My opinion on Aperture vs. Lightroom

My thought is probably different from most posts out there (not just this site) about Aperture vs. Lightroom.

In my opinion, Aperture is, or should be, a high end consumer product, instead a professional one. Apple should target it to those customers who 1)shots RAW; 2) wants a little more than iPhoto; 3)does not want to pay $600 for Photoshop.

If based on the assumption that Aperture was for professional photographers, then lots of things were wrong with Aperture:

1. Image adjusting and art design: No body can compete with Adobe on their bread and butter stuff, even Apple.
2. Instead of the good integration to the OS and other Mac applications, integration with other Adobe applications is more important for professionals. And who can do a better job than Adobe to integrate into Adobe’s applications.
3. Professionals already know how to use Photoshop. They almost do not need to learn Lightroom, or the learning curve is much easier.
4. Adobe’s open and friendlier strategy. (Apple is stupid on this one)

However, if you thought Aperture as “high end consumer product”, suddenly, it started to make sense:

1. Aperture is a better DAM application. Where the hell Adobe got those “module” ideas? Lightroom has more and better adjusting tools. But I always over-did my photos with it. I do like it more if Aperture got the same tool kit as Lightroom, but not for $100 more. I am not a professional. I do want better image quality, but not need to depend on that for a living.
2. Aperture is a Mac app, with Mac UI, Mac’s way to do things, tight integration with the OS and other Mac applications. (For this, some body at the Adobe site called us Mac users “retarded”. Well, I will not use such words. I can understand the integration with other Adobe applications could be more important for a professional).
3. I was already familiar with iPhoto before, so that moving to Aperture is nature for me.

When I started to shot RAW, I tried both apps, both in their version 2. And Lightroom was my choice. I liked it, playing with it. But after two projects, I suddenly found it was too hard to “enjoy” my pictures, without I either run Lightroom or do the export. How to display a slideshow from outside Lightroom without export? How to design a book in Lightroom? I can not see my photos from any where except in Lightroom. Maybe I am “retarded”, but as a Sr. Software Engineer, I guess maybe I know a little about how to use an application.

Forget about it! I take pictures to enjoy them. I do not have the intention to sell them.