It's so easy...
I tried Album To Go with my Windows 98 system I didn't notice any bugs and installing the program was easy.

Using it was pretty easy, too. From the desktop, I started Album To Go in standard Windows manner and used it to open several of my favorite JPEG images. I was able to see each image as it looked originally, in color, or see how it would look on the screen of my handheld device by selecting the "Palm" button.

In Figure A, you'll notice scroll bars around the image -- they let you select a portion of an oversized image to fit your Palm unit's display.

FIGURE A


This is what the Album To Go Desktop software looks like in use. Roll over picture for a larger image.

I selected the piece of the picture that I wanted, then converted that and several more images to .PRC format by clicking the Save button. Then I performed a HotSync operation, which sent them to my Palm device for viewing. It was that easy.

Once images were safely synchronized to my Palm V, I was able to show everyone the pictures I had taken of my mom's cat, my roommate, his gekko, my sister's wedding pictures, and the current PalmPower office mascot, an annoying Halloween Furby.

Buttons and menus
There are five small buttons and two large ones on the Album To Go menu screen. The large buttons tell you about Club Photo and start the slide show. The small buttons let you view, rename, view notes, beam, and delete images. However, these buttons are not clearly identified and will require some memorizing. Not to worry, though -- dialog boxes pop up so you don't delete anything accidentally. If you hit the "beam" button with no other Palm device around, it will tell you all about it (trust me on this one)!

Menus
Select Preference from the App menu, shown in Figure B. You can choose to display an automatic slide show when you launch Album To Go, force four gray scale mode, or create a continuous loop of your slide show. Pictures can stay on the screen from one to 30 seconds, you select the length of time.

FIGURE B

Choose Preference from the App menu, and you'll be offered a host of choices.

The Options menu, shown in Figure C, lets you either check all the pictures for the slide show or uncheck them all. You can check or uncheck boxes individually to further tune a slide show. You can also separately set how long each picture will be displayed and even what effects will be used to change images. Effects include tiling, wiping, and so forth. The program would be even better with a "lite" version that simply switches pictures and saves the additional memory for other uses.

FIGURE C

Options lets you check or uncheck boxes to change your slide show.

Buttons
The large buttons carry out the program's most basic functions. For example, the "About" button tells you about Club Photo including the software version number (information which also is available from the "App" menu). The "Slide" button starts the slide show with whatever features you've selected.

The small buttons, available from the main menu, are not clearly marked and require some memorization work. The first button on the left displays the highlighted image only. The second button lets you rename the highlighted image. The third lets you add or change a note using the Palm's keypad or the Graffiti, with its upside-down "V" standing for "A" and so forth. The fourth button lets you beam the highlighted image to another Palm device provided, of course, that Album To Go is installed on the second device. The fifth button deletes the highlighted image, but warns you first.