iPhoto stands up against digital camera’s bundled software

Q: I purchased a Canon digital camera and want to use it with my iMac. My iMac has iPhoto on it but the camera came with a CD that is supposed to have a bunch of software on it as well. Should I install the software on the CD first?

A: There really is no right or wrong answer here but I can tell you from my experience that I would skip installing the software that came with your digital camera.

The reason I say this is that the software that comes with the camera usually doesn’t stand up to other software packages that do everything the software that came with your camera can do and more. I also think that the software packaged with a digital camera is used more as a gimmick to try and convince you that you are getting your money’s worth when you purchase your digital camera because of all of the free software that comes with it.

You mentioned that you had an iMac that came pre-installed with iPhoto. iPhoto is an excellent piece of software and I would be willing to bet that it will handle 100% of everything you want to do with your digital pictures. I’m not sure I could say the same thing about the software that came with your digital camera.

And don’t be discouraged by someone telling you that you need to install the software that came with the camera in order for your computer to recognize the camera and be able to transfer pictures to it. USB and plug-n-play technology has come a long way so go ahead and plug that digital camera right into your iMac and watch the magic begin.

This post was originally broadcast Friday, July 27, 2007 on Tech Talk with Noobie, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday between 11:30 a.m. and noon. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to [email protected].