Ars Technica Reviews Aperture
Ars Technica Reviews Aperture
by , 12:40 PM EST, December 5th, 2005
Ars Technica put Apple's new pro-level image editing and management application, Aperture, through its paces, and came back disappointed. Although Aperture has some great features, it comes up lacking in some of the tools that pro users will need.
The review lists several features in Aperture's favor, including a well organized interface, nondestructive edits and versioning that don't waste hard drive space, powerful search features, and powerful red eye, highlight and shadow filers.
It also noted that Apple has a free application that checks to see if your Mac meets the minimum system requirements. It's a good idea to use the Aperture Checker application before purchasing your copy, because it won't install if your Mac doesn't meet the minimum system requirements.
On the down side, Ars Technica was disappointed with the hard to read text in the interface, the inability to edit base EXIF and IPTC data, and poor RAW conversion. Other issues the article pointed out include extremely slow batch metadata processing, inaccurate histograms, no curves adjustment, no per-pixel RGB information, no DNG exporting, and that the application is full of bugs.
The review noted "It saddens me to say that Aperture's innovations are only skin deep. If it could deliver on the promise of being both fast and produce flawless results, it would be the dream package."
Observer Comments
It starts out by saying that Aperture isn't meant to be a Photoshop replacement, but goes on to spend almost half of its space pointing out that Aperture's editing filters aren't as good as Photoshop's.
I think if this review focused more on the workflow aspects of Aperture it would be more balanced. The reviewer seems to lose his focus about a third of the way through.
You should be able to just upgrade your graphics card.
This review is precisely the opposite of the reviews I'm hearing from my various photographer friends. They all love it. In fact, their only complaints aren't even listed in this review, and are mostly nit-picky anyway.
I already have too many writeoffs this year so I have to wait until January to buy my new system w/ Aperture. I hate waiting.
- Jon
The Ars review is a fair and helpful insight into some of the essential pros and cons of Aperture. It isn't comparing it to Photoshop, apart from to point out where the app is lacking. The reviewer's biggest moan is that Aperture appears to be built on a shaky foundation - poor RAW conversion. That's the deal breaker.
Quote"The Ars review is a fair and helpful insight"
Fair?
If so, I'm trying to figure out how Aperture was given the lowest rating of any product they've ever reviewed, including such gems as the Dell Latitude C600 and satellite radio.
The review was not only unfair, it was unbalanced, ill-informed, and (as wallyfoo points out) misoriented.
Comments are currently closed. Please email the author instead.
Recent Headlines - Updated May 22nd
- Tue, 1:47 PM
- News - Apple’s Brand Value Grows 19%, Remains World’s Top Brand
- 11:13 AM
- News - Galaxy Tab Injunction Hearing Set for June 7
- 10:35 AM
- MGG Answers - How to Troubleshoot Connection Issues on Public Wi-Fi Networks
- 9:59 AM
- Hot Forum Topic - Reader Discussion: Predicting Apple’s Q3 iPhone Sales
- 9:23 AM
- News - Google Completes Motorola Mobility Purchase
- 8:45 AM
- News - Webby Awards Pay Tribute to Steve Jobs
- Mon, 9:06 PM
- News - The Story of the Upside Down, Right Side Up Apple Logo
- 8:02 PM
- News - ITC Judge Declares Kodak Patent Invalid in Apple Case
- 7:57 PM
- News - Houghton Mifflin Textbook Publisher Declares Bankruptcy
- 5:07 PM
- Mac Geek Gab Podcast - MGG 398: Geeks Going Deep with Mail & Routers
- 4:59 PM
- TMO Appearances - Bryan Chaffin to Speculate on 7-Inch iPad at SVMUG
- 4:25 PM
- Deal Brothers - Samsung S22B300B 21.5” LED Backlit LCD Monitor: $129.99
The Mac Observer Reader Specials
Macsales for the Right Mac Memory. Easy to Use Online Guide for no Guesswork! Mac Pro up to 128GB, iMac up to 32GB. MacBook/MB Pro, & Mac mini up to 16GB. - Macsales.com 
Mac RAM Upgrades: MacBook Pro 16GB kits $475, 8GB Kits for $119.99! iMac 16GB RAM Kits (4x 4GB) for $229.99! Mac Pro Memory 32GB Kit for $399.99, 64GB Kit for $889.99! Mac Hard Drives 2TB Seagate SATA II for $249.99! Click Here!
If you're using a Mac, then you've gotta check out PokerOnAMac.com. Online casinos and poker rooms are literally giving away cash and the casino sites at Poker on a Mac do the unthinkable, they actually reward! Join today, the download is free! 
Looking to find online casinos for mac? We can help you find the best real money casino sites where you can play your favorite casino games including blackjack and slots. -
-
-
-
-
-
