I can’t think of any other big player within the photography software game that doesn’t let you try before you buy except for Apple.
Adobe, onOne, NIK, Topaz Labs etc… all give you a decent trial period and some of them are just plug-ins!!
Every photography or video application I’ve bought from Apple was like “this is it, but it now” from iPhoto, Aperture, FCPX, Compressor and motion. I’m sorry but that just not good enough anymore.
If they don’t stop this ridiculous no trial period I’m switching to LR full time. I still use Aperture because I think they still have a far superior library system but to be honest LR5 is now so good and losing lift and stamp (WTF is that about) one of the best features like cataloguing I think I’m done unless you guys sell it to me. I know lessor products don’t all have trials.
It’s time Apple put there applications on the line and most importantly put FAITH in the products they offer up and begin trial periods like everyone else does. I think it’s arrogant now, or they know that the software won’t cut it. They need to change with the times in this department as I and many other see it as a weakness now.
It really upsets me because Aperture was/is an excellent product until the others pulled so far ahead that Photos better be brilliant or they’ve lost another user to Adobe. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and won’t jump straight away. It took a long time to get FCPX up to speed so I’m hoping that this wait is because of learning a nasty lesson for that FCPX mistake and are making a kick ass program that will blow everyone away. I do both photography and video so that is why I used the other products as extra examples. These programs are not cheap.
Hey Paul,
Check this out.
Tom
Thomas
WOW, I take that back. It’s been so long since I bought anything from them that, that was never an option before. Thanks for pointing it out Thomas. I’m glad to see that they’re doing it.
Paul
For what it’s worth, before Aperture went to the Mac App Store, there was also a trial version.
Thomas
For what it is worth, both FCP and Aperture were also available as trials AFTER they went to the MAS. Admittedly, they didn’t push them as a front page banner (at least I didn’t see that). And I think the download page came and went a couple of times after updates. But I showed them to people and they tried out the software before buying from the MAS.
Hmmm, not in Australia there wasn’t, not with any of them. All that being said it was a long time ago. I just remember never being offered any trial periods. but they do now which is excellent.
From what I understand Photos for OSX will be free. If that turns out to be the case your “free trial” will last, well… Forever.
cool, I didn’t know that you got free trials in the US that’s all, it’s great we do now though
Do you really believe it will be for free … forever? Assuming it will have the functionality of aperture with the efficiency of LR (lets say after release 2) I do not believe it will be for free. Unless it is really a piece of software designed for the selfie-generation. I do not want to be disrespectful but I expect a successor of Aperture that will be designed for professional use. On the other hand it is correct that the actual iOS mini-version is for free.
Best regards, Alex
I’ve just downloaded LR to try again. I tried it several years ago, then last year, but this time I can import my Aperture library. I tested it with a smaller library rather than my full-size library and the results were quite difficult. The albums are now dates, for instance. But also I tried using the red-eye tool and it just did not work as I was expecting. Furthermore, when I managed to get it to work I couldn’t get it to adjust the pupil of both eyes, only one. I’m about to give it up again and wait for Photos …
~~~>--} threeshoes photography