Along with an instruction booklet, carrying strap, and battery, digital cameras always come with a software CD nestled in their box. That software isn’t for the camera—it goes on your computer. Manufacturers give you these programs to help you pull pictures from the camera’s memory card and deposit them on your hard drive. But here’s a word of advice: These programs are generally about as useful and friendly as phone-based tech support. The good news is that you can usually get by without ever installing this software. Thanks to the built-in photo importing tools you get with Windows XP (it’s called the Camera and Scanner Wizard), you can plug most cameras into your PC’s USB port and Windows guides you the rest of the way (Chapter 4 has full details about how to do this import dance).
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