One feature iPhoto needs

There is one feature that iPhoto is missing that Apple should address. This feature is the ability to burn a CD of photos in a non-iPhoto format.

Let me explain this further. If you wanted to burn an album of photos to a CD to take to your nearest store and use their processing machine you would have to go through an annoying process. You’d have to export the photos from iPhoto, put them on a CD, and burn the CD. There are several ways to do this, but I’m just listing that one. All are annoying.

One might ask, “Can’t I just burn a CD of photos in iPhoto?” Sure, you can do that. However, any CD burnt in iPhoto is burnt in iPhoto format. Only a Mac with iPhoto will be able to read that disc. The photo processing machines won’t read it, and don’t think about putting it into a Window’s machine.

There are ways to dig into the folders of the CD, but the average user does not know how to do that, and should not have to. Apple should have a feature in iPhoto that asks you what kind of CD you want to burn when you click the “Burn” button. Do you want an iPhoto compatible CD? or a CD for non-iPhoto usage?

If I had a nickel for every time my friends ask me how to burn a CD from iPhoto to use at a developing kiosk I would be rich (the same friends asking me over and over again because it can be confusing). One friend made two iPhoto CDs just yesterday to give to his friends who have a Windows machine. Needless to say, they did not have any success opening the images.

iPhoto is suppose to be one of the, if not the, easiest photo programs you can use on your Mac or any computer. For the most part it is, but this is an ease of use feature it is clearly lacking.