Microsoft Photo Story provides a way for consumers to easily make attractive slide shows. From beginning to end, the process is simplified in wizardly fashion. Almost no technical expertise is needed by users, so Photo Story is perfect for consumers who want to spend less time making slide shows and more time enjoying them with friends and family.

Users can make slide shows in any size with as many photos as they want, and previews of the final product are available from the start of slide show production. Simple editing functions are available, including cropping, red eye correction, image rotation, color adjustments and more. Since these features aren't mixed in with more complicated options, confusion is minimized for photographers who would rather stick to the basics.

Adding background music essential for any complete slide show, and Photo Story makes this a breeze. Users can insert their own music and even make their own songs inside the program. Numerous styles of music can be taken and customized in terms of tempo, intensity and mood to match the slide show being created.

After production has ended, slide shows are saved as WMV files, but the use of converters makes it possible to create other formats. The files are sized small to make sharing simple through email or on a phone or other mobile device. Unfortunately, there are no tools included for burning slide shows to discs, so other applications will be necessary for this as well.

The newest version of Photo Story includes greater text customization and 48 different image transitions. The new Motion option lets producers pan over and zoom in on images for dramatic effect. Coloration options, including negative, sepia and water color, are also possible. Photo Story is definitely a top choice for creating polished slide shows that impress.