One such pioneer stands out in the grainy, pixelated history of digital imaging: .
But for millions of people, it was the first time they modified reality. It was the first time they cloned a blemish, changed autumn leaves to spring green, or put a cartoon cat on a birthday banner. arcsoft photoimpression 4
The problem wasn't taking the picture; it was what to do with it afterward. Windows XP had just launched, and its built-in "Paint" was too primitive, while Photoshop 6.0 was too expensive (over $600) and too complex. Enter the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) bundle. ArcSoft made a fortune licensing PhotoImpression 4 to scanner manufacturers, printer companies, and camera brands like Panasonic, Olympus, and Kodak. For those who still have a dusty CD case in their attic, installing ArcSoft PhotoImpression 4 was a ritual. The disc usually featured a glossy, stock-photo image of a flower or a smiling multi-ethnic family. The installer was a modest 150MB—tiny by modern standards, but a chunk of your 20GB hard drive back then. One such pioneer stands out in the grainy,