PictureImp
 Reviewed September, 2008

WHAT'S IT DO?

PictureImp professes to be the world's first web image download software. As you browse web pages, it sits in the system tray and waits until you bring it up. When you do so, it pops up a small semi-transparent basket. The basket is floating over the page and you can drag any web image and drop it into this basket in much the same way as you would drop a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine into the trolley in the physical supermarket.


DOES IT DO WHAT IT PROMISES?

Reviewer 1: Yes. PictureImp makes it possible to save images from the Web quickly and easily.

Reviewer 2: Yes. The main claim made for PictureImp is that it allows dragging Web images to it and it will automatically save them. It lives up to this claim.

Reviewer 3: Yes. I have had the program on my computer for several weeks. I have used it successfully since installing it, with the exception of Opera (please see "Weak Points" below.) To have it available all the time, one can keep a small transparent "basket" on the desktop. I usually leave it in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. As it is semi-transparent, it does not entirely cover anything that may be below it. When I come across a picture on the Web that I want to keep, I can simply "drag" it to the basket and "drop" it there. The default basket is called "My Pictures" and all the photos captured this way are copied to that folder; or, the folder can be changed.

Reviewer 4: It allows one to drag and drop most images (see below) found while browsing the Internet into a small basket that can be brought up from the system tray which will then store these images on the hard drive in selected folders or files for future use or viewing. The Web site refers to it as a “Zero-Click web image download” program, and it is just that.


WAS IT EASY TO INSTALL?

Reviewer 1: Yes, except that when I installed it, the anti-spyware program Spy Emergency warned me that PictureImp "behaves like Trojan. Hijack." No other security software that I use had a problem with it. I wrote to Spy Emergency, and I think that it has now revised its assessment. I should also note that PictureImp's EULA (End User License Agreement) contained a garbled sentence: "One registered copy of software may either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on one computer for any legal purposes, at a time" ("either" makes no sense here). Other than that, the EULA was somewhat restrictive (rights to the software cannot be transferred) but not unusual.

Reviewer 2: Installation was very simple. A limited version that will run for up to 30 days is downloaded. With the name and registration code entered, the full program is activated.. The license agreement is simple and short. The only limitation I object to is that it can only be installed on one computer for one user. Many programs are allowing installation on multiple computers provided that they are not used simultaneously.

Reviewer 3: The download program is only 1.7 MB, so it took only a couple of seconds on a high-speed Internet connection. The installation was also very quick, allowing me to place the program and its icons in the locations I chose. The registration came up immediately after installation, and worked easily with copy and paste. The only thing that I did not appreciate was that it attempted to place itself in the startup process without asking or warning me; I was only informed that it was doing so by WinPatrol. When a program is being installed, it should include this sort of information in its own installer. The user should determine what gets installed on his/her computer, without having to depend on a third-party program for that control.

Reviewer 4: Yes. It is a tiny 1.74MB download that installed quickly, smoothly, and effortlessly using a standard-type installation wizard, and taking only a scant 2MB of space on my hard drive. Set up is remarkably easy, taking sixty seconds to be up and running. The program also uninstalls easily and cleanly, leaving no junk files remaining and a minimum of empty keys in the Registry. This is the mark of a program with well written installation/uninstaller code.


GOOD POINTS?

Reviewer 1: PictureImp's chief strength is its simplicity. I know quite a few who have no idea how to download and save a photo or other image. PictureImp makes this process very easy. I followed the straightforward instructions to set up several baskets into which I could drag and drop any image I came upon. Each basket represented a different subject category, such as "Travel," "Gadgets," "Birds," and "People." I was able to set a level of transparency for the baskets, ranging from 0% transparency (the baskets are solid colors) to 100% transparency (the baskets are invisible); at about 70% transparency, the baskets were visible but I could also see what lay beneath them on the screen. I was also able to set a different color for each basket and separate locations where the photos in each category would be stored. Then, when I came upon a gorgeous photo of Peru's Machu Picchu, I just clicked on the PictureImp icon in the system tray to bring the program interface to the screen and then dragged and dropped the photo of Machu Picchu into my Travel basket. It now sits on my hard drive in the folder I designated when I set up the Travel basket. Had I wanted to, I could have established more than one folder as the destination for Travel photos (e.g., "United States" and "International"), and then I would be given the chance to select the one I want each time I drag a photo to that basket.

