New Adobe app to take on Apple's Aperture
Exclusive -- Refusing to stand idle while Apple Computer woos digital photographers with its new Aperture post production tool for working with RAW images, Adobe Systems next week will unveil a similar piece of software designed to lure back its professional audience, AppleInsider has learned.
Sources familiar with the company's plans say Adobe will preview the application, dubbed LightRoom, for the first time during next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco. A finalized version of the application is not expected to ship until sometime later in the year.
Designed as a virtual light-box and photographer's companion, the initial version of LightRoom is expected to support approximately 100 digital cameras and their corresponding RAW file formats. It will reportedly boast a feature set similar to Apple's Aperture, including basic color correction and photo enhancement tools.
Also like Aperture, LightRoom will offer photographers several ways to sort and display photographs immediately following a photo shoot. Specifically, sources said the application will pack a slideshow feature akin to the one built into Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
In the few weeks it has been available, Apple's Aperture has been met by mixed reviews: while some praise the software for its intuitive new approach towards post production RAW image editing, others gripe at its sluggish performance and lack of professional-level tools and filters.
Although Aperture was designed to run on computers such as the 1.25GHz 15- or 17-inch PowerBook G4, Apple on its Web site recommends that software be used on a computer with at least two (dual) 2GHz PowerPC G5 processors and 2GB of RAM for optimal performance. These steep requirements have deterred some potential users from adopting the $499 software for their mid-ranged Macs. At the same time, Mac systems approaching two-years of age and older just don't meet the grade.
According to sources, Adobe developed LightRoom to run on a slew of Macs not supported by Aperture. The company hopes that LightRoom's more lenient set of system requirements will be one its greatest benefits and selling points.
While Adobe has yet to set a release date or pricing information for LightRoom, the company plans to offer the application as a free beta in an effort to widen distribution and put the software into the hands of as many professional photographers as it can, sources told AppleInsider.
Initially, LightRoom will be released only for the Mac. However, sources say a PC version is in the works.
Sources familiar with the company's plans say Adobe will preview the application, dubbed LightRoom, for the first time during next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco. A finalized version of the application is not expected to ship until sometime later in the year.
Designed as a virtual light-box and photographer's companion, the initial version of LightRoom is expected to support approximately 100 digital cameras and their corresponding RAW file formats. It will reportedly boast a feature set similar to Apple's Aperture, including basic color correction and photo enhancement tools.
Also like Aperture, LightRoom will offer photographers several ways to sort and display photographs immediately following a photo shoot. Specifically, sources said the application will pack a slideshow feature akin to the one built into Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
In the few weeks it has been available, Apple's Aperture has been met by mixed reviews: while some praise the software for its intuitive new approach towards post production RAW image editing, others gripe at its sluggish performance and lack of professional-level tools and filters.
Although Aperture was designed to run on computers such as the 1.25GHz 15- or 17-inch PowerBook G4, Apple on its Web site recommends that software be used on a computer with at least two (dual) 2GHz PowerPC G5 processors and 2GB of RAM for optimal performance. These steep requirements have deterred some potential users from adopting the $499 software for their mid-ranged Macs. At the same time, Mac systems approaching two-years of age and older just don't meet the grade.
According to sources, Adobe developed LightRoom to run on a slew of Macs not supported by Aperture. The company hopes that LightRoom's more lenient set of system requirements will be one its greatest benefits and selling points.
While Adobe has yet to set a release date or pricing information for LightRoom, the company plans to offer the application as a free beta in an effort to widen distribution and put the software into the hands of as many professional photographers as it can, sources told AppleInsider.
Initially, LightRoom will be released only for the Mac. However, sources say a PC version is in the works.
Comments
All in all, the competition between the two companies should yield better products for consumers. If the competition gets fierce, I hope that Adobe doesn't drop Photoshop for Mac as it did with it's video editing products.
Originally posted by amac4me
This is an interesting development. This means that Adobe has been developing this new product for some time now.
