Taking photos

You’ll encounter the biggest change when you go to take a photo. You can now use your volume up button to take a photo, making it a more natural and steady experience. You can also put an overlay grid on the screen to make sure your photo is straight (yes, I know, my sample isn’t straight).

With iOS 5, you can now access the camera app directly from the lock screen. This is a fantastic time-saver. Previously, in the couple of seconds it took to unlock the iPhone and launch the Camera app, the moment had often passed. Now, I’ve dramatically increased the number of photos of my cat that actually come out well.

Editing photos

All edits take place in the Photos app. To edit a photo, choose it from the Camera Roll, and press Edit in the upper right-hand corner. The rudimentary editing tools (rotate, auto enhance, red-eye, and crop) will appear on the bottom.

Rotating photos is a little weird. The tool on the far left will rotate the photo in 90-degree increments. However, if you want to rotate the image any other degree, you need to go into the Crop tool and rotate it using a two-finger twist. To me, it seems like all the rotate tools should be in one area.

Most of the pictures you’re likely to take with your iPhone are in sub-optimal conditions. A bar, outside in direct sunlight, outside at night, etc. Auto enhance is iOS’s best guess as to what the photo should look like if the conditions were better. In my limited tests, it works well enough, though it’s not nearly as good as using a tool like Aperture, but for something you want to quickly enhance before you post it on Twitter, it’s fine.

Left is before auto enhance; right is after

Final thoughts

I’m happy with the Camera and Photos enhancements. While I don’t tend to post many photos on Facebook or Twitter, now that Twitter is integrated into OS, I might start using it more. Giving a photo a quick edit or auto enhance before I post will be nice. The ability to access the camera from the lock screen and using the volume button to capture images are the most significant changes, and should please any mobile photog.

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Final Cut Pro X arrived in the App Store today

This is only the most recent example of Apple bringing significant price cuts to once expensive software. Mac OS X 10.0 cost $129.99, for example, while even a family pack of Snow Leopard was priced at only $49, and a single user license was just $29. Lion, which is said to be coming in July, will cost $29 for a copy that can be used on multiple Macs associated with your Apple ID. Windows still starts at $79.95 for entry-level upgrade pricing, and can cost as much as $219.99, depending on the edition.

But pricing isn’t the only difference. Windows also divides its software product offerings, making clear distinctions between tools it thinks consumers need vs those that professional users would want. Apple has always done a good job of steering clear of such defined lines, and although it does offer an OS X Server variant of its software, that product is much more clearly designed for a very specific use than Microsoft’s “professional” grade operating systems.

Apple also seems to be gaining ground in the enterprise thanks in part to its refusal to target professionals specifically. BlackBerry tried that strategy, and while it worked well for many years, mobile companies now appear to be following Apple’s lead, realizing that the new path to the enterprise is by convincing individual users of the value of your product, and not necessarily by selling to corporate IT. Apple doesn’t ignore business, but it definitely doesn’t unduly prioritize that market, as evidenced by the decision to stop selling Xserve late last year.

$300 is still a lot of money for a consumer to spend on a single application, don’t get me wrong. But Final Cut Studio once cost $1300. To say that it isn’t more likely that hobbyists or pro-sumers will drop the cash to take their craft to the next level than it was four years ago just isn’t realistic.

Some might claim that the disappearance of Final Cut Express, Apple’s mid-range offering between Final Cut Pro and iMovie actually indicates the distinction between pro and consumer applications is getting more defined. But Final Cut Express was priced at $199, just $100 shy of the new Final Cut Pro X, and it didn’t incorporate the same audio and color correction tools of the newer application, plus it carried a lot of limitations that made it pale in comparison to the full Final Cut Pro product.

And that’s the key: Apple isn’t narrowing the gap between pro and consumer by leaving out features and dumbing things down; it’s making things easier, certainly, but it’s also just making them more affordable. It’s the smart move for a workforce that is becoming more and more contract-based, where freelancers often have to source their own tools in order to impress potential employers and win contracts.

Apple is already a company that knows how to make a tool that everyone can use. Now that it’s increasingly becoming one that also knows how to make tools that everybody can afford, there are even fewer barriers to the potential heights it can reach.

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I readily admit that I haven’t put in much time with Google’s web-based iPad Docs editor, but part of the reason for that was that I just couldn’t do many of the things that I do using Google Docs-linked iPad text editing apps like PlainText and Writer. An all-Google solution is appealing in that I don’t have to update my documents after the fact  if I want the most current version to be available from wherever I happen to be, but even with a more robust feature set, can Google Docs on the web work as your only iPad document-editing solution?

