Don’t be sorry.
I am sorry.
That wonderful world where every single person is happy is not yet a reality but we can all make an effort on our side to tend to this 
Happy photography, with old or new hardware and software 
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Mojave does not seem to get security updates anymore.
macOS Big Sur runs on hardware from late 2013.
Maybe it’s time to replace the 7+ year old hardware with something new. You don’t have to like it, but that’s the way things are in IT.
Yep, you are SO right - I used to love Windows, and wondered what all the fuss was being made over Mac computers, and decided to find out for myself and bought a 2015 MacBook Pro. Windows quickly became history for me.
I think a huge number of Apple software engineers have shifted in a new direction, replacing the Intel chips with their own chip. If you have time, check out this article from Steven Levy in Wired Magazine’s “Plain View” series:
https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-inside-apple-silicon/
Also, while Apple seems to have a full update on a yearly cycle, and a new name for the OS, during each year there are constant updates. I am now on macOS Big Sur version 11.6 and I expect to get another update in the very near future.
To me it feels like being “stuck with” using an old OS for many years, vs. getting (FREE) updates every year.
I understand that many Windows users prefer to stick with Windows 7, having hated Windows 8 (I hated it too!), and in my case, I tried to update my old Lenovo W530 laptop to Windows 10, but that was constantly changing with more updates. Now there’s Windows 11, which may or may not work on my old Lenovo, but I’ve long since forgotten how to even do an update.
I’m not an Apple Fanboy, but I certainly do prefer Apple software. Nothing is perfect.
I used to use Lightroom, then tried lots of other software. I preferred to OWN my version of Adobe software, not rent it, but renting is so inexpensive I still have both Photoshop and Lightroom - but rarely use either. For reasons I can’t fully explain, PhotoLab seemed to me to be the best of all of them, and meeting some wonderful people in the DxO forums has helped me tremendously.
Not much more to say - my only negative thoughts about PhotoLab are that I couldn’t open images from my Leica M8 and my Fuji X100 cameras - and while I haven’t tried it yet, I see the Fuji is now supported. I’ll try that out sometime this week.
…but one question for Alec Kinnear - why do you feel Apple’s newest software releases are “dumbed down”?
Well, we don’t agree - to me, the best software they can would imply very frequent updates, removing bugs and adding improvements, and especially so getting their software and hardware optimized on their new in-house “chip”.
I don’t see things the way you do, and to me, “marketing” mostly refers to hardware. Apple’s software releases are free, for as many computers as you own, assuming the updated software will run on them.
I don’t (yet) own an Apple computer with an Apple chip, but I expect my next computer will have it.
There’s another thing to consider - with an Apple product, if I have a problem, and/or get stuck, I can call Apple, and they will connect to the computer if needed to help me solve the problem. That alone would keep me on Apple - for all other suppliers or vendors, the first question for support is when I bought it, after which they tell me how much it will cost to talk to one of their support people.
It’s only like that because of bootlickers and imbeciles and the profane (can’t blame this last group, not everyone can be a specialist). Sadly among those who should know better there are fewer and fewer independent thinkers or people with ethics or backbone. Is it what they put in the water (Roman Empire collapsed because of lead in the piples)? Is it the constant barrage of radio waves? Is it the constant noise of advertising and clutter of commerciality? Is it the constant financial pressure on every middle class household? Is it the relative absence of children in many people’s lives?
Whatever is causing it, the degeneration is clear.
@mikemyers You asked:
why do you feel Apple’s newest software releases are “dumbed down”?
I suggest you start by reading Lloyd Chambers’ guide to core rot along with his blog posts about the bugs he’s found in OS X. OS X is missing many advanced features now and much less reliable than it used to be. Apparently this is the second time I’ve posted the link but perhaps you missed it the first time.
I read the first page. Some things I agree with, others (such as the Aperture app which no longer exists) are not really applicable. I don’t use iTunes at all, my Time Machine has worked perfectly every time I needed to move things to a new computer, OS updates - yes, they are fast, but apparently necessary, and I’m used to updates such as on my phone, and even on my cameras.
I can’t comment on how any of this relates to developers, as I don’t know enough, but that doesn’t have any effects good or bad on how I use my Apple computers, or before my Windows computers. I wouldn’t know the first thing about a 10-bit video card driver, but I am please with the video I get on my sort-of-old ASUS display. The iMac video is not even close to calibrated, but it’s designed for average users who need the iMac to work well in any environment - the brightness adjusts accordingly.
He complains about “shallow” features useful only for beginners or entertainment, but those people also want to use the computer. Put them in front of a Linux computer, and they would be lost. Apple makes it easy for beginners, and others - I’m not sure how “advanced” I am, but I sometimes struggle with some of the more technical settings, and when I look at “Activity Monitor” I still don’t know how to interpret what I see into useful information - but I’m getting better.
He’s right - the “real talent” has undoubtedly been diverted, but I think it was diverted into Apple making designing their own chip, which will greatly improve their products in my opinion. As to “truly reckless programmers working on areas they have no business touching”, I think that’s a silly comment - they probably had no business in designing their own CPU, but look at the results.
As to finder hiding key files, so does Windows, to prevent an amateur from breaking things. They all can become visible for people who know how to use that, and make use of them. That’s also why there is an “administrative” mode, and a “user” mode. I think that’s playing it safe. He also writes that the system is going downhill for serious work - but what is “serious work”? For me, serious work is photography and video, and Apple bought and improved Final Cut Pro for video, and it seems to be an excellent home for PhotoLab.
