Microsoft Expression Media - Merged thread

[Guest Metroman]

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I have just received the e-mail from Microsoft about the free upgrade/transition from iView MediaPro to Microsoft Expression Media and I am not sure whether I want to do it.

 

I was a bit miffed when MS sucked up iView Media as I am mainly a Mac user and do not have MS on my Macs. I am now in a quandry as to whether to:

 

1. try the upgrade

2. stay with iView Media Pro 3

3. as I love using Lightroom - bite the bullet and use that for my image catalogue.

 

Anyone else have a problem with MS taking over this great prog?

[andybarton]

I got the same email, and may have a play with it when I get home. I'm not sure what new things it brings to the party - I bet it won't read Leica DNGs natively for one.

 

I am with you on the MS taking over a good, independent British company though, but that's the way they "innovate" I'm afraid.

[stunsworth]

I just followed the link, selected platform, pressed the button, and got a verification error. Ho hum.

 

With iView you could use the same serial number on Windows and Mac versions. I wonder if the new program operates in the same way?

[stunsworth]

I got in at the second attempt and have been given a Windows licence. So it looks as if the old system of being able to use the same number on both platforms has gone.

 

Thank you Bill, I realise that you need the money.

[miami91]

There's a posting about the product keys that were sent out to Mac customers being incorrect --- replacements will be sent automatically. ( iView Multimedia Weblog - Digital Archive Software | Expression Media for Macintosh Product Keys sent out as part of the iView MediaPro 3 upgrade may not work correctly. )

 

I think I'll download the update and take a look, but I don't have high hopes. As soon as I upgrade my aging G4 Mac to an Intel box, I think I'm going to buy Aperture.

 

Jeff.

[stunsworth]

Thanks Jeff. I originally bought the Windows version, and currently use both XP and Mac. One of the great things about iView was that I could use the same code on my Mac and Windows machine, and the iView people were quite open about there not being a problem doing that. That's now gone. I guess I'll continue to use iView on the Mac.

[miami91]

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Yes, it's certainly not in M$s nature to do anything that might prevent them from making more money. I don't think they like encouraging cross platform functionality, either. If iView/Expression goes the way of most other M$ software, us Mac users can expect to see far fewer updates and a quickly widening gulf in the feature set. They'll probably ugly up the GUI also (may already have done so --- the screenshot on the website looks like they've redrawn the toolbar icons).

 

Jeff.

[skimmel]

The iView replacment is out. I haven't tried it yet, but wonder how it works with M8 files (I believe I read some issues with the current iView version and M8 files).

[stunsworth]

A few comments here...

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/25914-iview-mediapro-microsoft-expression-media-upgrade.html

 

The current iView doesn't work that well with M8 raw files.

[gdb]

Steve,

 

I got the same mail. When trying to download the upgrade, they ask you about which platform, and on the list, you have the choice between "Windows XP", "Windows Vista" or "Windows Vista AND Mac OS". I chose this last option and got two licence numbers, one for WIN and one for MAC.

 

I chose the licence number for Windows, and was warned that the French version of the software wouldn't be available before june 25. But apperently the choice is possible.

 

Cheers

Gérard

[vanhulsenbeek]

I got my personal mail from Iview yesterday and, with the link that came with it, downloaded and installed Expression Media just fine. I registered as existing user about 4 weeks ago.

 

M8 DNG's show up as big thumbnails, and cannot be viewed full screen. I have listed this problem with Iview about a month ago, and they asked me to send in a M8 DNG file, which I did. Fingers crossed ! I am shooting additional jpg's anyway, so no big deal for me.

 

On first view I do not see much difference with Iview Media Pro 3: a program that I really like,

[stunsworth]

For the full sized images you need to process the DNGs in the Adobe DNG converter and select full sized preview. Of course that means they won't open in C1. Who said life was simple? <grin>

 

The old and new programs do look very similar at this stage.

[andybarton]

I have merged the two threads on this subject, to avoid duplication.

[Rolo]

The programme licence is independant of platform.

 

I bought iview 23 weeks ago and asked the question.

 

I was informed that I can download the software onto a Mac desktop and a Windows laptop using the same licence numbers, but that I can't operate them both at the same time.

 

I bough the CD version and followed their instructions and. as advised, it works on both.

 

I'm waiting for the Expression upgrade licence and will install this weekend.

 

Rolo

[andybarton]

"Upgrade" is a flexible word.

 

I have had a play this morning and the upgraded bit seems to be the spash-screen, which now seems to have changed the product to "iView Media Amateur"

[stunsworth]

Rolo, that was the case with iVIew and it was very useful for the cross dressers amongst us <grin>. With the new Microsoft version there are separate keys for Windows and Mac. I tried the Windows key I've been given with the Mac version of the program and it gets rejected.

 

Andy, the tool bar icons have changed too, trust you to miss the area where all the months of development have taken place :-)

[Rolo]

Just keep getting the message that there are errors in the installation and no software is loaded. Mac installation on top of iView Pro 3.

 

Any ideas?

 

Rolo

[dspeltz]

IView is useless with the M8. I spent weeks with them trying to sort it out. It would be cool if the new version solves it however I am using Lightroom for what IView was meant for and I love it. I use a Mac and a PC.

[stunsworth]

David, you need to run the DNG files through Adobe DNG converter to get full sized previews. A bit of a pain, but not terminal.

 

The resulting files won't then open in C1, but I use ACR, so personally that isn't a problem.

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[miami91]

Rolo, that was the case with iVIew and it was very useful for the cross dressers amongst us <grin>. With the new Microsoft version there are separate keys for Windows and Mac. I tried the Windows key I've been given with the Mac version of the program and it gets rejected.

 

Andy, the tool bar icons have changed too, trust you to miss the area where all the months of development have taken place :-)

 

Yep, splash screen and toolbar icons are the only obvious differences. And typical of MS, I think the changes to the toolbar icons are a step backwards. Interface has never been a strong suit of Microsoft.

 

Interestingly enough, I was keen to have both iView and Expression open to do a "side by side" comparison, but they won't both launch at the same time on my Mac. So it seems as if the Mac views them as two versions of the same program, even though they have different names, different executables, are referencing different albums in different system paths, etc.

 

Jeff.