Microsoft Integrates Leading Digital Imaging Software and the Web

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 23, 2001 — Dating back to the early 1800s, photo memories have captured important events, people and history relevant to everyone’s lives. Without photos, historical books might include only words and drawings, memories might be forgotten and photo keepsakes would not exist. Now, with the increased use of digital photography, Microsoft Corp., the makers of Picture It!® , the No. 1 best-selling consumer photo-editing software, 1 have introduced a new direction for CD-to-Web integration with all the new Picture It! Publishing Platinum 2002, Picture It! Photo Premium 2002 and MSN® Photos powered by Picture It! ( http://photos.msn.com/ ).

With a complete PC-to-Internet photography solution, the award-winning Picture It! software can be used to personalize photos and complete photo projects using thousands of templates, images, mats and frames. Through similar, easy-to-use interfaces, consumers can upload photos or projects from Picture It! to MSN Photos, where photos can be saved in online albums and shared with family and friends, who can even order their own reprints. In addition, special gift templates allow consumers to create personalized gifts using Picture It!, then upload the designs from their PC to MSN Photos to order the final product.

“Software-to-Web integration is very important right now for digital imaging, especially because consumers want to use these technologies together to complete photo and publishing projects,”
said Michelle Kline, product manager of home imaging and publishing for Microsoft.
“In the past, people were limited to using home printers to print out their photo projects. Now, the photo-sharing possibilities are endless. Anyone can complete projects using the online templates in Picture It! and then use the online ordering wizard to purchase items, including photo mouse pads, mugs, T-shirts and aprons.” 2

New Features Make Picture It! Even Easier to Use

Through new features and enhancements in Picture It!, anyone, regardless of computer skill, can easily navigate through the software. The Multimedia Help movies offer great
“thought starters”
to help recognize what tools are available in the product or to find more information on specialty editing techniques such as cloning images or making composites. The movies are contextual and will pop up when additional help might be needed.

The unique Picture It! Mini Lab brings a photo-editing lab to any desktop. Removing red eye, adjusting tint and contrast, or cropping a photo is now a snap. Once a photo project is complete, it can be printed on photo-ready paper in minutes with a color ink-jet printer.

More Choices Provide Projects for Every Home

Picture It! has expanded its photo-editing capabilities to offer a variety of templates, images, mats and frames to help complete projects from start to finish. The Gallery provides templates for organizing, designing or cataloging all photos and projects for safekeeping and organization. Picture It! can even help restore old photos by removing scratches, dust marks or even tears.

In addition to photo editing, Picture It! offers hundreds of solutions for home publishing projects. The easy-to-use interface encourages a step-by-step process to create school newsletters, photo albums, personalized calendars or even a family Web site.

MSN Photos Offers an Array of Online Options

The improved Web integration between Picture It! and MSN Photos provides the ability to open, share, save, print or e-mail personal photos any time, anywhere.

The new Online Photo Album allows families living all over the world to share and communicate online. For example, Mom can post the photos in an album from Chicago; Aunt Mary can log on and visit the album at her home in Seattle, then order prints or gifts from any of the photos posted; Uncle Jake can view and choose the local printing option while at home in Dallas.

MSN Photos includes a portion of the Picture It! Mini Lab, which includes automated batch-editing correction tools to crop images, adjust brightness and contrast, and remove red eye. In addition, a full editorial staff at MSN Photos provides professional editorial content, tips and hints for taking better photos.

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft Picture It! Publishing Platinum 2002 became available nationwide on Oct. 15, 2001, for an estimated retail price 3 of $54.95. Consumers can visit http://photos.msn.com/ for more information. Picture It! Publishing Platinum 2002 comes with an assortment of paper samples from Avery Paper. Picture It! Photo Premium 2002 also became available nationwide on Oct. 15, 2001, for an estimated retail price 3 of $54.95, with $142 in coupons from Fujifilm. Both products include a free mouse pad offer and three months of free access to MSN. 4

About Picture It!

Launched in 1995, the Picture It! line of products provides consumers with leading consumer photo-editing technology and the highest-quality content. Picture It! is the recipient of several press awards, including Computer Shopper’s Best Buy of 2001, the CNET Editor’s

Choice, Family PC’s Family Tested Recommended, and PC Magazine’s Top 100 Home Oriented CDs. The Picture It! line includes Picture It! Publishing 2002, Picture It! Publishing Platinum 2002, Picture It! Photo 2002, Picture It! Photo Premium 2002 and Greetings 2002 — all new for 2002.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

1 NPD Internet Market Tracking, January 1996-March 2001; based on total U.S. retail sales.

2 Products are offered online at an additional cost. Selection may vary over time.

3 Reseller prices may vary.

4 MSN Internet Access is for users of the MSN Companion and Microsoft Windows® 95 or later operating systems only. In addition, users must subscribe to MSN Internet Access in accordance with its subscription agreement to access the service. Offer is only available to new MSN Internet Access members in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. A major credit card is required. After the trial period and until subscribers cancel their account or select an alternative plan, their credit card will be automatically charged $21.95 per month through Jan. 1, 2003, and thereafter they will automatically be charged the current price for the MSN Standard Unlimited Access Plan. MSN is available only for personal noncommercial use. Additional telephone and/or long-distance toll charges may apply. It is the customer’s responsibility to check with their phone company to determine if additional phone charges may apply. Local market network activity and capacity may affect access availability. Offer may not be combined with any other Microsoft offers or rebates. Limited-time offer.

Picture It!, MSN and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft® Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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