One month later: did you updrade ? …or not?

[grcolts]

Although I was very pleased with the new speed and somewhat stable program, there was still too much not there. For instance, bugs still exist, no HDR for the Mac, and the plug-in issue using 64 bit. So, for the time being, I have decided to wait a little while and see what Corel does for fixing those issues. Then, I will make a decision.

GR

[Dutchmm]

I did, on the news that the update made GradFilter work. Which sadly it doesn't. But I trust that there will be another update in a few weeks/months/years/decades which will fix that.

[Arnfinn]

Not updated yet... I will update when I feel there is enough improvement that justifies the upgrading. As of now I think it's pretty thin. I like ASP, so I will continue using it for my pictures and I have high hopes that it someday will be at the forefront as it has a very high potential to what it can be. My disappointment was big when Bibble was purchased by Corel. A good user interface was goofed up for the worse, not to make any improvements but plainly for the change (footprint) itself. Also the history of the company and their software and other previous aquisitions hasn't made me very confident that they would actually want to put much resources into improving it. My initial feeling was that they only wanted the technology for their other products.

I have had their flagship software CorelDraw since V3 to 4, abandoned ship for the following years and used it professionally for years since X4. In the early years I don't think anyone really purchased it for anything but their vast amount of fonts and clip art. With new main verisons rolled out rapidly, each version introduced a vast array of new ground breaking functions, but unfortunately more buggy than a termite mound. From version X4 they started to get something highly useful, to the extent that I preferred using it before it's main competitor Illustrator. Now with the last years versions it has truly become a flag ship software that doesn't stand much behind anything on the market.

Regarding their software aquisitions I have drawn the conclusions that they need at least 3-4 main upgrades before they gain enough momentum to become the great products they once was (before the takeover). Whether it's Painter, WordPerfect or any other of the great software product they have purchased in the past; the first version is allways a setback. The next few, not really improving anything. But then, they seems to get such a solid customer base that they can assign enough resources into the development so they once more has the products that's rivals the competition.

My feeling is that this is exactly what happens to ASP. They hope that by rolling out a second version number they will attract enough new and excisting customers to have the momentum they need to get the financial resources to justify the level of development this product needs. It's the Corel way of thinking. They want to have enough financial foundation through their customers before putting more resources into the software. I got high hopes for the software when Greg Wood started to give his insights behind the software and their efforts to improve it. It's a tough job to develop with the limited resources Corel has assigned for the task and at the same time to keep it's current customer base excited. So far, it seems obvious that he as too few resources at hand and he does his best with what he got. The problem with the Corel model is that it may take years before the product is beginning to gain serious momentum. Corel has vast programming and development resources available and many of their products has become really good in the later years. If Greg can manage to convince Corel to assign more programmers to ASP, it can definately be in the position to rival it's competition. It's a hughe market and the key for Corel must be to keep all the image processing within the Corel family of products. Averyone has a camera these days, and if the place where they organize and convert their pictures is with a Corel product, the likelyhood for them to also use other Corel products is a lot bigger. If Greg can convince Corel about this fact then much is being done. Otherwise, this may take years...

ASP has a great potential to become a market leader. It's fast, works on all of the three most used operating systems. It allows you to manage everything from within the same window without having to go back and forth between Library-Develop-Process. You can compare and ajust multiple images at the same time, work in layers and it has the best plugin architecture on the planet where plugin functions can be placed anywhere in the processing pipeline. Even before some of the internal functions. No other comparable software allows this. These facts alone is enough to give ASP it's competitive edge if they only can realize what great product they have actually aquired and put the necessary resources into it. My hope is that Corel can finally open their eyes and realize the unique potential and impact a market leading raw converter and DAM product will have not just on the market, but also on the rest of the Corel family of products. You have a big job to do Greg. Im not sure that fixing bugs will make the biggest impact for the future of ASP. Getting more resources assigned to the team will in the end be the best solution for all of us. Based on the signals Greg has put out here in this forum I have good hopes that he is the man to make this happens, but there is still a looong way to go and much convincing to do. I would be happy if Greg could confirm that this is his highest goal. ASP needs happy customers. Happy customers comes from good products and a good community. Everyone likes to be on the winning team. Right now, ASP isn't winning much either in it's home field or any other places. A good coach isn't enough if the majority of the players available is below average and the team owners won't spend more of it's resources to improve the team. The future is in the hands of the team owners. Will they finally open their eyes...?

