onOne Software, Inc., announces today the availability of the Genuine Fractals 5 public beta. Users interested in becoming beta testers can register at http://labs.ononesoftware.com. In addition, anyone who purchased Genuine Fractals 4.1 or Genuine Fractals Print Pro 4.1 on or after December 18, 2006 will receive a free upgrade to Genuine Fractals 5.

Since its original introduction 10 years ago, Genuine Fractals software has defined the category for high-quality Image-scaling and ease of use, said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. Now more than ever serious photographers have come to rely on the Genuine Fractals algorithms to produce high-quality enlargements from their digital image files. We are pleased to be able to offer a free upgrade to the new version to anyone who purchased Genuine Fractals 4.1 or Genuine Fractals Print Pro 4.1 since December 18, 2006. It's just our way of saying thanks to our customers.

The new version of onOne Software's flagship product Genuine Fractals will feature several new improvements and workflow enhancements including:

• New User Interface & Photoshop CS3 Compatibility - In addition to being compatible with Photoshop CS3, Genuine Fractals 5 has been rewritten as a Universal Binary to be fully compatible with both PowerPC and Intel-based Macintosh computers. Genuine Fractals 5.0 also has a brand-new user interface that streamlines the image scaling process.
• Improved Scaling Algorithm - The patented scaling algorithm in Genuine Fractals has been improved to deliver even better results than before.
• Improved Scaling Performance - Genuine Fractals 5.0 will fully support multi-processor computers such as dual processor and dual core computers as well as AltiVec and SSE acceleration to deliver superior scaling results faster than ever before.
• Built-In Sharpening Controls - Genuine Fractals 5.0 gives users the option to add sharpening to a file during the scaling process. Users will have control over the amount of sharpening that is applied and they can preview the sharpening results before the one step scaling and sharpening process.
• Built-In Film Grain Controls - Genuine Fractals 5.0 also gives users the option to add simulated film grain after a file has been scaled. Users will have control over the amount of film grain that is applied and get a preview of the results; and it can be combined with the new sharpening controls if desired.
• Additional file format support - Genuine Fractals 5.0 supports 8-bit and 16-bit RGB and Grayscale images. Genuine Fractals Print Pro 5.0 also offers additional support for CMYK and LAB color modes.
• Improved Batch Processing Support - Genuine Fractals 5.0 offers improved batch processing support for scaling multiple files in one step.