The desktop version brings font and alignment changing, bulleted and numbered lists and adding links, among other things. If you’ve ever used Google Docs on a computer, you’ll be familiar with everything, as it’s the exact same web app. The full Google spreadsheet editor is also now available in addition to the mobile client, which allows you to insert formulas from the formula bar.

Whereas Google’s mobile Docs editors are little more than glorified note-takers, the desktop editor at least offers you useful tools that go beyond simple data entry. But it does so in a layout that isn’t optimized for the iPad in the way that native apps or even iPad-specific web apps are. In portrait mode, things look too small to be very usable, and every time I actually start editing, the first line of my document gets pushed up under the margin ruler at the top of the input field. Arrow keys on the Bluetooth keyboard (something I think is a must for knocking out any serious writing on the iPad) don’t work for navigating within the document, either.

I’m glad Google’s turned on editing for Docs on the iPad, because I wanted it desperately when I first got the Apple tablet. But native apps have come out that allow me to interact with my Google Docs, and I haven’t looked back. Now I can make small changes right in Docs itself, but ultimately, this is yet another release from Google that I can live quite comfortably without.

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All you have to do to access the new editing feature is point your mobile browser at http://docs.google.com. After sign in, you can then choose from a list of your available documents and press the new Edit button to switch from viewing mode to the mobile editor.

The new editor allows you to collaborate on the go using shared documents, and even broadcast notes live to people who have viewing access for your docs. Theoretically, you could use it as a private live-blogging tool from any event.

This is a great feature, and one I’ve been looking forward to since getting an iPhone. Bringing Google Docs to iOS devices should really help the search giant take away a few more customers from Microsoft’s share of the productivity software pie.

My own tests reveal that the update hasn’t been pushed out to my location yet, but Google does say the roll-out will take time. Check out the video below for a preview of how mobile editing works, and let us know if the new feature is live in your area in the comments.

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It sounds like a decent deal, but I decided to download the app and find out just what the first real video editing app for the iPhone was capable of. Might I be able to become the next film ingenue sensation with only my 3GS?

Features

First of all, let me tell you right off the bat: This isn’t just a warmed-over version of the built-in Camera app, like so many photo effect apps tend to be. It not only allows you to stitch different clips from your device together, it also allows you to use 27 different transitions between them, including various wipes and fades.

You can also add text to your clips, including opening and closing credits and titles, and provide transitions for both. Only four font styles currently exist, but you change position to achieve different visual effects. Hopefully more styles will be added in later updates, or maybe as in-app purchases down the line.

Interface and Usability

The interface for ReelDirector isn’t going to win any design awards, but it is simple, fairly clean, and well-suited to its purpose. My main complaint is that while the app automatically switches to landscape view, which could be useful, there’s no toggle to prevent that from occurring, something I think every app should provide, including Apple’s own.

As for usability, ReelDirector generally performs well, but with a few issues that really prevent it from being an absolutely problem-free experience. For example, when you insert a video clip into your movie project, you have the option of trimming it, but once it’s in, you can’t go back and re-edit the clip itself. All you can really do at that point is change the transitions between clips. You also can’t live preview your movie in its entirety until you “Create” it, which can be a time-consuming process. The good news is, you can still go back and make changes after you output your movie.

Conclusion

It isn’t a replacement for iMovie by any stretch of the imagination, but ReelDirector is the first real movie editing solution for the iPhone 3GS, and for a pioneer, it actually works remarkably well. You probably won’t be taking home any awards at Cannes, since the app still lacks pretty basic elements like audio editing capabilities, but for home movies that look as good or better than the ones your uncle used to edit on his hulking early model DV cam, ReelDirector is more than capable.

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Microsoft recently announced its plans for Office 2010 — although the scant details make me think this was really just a “No, no, don’t go use the Exchange features in Snow Leopard; we’ve got you covered” move. Which begs the question: Does Apple still need Office for the Mac, like they did 12 years ago?

No, of course not. They have iWork and online services like Google Docs and Zoho. But I need it.

I can imagine myself staying in Apple’s Romper Room, only using iWork and iLife, only as long as I never, ever need to exchange files or collaborate with another person. Like it or not, Office and especially the .doc file structure has become the industry standard. The better I can adhere to that standard, without jumping through a ton of hoops, the easier my life is. Sure, I can print to PDF, but that’s hard to collaborate from.

