With the release of the first beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 to developers on Thursday, the press embargo has been lifted, and media outlets that had been given a beta copy of Photos for OS X can now begin publishing their first impressions of the all-new photo editing app.
Here are some comments from around the web about Apple’s upcoming replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture.
CNET, while noting there was work to be done, liked what they saw, saying:
“As a developer-release, Photos still has some work ahead. At this early stage, though, the interface and tools are easy to use and will be useful for both beginning and expert photographers alike.”
Engadget noted the familiarity of the interface for iOS users:
“I won’t waste many words describing the look and feel of the new Photos app: Anyone who’s played with the latest version of OS X should know what to expect here. That means a flat, two-dimensional design, and a thin, translucent menu bar that does its best to stay out of the way.”
The Wall Street Journal described Photo for OS X as a significant improvement over iPhoto, due to its improved iCloud-based approach to photos:
“You can see the advantage to all this when you edit photos. With iCloud, any change you make on one device will show up moments later everywhere else.”
The Verge was impressed, saying “it’s fast, fast, fast.” They also noted the easy navigation of Photos:
“Photos for OS X uses some other neat organizational tricks. The Albums view automatically highlights photos from your last import and your favorites, along with buckets for different kinds of images: panoramas, slo-mo videos, and time lapses, for example. On the whole it’s a much easier system to navigate. And since the software is completely brand new, it’s super fast, even with a large library of photos — at least, it was on the new MacBook Pro we tested it on.”
Wired found a lot to like about Photos for OS X, saying the app a “vast improvement” over iPhoto, and heaping praise on its new editing tools.
“Advanced users, particularly those operating on 5K iMacs or Mac Pros, may be happier eventually switching to Adobe Lightroom—though most of them probably have done so already. But for most of us, particularly recent Mac converts and people who may not fancy themselves serious photographers, Photos is a welcomely humble way to approach image editing.”
The Re/code camp found also found the software was a “huge improvement” over iPhoto, noting its iCloud syncing features and easy to use editing tools.
“With Photos for OS X, Apple has managed to build an app that feels both refreshingly new and comfortably familiar. For me, there was barely a learning curve in jumping from iPhoto to Photos.”
Re/code did note that some professional users will still likely gravitate to professional software, due to Photos’ lack of advanced editing tools.
So far, the first impressions of Photo for OS X seem to be quite favorable. MacTrast will be going through the paces with the new photo editing app this weekend, and will share our thoughts and first-impressions of the app with when we’ve had a chance to check everything out.
Photos for OS X should soon be available as a public beta, just ahead of its wide public launch later in the Spring. Photos for OS X will be a free app, included with a future update of OS X Yosemite.
