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Apple Acquires Photo Editing App Maker Pixelmator
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This. I expect Apple to expand Photos editing if they do not spin Pixelmator into a separate app like Notes, Numbers, etc. However what Apple needs with Photos is improve the Photos database to the competence of what the Aperture database provided circa 2008.
Well I’m both excited and somewhat fearful of this acquisition. I have both Pixelmator Pro and Photomator for both my Mac and iPad/iPhone, and really like both. Photomator in particular is a fantastic companion for Photos, whereas Pixelmator Pro is a great (albeit far more simplistic) Photoshop competitor.
I can easily see Apple incorporating a number (if not all) of the features of Photomator into Photos, but I’m not entirely sure what Apple will do with Pixelmator Pro.
The features in Pixelmator are far more advanced than your average photos app, and I really can’t see Apple trying to incorporate those advanced features into Photos. At the same time, I’m not sure Apple wants to introduce a standalone photo/picture editing app - which leaves me worried for the future of Pixelmator.
Perhaps Apple will combine Pixelmator’s features with the new Image Playground app? That really seems to be the only thing that makes sense…
I can easily see Apple incorporating a number (if not all) of the features of Photomator into Photos, but I’m not entirely sure what Apple will do with Pixelmator Pro.
The features in Pixelmator are far more advanced than your average photos app, and I really can’t see Apple trying to incorporate those advanced features into Photos. At the same time, I’m not sure Apple wants to introduce a standalone photo/picture editing app - which leaves me worried for the future of Pixelmator.
Perhaps Apple will combine Pixelmator’s features with the new Image Playground app? That really seems to be the only thing that makes sense…
iTunes 11 was perfect
They will keep it as a pro design app in the group of apps like keynote pages etc and add Apple intelligence. It will be the old pixelates pro on steroids.
They realised they were late again as Canva bought Affinity so Apple got the scraps..
pixelmator is only on apple devices so it’s better for apple.
I'm amazed they've taken this long to be honest! Pixelmator has long been the missing piece of iLife for nearly 20 years.
With any luck two things will happen: Photomator will get rebranded as Aperture and be included with Final Cut and Logic in one 'Apple Pro' sub and Pixelmator will go on to be included on every device like Pages and Keynote.
I could get angry at a subscription model but then I've been using Pixelmator on the Mac since 2006 with a beta licence that since translated to the Mac App Store version and a one-off charge of £3 for the iOS version that I use daily.
With any luck two things will happen: Photomator will get rebranded as Aperture and be included with Final Cut and Logic in one 'Apple Pro' sub and Pixelmator will go on to be included on every device like Pages and Keynote.
I could get angry at a subscription model but then I've been using Pixelmator on the Mac since 2006 with a beta licence that since translated to the Mac App Store version and a one-off charge of £3 for the iOS version that I use daily.
Nah. Pixelmator is very much a perfect fit for the Apple Ecosystem. Despite having Affinity I find PXM to have the UI/UX that is almost perfect for me. Sure I wish it did stuff like Photoshop, but it does most the stuff I need.
I'm not encouraged by this development. I've been using Pixelmator when it first hit the scene. It was the closest thing to the old Paintshop Pro 6.x in Windows that I was used to. Simple UI, effective, quick.
(the image was modified with Pixelmator Classic)
Mac OS X is a gray area as it's Steve Jobs who founded the company after being kicked out of Apple, so there's probably some of that Apple DNA even though it wasn't developed by Apple
This means one of two:- Either we will get another subscription, or it is going to be free. I hope it's the latter.
Love Pixelmator. Love this announcement! Great day for Pixelmator users, Pixelmator and Apple! 🎉🎊🥳
Apple has reached an agreement to acquire Pixelmator, the company behind popular photo and image editing apps Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, according to an announcement made by the Pixelmator team on Friday.
Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, Pixelmator has developed a suite of well-regarded creative tools that compete with Adobe's offerings while maintaining a focus on ease of use and performance. The company's apps have been exclusively available on Apple's platforms, including Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
In their announcement, the Pixelmator team expressed enthusiasm about joining Apple, noting that they've been "inspired by Apple since day one" and have aimed to craft their products with a similar focus on design and user experience. The team believes the acquisition will help them reach a broader audience and increase their impact on creative professionals worldwide.
For current Pixelmator users, the company stated there will be "no material changes" to their existing apps at this time, though they teased "exciting updates to come." Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The deal marks Apple's latest investment in professional creative tools, following previous acquisitions in the space such as Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro.
Article Link: Apple Acquires Photo Editing App Maker Pixelmator
Day one adopter. Was great as a stand alone. But Apple can be the skunk at the lawn party and ruin a well developed product. They have done that before too many times to count.
Good news for the team at Pixelmator. It’s a great app for the amateur like me who hasn’t got the time or patience for Abobe whateveritscalled.
I suppose better Apple than Adobe. I am fearful for what comes next - I've enjoyed and continue to enjoy Pixelmator and Photomator.
That's the end of that, then. Amazing app, but way too advanced for Apple not to nerf into oblivion. Expect a bunch of hideous "AI" nonsense to be added and all the professional features to disappear.
Has there been any acquisition, outside of Next, in which Apple has not either cancelled it completely or left it to die on the vine?
I believe that if Apple sticks to it for a few years. Which they won't.
Why people are only talking about Aperture lol, Pixelmator Pro does so much more than photos, it does vector art, image manipulation, drawing, AI upscaling, even video editing. It's actually the easiest way to crop a video or add some layers on top of it. I use this app every day, it should be built in into macOS at this point. I'll be interested in what Apple will do with this app.
Very interesting to see the mentions of aperture and apple photos app. I hate Apple photos app with a passion. Just this weekend I was trying to get access to the reference photos and I ended up combing through some super crazy wild database. You can't right click to show you where the original file is located because Apple doesn't want you to find it. It's absolutely user hostile and bizarre.
Granted it's a old version of photos, but has it changed? Maybe somebody can say so. I wouldn't dare use apple photos on my m1 Max. Because behind the curtain they still have a goal of making sure that everything you do is within their ecosystem. Thankfully for me, none of my media is within Apple's ecosystem. I can share freely I don't have to be barraged with iCloud or wonder if it's up or down yada yada yada.
But good luck to you folks hoping the aperture makes a return. The death of that application was amazing I was just getting to learn it and it got super yanked. Or more realistically you also stop dreaming. This is Apple and pixelmator as you know it is done.
Granted it's a old version of photos, but has it changed? Maybe somebody can say so. I wouldn't dare use apple photos on my m1 Max. Because behind the curtain they still have a goal of making sure that everything you do is within their ecosystem. Thankfully for me, none of my media is within Apple's ecosystem. I can share freely I don't have to be barraged with iCloud or wonder if it's up or down yada yada yada.
But good luck to you folks hoping the aperture makes a return. The death of that application was amazing I was just getting to learn it and it got super yanked. Or more realistically you also stop dreaming. This is Apple and pixelmator as you know it is done.
There will be dreamers. Especially Apple dreamers. A lot of it comes from a good place ..but this is apple.. it can go in a very bad place very quickly. And good luck with those yearly updates that removes features changes keyboard shortcuts, flip stuff back and forth without notice, man good luck to the dreamers.
Apple does what it wants not with the users want.. just like $200 for 8 gigs of RAM. And no that hasn't changed.