Powerful editing tool for amateur photographers, weaknesses in importing existing pictures

Adobe Photoshop has long been for professionals of the main image editing tools. For amateurs, however, not only too expensive but much too large in many points and confusing. Adobe has released for this group of users, the stripped-down version element at issue here.
I myself use Elements since version 6. However, I have not gone through any update that is both too expensive for me, on the other hand, the development is carried out while continuously but not so that you would necessarily join each version. Prior to version 13, for example, I was very pleased with the version 11, the 12er I skipped.

Installation
The tested version of me is available only as a software license, ie in the small cardboard cover is a small credit card-sized plastic card on the 24-digit number is and a Web page is called. Are you a this web page, so you have to first register at Adobe. That was not necessarily in my version 11. Without registration you will not progress, Adobe wants at least the e-mail address, name and date of birth. Only after I entered this I was from another page redirected to the I can enter the 24-digit number. That turned out to be a bit annoying, because on the map, the 0 and the O is not clearly distinguishable and I firstonce had a number of failed attempts. Luckily I had only 2 possible locations, so naturally the last possible combination showed success with me. As a result more than 4 GB are downloaded, what with me almost one hour lasted, the server seemed to be relatively slow. Then you can start the actual installation, which lasted also very very long. I have the computer again an hour left alone for it.

Service
The operating concept has not changed. There are still especially 2 tools, the Organizer and the photo editor. The organizer can manage his paintings and create folders and so manage the entire collection of his own images.

Importing images
So all my images are detected, I have to import them first. Elements created to probably an internal database with thumbnails. The total import my pictures then took back a very long time, I had to leave your computer running overnight to get the next morning at 95% the message: Import terminated. Without further information why and my folders were not displayed
So does that really little fun.
I then subsequently imported individual folders, which lasted very long, because I had it yes Import succession that was tedious. Ultimately I have the cause of the previous termination can not figure out ...

Edit photos
To edit individual images Elements offers a variety of different functions. Much is very easy for some features but you have to take some time and try it. The various help features to the Adobe website linked directly from within the program, help. The whole is then often discussed good and you can achieve considerable results. Even the optimization at your fingertips delivers in most results have significantly prettier photos than without optimization.
Really big differences to my version 11 do not fall on me. Adobe calls itself especially improved tools for sharing in social media (Facebook) as an innovation and, in fact, the tool must be created from an image depending registered wallpaper and a profile picture very nice. Right here you can clearly see that just yet not professionals are the target audience but will achieve the amateur the prettier of his paintings results.

Conclusion: Adobe Elements is still one of the most important tools for ambitious amateur photographers. But I recommend everyone to first deal with Google Picasa, which gives it for free. There are also quite a few important automated tools as well as the folder view is fast and efficient. Only if you really need more, Elements is highly recommended. Visit the Adobe site you can also download a trial version first to the to try and then buy this license eg from Amazon then to the tool durable to use.