Adobe has recently announced the release of Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, a piece of software that provides automated and intelligent photo-editing capabilities for the Windows as well as the Mac OS X user out there. The difference between Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows and Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac is that the Windows specific software is available for download right now (the purchase price is of $99.99) while the Mac version will become available soon – and by that I mean this October, which is only a couple of days away.

Vice President and General Manager of Consumer and Hosted Solutions with Adobe, Doug Mack, commented: “With nearly 20 years of Photoshop innovation under our belt, we are able to leverage industry-leading technology that the professionals use and make it accessible to our Elements customers. We've simplified the editing process, without taking away any of the power, and incorporated smart tools with built-in intelligence to bring once difficult tasks, within reach of everyone.”

Here is what you can expect to get from Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows (highlights):
- Manage and find media (photos and videos) easier than ever before thanks to the enhanced Organizer.
- Automatically analyze and tag media with the new Auto-Analyzer
- Automatically identify people in media thanks to the People Recognition feature
- Automatically sync media across several computers
- Merge multiple shots of the same scene with Adobe Photomerge Exposure
- Automatically resize photos with Recompose without distorting the image.
- Quick Fix previews
- Online Album templates
- The option to purchase Plus, which comes with: 20GB of storage space for up to 15,000 photos 4 hours’ worth of DVD-quality videos, tutorials, tips and tricks, seasonal artwork , interactive online templates.
- Access your media anywhere in the world by visiting Photoshop.com

Here is what you can expect to get from Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows (highlights):
- All the features included in Adobe Bridge CS4
- All the photo-editing options included in the Windows version
- Scene Cleaner is a feature unique to the Mac version; it can be used to brush out elements in a picture that you don’t what there.
- Apply astonishing effects to certain parts of a photo with Smart Brush (single stroke apply)
- Easily and rapidly perform common editing tasks with Touch-Up brushes
- Share media online.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows can be downloaded/purchased straight from the software developer’s official webpage here.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac can be pre-ordered from Adobe or Apple.