All in all, the competition between the two companies should yield better products for consumers. If the competition gets fierce, I hope that Adobe doesn't drop Photoshop for Mac as it did with it's video editing products.
Considering the new app will start its life as a Mac-only app, I don't think the situation is quite as you think. It looks to me like Adobe rushed completion on the Mac version of an upcoming product so-as not to lose too much market share.
What will be interesting to see, for me, is if the Adobe product sped it's time-to-market by using Core Image filters and other MacOS-isms.
I agree this has to be a rushed out the door application, if they are willing to show it this shortly after Aperture's release and a number of months before it will actually ship. Shot across the bow?
Odd they want to name it LightRoom. The app is not a room ... unless?
Why not simply LightBox? Maybe it is taken?
Also odd they did not make it part of Bridge? Bridge could handle alternate views and some extra features along the likes of Aperture.
Originally posted by icerabbit
Odd they want to name it LightRoom. The app is not a room ... unless?
Why not simply LightBox? Maybe it is taken?
Indeed:
http://www.lightboxsoftware.com/
This is clearly a rush-to-announce, don't lose mindshare move by Adobe, but I applaud it none-the-less for at least keeping Apple honest. I bet that when the final product ships, it may not have all the slickness of Aperture, but that it will do a great job of RAW conversion and most likely scale better than Aperture.
1. Both apps will be the better for having each other as competition.
2. If Adobe really DID whip this preview app up in a hurry (we don't know that), then I like their newfound ability to move fast! Put some of that hustle into Universal Photoshop
3. Mac-only at first, then Windows later? From a major software company? Nice precedent if true.
4. Runs on lower Macs that can't run Aperture? Sounds like there's room in the market for this new option.
It is nice to see that Adobe is planning on offering some competition to Aperture, if only to force Apple to work harder on the product. On the other hand if either of them manage to get the new product working on lower powered computers then that will be a big plus.
If this also integrates into PS better than Aperture does, then Adobe could have a big hit on their hands.
Apple will have to move fast.
I'm wondering what Adobe's long term plans are for this.
And I'm also wondering if, as a long time PS beta tester, Adobe will offer this to me to test as well.
Originally posted by icerabbit
I agree this has to be a rushed out the door application, if they are willing to show it this shortly after Aperture's release and a number of months before it will actually ship. Shot across the bow?
That's a good question. This software has apparently been in the works for a while, the trademark application dates to May 2004.
Originally posted by TednDi
Apple should buy Adobe
Adobe is a LOT bigger than Apple.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
Adobe is a LOT bigger than Apple.
Bigger...but not a LOT like you're suggesting.
Originally posted by jdbartlett
What turns me off Aperture is that Photoshop is only $100 more...
Photoshop cannot be compared to Aperture. If it could why would Adobe make their own version? Aperture is a cataloguing and post-production package.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
Adobe is a LOT bigger than Apple.
Huh?
If talking about market cap and if not I'm not sure what else you can use as a guide...
AAPL Market Cap = $64.3B
ADBE Market Cap = $19.2B
Sure seems like the market values AAPL much bigger...
Dave
Originally posted by DaveGee
Huh?
If talking about market cap and if not I'm not sure what else you can use as a guide...
AAPL Market Cap = $64.3B
ADBE Market Cap = $19.2B
Sure seems like the market values AAPL much bigger...
Dave
Number of Employees:
AAPL = 14,800
ADBE = 3,100
Another metric showing that, in fact, Apple is a LOT BIGGER than Adobe!
Originally posted by BuonRotto
Adobe is a LOT bigger than Apple.
Adobe's market cap is ~19 billion.
Adobe's annual sales is ~1.97 billion
Apple's market cap is ~60 billion.
Apple's annual sales are ~ 12+ billion.
Unless I'm mistaken, Apple is bigger than Adobe. If I got my numbers wrong please feel free to correct me. I have made mistakes in the past and unfortunately will continue to in the future.
edit: opps, late on the post again.