[afx]

@Arnfinn: AMEN!
You sum it up pretty well.

cheers
afx

[tundraquad]

Thank you very much Arnfinn for your comment!

Nothing is perfect. But ASP has a great potential. I didn't hesitate upgrading.
On linux Zorin OS, it's very stable. Didn't crash once. I guess that patience is the only price to pay. So, I accept it. I just have to postpone the work to be done with the plugins. That's it.

So long.

[Franz Dur]

Yes, I did. Works fast and well with my raw past (MRW) and presnet (NEF and RW2). When (if) Gradfilter comes out i'll be happy.

Francis

[fukapon]

Yes!

I've not processed my raw files yet because I use Pentax K-3. Finally, I can do it tonight! Thanks!!
I will get 645Z tomorrow. I keep believing in Greg and the ASP development team.

[gareth]

I was waiting for 2 things before upgrading - improved highlight recovery ( where that is needed I use CapOne ) and working Grad.
We now have one but waiting for the other.

[imopen]

I switched to Mac and Lightroom

I'll continue to follow Aftershot development but I doubt I'll ever come back

[Ludgateman]

Just downloaded and installed the very latest upgrade (2.0.0.133) and had high hopes as it began importing and thumbnailing 17k images into a fresh catalogue. Seemed to be more stable, and allowed viewing, keywording etc while import was going on, but it got only halfway through before it froze, in a repeat of the problems I had with the original release.
Back to V1 for the time being

[andysalay]

Now I am not even dissappointed, I have lost all my faith in Corel.
The IQ is very weak in comparison to competition.
It is ridiculous that Corel did not fix the most crucial issues - HR, tiling and denoise problems. In fact, it is worse than Bibble/ASP1. It is useless for me in current state. I have found a way better software in IQ area, albeit more expensive. But time saved by gaining excellent results without fiddling means much more money.

In fact, I was very dissapointed shortly after launch, when I see outputs from V2. I have wrote bitter post, but held it, too much frustration there.
I have never posted it.

I like the way Arnfinn described it, maybe after few years. Until then - farewell Aftershot.
Does not deserve my efforts.

Wish all the best to the photographers,
and all who know me from these forums.

Regards,
Andy Salay

[Dutchmm]

OK I'll bite ... which solution has Andy adopted?

[andysalay]

OK I'll bite ... which solution has Andy adopted?

Capture One Pro.
Awesome detail, automatic under-the-hood counteract of blur induced by denoise (dynamic changing with denoise strength, etc.)
Class leading denoise. You can control every aspect of denoise.
Excellent HR. Bibble/ASP is two-classes behind. 99.5% works out of box, with just one slider.

Local edits with brushes/gradient masks.
Layers.

Does not force you to use catalogue, in fact very similair editing workflow like Bibble/ASP.

No, I repeat NO artifacts (Tiles, lines, denoise tile errors, occasional posterization,...).
IT JUST WORKS, opposite to ASP.
(It has some areas where I miss ASP functionality, though, but you can very quickly and easily achieve excellent results).

Sorry Corel, you killed such good software.
IQ bugs cannot be overlooked, and in fact I wonder, why so many users are so blind to these errors. If you compare the results of all main converters, and look thoroughly, you simply cannot overlook how significantly ASP lags behind top players in IQ area.

Anyhow, I will look at each new major update, because if Corel will make it comparable to competition in IQ area, and the workflow ideology will stay the same, it will be the best converter. The plugin framework is something unique, and excellent. I miss it.

Regards,
Andy Salay

[tundraquad]

Capture One Pro is out of question. They are "anti-linux" !

[andysalay]

Capture One Pro is out of question. They are "anti-linux" !

For me, it is more important to get my images perfect easily and save a time, than working on a preferred OS.
I understand, not everybody can use Windows. But for me, even if I cannot/ or am not willing to use Win as a main OS, C1 Pro on Win7 in Virtualbox on Linux host is working solution. And it works pretty well.

I have already awakened from dream, that I can change this world by byuing/denying to buy some SW solutions.
I use what is the best for me, my experience matters, not the OS version.

Regards,
Andy Salay