PictureImp also makes it possible to rename photos automatically by using the program's Naming Rules. They give me the option of using the source name or using a template. I can set the template up to automatically convert the file name and/or extension to upper or lower case or leave it as it is. I can also ask that the filename be changed to include the URL of the site where I found it as well as the date and time I saved it. I can also stipulate that if an image with the same name already exists in the same folder, PictureImp should add a one-, two-, three-, or four-digit number to differentiate it from the other image, or I can instruct PictureImp to overwrite the earlier image.

Another strength of PictureImp is that it makes it easy to save images to folders deep in the Windows Explorer hierarchy. Instead of having to click repeatedly to get to, say, C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\My Documents\My Pictures\Travel, I can simply drag and drop the image into PictureImp's Travel basket.

Reviewer 2: The program customizations are clear and simple to use. One can set up multiple profiles to decide where the images are stored and how their file names are created. There are options to control the window size and translucency, whether and how the program launches at startup, and how it is displayed. This is a very simple and low maintenance program. It uninstalled quickly but did leave some orphaned entries behind in my Registry.

Reviewer 3: PictureImp has discovered a little niche to fill and does so quite competently. The developers have added a few bells and whistles, mainly to make it easier to keep track of, and to organize the pictures downloaded from the Web. Several "Profiles" can be created and named as desired. Within each Profile can be created a series of additional "Baskets" and each can be defined for storing images and sorting/organizing downloads as they are captured. A "Naming rules" option allows either retaining the source name or using templates such as "site-name, site-URL, dates,” etc. This gives an idea of how the file name will look in the folder where it is stored. Background colors and text can be adjusted for each basket.

The Help file is compact and easy to use. There are actually only seven “How-to" topics, and each one is well illustrated with screenshots from the program. The few Web site FAQ mainly deal with questions relating to the special issues relating to certain photo Web sites or pricing.

Support is accessed by filling in a ticket online, with an automatic acknowledgement and a follow-up reply via email. I received responses within 12 hours, including a request sent on a weekend. I even received support when my name did not appear in their database of registered users. This kind of response speaks well of the developers’ interest in the users.

Reviewer 4: Sometimes, although less often these days it would seem, I run across a software program that is happy to do only one thing but do it perfectly. Such is the case with PictureImp. It will not scan for spyware, clean the Registry, delete temporary files, or tune-up the computer; nor will it claim to make a computer run better or faster. It simply provides a fast and convenient way to collect and store images from the Internet and do so in a way that is customizable per individual users. This is a very simple program to use with a clean and intuitive GUI (Graphic User Interface) that allows the user to be totally comfortable with its use in a matter of just a few minutes. The program runs in the background if desired so that it is always at the ready if something is found to save for future use. Then, it is simply a matter of opening the program from either the system tray icon or the desktop shortcut (if choosing to run the program manually) where a small semi-transparent box appears on the screen (or designated area such as a sidebar if desired). Inside the box is the name of a chosen destination path. It is simply a matter of dragging and dropping images in to the box to be stored on the hard drive in the designated folder. One of Picture Imp’s best features is the ability to not only create multiple baskets with separate destination folders, but to customize each additional folder to have its own name and look. So, rather than just have to save all images to the “My Pictures” file in the "My Documents” folder, one can create files specific to separate identities chosen and thus classify them accordingly. PictureImp has a very small footprint, uses minimal resources, and is an attractive application. While the program offers email support, it does—with honesty that is almost unbelievable—state that response time will “take some time.” Normally this would be a recommendation killer for me but as this is such a simply program to use, I can’t imagine support being much of an issue. There is a small FAQ available as a minimal help file available in the program, and there is an email newsletter that offers some tips and news about the program. While I think the program is just a bit over-priced at $24.95, there is a trial version available (with limitations) and a 30-day money back guarantee if purchased. Price notwithstanding, the user who likes to save images from the Internet will quickly find he cannot live without this program, and it is one I can easily recommend.


