Picasa HD is a Picasa photo viewer that will allow Windows 8 users to navigate easily through their photo collection, create slide shows, and share their images with their nearest and dearest - without needing to visit picasaweb.google.com.

Features

After logging into your Google account, Picasa HD gives you access to all of the photo albums you've uploaded to Picasa. You can browse photos at your own pace, or use the slideshow feature, which adds transition effects between each of the shots.

Beyond being "just" a simple photo viewer, Picasa HD will also allow you to create and manage photo albums. You'll be able to add photos to albums and edit information about them (name, description, date, etc.) all without visiting the web version of Picasa.

Picasa HD will also allow you to delete photos, access and edit the information attached to images, zoom in on pictures and download them to your PC or tablet. Don't forget that there's also a full screen option, so you can get the most from your screen space.

Getting started

If you've got a touchscreen device, you can take advantage of its features to use the famous pinch-to-zoom or swipe though your images.

Appearance

Picasa HD definitely takes a back seat to your photos. It's simple and fuss-free, in order to show your images off to their best advantage. The majority of the interface is taken up by thumbnails of your images, allowing you to easily see the photos you are working with.

Conclusion

As Google doesn't currently offer an official app for Picasa on Windows 8, Picasa HD is the next best option for viewing the photos in your Picasa account on a tablet or hybrid device. It will allow you to view and edit information about your photos, as well as adding new images to your collection, all without having to visit Picasa online.