Graphic Converter - Does anyone use it anymore?
I used to be a GC fanatic. I loved it to bits and also showed it off all the time PC friends to show that I could open and modify and save any graphic format known and unknown to man.
But over the last few years I've never bothered using it and it actually annoys me that Apple has bundled it since sometimes, for arbitrary reasons, a jpg, gif, or other, will one day open with Preview and the other, with GC. Yes, I did "get info" and set to open .xxx with Preview.
The interface and functionality is also a slap in the face. Its the one app that has aged the worst of any other I know. The zooming recatngle, the ass backwards menu commands, and the preferences are organized in an impossible way.
I've Archived it and kept it in the Applications folder, and haven't come accross a single file I couldnt open without Preview or such.
RIP GC
But over the last few years I've never bothered using it and it actually annoys me that Apple has bundled it since sometimes, for arbitrary reasons, a jpg, gif, or other, will one day open with Preview and the other, with GC. Yes, I did "get info" and set to open .xxx with Preview.
The interface and functionality is also a slap in the face. Its the one app that has aged the worst of any other I know. The zooming recatngle, the ass backwards menu commands, and the preferences are organized in an impossible way.
I've Archived it and kept it in the Applications folder, and haven't come accross a single file I couldnt open without Preview or such.
RIP GC
Comments
Originally posted by ZO
I used to be a GC fanatic. I loved it to bits and also showed it off all the time PC friends to show that I could open and modify and save any graphic format known and unknown to man.
But over the last few years I've never bothered using it and it actually annoys me that Apple has bundled it since sometimes, for arbitrary reasons, a jpg, gif, or other, will one day open with Preview and the other, with GC. Yes, I did "get info" and set to open .xxx with Preview.
The interface and functionality is also a slap in the face. Its the one app that has aged the worst of any other I know. The zooming recatngle, the ass backwards menu commands, and the preferences are organized in an impossible way.
I've Archived it and kept it in the Applications folder, and haven't come accross a single file I couldnt open without Preview or such.
RIP GC
GraphicConverter is a godsend. I have used it for years. I am thrilled that Apple now bundles it with new Macs. I wish that most commercial developers were a tenth as dedicated as Lemkesoft.
I once emailed Thorsten and asked if we will ever see this application go Cocoa and I got a simple, one line answer: "why, if Carbon can already do it all?" or something like that.
Does anyone know if Core Image calls will only work in Cocoa? I imagine an amazing update for GraphicConverter to be released in about a month or two after Tiger is released and will have the potential to start competing with even Photoshop Elements at very least.
I say they could just modify iPhoto to do file conversion (assuming it doesn't. I haven't really used it.)
Originally posted by WhiteRabbit
Isn't Elements basically for simple touchups and organization?
Photoshop Elements has rather powerful image editing features. It can also scan images, download photographs from your camera, but it would a be very clumsy file organizer.
Originally posted by WhiteRabbit
I say they could just modify iPhoto to do file conversion (assuming it doesn't. I haven't really used it.)
Why in God's name should Apple muck up a wonderful app like iPhoto to add conversion features? GraphicConverter does a wonderful job converting among file formats that you never heard of. Suffice it to say, GraphicConverter handles common image formats with aplumb.
Originally posted by progmac
since when has apple bundled GC?
That is a difficult question to answer because I don't buy a new computer every day. However, it did ship with two new eMacs that I bought earlier this year.
Originally posted by progmac
since when has apple bundled GC?
For a while now. MacNN first reported it so I am sure if you really wanted to find out you could check their archive.
Originally posted by Jared
For a while now. MacNN first reported it so I am sure if you really wanted to find out you could check their archive.
I thought it only shiped with the Powermacs and Powerbooks?
So yeah, I might buy it now. The interface is a little clunky and outdated in places, but for the most part it does what it needs to do. However, with the images my digital camera takes (1mb jpegs 2000 something x 1000 something) it really crawls.
I'll keep up with the demo, and maybe buy it.
Originally posted by WhiteRabbit
Isn't Elements basically for simple touchups and organization?
No. It is hardly even accurate to call elements a dumbed-down version of photoshop. It presents itself in a more consumer-friendly way, but has a tremendous amount of features, far more than GC. Here is what Photoshop CS has that Elements 3.0 doesn't:
* CMYK and LAB color modes
* Channels Palette
* Recording Actions (for batch processing)
* Adjustments: Curves, Color Balance, Match Color
* Layer Masks, Layer Comps, and Quick Mask mode
* Extract Filter, Lens Blur Filter
* Color Replacement tool
* Pen tool and paths palette
* Some adjustment layers (curves, color balance, selective color, channel mixer)
* Editing History Log
* Text on a Path
* Advanced Layer Style manipulation
* Advanced Color Management
* Advanced Web features and ImageReady (rollovers, slicing)
The masks can alledgedly be simulated using other tools, but I don't know much about that.
It is swiss knife but not one I need to use. It did come bundled wih a Mac I bought. Think it was with my IceBook but I can't really recall. I had purchased a copy back when I used OS 9.