Aperture and iPhoto Removed From Mac App Store Following Photos for OS X Launch

[Sasparilla]

Just another angle on this. Did a clean install of Yosemite through v10.10.2 - obviously no Photos is available in that version.

Installed iLife with iPhoto that ran on Mavericks (iPhoto 9.4.3). This version of iPhoto won't run on Yosemite and going to the App store there are no updates available.

So it appears, if you upgrade to Yosemite you will not be able to access iPhoto, unless you previously "purchased" (for free) the somewhat crippled iPhoto 9.5 (9.6, 9.6.1)...it'll be either v1.0 Photos in OS X v10.10.3 or stick with the older iPhoto in Mavericks/Mountain Lion. This is something that appears to have fell through the cracks and Apple should offer this update for folks that still want it.

 

[carlgo]

Is there any evidence, hints by Apple, that plug-ins or Aperture enhancements will be offered in the future? I haven't run across a quote, just some people thinking this might happen.

 

[LV426]

Be warned also that once you upgrade your library to the new format it won't be available in Aperture!

I had a Photo Book project which disappeared during the upgrade. Watch out for that one.

 

[Brian Y]

That kinda sucks. People have *paid* for Aperture, and therefore it should be available to download.

 

[LV426]

...it bugs the living s*** out of me how it organizes photos by location and date and you get no option otherwise

You can tag photos with custom keywords and create smart albums to filter on specific keywords, or various other criteria. I only have around 5,000 photos but it seems to be pretty snappy when you do this, and a useful way of finding things (you could call that 'organisation'). Tagging files and photos seems to be the way Apple is headed, rather than rely on hierarchical filing systems.

 

[laurihoefs]

That kinda sucks. People have *paid* for Aperture, and therefore it should be available to download.

If you have previously purchased Aperture, it's still available for download from the Purchases tab in App Store, at least for the time being.

The store page is gone however, and along with it the possibility to purchase new copies of Aperture.

 

[mikegem]

Has anyone confirmed that if you remove it or switch computers that you can still install from your "previous purchases"

Or is it gone as in - forever?

I updated my desktop Mini to 10.10.3, only to discover that Aperture (which was at v3.5.1 when I did the OS update) wouldn't run. It was still in my Purchased list, but the button said Open, not Install. Bad.

After searching through others' solutions, I tried removing Aperture, rebooting and checking the App store again. No "Install", no joy.

What did finally work was to copy Aperture 3.6 from my MacBook Pro (had updated Aperture to 3.6 before I updated the OS on that machine) to the Applications folder on my Mini. Works perfectly now.

 

[furi0usbee]

Where is dark mode for Photos? Who wants to look at pictures with a bunch of glowing white? At least they should have made a preference selection to use a dark mode. Boy Apple keeps dumbing down their apps.

 

[Sasparilla]

Is there any evidence, hints by Apple, that plug-ins or Aperture enhancements will be offered in the future? I haven't run across a quote, just some people thinking this might happen.

The Photo's architecture is open to plug-ins (believe pixelmator already said they were going to do a plugin) - so we can expect this to thrive.

The flip side of this though is that the library management system is much more like iPhoto's (one library only at a time) than Aperture - and that is something much more integrated into the application making it harder to change (if they didn't change it with v1.0). The look of the library system is that this is going to be like iPhoto not Aperture. :-(

 

[msandersen]

Hmm, the App Store in Australia still won't let you update iPhoto or Aperture to make them Yosemite compatible. I sincerely hope this is a bug they fix. As it is, both the troubled upgrade and this doesn't inspire confidence. 10.11 is said to be a Stability release with fewer features, like Mountain Lion, and they sorely need it. I installed Yosemite on my old iMac, only to find that currently The App Store in Australia can't upgrade iPhoto or Aperture, rendering them nonfunctional. Also while it should be up-to-date, I can't upgrade them on my main Mavericks machine either.
I can experiment on my old 2008 iMac, where it doesn't matter if things break, but currently I'm not impressed by Yosemite or Photos or feel confident in upgrading my main machine I use with Aperture. I NEED it to work. I will likely move to Capture One eventually, but I'm not in a hurry.

 

[ppdix]

Wtf?

Is this a Joke? Replacing Aperture with this crap? It's worse than iPhoto and can't even compare to a professional solution.
Basically, it's Photos for iPhone on a big screen. A disgrace of a App.
They should remove it and apologize or at least leave Aperture and iPhoto on the App Store.
Really disappointed and pissed off.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Is this a Joke? Replacing Aperture with this crap? It's worse than iPhoto and can't even compare to a professional solution.
Basically, it's Photos for iPhone on a big screen. A disgrace of a App.
They should remove it and apologize or at least leave Aperture and iPhoto on the App Store.
Really disappointed and pissed off.

You were warned it was going to happen.

