Been with photolab since 21. Improved constantly since then in MY opinion other will disagree.
Suits my genre and editing abilities and easy to use.
When I purchased accepted the good the bad some shortcomings and all the changes since. If I wasnt happy id move on rather than complain about it in a users forum.
Becoming almost toxic in here at times. I try to get on with all and enhance the forum.
After all it is only photo editing software not a world changing item.
sorry for the rant
This reads like something that was meant as a reply to another thread, rather than needing its own 
I recall that you and I spoke at some length when you first got here because you had some doubts and concerns. You have thrived using this software since then and I am pleased that you continue to use and enjoy PhotoLab.
While I certainly agree that this site has been become more toxic than many of us would like, that has not changed that much since I joined in late 2017. The issues causing this toxicity has ebbed and flowed cyclically since I have been here for a variety of reasons that often are related to new and updated features implemented in the annual autumn release.
Much of the cause for user frustration is due to legitimate issues while some of it is not. It doesn’t differ very much from user responses to issue management for some of DxO’s competition. However, those with serious issues, legitimate or not, tend to post in greater numbers and more often than those with fewer issues, lower expectations, or greater patience. That may give an incorrect impression that a very high percentage of end users are similarly unhappy with PhotoLab.
The biggest issues that have plagued PL 9 were related to the new AI masks. I think most users would agree with that. Happily most of those issues have been resolved for most users, most of the time, although additional tweaking is needed. The most popular current threads exuding varying degrees of toxicity are those related to the hatred of Windows and a demand for an unlikely creation of a native Linux based version of PhotoLab .
There will always be frustrated and angry users with serious issues or unreasonable expectations. That is the reality of complex commercial software.
Mark
I poke around in a few editing forums seems there is unhappy customers what ever the software used and gets down right snarky.
I emailed DXO when the issue arose re login in for license verification suggested why cant it be like adobe monthly subscribers have to log in monthly and I think yearly subscribers have to every 99 days. They took it on board. Were luck here in my neck of the woods we have decent internet nowadays but only 4 years ago had to drive 48 kms for decent internet.
But maybe overkill but travelled to USA in 25 took laptop with me as I knew I would have issues when I returned home due to length of tornado tour, I was aware so took measures.
Same issue with people buying dxo PL in say august just be aware of time youve had it as you may have to pay upgrade seemingly if you only owned it a short time. It ll there in print just be aware and I tell people to time ther purchase.
I support small independant companies be it local butcher, bricks and mortar camera store 190kms away no online stuff for me.
I doubt anyone really wants adobe only.
Hey and apologies if im wasting forum space and peoples time.
I know some dxo user came to this forum for info before purchasing and were concerned told them to go to the forum on social media and changed there mind completely and bought been happy since especially seeing 9 has been sorted for windows users to a fair degree not perfect but huge improvement.
Many here probably aware latest photoshop release causing issues on windows apparently Macs are fine so happens to all software.
No apology necessary. You are not doing either. You have as much right to express your concerns here as anyone else. However, be prepared for the possibility of some negative feedback.
Mark
Oh my, the irony 
[(Filler text to satisfy minimum character requirements)]
I rarely visit because I agree that it is too toxic. Too many whiners.
You made my day… 
And threads like this one just confirm the fact that I made the right decision…
Thanks us Aussies stick together must be a dozen or more of us on here. All chat with our trips and tribulations over the years using Dxo. Has come along way.
I sell rodeo images now travel South Australia people comment your images are “different” not a criticism but comment how dxo lr c1 etc handle images and noise and colour all slightly different.
Dxo hasn’t worked for you but always here if ya want a chat or message. All the best with your editing pursuits.
Learn from everyone on here @Joanna especially she been quiet of late.
I have been evaluating DaVinci Resolve 21 Beta new Photo page and can report that it is a very viable replacement for PL if you buy the Studio version.
There is a steep learning curve for those who have never used DR, but if you already know DR then you should find your way pretty quickly.
Happy to help anyone get going if you message me directly - I don’t want to upset DxO on these forums.
ive used it for Timelapse a while back
Well, that a nice change of tune, Keith. I’m very happy that you have said this here on this forum… That’s the true Aussie spirit!
Well done…
@FarmerPhotos Mate, I don’t think what you have said in this thread, really represents Aussie sticking together… If you did, there will be a lot more than a dozen…
Anyhow, I’m back to work tomorrow, so I’ll talk to you again in July or August…
PS
Karoonda is a very nice little town… I was there in October last year…
DXO Photolab group on FB has 4300 members could be another site of interest mate.
I did too for a time-lapse of the total solar eclipse in Exmouth a few years ago. This is what got me started with DaVinci Resolve.
My thoughts:
DxO PhotoLab and Optics Pro before that always did a good job (when conditions were met) and had dips in its reliability every few years. All of it is fairly normal with software.
Recently, and with the increasing tendency to have to produce something new in shrinking time periods, PL has been a quality product - if conditions were met.
So, if one’s gear (camera and lens) is supported and the needed module is available, PL can do a good job. If one of the things is missing, PL doesn’t stand out.
New features tend to develop from half-baked to full bloom over a few major (paid) releases which tends to make PL annoying depending on whether we’ll get the dough only or something that has seen the oven, so to speak. Ramping up a feature might be the (only) way to go for a small company trying to stay in the news, but it doesn’t make customers happy unless they are really patient.
The last two items of the list seem, imo, to stem from said struggle and leads to offloading features to other products and to limiting platform support, all while blowing up the product with marketing hype.
I’m happy to have my gear (mostly) supported by PL that I use as an addition to Lightroom Classic. And If I had to drop one of the two, it would easily be PL, mostly because of its lack in asset management, reliability and readability of the UI.
Ive never checked but a mate reckons theres over 40 editors out there id be dead and buried before I tested them all 
see capture one has lifted its game with new noise reduction in latest version ps im staying put to old to learn another your stuffed once ya hit 60
Is the photo option only in Studio?
Not sure it’s a problem for DXO, you will need it to feed an optimised Tif/dng for editing.
Thanks for the giggles
No, it is available in the free version but certain AI features like noise reduction and sharpening is only available in the studio version. There are non-AI NR and sharpening but they are not as good.
AI NR and sharpening are every bit as good as PL’s tools and have more control.