Adios PaintShop Pro

[csh2000]

I'm done with PSP. I've been using PSP since mid 90's and have seen the product grow in maturity and tool set. I've always preferred PSP over PhotoShop. Unfortunately, Corel has forced me to look at other products due to their lack of ingenuity and above all their incessant need to force advertisement upon me for a product that I've already purchased. I didn't purchase ADWARE. The last point was the tipping point for me. No matter how many times I disable, the advertisement seems to always creep back into my life.

It's seems to me that Corel is more interested in marketing and new users, rather than keeping loyal customers.

To the Corel community. I thank you (especially Cassel and Levi) for your willingness to share your expertise and knowledge to the community. I've learned so much from you all and through your knowledge I have been able to significantly improve my skills.

Message to Corel: Watch your back.. There is a new kid on the block in Affinity Photo and in my opinion, it is spectacular.

[JoeB]

If you're looking at Affinity you might want to see the comments here:

http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php ... ty#p342310

[csh2000]

If you're looking at Affinity you might want to see the comments here:

http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php ... ty#p342310

I did look at those comments and found that most are no longer an issue. Granted, there was a bit of a learning curve, but it took me just a couple of days to get used to the changes. I especially like the way Affinity handles luminosity selection through blending. This was the piece that I most struggled with as I use Luminosity masks quiet a bit in my photos. Once I got use to the live (non destructive ) layers / blending, I was sold. All visualizations is done live on the screen... No more pressing buttons and waiting for results.

I really like the non-destructive layers features (much like PS SmartObject). What it does lack, is the power scripting language that PSP has. It has macros, but I haven't played with those yet , so I'm not sure how powerful they will be. But, reading the comments, I doubt they have as much power as PSP with python. I'm sure, I'm going to run into a situation where I have my "wish this had this ability'.

If you do a lot of Photo's, it's worth the look and for the low price point is really a good option to add to your arsenal.

[brucet]

FWIW. I have been using PSP since about v5. (My memory is now as clean as my shelf. Having disposed of all old disc etc etc).
I never get any advertising when using PSPx8. Why? Well I closed everyone that popped up. But most importantly I never use PSP while connected to the internet. The tech gurus can tell you how and why PSP goes fishing while you are on line.
But I have found PSP is getting so much 'fluff' and bloated that it was becoming a pain to use. So I also went looking at alternatives. Along the way I tested and liked Photoline. For many reasons that have been previously pointed out on a number of threads. How ever of the huge benefits of Photoline is its ability to send a file to an external editor and receive it back again. In my case I use Photoline and when I need a favourite tool in PSPx8 I simply send it from Photoline, edit, and send it back again. Best of both world.

As an aside - I subscribe to a magazine. I download and read them on my tablet. Well they recently changed/upgraded the app for the magazine. The app now takes up the top 10% of the tablet screen with advertising. The result? I stopped buying the magazine. I pay for the magazine. Which as its normal pages of adds. But then I get bombarded with extra adds that are now on my reading screen. Corel may think they are clever having adds in PSP. But folks don't like paying for advertising. So they simply go elsewhere. Very greedy and very short sighted.

regards

[photodrawken]

...
How ever of the huge benefits of Photoline is its ability to send a file to an external editor and receive it back again. In my case I use Photoline and when I need a favourite tool in PSPx8 I simply send it from Photoline, edit, and send it back again. Best of both world.

Agreed.

On one hand, it's great to have a variety of choices for one's main image editor. On the other hand, it's doubtful that any one program can be everything for everyone. Affinity Photo is trying to do that, but you'll notice that it's installed size is 670Mb! (PhotoLine, by comparison, needs only 40Mb without the sample images.) That huge installed size is bound to affect loading speed, etc., and PL's small footprint means that it supports running off a USB stick.

Perhaps PL points the way to the future -- a primary editor that has spectacular features and can be a "hub" for using best-of-breed tools for specific needs. For example, I regularly send an image layer to RawTherapee to take advantage of its specialized features, or I send a vector layer to CorelDraw or Illustrator to add their "artistic" vector effects to a vector path.

All-in-all, it's a good time to be interested in image editing.

[flagpole]

But most importantly I never use PSP while connected to the internet. The tech gurus can tell you how and why PSP goes fishing while you are on line.

This seems a bit extreme. I just block it with my firewall.

I mean it's obviously ridiculous that i have to block it with my firewall. Being as it is bought and paid for, but nonetheless that is what i do.

[JoeB]

But most importantly I never use PSP while connected to the internet. The tech gurus can tell you how and why PSP goes fishing while you are on line.

This seems a bit extreme. I just block it with my firewall.

I mean it's obviously ridiculous that i have to block it with my firewall. Being as it is bought and paid for, but nonetheless that is what i do.

That's what I've done also, and it seems to work for me.

[TimW]

That's what I've done also, and it seems to work for me.

