MGI Software Advances Consumer-Friendly PC Photography Software
With the Launch of MGI PhotoSuite III - Platinum Edition
TORONTO, ONTARIO--
More Features, Greater Ease Accent MGI's PC & Internet Photography
Power Pack
MGI Software (TSE:MGI), widely acclaimed as the leader in consumer
PC photo software, today introduced the latest version of its
award-winning, flagship photography software for home and business
users, MGI PhotoSuite III - Platinum Edition. Continuing the
tradition of excellence set by its predecessors, MGI PhotoSuite
III - Platinum Edition adds to an already powerful lineup of
sophisticated features, while becoming the most comprehensively
easy and most Internet enabled PC photo software available. MGI
PhotoSuite III - Platinum Edition allows users of any experience
level to effortlessly get, prepare, compose, organize, share and
print their photos.
"Understanding that the major market influences were aligned and
that the PC photo market was at a point attractive enough for the
average consumer to enter, MGI took what is widely recognized as
the most powerful PC photo software in the category and made it
incredibly easy to use. PhotoSuite III is a powerful PC photo
playground of fun and productivity for novice and advanced users
alike," said Anthony DeCristofaro, president and CEO, MGI Software
Corp.
Increased Power
MGI PhotoSuite III boasts even more power, effects, content, and
even two new applets that represent a tremendous value to the
consumer, Stitching and PhotoTapestry(TM). Other companies sell
similar functionality in stand-alone software packages, but both
are included in MGI PhotoSuite III Platinum Edition. Stitching
allows users to create a single panorama from a series of photos
taken of a subject, such as a tower or horizon that could not have
been captured from the same vantage-point in a single shot.
PhotoTapestry(TM) replicates a photo by combining many small
thumbnail-photos in the form of the original. This applet works
by analyzing the original photo's hue, saturation and brightness,
then using a large database of thumbnails, selects the best photo
thumbnails to represent each area of the original. In addition to
the new applets, more photo-quality templates have been added to
MGI PhotoSuite III's impressive content arsenal (which now totals
over 1200 templates), for creating both home and business
projects, and new effects now bolster the program's Special
Effects area.
Complete Ease
MGI PhotoSuite III has a clean, sleek design that houses a very
logical workflow including thorough step-by-step guides that make
it easy for even the most novice user to achieve photo perfection.
All of MGI PhotoSuite III's sophisticated functions are readily
available and simple to use, whether the user is repairing
treasured photos, making the photo ordinary the photo
extraordinary, or using the Internet as an enriching part of the
PC photo experience. As well as being extremely intuitive, the
new user interface has been optimized for speed allowing users to
quickly navigate through the program as well as rapidly apply
effects and perform edits. While catering to the needs of the
novice user, MGI PhotoSuite III also ensures more advanced or
experienced users are able to accomplish tasks quickly through the
inclusion of a Tool Bar, which allows them to instantly access
editing tools.
Internet Enabled
MGI PhotoSuite III builds on the success of MGI PhotoSuite II,
which captured the attention and praise of industry insiders for
its unprecedented Internet integration. MGI PhotoSuite III
continues to embrace the Internet at its core. Built using an
embedded browser, MGI PhotoSuite III allows web viewing from
within the program. This ability lets users save photos from the
web directly in the application by simply dragging them off the
web page into the photo library that is part of the MGI PhotoSuite
III interface. Pictures can then be immediately edited or used in
a photo project. In addition, users have a seamless connection to
online photo services, as well as to the MGI web site, where
additional templates and content can be downloaded. MGI's site
will also allow users to send customized Postcards and Greeting
Cards over the web, get valuable tips and tricks, and learn about
the latest PC photo news. MGI PhotoSuite III users also can take
advantage of a very special online offer that allows them to post
photos, albums or creations to the Web for free to their own
password-protected Web page.
"Increased consumer demand for digital imaging is being driven by
PC penetration, Internet connectivity, low-cost peripherals and,
now more than ever, its ability to greatly enhance the photography
experience," said Kristy Holch, Principal, InfoTrends Research
Group, Inc. "By facilitating instant sharing, home printing, as
well as photo fixing, creating and crafting, PC photo software is
at the center of this enhanced photography experience. MGI
PhotoSuite III, with its broad feature set, logical workflow, and
Internet integration, highlights the many benefits that 'going
digital' affords users."
Full Suite Approach
MGI PhotoSuite III is separated into seven Activities (Get,
Prepare, Compose, Organize, Share, Print, and Browse) or the
essential functions for working with photos on a PC and the
Internet.
Get is for getting photos into the PC from peripherals such as
digital cameras and scanners (directly or through TWAIN), from the
Internet, online photo services, as well as from hard drives (file
preview available), CDs, DVDs and other removable storage media.
