An unofficial blog that watches Google's attempts to move your operating system online since 2005. Not affiliated with Google.

Send your tips to gostips@gmail.com.

January 16, 2008

Google to Launch Picasa for Mac

TechCrunch found from a Google employee that we should expect to see a version of Picasa for Mac later this year. "I asked if Picasa for Mac was coming, and as luck would have it I managed to pick the Google employee with the least amount of media training and immediately put her on the spot. Her response: Picasa for Mac is under-development and will be launched later this year."

For now, Picasa only works in Windows and Linux, using WINE. There's also a Mac uploader for Picasa Web Albums that lets you upload photos from iPhoto.

Google is increasingly concerned with supporting other operating systems than Windows: a single Google software works only in Windows - Google Talk, even though there's a limited web version.

Software
Windows
Mac
Linux
Google Toolbar
yes
yes - Apr. 2006
yes - Apr. 2006
Google Desktop
yes
yes - Apr. 2007
yes - June 2007
Google Earth
yes
yes - Jan. 2006
yes - June 2006
SketchUp
yes
yes - June 2006
no
Picasa
yes
no
yes - May 2006
Google Talk
yes
no
no

32 comments:

  1. and gtalk for mac ?? when ? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. OLIX - Yeah I'm hanging on for that one too. Google lost me to Flickr and iPhoto a long time ago so I doubt that I'll even install Picasa. But I'd love to be able to use Google talk in place of clumsy iChat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i haven't seen this mentioned in other places yet, but on igoogle, you now have more themes and the ability to make your own (through google - not igoogle skins). just click the "select theme" and it will bring you to a new page.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was about to say that you don't need to use WINE to use Picasa for Linux but then I realised that it is actually it's own app so you don't need to boot up WINE then go open up Picasa in that.

    You're doing a good job here, well done for picking that employee!

    ReplyDelete
  5. gTalk for Mac? Why not just use Adium?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with john and just using adium but, I don't think adium supports gtalks voice chat.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I, for one, will install Picasa for Mac as soon as it's available -- I can't stand iPhoto's slowness and un-intuitiveness. I *love* being back on the Mac, but hate living without Picasa!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd like to see Linux/Solaris versions of Picasa that run natively without use of a Windows emulator.

    Most Mac users will stick with iPhoto but Linux/Solaris users really don't have a good alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Google approve that Mac is the next generation

    ReplyDelete
  10. Since I made the switch to mac this is the only program I have really missed. I don't want to give up on iPhoto but it's not for me.

    In the case of gTalk I'm more than happy with Adium, so a version for mac is irrelevant.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You marked off Google Toolbar for Mac, but it's only available for Firefox. How about a Google Toolbar for Safari?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Whoo mac is ruling the world ! bye bye windows!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have used both iPhoto and Picasa. In General I would say that Mac and their softwares are superior to Windows, but in this case I found Picasa to be at least one full lap ahead. First it's peed is dramatically superior. Second its ability to search the system drives to find lost pictures etc... is not even in the same league. and finally it is just easier to use. The only caveat that I found is some limitation in the folder manager to select network drives, which can be overcome if the networks drives are assigned a letter label in windows operating system.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I tried Picasa with CrossOver Mac trial and everything worked on the Mac side of the Intel Mac. However , I was not able to get to my external drives. I have forwarded a link to them ( CrossOver )in hopes that they can find a work around. Almost there!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm getting ready to switch to a Mac and this is the one program I was really going to miss. Now I won't have to miss it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. It's about time. I'm a recent Mac convert (macbook and iPhone) but I'm also an avid novice photographer. iPhoto is a piece of trash compared to Picasa. I hope they release it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I use Picasa on my mac OSX with crossover mac from code weavers. I have my photos on a network drive and upload photos to Walmart, Picasa Web Albums and Blogspot with no problems. I even print from Picasa in crossover!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Any news on when Picasa will be available for the Mac?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh please please please come with a Mac version of Picasa. That is the only program that has really kept me on the Windows side in the past years.

    When Picasa for Mac sees the light of day I can finally convert completely to the Mac side. (Only half way there at the moment with a MacBook Pro laptop and a HP Pavilion Desktop PC).

    ReplyDelete
  20. I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act.

    ReplyDelete
  21. When is Picasa going to be avalible for Mac? Help

    ReplyDelete
  22. I switched from windows to mac. at first time, i tried iphoto, it was great... however, when more and more pics in my macbook, it became slower and slower... 5GB pics in it... however, i didn't have this problem in picasa... so i am waiting for picasa for mac vision launched..

    every week, i also try find news from google. hopefully, we can have good news in June

    ReplyDelete
  23. Seriously, I'm a mac user and been using the iphoto that was shoved in my face. It is so slow to load, and browse and more.

    I tried picasa on my work computer and was very impressed. I am very anxious to make the switch to Google and take off the memory hog - iphoto from my computer..

    Google - I know you are working on a great product - but please hurry up ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. iChat can be configured through jabber to work with gtalk.

    ReplyDelete
  25. If MAC is the touted best operating software in the world, then why do programs that are available on the PC take upto two years to show up for MAC ?

    I feel that MAC as a company should initiate an incentive for software developers to give itself an "Equal Opportunity" as an OS.

    ReplyDelete
  26. can't wait for Picasa for MAC!!! I miss it so much! iphoto is not a comparable program. I don't like the fact that you have to "load" all your pics into iphoto. Picasa just works with the pics from where they are.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I started photo management on Picasa and when I bought a Mac a year ago, I migrated everything to Aperture, then upgraded to Aperture 2. I find photo editing and dragging the thumbnails from Aperture into other programs like Powerpoint much easier than Picasa. However, Picasa is better (by alot) at organizing photos and speed.

    Also, Picasa can find photos on servers, whereas Aperture cannot. This is a crucial problem for me, as I used photos for work and best to keep the originals saved on shared server.

    Also, there is no easy way to migrate Aperture folders to PC.

    If Picasa is release for Mac, I will switch back to Picasa for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I agree with all the Picasa supporters. This is a real, noticeable void for everyone I know who has switched from windows to mac! using iPhoto is so distasteful that I have almost stopped organizing or uploading my pictures altogether. Please, Google!

    ReplyDelete
  29. amen to all the "where is my picasa" posts. i've tried lightroom, aperture, iphoto, and all come up short with nailing the most basic feature sets. just leave my photos where they are and give me some simple editing capabilities. Google, please take .0001% of your mad money and do this one solid for us.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yes picasa is straight forward and human

    iphoto is pretty but not human at all.

    I'll be no longer booting my parallel desktop...

    ReplyDelete
  31. i can't wait any more…

    ReplyDelete