Apple vs Kodak Photo Books

One way to get your photos organized is to take the best ones and make a book. That's easy now, since companies like Apple and Kodak offer cheap and easy-to-use services. These photo books are easy to customize and make great gifts as well. I thought that Apple's books were a bit nicer looking but they require you to have a Mac; Kodak offers more choices on size and prices are reasonable. Here's how some of the big players stack up.

Apple

"The best gifts are the ones you make," Apple claims, and they've made it easy to make your own photo books, calendars, and cards. They're pretty fast, too; if you are trying to get them made before Christmas, you can order them as late as December 19 and still get them under the tree in time. First, though, you'll need to have iPhoto on your computer, which means you'll have to use a Mac, since iPhoto is part of Apple's iLife suite of applications. iPhoto includes a range of helpful photo functions, such as image editing; it also has a built-in drag-and-drop functionality that lets you create photo books, calendars, and cards in a variety of sizes. Here's the scoop on Apple's prices for photo books.

Extra large hardcover

• 13x10 inches
• 20 pages
• US$49.99 (additional pages $1.49/each)

Large hardcover

• 11x8.5 inches
• 20 pages
• US$29.99 (additional pages $0.99/each)

Large softcover

• 11x8.5 inches
• 20 pages
• US$19.99 (additional pages $0.69/each)

Medium softcover

• 8x6 inches
• 20 pages
• US$9.99 (additional pages $0.49/each)

Small softcover

• 3.5x2.6 inches
• 20 pages
• US$3.99 (additional pages $0.29/each)

Large wirebound book

• 11x8.5 inches
• 20 pages
• US$19.99 (additional pages $0.69/each)

Medium wirebound book

• 8x6 inches
• 20 pages
• US$9.99 (additional pages $0.49/each)

Kodak

Kodak offers its photo-editing software, EasyShare, for free. Like iPhoto, it offers the predictable range of options for photo editing. You don't need it if you have another photo-editing suite installed on your computer. Kodak's service is pretty simple--choose your book style, cover, and page design, and then insert your photos. At last check, Kodak was offering a 25 percent coupon if you spend more than $50 on a photo book.

Small paperback book

• 5x5.75 inches
• 14 pages
• US$9.99 (additional pages $0.29/each)

Medium paperback book

• 9x10.25 inches
• 20 pages
• US$19.99 (additional pages $0.99/each)

Medium hardcover book

• 9x10.25 inches
• 20 pages
• US$29.99 with a picture window, US$34.99 with a full photo cover(additional pages $0.49/each)

Large hardcover book (your title on front)

• 12x14 inches
• 20 pages
• US$69.99 (additional pages $1.49/each)