Computer/Camera question. What can I get rid of?

[Paper Roses]

Since my Granddaughter spilled a glass of apple juice on my old camera, and at about the same time I bought a new (revamped) computer, I have had periodic trouble with my picture printing,scanning capabilities.

The new computer required that I install the software from my HP PSC. Not a problem. I then got a new Digital Camera, an Kodak EasyShare #M1063. I installed their software.
The problem is this: I now have 3 programs in this machine to handle the camera projects. HP's, Kodak, and a huge group of goodies from ArcSoft.

T cannot find anything about Arcsoft in the Kodak handbook, and I know it was not on my old computer. Can I assume that all the Arcsoft stuff was on this machine when I bought it? I seem to be having periodic problems scanning and sending pictures via e-mail. I never had that with the HP program.

In fact, I'd love to have only the HP. I have the disk for that and for the Kodak. I cannot imagine that Kodak would include Arcsoft on their installation disk.

Anyone have this Camera and found that Arcsoft appeared after installation of the disk? Foresee any problem if I Revo that bugger off of here?
Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Meanwhile, any answers will help me pass the time through this nasty blizzard we are facing tonight and tomorrow.

As usual, Thanks

[canetoad]

1. I also have a scanner and camera

Different makes to yours but I guess the same principles will apply.

My current scanner is on a Brother printer/scanner/copier. Camera is a Fuji Finepix S5600. When purchased, both of them came with discs containing, (a)drivers, (b)various utility programs, (c) image editing software.

Camera first. I don't install anything. Not a damn thing. You can plug most modern digital cameras into a USB lead, wait a second or two and your operating system will detect a new disc, not a camera. This suits me just fine, as you treat is just like a USB flash drive. Pix are on the drive, you can view, discard or transfer over to your computer to save or edit.

Once on my computer I can edit, crop, resize etc with IrfanView or Photoshop depending on what I wish to do with the pix. My camera has an XD card, not sure what yours has, but it is only a little data storage device. I've even copied documents to my camera card to move them between work and home computers.

Now the scanner. You will need to install the scanner drivers, otherwise it wont work, but you do not need any of the image editing software that came with the CD unless you particularly want to. I know that in another thread you found out that you could scan via IrfanView. That's exactly what I do, all the time.

Finally, a word about Arcsoft. It is the ugliest, clunkiest software on the planet. I first saw it in the mid to late 90s and was left breathless at it's ugliness. It's really worth the time to learn a little about IrfanView and it's capabilities so that you can free yourself up from the rubbish that is presented on device driver CDs.

Keep safe and warm during the blizzard. You can muck about with these devices - you have Revo and you have your CDs in case things go pearshaped.

[Paper Roses]

2. You gave me courage to get rid of ArcSoft. Used Revo, its all gone.

If everything worked with the old computer and the HP set-up, I sure as heck don't need all that ArcSoft junk. I will never use any of that stuff they offer. I assume it came with this computer but I did not note it at the time.

Just in case, the back up is there.

I bet I never need to use it.

Thanks for your help, Happy Holidays.