 

[G4DP]

Just checked, I can still download Lion and Mountain Lion fine from the Mac App Store via Purchases.

He wasn't on about the OS's. Do people have no reading comprehension anymore. He was referring to Aperture for this OSX versions.

 

[Canubis]

You should give Affinity a try. It's pretty awesome.

https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/

Thanks, this looks nice but rather like a replacement for Pixelmator/Photoshop (depending on what features of PS one uses). I'd rather like to see some photo organization solution that, unlike Lightroom, looks and feels like actually designed & developed for Macs and Mac users.

 

[Even Longer]

The fact that Apple does basically the same thing with Aperture what they did with FCP and X, canceling a product or even a whole product line (XSan, Shake etc.) really concerns me. I don't use FCP X at all (Adobe/Avid) however I bought a nMP and while I am very pleased with the machine, I'm very concerned about the "pro line" at Apple. They never made clear roadmaps and consumers bring in a heck more money than "us pros" but at this point, they could basically kill everything "pro" and just go with it. I really don't like this direction at all.

I really like long OS cycles, but right now I hold on Mavericks and will probably never upgrade, looking at the Yosemite and beyond situation. When I compare Mav/Yose with Win7 and 8.1, they are by far more matured OSs.

I needed to run my business with more versatile dedicated Software natively and I also craved for a digitiser for sketching, drawing and note taking on a mobile device.
Went for a Surface Pro 3 for that and the experience is solid! Now I have a product with a roadmap and a team, which is demonstrably dedicated to a Stylus.
It really could be worse...

 

[ipedro]

Do we think this may be the start of Apple removing the i from their software names? Could iTunes be rebranded Music for instance?

Not to get off topic but yes, I think iTunes + Beats will become Apple Music.

It's a tough move for Apple because iTunes is such an engrained brand and has stood for over a decade as a market leader. However, that history might be holding it back, seen by the new generation as the old guard. A new name and brand might just be what iTunes needs to pitch its new services.

That said, there's clearly a trend for phasing out the "i" brand. Apple Watch, AppleTV, Calendar instead of iCal and Photos instead of iPhoto, etc seems to be setting a new naming philosophy at Apple.

 

[Kajje]

I updated my desktop Mini to 10.10.3, only to discover that Aperture (which was at v3.5.1 when I did the OS update) wouldn't run. It was still in my Purchased list, but the button said Open, not Install. Bad.

After searching through others' solutions, I tried removing Aperture, rebooting and checking the App store again. No "Install", no joy.

What did finally work was to copy Aperture 3.6 from my MacBook Pro (had updated Aperture to 3.6 before I updated the OS on that machine) to the Applications folder on my Mini. Works perfectly now.

I have confirmed this before. If you have purchased Aperture before, it *IS* available for download and install in the MAS. I have done it yesterday from a fresh 10.10.3 install and it works fine.

Perhaps something went wrong. Or for some reason your non-MAS Aperture didn't made it up to sync up with the MAS license migration system - or whatever it is called.

 

[NathanA]

If you have an Aperture 3 license purchased on disc but never bothered to get a MAS update (and thus it does not show up as being in your MAS purchase history), how do you get the latest version of Aperture now? Would Apple be willing to add Aperture to my iTunes account's MAS purchase history so that I can update to the last released version?

-- Nathan

 

[Keebler]

I would really, really, like that to happen, but I think you're wrong. This is not the same case as with FCX. That was a product still aiming for the pros, just restarting. Apple was quick to assure that it would get better (and it did).

Photos will, of course, be improved over time. Some Aperture-like features will arrive. But it's quite clear that Apple is not catering to the pros anymore. They have sent a very clear message about that. There has been no reassuring that Photos will be rebuilt into a pro level app that Aperture was.

I think the whole situation is just sad. I cannot stop thinking about what Aperture would have been today if Apple hadn't let it wither. It was so promising once. Despite Aperture being essentially abandoned for years the main strengths are still considered better that competition. Yes, Lightroom is way ahead on many levels and producing better results, but not when it comes to organisation and some of the logic behind Aperture that just feels more natural. Capture One seems promising, but is not there yet either.

And all the investment into adjustments, organisation and metadata is just not possible to migrate at this point and maybe never will (although I hope Photos will improve in this area at least).

True. I've sent in feedback multiple times to the Aperture feedback:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/aperture.html

I can't find 1 yet for Photos, but rest assured, there will be multiple feedback messages sent when I do

 

[adam9c1]

Freaking out.
How can I redownoad it?

I have iPhoto at home, however when I signed into my account on another machine and I search for iPhoto I'm unable to download..

 

[tennisproha]

They should call it Apple Records, just to stir the pot.

Ha! And Final Cut Pro rebranded as Apple Productions.

 

[jamesdmc]

If you have previously purchased Aperture, it's still available for download from the Purchases tab in App Store, at least for the time being.

The store page is gone however, and along with it the possibility to purchase new copies of Aperture.

