Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Using LR5-beta until release

R

radek42

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 27, 2008
168
1
Here, there, and everywhere
Greetings,

I was about pull the trigger on LR4 last week, but did not.

Then came LR5-beta announcement.

Here is the point: I'd like to use LR soon, but I feel stupid to buy LR4 and pay for upgrade couple months down the road. I contacted Adobe about free LR5 upgrade, but that's apparently no-go.

So my question: is public beta usually robust enough to be used until LR5 release?

Thanks, R>
 
M

mahood

macrumors member
Aug 6, 2009
51
4
UK
radek42 said:
So my question: is public beta usually robust enough to be used until LR5 release?
Click to expand...

Disclaimer: I've not downloaded the LR5 beta yet, so I can't comment on it particularly.

I used the LR4 Beta while that was new, and never had a major problem with it, but then I wasn't using it full time - I'm a hobbyist rather than a pro, so it might not be suitable for heavy use. I guess if you're not already using it, you'll probably not be stress-testing it either.

And with any software (but especially beta software) keep backups of your images somewhere safe - if it does have a terrible seizure of some sort, you need to be able to get your images back! I have a copy on another disk, and a set offsite, so I don't lose anything no matter what.

You can use LR4 and LR5 in parallel, they don't share a library... So why not use the free trial of LR4 for 30 days if LR5 does let you down?

I agree it's silly to buy LR4 full price & then pay for the upgrade to LR5 if you can wait - but you've lived without it this long, can you not hang on until it's finished? :)

Mark

http://www.markhoodphoto.com/
 
B

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
radek42 said:
...
So my question: is public beta usually robust enough to be used until LR5 release?
...
Click to expand...
While Adobe tries to make the public beta quite useable, well stuff happens. So do make sure you have backups of your photos and such, although this should be happening already.
 
C

cntwtfrmynwmbp

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2012
67
0
I'm somewhat in the same boat. I'm in the market for a raw converter (LR or AP) but I don't want to buy one only to see it replaced by it's successor a couple of months later...

The LR5 beta is only valid until 6/30/2013. What happens after that?

Say the official release is 3 month after 6/30. Then I can't use LR until the release date. Why isn't the beta valid until the official release? Would make more sense to me.
 
telecomm

telecomm

macrumors 65816
Nov 30, 2003
1,387
28
Rome
cntwtfrmynwmbp said:
The LR5 beta is only valid until 6/30/2013. What happens after that?
Click to expand...

This beta is only valid until then, and generally one of two things will happen before that date, either
  1. another beta is released before that date, which is likely, as at some point we'll probably see a release candidate (RC) beta, or
  2. The final version is released before that date.

I've started using the beta (I've also got version 4.4), and it's been pretty stable.
 
Last edited:
C

cntwtfrmynwmbp

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2012
67
0
telecomm said:
This beta is only valid until then, and generally one of two things will happen before that date, either
  1. another beta is released before that date, which is likely, as at some point we'll probably get see a release candidate (RC) beta, or
  2. The final version is released before that date.

I've started using the beta (I've also got version 4.4), and it's been pretty stable.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
R

radek42

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 27, 2008
168
1
Here, there, and everywhere
Thanks for comments. I have finished my 30-day trial couple weeks ago. I'd wish to test Aperture as well, but Apple canceled trial version ... oh, well.

I think I'll just use the LR5-beta until the final release before pulling the trigger. I do have my photos backed up elsewhere, so that should be pretty safe.

Cheers, R>

mahood said:
Disclaimer: I've not downloaded the LR5 beta yet, so I can't comment on it particularly.

I used the LR4 Beta while that was new, and never had a major problem with it, but then I wasn't using it full time - I'm a hobbyist rather than a pro, so it might not be suitable for heavy use. I guess if you're not already using it, you'll probably not be stress-testing it either.

And with any software (but especially beta software) keep backups of your images somewhere safe - if it does have a terrible seizure of some sort, you need to be able to get your images back! I have a copy on another disk, and a set offsite, so I don't lose anything no matter what.

You can use LR4 and LR5 in parallel, they don't share a library... So why not use the free trial of LR4 for 30 days if LR5 does let you down?

I agree it's silly to buy LR4 full price & then pay for the upgrade to LR5 if you can wait - but you've lived without it this long, can you not hang on until it's finished? :)

Mark

http://www.markhoodphoto.com/
Click to expand...


----------

That's good to know. Hopefully, they'll overlap ... hoping for final release sooner rather than later.

R>

telecomm said:
This beta is only valid until then, and generally one of two things will happen before that date, either
  1. another beta is released before that date, which is likely, as at some point we'll probably get see a release candidate (RC) beta, or
  2. The final version is released before that date.

I've started using the beta (I've also got version 4.4), and it's been pretty stable.
Click to expand...
 
S

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
cntwtfrmynwmbp said:
I'm somewhat in the same boat. I'm in the market for a raw converter (LR or AP) but I don't want to buy one only to see it replaced by it's successor a couple of months later...

The LR5 beta is only valid until 6/30/2013. What happens after that?
...
Click to expand...

radek42 said:
.... That's good to know. Hopefully, they'll overlap ... hoping for final release sooner rather than later.

R>
Click to expand...

In my experience, this Beta (or a another one released to replace this one) will be available until the final version is released. The whole point of the Beta program is to get people using it. Also, it's a way to hook in new users who are enjoying the free Beta.

However.... I have this vague memory that one of the upgrades from Beta to final didn't upgrade the catalogue. Perhaps someone can confirm or correct this statement? Regardless - Adobe very clearly states not to trust your production images to a Beta. Bad things happen with Betas, and it's entirely possible that Adobe can decide not to support moving your images in the Beta catalogue to the released version. You have been warned...

But... personally, I'm not hearing anything to suggest that Adobe has tinkered with the database structures... so I am confident that the upgrade will go smoothly to the released version. Enough so that I'm shooting a job into Lr5b because I wanted to use one of the tools available.

But.. I'm willing to work around any limitations on the catalogue upgrade with these particular images. Other work images are still going into my Lr4 catalogue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom