Microsoft’s official Vista Website has been updated to reflect the new operating system?s commitment to digital photography.
The new operating system, which will replace Window?s XP when it is released at the end of this year, will incorporate photographic tools that enable users to perform simple edits such as cropping, red-eye correction and brightness and contrast adjustment. Claiming that ?speed and simplicity? will lie at the heart of Vista’s digital tools, Microsoft hopes that home users will employ Vista for most of their everyday imaging needs.
Initial reports have indicated that Vista’s photographic tools will be similar in appearance and functionality to Google’s Picasa and Apple’s iPhoto. Microsoft has not officially announced how or if it intends to handle the RAW file format, however, but many industry experts believe that Vista also will be able to process them directly. Current versions of Windows are already compatible with RAW, thanks to Microsoft?s RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer application.
Keep up to date with the development of Microsoft Vista at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista