A: As far as I can tell, there really isn't one. iView Multimedia was my go-to photo catalog and viewing application for years, but since I upgraded to Mac OSX Lion (10.7), I can't use it any more. The program has been acquired a couple of times since the first time I bought it, and the current incarnation is not even really a photo catalog program any more. The old page for iView Media Pro does not allow you to download the upgrade, the "Previous version" links don't work either, and the available free "Catalog Reader" does not seem to work under Lion. It acts as if it is going to start but then does not. Perhaps after a restart. I'll update this post if I discover that it eventually works.
The alternatives are scanty. I have always hated iPhoto for the way it assumes you want a certain workflow. It copies your photos into the Pictures directory by default unless you change it in the preferences, and even if you turn that off, it still makes a bunch of thumbnail versions. I have thousands of photos. I don't need a copy of each one sitting somewhere else, no matter how small. The rest of its interface is counterintuitive as well. I just don't like it.
I do like Xee for it's clean interface, but it does not compile a catalog from a directory and all of it's subdirectories. It just allows you to look at the photos in the current directory, which is basically a glorified version of the Cover Flow view in the Finder. Not enough. Most other decent solutions cost money, so they are not under consideration here. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment