BookSmart is a GREAT concept.  Blurb is definitely on the right track with what they’re offering.  However, the execution leaves something to be desired.  BookSmart is laggy and frustrating.  It’s a Java-based application and it took almost a full minute to open.  That’s two strikes against it before I’ve even been able to use it!  When I finally got into the program, I was expecting something like creating a book in iPhoto, only more customizable and with a lot more bells and whistles.  What I got was something about ten times as frustrating as iPhoto, which made the customization not feel worth it.

Not everything about BookSmart is bad.  It has good integration with your existing iPhoto library–as long as the files are the right format.  I had to export my wedding photos to JPG (they were in TIF) so that I could use them with BookSmart.  This rendered my meticulously organized iPhoto albums pretty useless to me.  BookSmart can also integrate with Flickr and other online photo galleries, as well as pull content from blogs.

My patience with the program came to an end before I got past creating the front cover.  I couldn’t imagine creating twenty more front and back pages of photo and text content at the slow pace I was being forced to move at.  When I would drag an image to a location on the page layout, it would take upwards of 20 seconds to load and display.  I realize that I am using an older Mac, but I have the RAM maxed out and rarely experience problems even with the latest and greatest software.  Perhaps a native application could work a little better, perform a little smoother, and create a better user experience.  Strike three, BookSmart.  I’m out.

In comparison, the iPhoto user experience is great–it’s easy and FUN to create books, cards, and more from your iPhoto library.  It’s incredibly intuitive and natural.  My beef is with the cost of the iPhoto books, which is significantly more expensive than a service like Blurb, and with the lack of true customization for people who want more than a canned theme might offer.  I’m going to continue to try to find a happy medium between ease of use and customization, but I’m pretty bummed about Blurb.

My mom keeps trying to get me into scrapbooking, and while I love being crafty, the idea of scrapbooking our wedding is daunting to me.  I want something that looks sleeker, more elegant, and won’t involve me wasting hours with glue dots and decorative edge scissors.  What could be more perfect than a customizable, professionally printed photo book?

As a Mac user, I love iPhoto and have finally gotten all the photos imported and arranged into individual albums.  I started trying out the book creation feature in iPhoto, which is a lot of fun, but honestly I am less than impressed with the pricing of the books and the lack of real customization.  This got me looking around on the Internet for a viable alternative.

Blurb is the service I’m most excited about trying out.  I have downloaded their free BookSmart software to try and I can’t wait to get started!  It integrates directly with iPhoto, Flickr and more and lets you make books of all kinds.  The best part is that it’s highly customizable and a LOT cheaper than the iPhoto books for the same quality.  They even publish a blog full of helpful tips and tricks.  There are other services out there, like all-around awesome self-publishing service Lulu, or Flickr partner QOOP, but Blurb seems to be exactly what I’m looking for.  I look forward to posting my thoughts once I have a photo book created!  I have a feeling these might be finding their way under a few Christmas trees this year…