ACDSee Photo Software on offer until 23d May

[rjbull]

ACDSee Systems photo software semi-annual sale, "Save up to 43% on our top products," until 23d May at noon PT.

[tomos]

Thanks rj
I'm considering this...

Trying to figure out the different options -- found a comparison page:
https://www.acdsee.com/en/product-comparison
3 x main versions of their photo management software:

1. Ultimate
2. Pro
3. Standard

seems to me most people would want at least the Pro version.
The following is what you get in the Ultimate version only (there may be a couple of other things I missed)

what you only get in Ultimate

Ideal for parametric photo manipulation using layers (see below)
Smooth out flaws without losing texture with Frequency Separation
Layered Editor for graphic design, move layers non-destructively, delete selected pixels
Make masks from selections, feather, invert, and keep track of your masks with overlay options
.acdc file format for reopening images in Edit mode in the future
Blending modes and opacity adjustments for combined layers

RE parametric: "When you edit an image by creating instructions for adjustment – rather than adjusting the actual pixels – you are working parametrically. This is the way that camera raw images are edited, and is now used with other file types." (from http://www.dpbestflow.org/image-editing/parametric-image-editing)

Found this review @softwarehow.com of the 2018 version which was more helpful.
Re the different versions:

Ultimate is obviously the most powerful version, but Professional is still a capable RAW workflow editor and library manager. It doesn't offer the ability to use layer-based editing, or the ability to make Photoshop-style edits to the actual pixel layout of your images.

I guess if I'm not sure what the Ultimate-only stuff actually means, I probably dont need it...
Re management

The Manage module covers your general library interaction, where you do all your tagging, flagging and keyword entry. You can also do a range of batch editing tasks, upload your images to a series of online services, including Flickr, Smugmug and Zenfolio, and create slideshows. I found this module extremely useful and comprehensive, and many other RAW editors could take notes, with the exception of the fact that you can't review items at 100% zoom without switching to the 'View' module.

which sounds good:
I'm particularly interested in ease of use when tagging.
I bought Photo Supreme (formerly idimager) a few years ago, it's a solid programme but doesnt make it particularly easy to build a system of tags, and to really easily tag photos (when you have a huge collection that needs to get organised, you want something that's really efficient there). So I didnt upgrade when the time came.

[Tuxman]

I remember having used ACDSee as my image viewer in the ... 90s? Looks like they killed their free version some time in the past two decades though.

[tomos]

"Save up to 43% on our top products," until 23d May at noon PT.

that's another five hours as of this posting

[tomos]

Okay, I went for the Pro version. Converted to 50.83 euros (CC conversion -- I notice Paypal always tries to charge a couple of euros more when converting, so I dont allow it).

We'll see how things go -- will report how my experience is, and try to write a mini-review. Dont hold your breath though ;-)

[rjbull]

@tomos,

Do you have any preliminary comments?  I wondered if you use RAW files, and if so, how ACDSee compares with your previous system.  As well as its tagging/organisation system; not everybody likes the Lightroom approach.  Plenty of other Digital Asset Management (DAM) sofware exists, e.g. Photo Mechanic and FotoStation, but they tend to be expensive, aimed at pros.


@Tuxman,

quoting ACDSee - Wikipedia^w:

Free version

In August 2012, ACD Systems released ACDSee Free, which retains all viewing features for the most common image formats (BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TGA, TIFF, WBMP, PCX, PIC, WMF, EMF); it lacks a thumbnail browser, and support for RAW and ICO formats. A reviewer at BetaNews found it "fast, configurable and easy to use". The version runs on Windows XP or newer. Product was discontinued in August 2013.

[Tuxman]

Wait, what was I using then? Illegal software? 

[rjbull]

Wait, what was I using then? Illegal software? 

Not necessarily...  I quoted Wikipedia, which is not definitive: and it's possible that your memory for fact is better than your memory for time.  This used to happen to me at work a lot.  Someone would ask, do you remember so-and-so, about six months ago?  I'd check and find it was two years ago, or they might (less often) say two years whereas it was only six months.  IOW, you might correctly remember that you used a free version, but maybe it wasn't in the 90s.

I looked at the OldVersion page for ACDSee but their data isn't complete, a lot of dates missing, and they don't list license details anyway.  A (very brief) web search for "last free version" didn't turn up an immediately obvious result.  Odd, given that it's quite well known.

[Tuxman]

Or I was just not paying for the shareware. 
Some Wikipedia research told me that it was later called "ACDSee Classic" (ACDSee32). Well, memories... 

[tomos]

@tomos,

Do you have any preliminary comments?  I wondered if you use RAW files, and if so, how ACDSee compares with your previous system.  As well as its tagging/organisation system; not everybody likes the Lightroom approach.  Plenty of other Digital Asset Management (DAM) sofware exists, e.g. Photo Mechanic and FotoStation, but they tend to be expensive, aimed at pros.

eh, no
still havent installed it even...
Re RAW -- I dont use RAW files, but may consider it when I have this up and running (this might prompt me to get going with it).

[tomos]

Well I finally got around to installing it (not much else yet -- but it is nice and quick to view files ).
Writing to report that

1) it is now on offer for ~55$US (I paid 60$US -- I dont think they charged me VAT/Sales Tax, it's not listed at any rate)

2) FWIW it installed a couple of auto-startup programmes

• ACDSeeCommanderPro11.exe (dont yet know what this does)
• acdidintouch2.exe (acdIDInTouch2.exe -- may be to do with registration?)

and a service

• bonjour service\mDSNResponder.exe (dont yet know what this does -- bonjour service was originally from Apple I think, or maybe just also installed by them)

[rjbull]

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a perma-sale...  nobody ever pays the "full" price?

[mwb1100]

bonjour service\mDSNResponder.exe (dont yet know what this does...

I don't know what ACDSee is using it for, but bonjour is a service discovery protocol that lets programs find services in a peer-to-peer setup on networks.  I'd guess that ACDSee uses it for some sort of media sharing on the local network.  Something like DLNA.

[IainB]

  ...nobody ever pays the "full" price?

I think this is repeating myself, but, speaking as an ex-ACDSee user, I can't understand why anybody would want or need to consider paying anything for ACDSee when one can install something far better, in the shape of Picasa (Sunset Version) for $FREE.

Refer: Google Picasa "Sunset" version - Mini-Review and anchor-point

[tomos]

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a perma-sale...  nobody ever pays the "full" price?

they're probably finished their sales now for a while:
they are releasing a new version end of September which has "Face Detection & Facial Recognition" **
https://www.acdsee.com/

** Sort of like, eh, Picasa :-)

[wraith808]

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a perma-sale...  nobody ever pays the "full" price?

People have had trouble for doing similar things... so I'd hope they'd consider the legalities of that approach.

[Curt]

for what it's worth:

exclusive upgrade pricing

^you will of course need to first create/have an account, but at least you will still not pay the full price...