That’s not to say I’m a slave to Microsoft. For simple layout I use Pages; Numbers is an acceptable spreadsheet; and Keynote is a totally kicking presentation program. When I write fiction, I use Scrivener. For my work at TheAppleBlog, I can use any sort of text editor I want. However, when I need to exchange files with other people — especially if I want them to make in-line comments or changes — I will default to the Office suite for the sake of simplicity, even for complicated files transfer without any noticeable issues between the PC and Mac versions of Word.

As much as I love hearing about Apple’s plans, and its commitment to OS X at keynotes, as a frequent user of Microsoft Office, in many ways I look forward to the affirmation that Office for the Mac’s development isn’t lagging too far behind its PC counterpart.

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Like many of you, most recorded footage of my youth was on those archaic black plastic things called VHS tapes. As the rest of society moves into the digital age, I’m facing a battle of preserving my childhood memories on something a little more robust and modern than 800 feet of mylar tape. With many video capturing solutions on the market, I settled on a new product by Elgato, called Video Capture.

As new formats for recording video footage come to market, the quality of these mediums greatly improves. Since the VHS system is considered “analog” and is composed of interlaced video, converting to a digital solution requires some special equipment. These breakout boxes work by allowing you to connect your device via some type of connector (depending on the quality of the box) and to your Mac via USB or FireWire.

Since we’re using the breakout box as an intermediary and there are three devices in the chain, there is a potential for less than stellar quality due to any number of reasons: the breakout box in particular, the video tape you’re capturing from, or the VCR deck itself. Considering most of these devices are in the same price range, they are probably all comparable in quality. (Though as you will read on the Internet, everyone has a different opinion as to which one is the best.)

Elgato’s solution, retailing for $99, is a very simple dongle that attaches either via composite or S-video to your device and via USB to your Mac. The biggest concern many have about these types of devices is the flexibility they will have with capturing their video. Elgato includes their own video capture software with their device, though it is quite simple. For many, this is all you will need.

Getting Started

When you start the software, you are asked simple questions about how you have chosen to connect your media device and the aspect ratio of your footage. For folks converting from VHS like me, you’ll want to pick 4:3. The video will be captured at 640×480 resolution.

The biggest oddity about the way the software functions is that before recording, it asks the user to determine the overall length of the recorded project. There are several options to choose from, at varying intervals from 10 to 180 minutes, each giving you an estimate of the final output size. You can stop recording at any point before your pre-set time has elapsed. If you have footage recorded in “EP” or “LP” modes, your tapes could have more than 3 hours of footage on them, making it awkward for bulk captures.

Recording

Once you begin recording, it is pretty much hit or miss. When you hit stop recording, the application is done and saves your file. For some, this may not be a concern as they plan to further split up clips or edit their footage in something like iMovie. Others may find this problematic if they are looking for a bit more control. Some of these concerns can be assuaged as the application does allow users to trim the start and end points of their captured footage.

After you stop recording, you have options within the software to instantly play the file in QuickTime, add it to iTunes, edit with iMovie or upload directly to YouTube. The videos are output in either H.264 or MPEG-4.

Based on the footage I have captured thus far, I have been quite impressed with Elgato’s solution. Sometimes the quality may not be the best but again, in my case, this is VHS we’re talking about. How many times in your home movies are there other concerns to worry about, like somebody panning the camera too fast?

I’m rating Elgato’s solution four out of five stars. Its software is simple and easy to use, and they included all of the cables I would need to plug its device directly into my VCR. The only cons are the limited in-application editing options and the awkward “time restrictions.” The good news is that these could easily be corrected with a future software update.

For some, they may criticize the lack of higher definition inputs, such as component video or HDMI, but these types of capture devices exist and are much pricier. It really just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Why go overboard for something simple? As a quick and simple way to preserve VHS tapes, this is a great solution and feels a bit stronger than some of the other slightly cheaper options.

If you’ve had an opportunity to use the Elgato video capture or one of the other competitor products, let me know in the comments below.

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Today, Apple released a huge update for its Pro series of audio/video editing applications, including both the Final Cut and Logic Studio suites of applications. People (and businesses) who need the extra muscle of Pro applications (as compared with the iLife suite, for example) will be happy to note that with this latest update, Apple has dropped the price for Final Cut Studio by a very respectable $300, from $1,299 to $999 for the full studio package, or $299 for existing users to upgrade.

