MS acquires prosumer photography app
updated 07:20 pm EDT, Tue June 27, 2006
Microsoft acquires iView
Microsoft has acquired new digital photography software application iView, giving the software giant a mid-to-high-end photography application that in some ways rivals Apple's Aperture. iView MediaPro is more powerful than Apple's consumer-level iPhoto, positioning Microsoft to offer a Windows-based alternative to match the Cupertino-based company's multimedia software that ships with new Mac systems. iView touts its application as a visual database for all media files, enabling users to create a customized, centralized and searchable repository to manage a wide variety of digital files. iView MediaPro is priced at $200 and works with both Mac and Windows systems, whereas Apple's Aperture is only compatible with Mac OS X and is priced at $300.
D'oh macnn strikes again.
06/27, 08:12pm reply
I'm not sure how this rivals Aperture, but iView certainly does not process RAW files by myriad platforms nor does it have a backup (Vault) feature that is geared at pros. Aperture is Made for Mac because most creatives (surprise!) prefer the Mac.
Git yer facts straight.
Rivals, my butt.
iomatic
Mac Elite
Joined: Oct 1999
This can ony be good
06/27, 08:27pm reply
MS has been slammed by pundits such as Thurrott for their iPhoto competitor to be included in Vista, and this purchase may be in a bid to strengthen that application (even if it's not in time for the initial release, whenever that may be), and have it compete with or even rival iPhoto rather than simply copy it. If this is so, it will force Apple to continue to innovate iPhoto so that it doesn't lag behind a MS.
Good Stuff
e:leaf
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2006
Goodbye, Mac support!
06/27, 08:42pm reply
How many months until Microsoft drops Mac support for iView? Anyone want to take bets on this?
scotty321
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
Don't be dumb
06/27, 08:51pm reply
If it is profitable for MS they will keep Mac support alive.
ThisGuy
Mac Elite
Joined: Oct 2001
iBloat to come...
06/27, 08:52pm reply
iView MP is an excellent application, much better than iPhoto. It will be curious to see how long it takes the MS business model to either bloat it up or - somehow - make it evil.
Aperture is a pro DSLR capture app. Neither iView nor iPhoto are comparable.
SierraDragon
Mac Elite
Joined: Mar 2004
what about lightroom?
06/27, 09:04pm reply
They will also have to compete against adobe's lightroom, which (while still in beta) is leaving aperture behind...
afc
mgog25
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2006
Mac support
06/27, 09:22pm reply
They strongly state in the letter about the acquisition that iView for Mac will continue to be fully supported. iView was originally a Mac application. Quote: "The product that was born on the Mac will remain on the Mac as well as on the Windows operating system."
http://www.iview-multimedia.com/microsoft/
mduser63
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Yeah right
06/27, 09:27pm reply
Bungie pledged Mac support when MS sucked them up, too...
Silky Voice of The Gorn
Mac Elite
Joined: Sep 2001
will remain on the Mac
06/27, 10:39pm reply
If you can't trust Microsoft who can you trust? But then again .... they didn't say "trust me" did they?
frankt1950
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2002
No, no nooooooooooooooooo
06/27, 10:55pm reply
I was JUST telling a colleague TODAY about how great iView Media pro is... and now THIS?
EGAD, how long before Microsoft destroys it, or simply lests the mac version wither and die?
A SAD day for Mac applications.
JeffHarris
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999