I don't know about you but I do know that I have spent a lot of my time creating image galleries for various Websites I have worked on. And image galleries are a time consuming task because not only does the code have to be written but the images generally have to be resized and optimized for Internet use. So with all this in mind I was a little sceptical about undertaking the task of reviewing ReaGallery Pro. This is a product that the developers claim will create an image gallery in minutes and file optimization is not necessary. Yeah right, tell me another one I thought. What I found was that both these claims are true.

ReaGallery Pro is a Wizard style software package that is very easy to use. The GUI is just like any other Wizard package and therefore cognitive load is reduced for the new user, which is always a plus. Take the "add image" screen for instance, it will be instantly recognizable that you click the "Plus" key to add new images to the gallery. But if any of you are finding the screen a little confusing ReaSoft have added in a neat feature, there are different modes for Beginners, Normal and Expert users. So ReaGallery Pro is a product that will adjust itself to all types of users.

One other thing that I found time consuming about creating image galleries was the image size issue. Most javascript galleries required that all the images be the same size. ReaGallery Pro doesn't have that limitation. Images can be any size and they intermingle superbly. ReaGallery Pro even creates the thumbnails for you.

There are multiple gallery templates available as standard in the programme. These templates are flexible and there is a high level of customization available for each one. Each gallery is created with its own buttons and can be set to "play" or the user can view each image individually. If "play" is selected the images are displayed for a few seconds with random transitions between images. And of course the transitions can be turned off for those minimalists out there who prefer to just show the basics. If you want to see some great examples of what can be done with the templates then visit the ReaSoft sample galleries page at http://www.reasoft.com/

I was so pleased with the gallery I created, literally in minutes, that I rushed it onto the Internet to test the speed. Now some of the images I picked for the gallery were over 100k and in Internet terms that means slow load times. I was amazed at the speed of the gallery. Now I had two reasons to love this software :)

Lets recap those ReaGallery Pro features:
- Designed to make HTML image galleries and slide shows fast.
- Many HTML templates supported.
- No knowledge of HTML needed for template customization.
- Great Flexibility and high levels of customization.
- Can take images from different source directories, sort and edit them.
- Supports text description for each image and its thumbnail.
- Built in FTP uploader.

I heartily give this product a "thumbs up". Price wise it comes in under $100 Australian dollars and is well worth adding to your software library even if you're only creating photo albums for your family. For Web Designers I think this product is a must have. I know I've been recommending it to everyone. I guess I just get very enthusiastic about quality products tis all (grin).