Final Cut Studio

Final Cut Studio includes Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5 and DVD Studio Pro 4. While all of the applications included in the suite received an upgrade, Final Cut Pro bears the most significant changes over its previous iteration.

New features include iChat Theater support, so that you can actually edit collaboratively in real-time while working remotely. It’s a great way for Apple to leverage existing tools in an innovative way to provide a truly useful function for people editing media, since collaborators don’t even need to have Final Cut installed. There are also new Change Speed and Share windows, which give you better control over video speed changes and the ability to preview your content when exporting for web, Blu-ray or Apple devices.

There are also new and improved versions of Apple’s ProRes codec. ProRes 422 (Proxy) helps with offline editing; ProRes 422 (LT) provides broadcast quality at reduced sizes; and ProRes 4444 gives you the highest quality possible for editing.

Motion 4 now allows you to add light sources to cast reflections and shadows on any surface, and offers new text, tilting, and depth of field tools. Color 1.5 should now work with a wider range of effects, and includes native support for RED ONE camera files. Compressor 3.5 now has Job Action features to make it easier to export to open and export a file to various destinations and work with Automator workflows. Finally, Soundtrack Pro 3 brings new tools like Advanced Time Stretch which boasts all-new audio stretch and compress algorithms, and Voice Level Match, which matches volume from the vocals of one clip to another.

Logic Studio

Logic Studio comes in at a respectable $499, and includes both Soundtrack Pro 3 and Compressor 3.5, mentioned above, in addition to Logic Pro 9, MainStage 2, and WaveBurner 1.6. It also ships with all six Apple Jam Pack loop sets and tons of bundled plug-ins, instruments and effects. Current Logic Studio or Logic Pro users can upgrade for $199, while those with Logic Express will have to pay a heftier $299.

Logic Studio brings a lot of new stuff to the table, with over 200 new features. Some highlights include the new Amp Designer amp modeling software, which comes with 25 amps, 25 cabinets, and three mics to allow users to customize the sound of their guitar tone, which was lacking in Guitar Amp Pro, their previous modeling software. Pedalboard works with Amp Designer to bring 30 stompbox effects, which can be arranged on a virtual pedalboard.

Flex Time, a new feature for Logic Pro, allows you to manipulate timing so that if one of your tracks (or part of the track) is slightly off with the others, it’s much easier to drag the affected area to try to correct the timing, and Logic Pro will compress or expand the areas nearby to accommodate the change.

Early impressions from Apple Pro users at Macworld and CNET seem to indicate that many of the changes introduced with the new versions make working with audio and video significantly easier than in previous installments. Apple really has put the focus squarely on usability improvements this time around, and it shows. Both suites are available immediately from Apple’s web site.

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The rumor, from a source talking to BusinessWeek, suggests that not only will the new iPhone hardware boast video recording capabilities, but that it will actually be a veritable mobile video editing platform, too, complete with built-in software. The software in question will reportedly be a native iPhone iMovie app, which will offer users a number of editing features, and possibly the ability to share your creations via MMS.

This makes sense for a company that pioneered the first truly, fully Internet-capable phone. If you want to capitalize on and build that reputation, your next logical step is to move into video creation, editing, and sharing, as it becomes more popular online via sites like YouTube, Vimeo and Ustream.tv. They’ve already shown that they’re aware of, and interested in investing in, the trend with iMovie ’09, which has built-in video-sharing services.

And if you consider how many additional developers and types of applications video recording and editing capabilities would bring to the App Store, then saying no to video just doesn’t make sense from a business perspective. Plus, talk about a reason to buy a new device. Even if I have to sell my soul (i.e. sign up for yet another three-year contract), I’m upgrading if the next iPhone does have video editing support.

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I’ve been waiting for the ability to edit Word documents on the iPhone since the day I got one. Why? Because I’m a dreamer, and my dream is someday not having to lug around a laptop of any size while I’m traveling, or just out and about in the city.

My iPhone has become a big part of that dream, and the ability to edit any kind of document using it is another. The release of Quickoffice ($19.99, iTunes link) marks a big first for those editing capabilities, with full support for .doc files.

