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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.


by MacNN Staff

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  1. iomatic

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Oct 1999

    0
    06/27, 08:12pm | report spam | Reply |

    D'oh macnn strikes again.

    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.

  1. e:leaf

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2006

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    06/27, 08:27pm | report spam | Reply |

    This can ony be good

    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

  1. scotty321

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

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    06/27, 08:42pm | report spam | Reply |

    Goodbye, Mac support!

    How many months until Microsoft drops Mac support for iView? Anyone want to take bets on this?

  1. ThisGuy

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Oct 2001

    0
    06/27, 08:51pm | report spam | Reply |

    Don't be dumb

    If it is profitable for MS they will keep Mac support alive.

  1. SierraDragon

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Mar 2004

    0
    06/27, 08:52pm | report spam | Reply |

    iBloat to come...

    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.

  1. mgog25

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2006

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    06/27, 09:04pm | report spam | Reply |

    what about lightroom?

    They will also have to compete against adobe's lightroom, which (while still in beta) is leaving aperture behind...

    afc

  1. mduser63

    Junior Member

    Joined: Oct 2004

    0
    06/27, 09:22pm | report spam | Reply |

    Mac support

    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/

  1. Silky Voice of The Gorn

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Sep 2001

    0
    06/27, 09:27pm | report spam | Reply |

    Yeah right

    Bungie pledged Mac support when MS sucked them up, too...

  1. frankt1950

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Dec 2002

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    06/27, 10:39pm | report spam | Reply |

    will remain on the Mac

    If you can't trust Microsoft who can you trust? But then again .... they didn't say "trust me" did they?

  1. JeffHarris

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 1999

    0
    06/27, 10:55pm | report spam | Reply |

    No, no nooooooooooooooooo

    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.

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