Yep, it can still be downloaded and installed if you've previously purchased it...for now.

 

[manni]

I think like most here I am very disappointed in Apple dropping Aperture. We could talk forever about this or that feature but the truth is that Apple is now a mass market consumer grade company who will make far more money if they can sell another 1% increase in iPhones rather than everyone here buying Aperture Pro or whatever.

For me it does go a bit further though. I think of it as more to do with trust. Silly as it sounds I did trust Apple and thought they wouldn't do this, or at least would just make sure Aperture would work for a few years, it would be simple to provide a quick update to Aperture when the next OS X comes out. I trusted them enough to do all my edits for many years, that's holidays, loved ones, friends, memories, in Aperture and to think that soon if I want to keep secure with the latest OS all those edits will be consigned to the dustbin is a pretty big blow. It was precisely to avoid such situations that I moved to Apple in the first place. If Apple said they couldn't be bothered with Safari, many would complain but we would just get Chrome and carry on. But I do feel photography is different, so tied up with our lives today; to have broken that trust is something that doesn't get repaired. If Apple ever decide they want the pro and high end photography market they will find few takers I think which is a pity. I know I won't trust them again with my photos.

So with that in mind I want to ask if anyone here has tried opening their Aperture library in Photos and what happened? I realise that many editing tools have disappeared but could it at least allow you to access all your photos with the edits still there exactly as they were in Aperture? In the same way that after a trip to Nik editing tools the changes were correctly rendered in Aperture even if it didn't have the exact same tools used to achieve those edits itself.

I remember when updating Aperture it would present an option with each photo to stick with it as it is or re-do it with the new Aperture. I tried duplicating them sometimes and trying the change and there was a difference but the old one was always accessible unaltered. If Photos can at least open without changing all my old photos it will lessen the blow.

 

[End User Clark]

Breaking Working Applications Wrong

I installed Yosemite because Youtube would no longer work with current version of Safari and no upgrade of Safari possible.

This broke both iPhoto and Aperture and no path to upgrade them as suggested exists in the App Store. My Aperture was installed from a store bought version.

I both asked for a work around and complained on Support Community, saying that breaking a working application is a "no no" and that Apple had broken faith with me (summarizing what I said). My post was censored (removed).

In my opinion, Apple has become arrogant with regard to the impact of their changes. Microsoft has "stood on their head" for years to deal properly with "legacy issues" and still has had to reverse itself numerous times when trying to "end of life" support for "legacy firmware."

I also suggested to Apple (in my post) that a warning message (not buried in the legal boilerplate) should be issued before the upgrade proceeded along the lines of "Warning. The following applications will cease to work after this upgrade: iPhone, Aperture. Do you wish to continue?" Of course, Apple really trowels on the legalese when it comes to "suggestions" as I found out when trying to actually get a suggestion to someone in Apple.

Suggesting that I convert my "work flow" to another application is ludicrous. I have spent countless hours getting proficient in Aperture. I'll change when I want to. It should not be necessary. I have the same issue with Linux when it comes to breaking interfaces to the so-called "kernel." Dealing with "legacy issues" by simply ignoring them is very "user unfriendly."

In general, I like Apple products (2 iPhones, 2 iPads, 2 iMacs and 2 .mac Accounts). There stuff is overall fantastic. They seem to be moving, however, in a direction that (despite their advocacy about being concerned about the user experience) says change or be left behind. I think that this will eventually be a major mistake that will open the door to another company with a better approach to "legacy."

 

[NathanA]

I installed Yosemite because Youtube would no longer work with current version of Safari and no upgrade of Safari possible.

...huh? I use Youtube in Safari on Mavericks all the time. Without Flash installed.

This broke both iPhoto and Aperture and no path to upgrade them as suggested exists in the App Store. My Aperture was installed from a store bought version.

I both asked for a work around and complained on Support Community, saying that breaking a working application is a "no no" and that Apple had broken faith with me (summarizing what I said). My post was censored (removed).

Instead of posting in a "community forum" which is by no means an official channel of support (when have you ever seen an Apply employee post to one of those threads in an official capacity?), have you tried contacting Apple support by phone and referencing the Support ID that your retail copy of Aperture 3 should have come with (and which should prove you are a legitimate purchaser entitled to support)? The Support ID and the software key that came with your Aperture might be enough when combined together to convince somebody in the support department to add Aperture to your iTunes account.

(Technically, even with it being "removed" from the store, I don't see why Apple couldn't do so; the only question now is if they would. Even though Lion has also been similarly removed from the App Store, you can still call up Apple support, give them a CC# to pay them the original $29 MSRP for Lion, and they will back-door add Lion to your iTunes account. They do this since Lion is the last version of OS X that is supported by certain Mac models and some of the people who own these models never bothered to upgrade to Lion before it was officially yanked from the store.)

-- Nathan