B
Bob Adkins
FastStone Image Viewer v1.5
http://www.faststoneserver.com/FSViewerDetail.htm
DEVELOPER DATA:
"FastStone Image Viewer is an image browser, viewer, converter and editor
with an easy to use interface and a nice array of features that include
resizing, renaming, cropping, color adjustments, watermarks and more. It
also includes an intuitive full-screen mode that provides quick access to
EXIF information and thumbnail browser via hidden toolbars that emerge when
you touch the edge of your screen with the mouse. Other features include a
high quality magnifier and built-in slide show with 60+ transitional
effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image
frames, scanner support, histogram and much more. It supports all major
graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF,
ICO and TGA.
100% Free for Home Users
No Adware No Spyware"
FEATURES:
*Image browser with a Window-Resource-Explorer user interface
*Common image formats support, including loading of JPEG, JPEG2000, GIF,
BMP, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO, TAG, EMF, PXM, WBMP and saving to TIFF, GIF,
PCX, BMP, ICO, PNG, TGA, PXM, WBMP, JPEG, JPEG2000, PS, EPS, PDF.
*Full screen viewer with Select - Zoom support
*Crystal clear and customizable magnifier
*Resizing, flipping, rotating, cropping, color adjusting tools
*Image EXIF metadata support
*Batch image converter/resizer
*Slideshow with dozens of transitional effects
*Undo, Redo and Mouse Wheel support
/DEVELOPER DATA
~~~~~~~
MY REVIEW:
FastStone Image Viewer came out of nowhere 2-3 months ago. It appears to be
targeting ACDSee Classic, and to be honest, I think it drove a stake through
its heart. Once again, a Freeware program eclipses a commercial program!
FSViewer is a straight-up picture viewer for displaying the usual graphics
and photo formats. It consists of a richly featured viewer, simple editing,
and rudimentary printing. The feature set "feels right" for a picture
viewer. The GUI is clean and simple. I'm not really a skin person, but the
built-in skins in FSViewer are well done and pleasing.
After associating picture files with FastStone Image Viewer, a picture file
is clicked in Windows Explorer, and the viewer starts in full screen mode.
It has an annoying little "lag". The question is, how long must a lag be
before it's annoying? I measured this lag, and consistently get 1.5 sec on a
pretty fast P4 computer. Compared to the fastest viewer benchmarks (ACDSee
Classic and FireGraphic) taking <.5 Sec. That's the "bad" news. The good
news is, toggling to the next picture is instantaneous just like the
benchmark programs. When I think about it, the 1.5 sec. delay is not worth
complaining about.
In full screen mode, there is the usual right-click context menu. Clicking
the left mouse button causes a very cool and useful spot magnifier to
appear. Default spot magnification is 2X. The context menu allows adjusting
the magnifier from 0 to 10X. I like the default 2X. This is one of the
unique features in FSViewer that will totally spoil you. But wait, those
fly-out menus are also spoiling features! When you bump the mouse cursor
against the 4 sides of the screen, the menus pop out for you. The top menu
is for filmstrip/browsing, the left is for editing, right is for file and
EXIF properties, and bottom is for standard file functions. These fly-out
menus somehow do not conflict with the hidden Task Bar or other hidden tool
bars such as Object Dock. Compliments to the programmer!
Editing is rudimentary, as it should be in a simple picture viewer. Among
the features are Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation Lossless JPEG Rotation,
Flip, Re-size, Sharpen/Blur, and the BEST CROPPING TOOL I have ever used.
The Redeye feature is very easy to use, but tends to over darken on blue
eyes. FS Viewer works well with TWAIN scanners and cameras, and external
editors like PhotoFiltre and PaintDotNet from the context menu. The print
dialogue is straightforward, and has only Sizing, Positioning, Margins, and
Gamma. No multiple pics per page are possible as found in FireGraphic.
FSViewer has the usual screen capture, slide show, and wallpaper functions,
and work well. The Configuration menu is small and straightforward, making
file association and de-association easy, and external editors easy to set
up. This program is a natural companion for PhotoFiltre.
Like the benchmark programs mentioned, FSViewer uses a "read ahead buffer"
that helps make fast viewing possible. It creates a folder cache database
file, which grows with use. This file may be deleted any time without harm.
In Options, you can choose a cache file size limit, which is an excellent
feature. The program can even run from 1 file, the 1.5MB EXE file. FSViewer
re-creates 3 needed config files when executed. FSViewer is ideal for
including on a CD full of photos for sending to friends and family.
I have only hit the highlights of this fine little program, yet went a bit
long on the review. Bottom line, it's a great viewer, with little down side.
It makes finding and viewing your photos a real pleasure. I score it a shaky
9/10. A tweak here and there can easily make this program a solid "10". The
author gets a hearty "Well done!"