Now, Word support doesn’t mean as much to me as it once did, since I work primarily online these days, but it’s still great to have, and helpful for my own personal fiction writing. Thanks to Quickoffice, I can now edit stories and start new ones on the go, without having to first convert them to .txt or .rtf documents. Conversion doesn’t work well because a lot of the small print publishers still want .doc files, so I have to then convert back before sending.

Quickoffice does some big things right, but it also misses the mark with other features. First, uploading docs from your computer couldn’t be easier, and there’s no server app to install. You do it right in your browser by directing it to a private IP address on your local network, so it doesn’t matter if you’re using Windows or a Mac. Uploading a doc using the web interface worked flawlessly. Definitely a big plus.

Landscape editing is supported, and it does away with the interface bars to give you as much viewing space as possible. Well-thought out and customized for the platform. Editing in landscape makes working on the iPhone much less painful, and the menus aren’t really all that handy unless you’re setting up a brand new doc.

Copy and paste is supported, but since I’m using the new iPhone 3.0, Quickoffice’s implementation seems a little weak, since it actually sidesteps the built-in one. I’m sure this will be fixed by the time 3.0 is officially released, though, and for now their implementation is just fine, though it only works within Quickoffice itself and not between apps.

With Quickoffice you can also edit Excel files, though PowerPoint presentations are not yet supported. Microsoft’s newer .docx and .xlsx files are also not editable, though static versions can be viewed in Quickoffice. Honestly, that’s not really that big of a deal since most people have stuck with the older .doc standard anyway. Bottom line: if you want to edit Word documents on your iPhone, this is the way to do it for the time being, and things could be much, much worse.

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With Quickoffice, users can view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files and share them over a wireless connection. Quickoffice is actually a collection of three individual apps, two of which are already available for the iPhone now. These are Quicksheet ($12.99, iTunes link), for editing Excel spreadsheets, and Quickoffice Files ($3.99, iTunes link), for viewing a variety of files, and transferring them to and from your device. The third application in the series is Quickword, which brings the crucial addition of Word document editing.

When (and if) it’s approved, it’ll also retail for $12.99 separately, or you can get the whole Quickoffice package together in one app for a price that’s yet to be revealed. I’d guess you might save a few bucks by getting the bundle, so look for it to be priced around $19.99.

News of the app’s submission comes closely on the heels of Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop dropping hints at the Web 2.0 conference earlier this week that document editing was indeed on its way to the iPhone. I’ve thought, until now, that the reason we hadn’t seen it yet was that Microsoft and Apple together were blocking it, but maybe Elop was referring to third-party apps like Quickoffice with his subtle suggestions. Then again, maybe they want to release their own branded solution and Quickoffice will be swiftly denied. We’ll find out next week.

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I first started editing using a Powerbook G4 and used it for years, eventually getting a MacBook to use for more personal work. But eventually it hit me, that I needed a faster and more powerful machine for editing video. I would love nothing more than to own a Mac Pro tower, but it was simply out of my price range. So I went straight for the Macbook Pro. However it wasn’t a matter of affordability, I wanted the fastest computer I could get for the least amount of money. So I went with a 20″ iMac, and honestly I have never been happier.

Why the iMac?

I decided on the 20″ iMac over the MacBook Pro simply over cost. I decided I could get more raw power for my money if I were to get the iMac. I discovered that the low end MacBook Pro runs for $1,999, which was what I had initially put in my shopping cart. But then I noticed something, I could get the second tier iMac and get a faster machine, more hard drive space, and more power overall for $1,499. The portability over power decision was initially hard for me, but then I thought about how much editing I do away from my desk, away from my external monitors, away from a keyboard and mouse…and the answer was none. So a few days later I had an iMac at my front door.

Now you have a fast computer, but that is not all you need. You’re going to need your editing software, lots of storage, and speed.

Upgrade your RAM

So to begin your new iMac’s transformation into a video editing powerhouse, start by upgrading your RAM. Your iMac can hold up to 4GB, so why not have that? You can get RAM just about anywhere but my personal favorite would be Newegg. Newegg has some of the greatest deals on computer hardware you could ask for and great selection of Mac memory as well.

So you have some new RAM, a fast computer, what more could you need? Well, you’re going to need lots of hard disk space. The iMac already comes with a good amount of space, but eventually this will run out working with video, and it will run out even faster if editing high definition content. So look into some portable solutions.

