Levels to improve the exposure or you have to really know what you're doing with your camera settings to try to balance it out. Instead, you can take one image with the flash on to eliminate the face shadows and one underexposed (no flash) to optimize the background. Then use PhotoMerge Exposure to select the best exposure of each similar image and merge them into one balanced photo.
Auto-Analyzer
Apply Smart tags to photos as you import them. Smart tags identify images by quality, focus, contrast, exposure, the number of faces etc. Use a Tag Cloud to quickly find images with themost popular tags.
People Identifier
As you identify people within photos, the program learns to recognize them. The more you identify them the better the software gets at recognizing them, even with other hairstyles or with or without sunglasses.
AutoFix Tools
There are new AutoFix Tools -- Smart Fix, Contrast, Tone, Color, Red Eye and Detail -- in the Organizer that can take care of common fixes. Other one-step tools include Touch Up Brushes for teeth whitening and making the sky bluer, and simultaneously selecting an area and applying an effect with one brush stroke. If you need more complex editing, without leaving Organizer you can switch over to Elements' full edit interface, which is easier to use now with icons and moveable, resizable tool panels.
Improved Sharing
You can now synchronize your photo and video clips between multiple computers. Elements lets you share your images or creations via iPhone, email, web/TV. Adobe offers a free basic membership to their online service, Photoshop.com that gives you 2GB storage, interactive sharing and access to your photos from anywhere. The Photoshop Plus Membership includes ongoing delivery of tutorials, artwork and templates, interactive photo sharing, access to your photos and videos from any computer, and 20 GB of online storage and automatic backup for a $40 yearly fee.
Creative Projects
Elements has added
new professionally designed clip art, templates, and themes. Creative projects include scrapbook pages, calendars, greeting cards, CD/DVD labels and more. You can get additional templates with the Plus membership that are automatically delivered to your desktop.
Image Organizer
Photoshop Elements is actually composed of two programs, an extremely powerful image editor and an organizer. Many tasks can be done in the Organizer mode, including most common edits; for more complex edits you can switch over to the editor. The organizer program is still one of the best available, and the aforementioned Auto Analyzer and People Recognition features make it even better. At the heart of the Organizer is the capability of putting your images into albums and tagging them. The more you adopt this system, the easier it will be to use the sharing service, which uploads images album by album rather than image by image. However, if you just want to upload a couple of images you can put them into their own album. The synchronization capability is quite handy. If you make a change to an album on your desktop, the change will automatically be made in your online version. You can set your sharing to be private or public and automatically send invitations from MS Outlook. The backup system works by backing up your albums, not every individual image on your hard drive.
Should You Buy or Upgrade to Photoshop Elements 8?
If you like to stay on top of the latest editing features and want expanded options for sharing your images, this is a great program for you. Adobe targets Photoshop Elements 8 for new through experienced digital photo enthusiasts. Guided tutorials can walk beginners through editing projects and advanced users will appreciate the sophisticated tools without the cost of buying Photoshop.
out of 5. 
from Amazon.com
- This is a great book that shows you exactly HOW to do things and exactly what settings to use. A must-have book. 
Adobe Photoshop Elements 