He never mentioned “support”. I can call Apple’s 800 number for support on any Apple device I own, no matter how old, or any Apple software, and get advice on my question - and they will gladly connect to my screen, telling me what to do to correct issues. If that person can’t do so, they get a Senior Advisor on the line, and I’ve only once had a problem they couldn’t correct, even by collecting data dumps from my computer after crashes. It turned out to be something from T-Mobile, right after an update, and both of my iMac computer crashed at exactly the same time after turning on “FaceTime”. I figured it was T-Mobile’s “Wi-Fi Calling”, as when I shut that off, no more crashes. I then made a trip to India, and when I got home and updated, the problem was gone.
After reading what he wrote, I can understand what you mean by Apple’s newest releases being “dumbed down”, but that makes total sense when you consider that most(I think) of Apple’s users prefer it that way. As far as I know, it doesn’t prevent more experienced people from doing what they need to do, but I have no way to know that one way or another.
I have found issues that I reported years ago, and as far as I know, they never got fixed. Apple Mail was terrible with attachments, which I fixed by installing Microsoft Outlook as part of Microsoft Office, but while Outlook fixed my issue, it no longer allowed me to change image sizes in attachments. So, I was screwed, and now I’ve got both applications - normally I use Apple Mail, but when necessary I use Outlook. I also installed “MimeStream” mail, but I haven’t used that recently.
Nothing is perfect. Apple isn’t, and never will or can be perfect, and I doubt Apple users would or could ever agree on what “perfect” should be. To me, they seem to be working very hard at constantly improving their computers and software (and sometimes for reasons I can’t understand, they make horrible computers like the MacBook Pro for the past several years, with no ports and a silly keyboard that nobody liked.
Last thought - I don’t see any choice for myself other than Apple. I have no desire to go back to Windows, or go back even further to Linus, or go back way further to Unix. Maybe for me it’s a case of “if you can’t beat them, join them”. I dunno. Maybe Windows 11 will bring Microsoft back into the game, but I’ve never had a chance to try it - and to be honest, I doubt I would switch even if I could.
I’m not trying to change your mind.
I’m just suggesting that there are people, such as myself, that are pleased with Apple computers and Apple software (and I accept that there very well be things I don’t do, that would be more difficult on the Apple computer, as I think you are describing).
Apple is the richest company in the world. They could built better OS, stop dropping popular pro software (Aperture) for cost-cutting reasons or just for the hell of it (Final Cut Studio, FCPX took seven years to achieve feature parity and become usable for long format again), stop building computers which can neither be repaired or upgraded, stop putting in fake water damage indicators, stop trying to sabotage right to repair, start paying their taxes.
Again you’ve been so traumatised by years on Windows that you do not perceive the steady drop off in quality since 2012. Both Lloyd and I are very long time Mac users so it’s easy for us to compare. It’s not the first time there’s been trouble at Apple. The Amelio years were terrible with uninspiring computers with an unstable dead end operating system with nothing better in sight. Then OS X was originally about embracing open source and Unix with open arms, providing a great default framework and allowing users to customise their machines. Now Apple spends more time deliberately breaking things to make it impossible to manage or tweak OS X oneself than actively improving the software.
Apple (with new brother-in-arms Adobe, both champion subscription software, recurring revenue and suffer from executives far more worried about this month’s stock price than the long term future of their company) is like the formerly talented, charming and hard working neighbour who has become rich and with his wealth become an arrogant lout.
DxO is like the poor neighbour who sees the rich guy behaving like a lout and decides that the way to become rich is to behave like a lout. Specifically by minimising compatibility, refusing to add much demanded features (processing of iPhone DNG) and blowing off their users’ needs.
But I wish you’d all stop focusing on Apple. I’ve given up hope on Apple and buy as little as possible from Apple, while still continuing use Apple computers. Apple’s disregard for the environment, right to repair, warranty service even under Apple care and local tax obligations are unforgivable. But I’m not here to talk about Apple if the over-excited upgrade zealots could stop using Apple’s bad behaviour to justify DxO’s own bad behaviour.
The company here I care about is DxO. DxO is a European company, small enough to reform and is still close to its original creative roots. I’d love to see DxO prosper and grow.
I’d really like to continue to actively support DxO but DxO does not support us. OS -1 is an actively customer-hostile policy.
Amen! Me too!!
…and this DxO Forum is a wonderful place to do so.
Oh, you may enjoy reading this:
https://www.wired.com/story/macbook-pro-ports-magsafe-design/
I think you’re missing the point, which is (to me) that DxO gives me worse macOS compatibility than comparable products. (Non-subscription at least; I have no idea what Adobe is doing these days.)
If I’m not mistaken, when I bought PL1 DxO had the same support as C1. Since PL4 that’s no longer the case. C1 20 and 21 both supported High Sierra, and I suspect 22 will support Mojave (since they haven’t dropped two OS versions on the past). Exposure X7 supports High Sierra and is the most impressive of this lot: X6 also supported High Sierra, and X5 had support all the way back to Yosemite if I’m not mistaken, and this with something like 8 employees that provide far better support than I’ve experienced with DxO. DxO seems to drop one macOS version with each release as a matter of routine.
Of course there’s a limit to how many releases is feasible to support. I’m quite happy with Apple providing OS support for 8 year old hardware and Exposure’s flexible approach to macOS support, but all DxO is giving me is another reason to use other products since I have no other need for new hardware right now.
I like PhotoLab, but I’ve been using it less over the last year because of your policies: poor macOS support, no real backwards compatibility of rendering with version handling of dop files, loss of the license for a previous version at upgrade, and the idiotic (sorry) need to contact support when I want to move my current license to another computer and their questioning of it; moving an old version is out of the question since I no longer have a licence. By the time other products eventually force me into new hardware I will probably have no reason (and no upgrade path) to return to PhotoLab.
That’s my experience.
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