Prepare contains all of PhotoSuite III's powerful photo editing
tools that allow for painting on photos with full control of
transparency levels and soft edges; the enhancement of photos with
lens and special effects; the transformation of photos through
warp; the touchup and repair of photos such as removing red eye,
blemishes and scratches; and cutting out objects in a photo using
a number of different tools including Edge Finder with adjust
nodes. Prepare also includes Photo Stitching and
PhotoTapestry(TM).
Compose includes over 1200 professionally-designed,
photo-realistic templates for creating home and business projects.
Business projects include items such as signs, labels, stationary,
business cards, certificates, and promotional materials, while
home projects include items such as posters, calendars, magazines,
greeting cards, sports cards, and photo collages. In addition,
frames, edges, and photo-quality props can be added to a photo and
fun body switches can be performed. Compose supports an "Object
Manager" that keeps track of the individual components that make
up the project. Each component can be individually sized,
positioned, rotated, its order in the project changed, or a drop
shadow added. Additionally, each component can be edited further
in Prepare. Once edits are completed in Prepare, the component in
the project is updated to reflect the changes.
Organize consists of a new Master Album that keeps track of all
the albums created. Individual albums allow for the organization
of photos and other multimedia content into thumbnails, adding
fields and descriptions to each item. Once descriptions have been
added, albums can be sorted and individual photos or a series of
photos can be searched based on the descriptions entered. The
album can span beyond the user's local drive to include cataloging
pictures from any number of CDs and other removable media.
Share includes Save and Save As options, the ability to email a
photo, an album, a project or slide show. Items can be emailed as
is, as a .jpg file or as a PhotoSuite III e-mail slideshow with
sound, which is packaged as a self-contained executable file.
Photos can be uploaded to an online photo service, converted into
Web Pages or set as the Windows wallpaper. Share also houses
PhotoSuite III's powerful slide-show capabilities that allow users
to create multi-media presentations complete with sound,
transitions, and voiceover narration. In Share, users can
automatically connect to an area of the web where they can post
their photos for free.
Print allows users to print their creations and photos on a home
printer, or connect to the web to utilize a photo lab. Print
allows for package printing as well as printing to specialty
papers by Kodak and Avery.
Browse is PhotoSuite III's gateway to the Internet. Users can
search for images on the Internet from within the program, by
simply dragging photos from a web page into PhotoSuite III's
Library and immediately edit it or use it in a project.
PhotoSuite III links directly to photosuite.com which
is the user's direct connection to downloadable content, updates,
as well as support, talkback, news, interesting photo links and
more.
System Requirements, Availability and Pricing
MGI PhotoSuite III requires Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or Windows NT
4.0 (or higher). The minimum system required is a Pentium 166 MMX
(266 MMX recommended) computer, with 32MB RAM, SVGA Video Card,
800x600 Screen Area, True Color (24-bit color), CD ROM drive,
mouse, and 130MB Hard Drive Space. Users with an Intel Pentium
processor, and its MMX instruction set will benefit from MGI
PhotoSuite III's complete MMX optimization, resulting in faster
and smoother operation when navigating and zooming in and out of
photos, applying special effects, filters or other
transformations. PhotoSuite III also is Pentium III SSE enhanced.
Available in September '99, MGI PhotoSuite III - Platinum Edition
will carry an estimated street price of US$49.95.
About MGI Software
MGI Software is one of the world's leading digital media
companies. The company's early focus on delivering digital media
editing technology to the mass market has led to leadership in the
digital imaging and video editing market, with more than 26
million units of its PhotoSuite, VideoWave and LivePicture
products shipped in retail and OEM channels spanning 25 countries.
MGI Software broadened its market to business and online users of
photography by acquiring the assets of Live Picture and expanded
its technological leadership to encompass all digital
entertainment media, including television, movies, and music, with
Pure DIVA and the acquisition of Zoran's SoftDVD business.
Through its ever-growing network of partnerships with major
consumer electronics manufacturers, computer hardware and software
vendors, photo retailers and the entertainment industry, MGI
Software is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the
revolution shaping our digital lifestyles. The Company has
offices in Silicon Valley, California, Canada, Europe, Australia,
Taiwan and Japan. MGI Software is publicly traded on The Toronto
Stock Exchange. For more information visit
mgisoft.com. For OEM inquiries contact Sean Budnik,
Director, OEM Sales, at 905-7074712 or seanb@mgisoft.com.
(c) MGI Software Corp., 1999. MGI, MGI PhotoSuite, MGI VideoWave,
SoftDVD MAX, Pure DIVA and Live Picture are trademarks or
registered trademarks of MGI Software Corp. All other company
and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks
of their respective manufacturers.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
MGI Software Corporation
Chris Taylor
(905)707-3554
christ@mgisoft.com |