WEAK POINTS?

Reviewer 1: Although I love the simplicity of PictureImp, I almost always want to be able to specify an exact filename for each image I save. Simply being able to use the source name and/or add the URL of the site where I found the image is not sufficient. For example, using PictureImp I saved a photo of the parents of Nobel-Prize-winning author Doris Lessing. Normally, I'd save the photo under a filename such as lessing_parents.jpg. PictureImp called it 10james_450.jpg, a filename that will mean little or nothing to me in a few days. Similarly, PictureImp saved an interesting poster about Argentina under the obscure filename CIMG3050.jpg None of the naming options of PictureImp's template feature provide the kind of specific, meaningful filename I normally use and need.

Another weakness of PictureImp is that although it works with Internet Explorer and Firefox, it does not work with the Opera browser.

Reviewer 2: When PictureImp first starts, it is just as a system tray icon and a very small window that does nothing but minimize to the tray or close when left-clicked. The help section, available in the Start Menu, reveals that right-clicking on the window opens the options and actions.

Reviewer 3: Although the web-site lists only Internet Explorer and Firefox as supported browsers, I also successfully used it with Google Chrome, Slim Browser and Flock. I was unable to capture pictures when I was using Opera. When I checked with the developer, I was told that support for Opera is not currently available, but it will be included in a future update.

Reviewer 4: I found no flaws or bugs in this program and the only real weaknesses have already been acknowledged by the developer with a promise to soon be corrected. At present, copy-protected images cannot be saved (which is understandable) and an image cannot be dragged-and-dropped if it contains a hidden hyperlink, rarely found except in icons and similar graphics or when Firefox is used as a browser. My only real complaint is that the program is not supported by Opera. I would also urge the developers to expand their FAQ and Help files to compensate for the lack of turnaround time in responding to support problems. Users have the right to know when they can expect a solution to their problems.


OTHER COMMENTS?

Reviewer 1: The FAQ on PictureImp's Web site and in its Help file contains the following puzzling statement: "The current version of PictureImp cannot download images either but this functionality is on the way and will appear in the new release." PictureImp certainly can download images (indeed, that's the main point of the software), and the Company should remove or clarify that statement.

The Web site also contains a prominent header "What's New" and a link entitled "What's new in this version?" The link merely leads to a page where one can download or buy PictureImp; it provides no information about what's new in this version.

Reviewer 2: Try as I might, I could not find a “real world” purpose for which I would personally want to run this program.

Reviewer 3: For collecting photos from Web sites, PictureImp is definitely a very handy utility to have available. In fact, since installing the program, I have found that I am much more likely to download photos now than I used to.

Reviewer 4: This is a young program and one which it is obvious that the developer is still working on improving, and one on which I will keep an eye for future improvements.


WILL YOU CONTINUE USING IT?

Reviewer 1: No. I like the program and may recommend it for those who are uneasy with the normal procedure for saving graphics. PictureImp's failure to work with Opera and the limited options it offers for renaming images makes it inappropriate for my needs.

Reviewer 2: No. While this program does what it claims and runs unobtrusively, I have no personal need to keep it on my system. If I had a project where I needed to harvest a large number of Web images, I would have no qualms about installing it again.

Reviewer 3: Yes.

Reviewer 4: Yes. In my field I need to collect and use a lot of images and this program has not only saved me lots of time but, most importantly for me, allowed me a way to efficiently organize the images I save.

OPERATING SYSTEMS USED IN THIS REVIEW
Windows XP Pro XP Home, XP Media Edition

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