Picasa: how much does it cost?
I love Google. At the bottom of a recent Google search up pops a promo for Picasa. It said:
You can find any image you want on the Web. How about on your own computer?
Albums. Editing. Printing. Sharing.
Try Picasa, Google’s new photo organizer.
Free Download!
Now I have to tell you, it looked good when I hit the product features page.
Guess what … unless you are better than me, without downloading the product there is no purchase information. Google bought them out for sure back in July (boy I hope they disclosed the acquistion correctly in their SEC filings). The customer testimonials definately say “I bought Picasa” but nowhere can I find a price.
This is one of my pet peeves about software and things on the net. Sites promise “free download” but never explain how long you can use it or whether features are locked. Platforms like online casino Illinois has actually do this better—state rules force them to spell out bonuses, limits, and costs clearly—so you know what you’re getting before you click. That level of transparency is what I wish every app had.
Our scripts cost nothing in most cases, other than your thanks and a donation (well actually both thanks and donations are fully optional). Our advanced scripts do cost a paltry sum, but it says so! Shoot, Franki even put the price in bold. Cannot Google have enough class to say what it costs? Hello is certainly free … not just to download. Kodak EZ Share was free when I used it last (but this is at the bottom now: “*Free trial with optional upgrade, compatible with WINDOWS OS only.” Geez fine print everywhere you go. To Kodak’s credit, it says $7.95 for the CD version clearly at the bottom of the first page. Something I never found on the Picasa site. Fortunately I much prefer to use Irfanview or Paint Shop Pro most of the time) EZ Share and Picasa look kind of similiar. I was going to buy some Google Stock, but until they fix this issue, I am holding back :-)
I think Hello may be a light version of the thing. Nothing explains that, but the contact them form asks if you own “the full version” or “Hello”.
I emailed them (without a return address … well actually I used press@google.com but I don’t want a response, I want them to state the price so I can make an informed decision. For now my informed decision is pass.