Functions still missing

[kidhazy]

I just gave ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac V4 a spin, after being sadly let down by the old V3 when I moved to a Mac in 2015 (since then I've resorted to running ACDSee in a Windows virtual environment).

Unfortunately Photo Studio for Mac V4 is still missing a couple of features (or operating different) to the Windows equivalent.

1) Importing from SD Card. On Photo Studio Mac you need to drill down to the individual sub-folder to import. Windows can do it from the high-level directory.
2) Importing - no option to just show selected files that will be imported.
3) Categories - on Photo Studio Mac if I select a high-level category, no images assigned a sub-category are selected.

Looks like I'll be sticking with Windows version - I don't know why 2 flavours of the software have slight differences in operating modes.

[miksons]

My trail to Pro 4 was much like yours, although when I moved from Windows to the Mac and found how unstable Pro 3 was, I went to other tools like Dxo's Optics Pro instead of keeping a Windows VM. When I found the Pro 4 beta I gave it a try and, although it lacked much of the Windows Product functionality I felt it was stable and had the essentials, so I started using it again and bought Pro 4.

I now have a Windows VM and installed the trial for the new 2018 version, just to compare the two, but found that I would stay with the Mac version. It is true that there is a lot of functionality in the Windows version that does not appear in the Mac version, particularly the layers functionality in the Edit tab, but I found I could easily replace that with the use of an external pixel editor, and much of the stuff I would like to see in ACDSee is also missing in the Windows version - the ability to call an external editor and have Pro automatically create a tiff with the current settings and send it to the external editor, automatic lens distortion correction and other things. I have written a post containing what I believe would be helpful additions and posted it, but do not know if anything will actually get done.

> I don't know why 2 flavours of the software have slight differences in operating modes

I am guessing, but I assume that ACDSee did not see the same profit potential in the smaller Mac market, so they did not put the same resources into their development on that side and the result was a poorer functioning product. Now it appears that the company has hired Mac engineers to redo the Mac product and the result is better, but I would think that they were under pressure to create a product quickly, so they created product specs using only the core of the stuff on the Windows side, and developed to those specs.

Hopefully there will be enough business to warrant improving the Mac software, although there is so little traffic on this forum that I am not too hopeful. Of all the things about the Pro 4 product, the most discouraging for me is the lack of activity on this forum. It seems to indicate that there are not many people using the Mac version. The Windows forum is very busy, but days go by on this forum without a single new post, that I suspect that does not bode well for the future of the Mac version.

[OldRadioGuy]

+1

I was a longtime user of various versions of ACDSee for Windows, using primarily for the DAM functions, including the ability to add GPS data by dragging images to a map. Several months ago I replaced a dead PC with an iMac, adding the Mac versions of the apps for which I had licenses. ACDSee did not offer the same cross-grading option for customers -- one had to PAY again. About that time, ACDSee dumped the old Mac version it had peddled, and a "new and better" ACDSee for Mac was in beta. So, I tinkered with that. I was annoyed but not surprised ACDSee took it out of beta to rush to market with so many features missing. I didn't buy it.

ACDSee may have missed the plane flight on this one. There are too many other much more advanced options on the market for Mac OS users.

[miksons]

+1There are too many other much more advanced options on the market for Mac OS users.

Absolutely true, but then there is the price difference.

I bought Pro 4 for something like $40 new for beta testers (I would not have paid much more for it) and my copy of PhotoLab cost me $80 for the upgrade and is $200 to buy new. CaptureOne is now $120 for the upgrade and $300 new. I am not suggesting they are not worth the cost (although I did not upgrade to the new CaptureOne as I did not believe it to be worth so much, at least to me), but that is a lot of money.

[harpo]

There's no way you can compare Capture One with ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac V4, Capture One is professional software which has alway been stable and price wise it can be installed on 3 computers.

[RickyBerkey]

ACD has done everything they possibly could to chase away their MAC users. One never knows if the product will be functioning from one day to the next.

[acdsystems]

Hello RickyBerkey,

You can be assured it is not our intent to chase away customers. Why do you have that concern?

If you're having problems with ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac, please post the concerns here and/or contact ACD Customer care by email or phone: http://www.acdsystems.com/en/support/form

Regards,
Mark

[RickyBerkey]

Hello RickyBerkey,

You can be assured it is not our intent to chase away customers. Why do you have that concern?

If you're having problems with ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac, please post the concerns here and/or contact ACD Customer care by email or phone: http://www.acdsystems.com/en/support/form

Regards,
Mark

Well lets see now. The program went for months and months after the MAC OS upgrade totally non-functional with no fix date in sight followed by a series of beta releases with various issues. Suddenly now a release of the final program with a new name yet still lacking in features compared to the Windows version. If you don't want to properly serve the Apple market then just pull the plug already. I shouldn't have to be ready at any given moment to switch to different programs to get my fairly simple daily photography needs accomplished.

[acdsystems]

The ACDSee for Mac version 4 release was to address the fundamental architecture problems that plagued version 3. One of those problems being the issues experienced upgrading from one OS version to another. In other words – under the hood version 4 is a rewrite of version 3. That was a significant undertaking by our development team.

Next, ACD is committed to moving this product line forward. We’re now planning version 5 and that will include new features.
I hope this helps to address some of your concerns.

Regards,
Mark

[LeChiffre]

The ACDSee for Mac version 4 release was to address the fundamental architecture problems that plagued version 3. One of those problems being the issues experienced upgrading from one OS version to another. In other words – under the hood version 4 is a rewrite of version 3. That was a significant undertaking by our development team.

Next, ACD is committed to moving this product line forward. We’re now planning version 5 and that will include new features.
I hope this helps to address some of your concerns.

Regards,
Mark

The rewrite was tough, looking forward to V5

[ayjay3]

I was told 2 years ago that they were working on the new version. 2 years to wait is not quick! And now I find there is nothing that wasn't there before and I have to pay an upgrade fee for it. No dodge, burn, clone, repair, upload to Flickr (?) and no mapping function. The windows version was the best around at the time I was using it, but this in comparison is c**p. Even good old Aperture (on which I rely) is better than this. What new features are coming and how quickly? Otherwise I'm off to Lightroom and dumping ACDsee for good!

[mcosgrove]

Hello ayjay3,

Please note my comment above:
The ACDSee for Mac version 4 release was to address the fundamental architecture problems that plagued version 3. One of those problems being the issues experienced upgrading from one OS version to another. In other words – under the hood version 4 is a rewrite of version 3. That was a significant undertaking by our development team.

Next, ACD is committed to moving this product line forward. We’re now planning version 5 and that will include new features.
I hope this helps to address some of your concerns.

Do you own ACDSee version 3? If yes, please note you're entitled to a free upgrade. Please contact support if needed to get the free upgrade.

Regards,
Mark