Same here. It's the only solution that works for me.

[brucet]

Folks I use two computers, one for editing and one for the internet. Paranoid? Maybe. But I do know that my editing computer has far fewer issues than the one connected to the internet. It not just PSP. I simply don't trust the internet.

regards

[LeviFiction]

Turning off the messages worked for me. No need to do anything else with my firewall. I did have to erase the Messages folder to get rid of any messages that had already been downloaded.

[brucet]

I'm not a fan of Corel. Not by a long way. But I do understand that at times Corel must shake their collective heads at some of the issues that pop up on these forums.
PSP was once a great program. It's still a great program and good value for money. However with the multitude of combinations of user experience/skill. Computer setups. Operating systems and users just 'stuffing' things up that there are many times issues are beyond Corels responsibilities. It would be all but impossible for Corel, or any company, to take into account every conceivable scenario.

BUT. But. And there's always a but. But Corel would be wise to spend a bit more time, effort and money on PR. Be it in their manual or their help files. Or even customer support. They need to make it very clear what they have tested for and that outside those parameters they will 'try' to help but aren't responsible.
Maybe if Corel found one or two techs who could put their word in every now and again on these forums it would help. Help users and Corel.

regards

[hartpaul]

That makes a lot of sense brucet. If there were some problems that repeated then the techs could solve it and provide the solution here and then advise others with a similar problem to check out the solutions offered here first. That could reduce the huge load that their tech support must get which makes it difficult for them to reply in suitable time periods.

[Dijenga]

I'm done with PSP. I've been using PSP since mid 90's and have seen the product grow in maturity and tool set. I've always preferred PSP over PhotoShop. Unfortunately, Corel has forced me to look at other products due to their lack of ingenuity and above all their incessant need to force advertisement upon me for a product that I've already purchased. I didn't purchase ADWARE. The last point was the tipping point for me. No matter how many times I disable, the advertisement seems to always creep back into my life.

It's seems to me that Corel is more interested in marketing and new users, rather than keeping loyal customers.

To the Corel community. I thank you (especially Cassel and Levi) for your willingness to share your expertise and knowledge to the community. I've learned so much from you all and through your knowledge I have been able to significantly improve my skills.

Message to Corel: Watch your back.. There is a new kid on the block in Affinity Photo and in my opinion, it is spectacular.

Good luck with that!

Serif has a reputation for sending out pre-beta software as done.

I've even purchased software from them where they had not removed references to their local servers ... even the history information was transferred to my computer on the disc.

Nah, as a former Serif customer (including their PhotoPlus - the predecessor to Affinity), I'm much happier with the results I get from Corel. I stopped purchasing photo editing software from Serifm after PhotoPlus X4. PSPX3 was head and shoulders above their product at the time, plus I got no nagging BSOD's from Corel whereas PhP X4 and the BSOD were dating I think.

Anyhow, have fun ... oh, did I mention they were selling their Plus line of software knowing they would drop support as soon as Affinity came out? Really ought to visit their forums sometime.

They forgot how they got to where they were, on the backs of loyal customers who put up with some very questionable offerings.

[csh2000]

Good luck with that!

Serif has a reputation for sending out pre-beta software as done.

I've even purchased software from them where they had not removed references to their local servers ... even the history information was transferred to my computer on the disc.

Nah, as a former Serif customer (including their PhotoPlus - the predecessor to Affinity), I'm much happier with the results I get from Corel. I stopped purchasing photo editing software from Serifm after PhotoPlus X4. PSPX3 was head and shoulders above their product at the time, plus I got no nagging BSOD's from Corel whereas PhP X4 and the BSOD were dating I think.

Anyhow, have fun ... oh, did I mention they were selling their Plus line of software knowing they would drop support as soon as Affinity came out? Really ought to visit their forums sometime.

They forgot how they got to where they were, on the backs of loyal customers who put up with some very questionable offerings.

Funny that we think the same, but for different companies. I have read as many reviews / blogs that I could find before I purchased Affinity. The most recent reviews are very favorable to the company. But, no doubt others have had issues.

Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy PSP, but after using VideoStudio, AfterShot and PSP I feel that Corel has lost touch with their customers and are no longer investing their time and money in these products. I'll continue to use VideoStudio as well AfterShot as they provide a very specific need for me.

But, I really get pissed off when Corel wants to continually cram their ADWARE on me. I should not have to jump through hoops disabling in my host file, nor my Firewall.. Nor modify their json scripts... I bought their product, not their advertisements. I'm sure that I'll still find that I need to jump back to PSPX9 from time to time as that's where I'm most comfortable with after many years of experience, but until Corel changes their policy and stops throwing ads on me, I will never upgrade any of my existing products.

[brucet]

I hate the ads and don't get them as mentioned above. But consider this. We pay for pay tv. And in doing so get the ads. So is Corel any different?

Now Corel please don't read this and get any more clever ideas.

bruce