Get some storage (you will need it)

Western Digital makes one of the best hard drives for this purpose. The My Book Studio Edition II offers 1 and 2 Terabyte capacities in a sleek affordable package. However, if you are still looking for something a bit more portable you could try the My Passport Studio. This edition of the super portable Passport line of hard drives offers Firewire as a connection option which is a big plus for video editing. But aside from the Firewire it also offers a large capacity drive in a small package. I know I would have a hard time getting around without mine, its as easy to use as plugging in and letting it go, so its essentially a really large thumb drive.

Display your assets

The 20″ iMac already has a gorgeous display, but you can add to that by adding a second of your choice. My choice would be one of Apple’s new cinema displays, but again those could be hard to come across without breaking the bank. So try to find a second monitor from another manufacturer, just double check that it is at the resolution, and size that you need.

From here all you need to do is install Final Cut Pro or Express; aside from the computer itself, this will probably be the largest purchase. But it is the engine that will drive this powerful editing machine.

From here you should be able to start editing on your new powerhorse. So what more could you possibly need? This is an optional and fairly aesthetic choice, but Photojojo sells a very nice keyboard cover to help you out in memorizing all those nice Final Cut shortcuts.

With a few up front costs, this package still isn’t cheap. But for those looking for a nice machine to edit digital video with, the iMac would be a fantastic choice, and it certainly beats the price point of the larger more powerful Mac Pro towers. Once these up front costs are addressed and it is all said and done, you should be ready to start making some films that have a more professional look and feel to them.

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To date, no app has enabled Office document editing on Apple’s iPhone, although many offer the ability to view them. There are also a number of rich-text editing applications, and some that allow creation and editing of spreadsheets. Office support is offered natively on the BlackBerry platform, so were the iPhone to gain editing capability, it might make the decision to switch easier for enterprise buyers.

When the SDK was first announced, there was some indication that Microsoft would offer their own application to support document editing on Apple’s mobile platform. If Dataviz’s teaser is to be believed, they may beat Redmond to the punch. Note however, that the teaser image says “Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on your iPhone”, and does not specifically mention editing. Still, on all platforms it currently appears on, editing is supported.

No hint at pricing is made, but both Palm and BlackBerry operating systems include the Standard edition, while the Premium version retails for $69.99. The iPhone’s App Store pricing has tended to favor less expensive pricing schemes, so it will be interesting to see if Dataviz prices its product differently for the platform. Conversely, users who need it might be willing to pay a premium for the ability to edit Office docs.

No word on a release date, but the teaser site offers the ability to sign up and be notified when the product is available.

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Today Apple announced the release of Final Cut Express 4.

New features include:

• iMovie ’08 Importing
• Over 50 new FxPlug effects and filters
• Mixing of hi-def and standard video on the same timeline
• Support for AVCHD cameras

What’s even more interesting with this release is that Apple has now knocked the price of FCE down to $199 (from the $299 it previously sold for). With the reduced price they are certainly aiming to bring the casual video editors up from iMovie and in to something a bit more full-featured. I think this is fantastic news for people who want to do more serious editing but don’t want to drop $1,300 for Final Cut Studio.

Final Cut Express 4 is available now on Apple’s site.

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For years, FTP applications have been a genre of software that has overrun itself with options. Generally I believe competition to be a good thing but there really just comes a point where another FTP application in the mix really doesn’t help anybody. As of right now I’ve counted over 100 different FTP applications available to the Mac. Seriously…why?

Today Gruber posted a quick link to a new image editor supposedly making it’s way to the Mac in the coming months. Just yesterday Acorn was announced and just a few weeks ago the highly anticipated Pixelmator was released in to private beta. For the mathematically challenged, that is three new image editors that have come on to the scene in the past month or so and that doesn’t even include all the other image editors that have been around for ages.

I think what really turns me off about all of this is that all of these image editors do, more or less, the same thing. Sure, they each have a different UI and will each perform tasks a tad different than the other but for the most part they all just edit images.

Do all of these developers really believe they are bringing something new and beneficial to the table? Or is it simply a case of jumping on the bandwagon?

Again, like I said, I believe competition and choice are a good thing. But at what point does it actually start hurting the community by flooding the market with sub-par applications?

UPDATE: Let me make something clear. I’m not saying people should never develop for the Mac after there is already an industry standard for an app. This post is merely for conversational purposes as all these new apps started my wheels turning on the subject. Of course I don’t think apps like TextMate or SubThaEdit should have never been written. I’m just curious if there is a point where enough is enough. If not…fantastic. But I do think it’s an interesting point of conversation.

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