Aperture has died...let the vultures feast...almost

I'm sitting here thinking about what has just happened. Apple, who I have had a relationship with, having a whole bunch of their expensive technology for work as a photography and cameraman. Have decided to end their love affair with photographers, jobbing ones at least, by turning their back on them without so much as a "thank you for spending a lot of money with our corporation".

Aperture had huge amounts of promise, and for a longtime looked like it would be the alternative choice to Adobe and their somewhat lack lustre Lightroom. But, wait, before Lightroom folks get upset. LR has become a powerful tool to use, and the results from many jobbing photographers and their testimonials to the benefits have been many and wide. 

Why am I upset? Well, I'm upset because Apple took the easy way out. Instead of solving some of their longstanding issues that plague the user forum, instead of updating it to the X level that Final Cut Pro is only just starting to show potential of now (google the abortive way FCP went form version 7 to X if you want to know more about that one), they simply threw therir arms up and said enough.

Some might say this is just a simple issue of Apple consolidating their development into one application due for release with the next rev of the OS (Yosemite). But I think the root of this is much deeper and more nefarious.

The "we want to hold your data and content to ransom" sales philosophy.

I have a huge library of images. The new photos app for Apple is primarily a conduit to enable Apple to hold your images in their data farms (iCloud). You have to pay for the pleasure of this and as we all know, image files are not small. You pay for how much you use.

This isn't much different to Adobe's philosophy of putting the apps in the cloud. They fell fowl of the one Achilles heal recently of this idea. What happens when your servers fall over? The professionals you want to keep, who pay an appalling amount of money to use your apps because you've positions yourself as the industry standard format for artwork, find they cannot login in and work. 

So what happens if this same situation falls on Apple. Your data in their cloud. Their promise of keeping it secure and available. Whoops! Whether is a poorly written bit of code, something Apple will never admit too, or a hacker finding a hole (due to a poorly written bit of code, or crap security design). Your content is no longer available.

One more thing to think about. Ask yourself the "what if I want to change provider?" Question. How easy will it be to get all your data back, local, and safe from the Apple/Box/Dropbox world. (Microsoft you do it too!)

I'm about to get on a plane to spend two weeks working in Africa, taking pictures that will form the best part of my new book. I have to use Aperture for this knowing that it is now dead. I could buy LR? I could buy Corel's Aftershot Pro v 2? I just don't feel the love for my hard earned cash. 

I spent 25 years in IT and I know that no matter how much they say they are going to "double down" efforts, or focus on finding "easier migration for Aperute user" the only thing they want is your content, data, and money. Sure they are businesses trying to make a living. They pay people, support their families, they like you to see their corporate manifesto for politically correct initiatives that in reality give them a tax break.

But I've become sinical and twisted towards this whole thing. There are, software initiatives out there that are free. That do as good a job for the majority of people who need to work with images. Go take a look at GIMP. It's come a long way.

I'm going to take a breather in a minute. I need breakfast, coffee, sometime with my lovely wife, and son. Then I have a plane to catch.

Oh! Corporates wise up to the fact that not everyone has a good reliable connection to the internet. I know most of you corporates won't care much as those who don't have connections don't have money to spend. But I know how you work. You'll circle like vultures when they do....