Apple, Adobe, and 64-bit Photoshop

I own a mac 8-core and guess what? I run Vista 64 bit SP 1 and of course OS X. What is great about Mac computers is they run both OS on STELLAR originally PC hardware making 3rd part apps much easier to port over. But a big problem is most of you mac users are such bleeding hearts that you don't see the true big picture of computing. PRODUCTIVITY. I recognize this next solution isn't for everyone but when CS4 comes out I am buying the 64 bit version for Vista and will reboot and hold down option switch and launch PS 64bit. The interface of PS is the same on either platform. I can give a crap on the fancy Aqua shell because that's all it is a shell a UI. That's it. They are buttons that launch processes.

Second, Apple did state they would develop carbon 64bit. Then they renigged. That's a fact people. Also how do you critics of Adobe mad at Adobe when Apple themselves havn't released any Cocoa Apps themself? The latest FCP which is fairly new and the NEW Aperature NOT 64-bit. How long you think its going to take Apple themselves to catch up? Then you bleeding hearts want Apple to pull a miracle and develop a new set of apps that will change the industry standard? Wake up to the real world. There are not as many mac users in the entire world as you think. Apple is focuing on their FCP and new Shake software NOT developing a creative suite to change the desktop and web publishing industry. It's too big a challenge. Not happening. And PS is not crappy. It contains retouching tools that iPhoto, Aperature or even Lightroom cannot compete with. It's the industry standard for more than one industry.

Last. The reality is this. If you work for a creative agency then the hard facts are this. The decision makers on what platform and hardware you use is not up to you. It's up to the IT department which we all know majority hate macs. They would have more reason to switch because of cost and now compatibility. Mac would be left for home users, small loyal to Apple businesses and independants.

All in all Apple should have just did what they said they were going to do which is to develop Carbon 64bit which is also a much easier task than developing a competing software package that will change the industry standard so at least CS4 would have been 64bit Carbon then CS 5 could have been 64bit Cocoa.

Last, Adobe would have started development Cocoa version much sooner if they knew Apple planned on renigging but they didn't because they had bigger fish to fry. That is integrating Macromedia and Adobe. That took all their resources I would argue. Read bewteen the lines. Apple has made it harder for ALL 3rd party developers not just Adobe with this decision. Mac users won't see any 64 bit apps for a long time because they ALL have to be re written from scratch for a platform that is still only has like a 5% market share or possibly less.

Believe me I want business to be prosperous on BOTH platforms. It helps the overall economy because we still lead the industry in providing the world's OSs. But bleediing heart Apple heads need to also know their Steve Jobs is not perfect and Apple DOES make mistakes and only if you criticize them when they do will their be improvement.

The writer who said mac users will wait for CS5 to come out is right. The average agency as it is now don't upgrade until 2 versions anyways. But I think that CS 5 will be farther down the road than 2 years. I am not waiting, instead, I am going to stop this bi-partisan politics and get down to 64 bit computing and I will be able to do it on my Mac running a different platform for those projects period.

I work in the print industry. Every graphic designer I know or have had the pleasure of working with use Macs exclusively. They shell out oodles of cash for Adobe applications. Adobe is truly stomping all over their largest user base here. Windows users are not graphic designers they are not apt to go shell out more than a thousand dollars on Adobe software. I have a hunch sales for CS4 will be dissapointing as most people doing serious design work on the Mac will more than likely hold out for CS5. Being that CS3 isn't that old to begin with I'm almost sure this will be the case.

@Thayne Miller
I seriously doubt you could get by without adobe, chances are you use flash everyday (and not just in videos and animations) also iPhoto and Aperture are not even aimed to be similar to photoshop. They are photo organizers with light editing. Pixelmator is more of a photoshop express, and gimp is no where near as powerful as photoshop (and I'm pretty sure none of the alternatives you listed are 64bit, so they have nothing to do with the topic)

I have a dead feeling that the reason that Apple is bashing Adobe so much is that Apple could be releasing their OWN Photo editing platform that is even more ADVANCED then Aperture...

Also, about the Flash thing, it could be the fact that Apple might be making their OWN internet rich multimedia platform using their Quicktime technology, that could be the center of attention for this year's WWDC....

CS3 was released April 20, 2007.

Apple sold 247,000 more computers after CS3 was released. That's a 15% increase in sales. And their best quarter for Mac sales to that point. The quarter after that they sold 2,164,000 Macs.

I'd be willing to wager a pint that more than a few of those people were just like my company and waiting on Adobe to update their apps before buying new hardware. Intended or not when Adobe falls behind in it's update cycle it hurts Apple's hardware sales.




http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/04/25results.html

April 25, 2007—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 second quarter ended March 31, 2007. Apple shipped 1,517,000 Macintosh® computers

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/07/25results.html

Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 third quarter ended June 30, 2007. Apple shipped 1,764,000 Macintosh® computers, representing 33 percent growth over the year-ago quarter and exceeding the previous company record for quarterly Mac® shipments by over 150,000.

The user base for 64-bit Windows is nearly nonexistent, whereas the 64-bit user base on Apple's side has been thriving for years.

Not to mention that most pro photographers, designers, illustrators, etc. use Apples. Adobe needs to realize this and show their loyal customers some love (as well as stop being such a bloated and buggy company).

Wouldn't this be a good opportunity for Apple to release their own version of Photoshop? I mean, we have Apple versions of Word, Powerpoint and Excel, so why not an Apple version of Photoshop?

The problem is they already used "iPhoto" as a name, so they'd need something new. Apple Pro Photo Studio, maybe?

IMHO this is why Apple doesn't want flash for the iphone. We all waited to buy Mac Pro Intel machines until Adobe ported it's apps to Intel because of Photoshop speed issues. Look at Mac Pro sales before and after the release of CS3 and you'll see how much control Adobe tries to exert over Apple's Pro hardware sales.

Apple can view the 64 bit problem as another blow to it's dominance in the Creative sector. Adobe is quickly becoming the Microsoft of the Creative industry. Put flash on the iphone and Adobe can hold Apple phone sales hostage just like it does with Apple's Pro computers.

Apple should be able to decide the direction it's product take, the software developers should support the hardware manufacturer in a timely manner. If you ask me Warnock still has a bone to pick with Jobs over the events of Xerox Parc.

How many years has Apple been warning companies to migrate from Carbon to Cocoa?

Did Adobe think Apple wouldn't go through with this?

"Accusations of blame are being shot at both Adobe and Apple by various pundits (though notably not by the companies themselves)."

Wrong.

John Nack of Adobe fame specifically said in his blog post it was due to AAPL's decision to drop 64-bit Carbon. Sounds like blame to me...