-- Bob
http://www.faststoneserver.com/FSViewerDetail.htm
DEVELOPER DATA:
"FastStone Image Viewer is an image browser, viewer, converter and editor
with an easy to use interface and a nice array of features that include
resizing, renaming, cropping, color adjustments, watermarks and more. It
also includes an intuitive full-screen mode that provides quick access to
EXIF information and thumbnail browser via hidden toolbars that emerge when
you touch the edge of your screen with the mouse. Other features include a
high quality magnifier and built-in slide show with 60+ transitional
effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image
frames, scanner support, histogram and much more. It supports all major
graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF,
ICO and TGA.
100% Free for Home Users
No Adware No Spyware"
FEATURES:
*Image browser with a Window-Resource-Explorer user interface
*Common image formats support, including loading of JPEG, JPEG2000, GIF,
BMP, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO, TAG, EMF, PXM, WBMP and saving to TIFF, GIF,
PCX, BMP, ICO, PNG, TGA, PXM, WBMP, JPEG, JPEG2000, PS, EPS, PDF.
*Full screen viewer with Select - Zoom support
*Crystal clear and customizable magnifier
*Resizing, flipping, rotating, cropping, color adjusting tools
*Image EXIF metadata support
*Batch image converter/resizer
*Slideshow with dozens of transitional effects
*Undo, Redo and Mouse Wheel support
/DEVELOPER DATA
~~~~~~~
MY REVIEW:
FastStone Image Viewer came out of nowhere 2-3 months ago. It appears to be
targeting ACDSee Classic, and to be honest, I think it drove a stake through
its heart. Once again, a Freeware program eclipses a commercial program!
FSViewer is a straight-up picture viewer for displaying the usual graphics
and photo formats. It consists of a richly featured viewer, simple editing,
and rudimentary printing. The feature set "feels right" for a picture
viewer. The GUI is clean and simple. I'm not really a skin person, but the
built-in skins in FSViewer are well done and pleasing.
After associating picture files with FastStone Image Viewer, a picture file
is clicked in Windows Explorer, and the viewer starts in full screen mode.
It has an annoying little "lag". The question is, how long must a lag be
before it's annoying? I measured this lag, and consistently get 1.5 sec on a
pretty fast P4 computer. Compared to the fastest viewer benchmarks (ACDSee
Classic and FireGraphic) taking <.5 Sec. That's the "bad" news. The good
news is, toggling to the next picture is instantaneous just like the
benchmark programs. When I think about it, the 1.5 sec. delay is not worth
complaining about.
In full screen mode, there is the usual right-click context menu. Clicking
the left mouse button causes a very cool and useful spot magnifier to
appear. Default spot magnification is 2X. The context menu allows adjusting
the magnifier from 0 to 10X. I like the default 2X. This is one of the
unique features in FSViewer that will totally spoil you. But wait, those
fly-out menus are also spoiling features! When you bump the mouse cursor
against the 4 sides of the screen, the menus pop out for you. The top menu
is for filmstrip/browsing, the left is for editing, right is for file and
EXIF properties, and bottom is for standard file functions. These fly-out
menus somehow do not conflict with the hidden Task Bar or other hidden tool
bars such as Object Dock. Compliments to the programmer!
Editing is rudimentary, as it should be in a simple picture viewer. Among
the features are Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation Lossless JPEG Rotation,
Flip, Re-size, Sharpen/Blur, and the BEST CROPPING TOOL I have ever used.
The Redeye feature is very easy to use, but tends to over darken on blue
eyes. FS Viewer works well with TWAIN scanners and cameras, and external
editors like PhotoFiltre and PaintDotNet from the context menu. The print
dialogue is straightforward, and has only Sizing, Positioning, Margins, and
Gamma. No multiple pics per page are possible as found in FireGraphic.
FSViewer has the usual screen capture, slide show, and wallpaper functions,
and work well. The Configuration menu is small and straightforward, making
file association and de-association easy, and external editors easy to set
up. This program is a natural companion for PhotoFiltre.
Like the benchmark programs mentioned, FSViewer uses a "read ahead buffer"
that helps make fast viewing possible. It creates a folder cache database
file, which grows with use. This file may be deleted any time without harm.
In Options, you can choose a cache file size limit, which is an excellent
feature. The program can even run from 1 file, the 1.5MB EXE file. FSViewer
re-creates 3 needed config files when executed. FSViewer is ideal for
including on a CD full of photos for sending to friends and family.
I have only hit the highlights of this fine little program, yet went a bit
long on the review. Bottom line, it's a great viewer, with little down side.
It makes finding and viewing your photos a real pleasure. I score it a shaky
9/10. A tweak here and there can easily make this program a solid "10". The
author gets a hearty "Well done!"
-- Bob
