Print - Microsoft to Ship Photo Story 3 for Free

On Wednesday, Microsoft will ship Photo Story 3 for Windows, the latest version of its amazing digital photo slideshow utility. However, this version of Photo Story differs from previous versions in many ways, adding a wide range of new functionality. Best of all, it will be made available free to all users of Windows XP.

Originally scheduled to be integrated with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, Photo Story 3 builds on the successes of Plus! Photo Story and Plus! Photo Story 2, which were included in successive versions of Plus! Digital Media Edition, a digital media-oriented add-on pack for Windows XP that sold millions of copies over two years. Like previous versions, Photo Story 3 uses a simple wizard-like interface to help consumers turn still photos into immersive animated videos called photo stories, which feature professional panning and zooming animations similar to those popularized by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. You can also optionally add narration, background music, and titles to your photo stories.

Photo Story 3 builds on this functionality in a number of ways. From within the Photo Story interface, you can now edit and rotate photos, add several effects, remove black borders from vertically-oriented photos, and add captions to individual photos if you'd like. And in addition to adding music to your photo stories, you can also automatically generate a soundtrack based on a selection of genre types, styles, bands, moods, tempo, and intensity. Photo Story 3 then customizes that music to match the length of the photo story to which it is applied. Finally, Photo Story 3 also makes it easier to share your creations with friends and family, offering a variety of templates that are compatible with PCs, Portable Media Centers, Pocket PCs, and smartphones, or that can be transmitted easily via email or the Web.

Photo Story 3 is an amazing tool, and one that all XP users will want to check out. For more information, please visit my exhaustive review on the SuperSite for Windows.

I guess I'm not alone here: Photo what!? Shouldn't it be called DIgital Image Synthesizer 2004 Expanded Edition?

Man, thanks for the heads- up. Can't find it on their site yet, but I'll be looking.

Guess I don't respect anyone who jumps the gun to make an unofficial announcement so you can benefit more than others who respect NDA agreements.

I can't respect anyone who jumpst the gun for personal gain while others under NDA agreements adhere to them. I'd include my name but you don't allow unregisterd people to go in with their names.

This information is already on several other news sites like ActiveWin and Betanews and is generally available information. And besides, the NDA Paul was under ran out this morning when the RTM content was posted (link is not yet posted yet publicly) so take a chill pill, Anonymous. I mean for God's sakes - it's PHOTOSTORY, not some earthshattering new technology. People like you make the Internet just a little more hateful and depressing.

Tell us when it is actually available. I wonder how much time was wasted by all trying to download a product that can't yet be located using MS's search on their own site.

It's available. http://www.micorosft.com/windowsxp Click Photo Story 3 in bottom right.

Thanks Paul, you are the man! Don't let the detractors, sitting on their fat, self-important arses out in cyberspace get you down. They are so beyond contempt (and I'm sure, the first to take advantage of anything free!).

Agreed with the last Anonymous User. Keep bringing us as much truthful info as you can. Knowledge is awesome.

"Tell us when it is actually available. I wonder how much time was wasted by all trying to download a product that can't yet be located using MS's search on their own site." Its actually available now, hence the report by Paul. But of course, not everyone can read...

This is a really, really cool program. In fact I would go as far to say as this is the easiest most fun photo program I have used. I have other more complicated programs but when I want to throw something fun together in 10 minutes this is what I've been used.

To the above user get a life and quit bashing others unless thats all your pea brain is capable of.

Free nice! If this was apple, then it would have been called OSX.something and cost $129.

I guess if your OS development is in the toilet, a free photo app becomes pretty exciting news.

Copy and paste this link to get your free Photo Story 3 download . http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/offers/details.aspx?displaylang=en&OfferId=7AC8A932-68A5-4147-B303-9C3456DAE568

To the autonomous user above: go eat an apple. And don't worry about the worms--they're protein. Geez, if this bozo isn't on the Apple payroll, then he's one truly sad individual. Maybe we should pity him. Or hand him a mirror so he can get a good look at himself.

There's such a warm atmosphere among the comments I just want to smile at glory of the humanity.

I found Photo Story 3 bundled on the CD of the game Roller Coaster 3 a week ago. Photo Story 3 is nicely done and easy to use. Microsoft did a fine job.

Seems like Microsoft has changed the policy. Downloading PS3 doesn't require any validation ? http://labnol.blogspot.com/2004/10/how-to-stop-piracy-provide-free.html

Played with it for while -its cool! Way ahead of the competion from Paintshop, or the incomprehensible Abdoe Photoshop prodoct. But at present its only for shows on your PC, you cant burn a VCD or DVD. And the options for TV output are VERY low rez and you can make it wide format - no good to show as VCD or DVD on your nice new high rez wide format TV