Official release of Tourweaver 3.00 - Flash virtual tour creating software

Hi Sean,

Thats what I meant..most photographers use a MAC, Myself included, so a PC only product is "Useless"

I was going to buy this product a version or so ago but they had no MAC version so I moved on.

Dennis M. Carbo

Sean and Dennis
Did it ever occur to you that the reason easypano released the PC version first was because their past experience showed there's a bigger market among PC users.

Neither their older or new version of Tourweaver support Mac

Macintosh is losing market share with photographers just like it did with the general market. Why would new photographers spend twice as much for a Mac when a PC with the same software wil do the job. They can spend the money they same on a better camera or other photographic equipment

After all its not the machine that actually edits the photos, its the software!

More and more small software companies are not producing Mac versions of their products because the market just doesn't justify the developement costs.

At one time Macintosh had an edge in photography, publishing and design becasue there were programs that only came in Mac versions. Those programs now have PC versions or are gone like the "Mac only" QuickTime VR Authoring software. There just isn't any "Mac only" software that makes a difference anymore

A Mac user who's limiting their choice in software tools by not at least adding a PC to their equipemnt inventory, is just begging us PC users to take business away from you.

Its like a Canon user refusing to get a Nikon 10.5mm (either with an adapter or a Nikon dSLR) because its not made by Canon. I assume I'll eventually have both a Canon and Nikon dSLR and at one time was pricing Macs so I'd able to use QuickTime VR Authoring software. Having a Mac and a PC would give my business more depth.

But so many "Mac Martyrs" consider using a PC as sacreligious, instead of just using another piece of equipment

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

Hi Doug:

Hmmm... I'm a hardcore Mac user, but I do have a Windows box in my office... on one of my Macs!

More and more small software companies are not producing Mac versions of their products because the market just doesn't justify the developement costs

Um, Intel Chip?

Doug, your post toes a good company line, but it all sounds just a bit too anecdotal & pat.

Patrick Cheatham
--
CheathamLane | spinControl:VR
Berkeley, California
VR Photography
Web, Flash & QuickTime Development

Patrick
That just makes my point.

You payed more for a Mac with an Intel processor than a similar PC, then payed for a Windows OS on top of that. Just XP would add $189 to the cost based on the price for a Full Edition on Amazon.com. Vista would add $219. That's on top of the higher machine price.

Why not pay for a PC that cost less than a Mac in the first place and get Windows XP/Vista included for next to nothing. The money a photographer would save could be spent on better camera, maybe a better lens, a bigger memory card or a better photo printer.

I'm not aware of any software that would benefit a still or virtual tour photographer that isn't available for a PC as well as a Mac. You'd know better than I if there is. I'd be curious

So dollar for dollar, I don't see how a small business could justify spending more for a Mac than a PC. And that's why more photography, publishing and design operations are becoming PC shops instead of Mac

Not "company line" at all just the realities of economics.

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

Well, mainly it's ease-of-use and, even greater, peace of mind. I've owned various flavors of Windows and Mac boxes in my time, and find Macs to be most easy to protect, maintain, and expand. In the end though, it's of course all in what you're used to using.

With much less cost in maintenance and upkeep, a per-man support cost savings can be felt even in the smallest of businesses.

Mac only software? Abounds, I'm sure. Most of what I have in my arsenal is available cross-platform - most especially now that development cost is lessened by the Intel chip being the basis of both boxes. There's a good starter list of software on this very site ( http://ivrpa.org/vr/links ) which could give an overview of what's out there.

Patrick Cheatham
--
CheathamLane | spinControl:VR
Berkeley, California
VR Photography
Web, Flash & QuickTime Development

Patrick
You're right "it's of course all in what you're used to using."

Once most people get used to something they stay with it. Especially if it does a good job.

But while I'll conceed that at one time the Mac OS was more reliable and easier to maintain, the difference between Macs and PCs in that area has gotten a lot smaller with Win 2000, Win 2000Pro and XP. While the selection of software for PCs has always been bigger.

You misunderstood my question about "Mac Only" software. I know there's plenty of Mac Only software.
I was asking if there was a Mac Only program that would be of significant benefit to a VT photographer, that doesn't have a PC version or equivalent? On the IVRPA list there aren't any.

The point of the question was to illustrate that at one time there were "Mac Only" programs that were a big advantage in photography, publishing and design. That's why those areas became Mac strongholds. If I remember my ancient computer history (10 years ago), Adobe programs like Photoshop were created primarily for Macs and they later started making PC versions. Now I think its safe to say that most of Adobe's sales are to PC users

And now that Macs are using the Intel chips (the ones PCs have had for years) there's even less reason for software deveopers like Easypano to spend the money to write a Mac version of their software. They'll just let you Mac Martyrs buy a new machine AND Windows on top of the stitching software.

At the same time I'll just buy the new Panoweaver that outputs directly to Flash and run it on my 5 year old PC.

And I'll put all the money I save in a mutual fund!

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

Hi Doug,

This coming from a guy who still uses IPIX....Not sure where you get the notion people are leaving MAC, My wife works in NYC as a Freelance Make Up artist for the Fashion Industry and has worked with virtually every well known Fashion Photographer you could imagine and guess what......ALL THE STUDIOS PROVIDE G5 DUAL DISPLAY rigs,All the retouch houses use MAC, not once have either of us seen a PC tech rig in NYC or LA.

Price wise if you compare a XENON processor PC to a MAC the cost is nearly identical.

You must have a love of inferior technology lol

Dennis M. Carbo

Dennis
Of course I still use iPIX.

Its batch processing blows RealViz and PTGui away.

Its "preview" is a near-full screen, WYSIWYG, fully interactive view of the stitched image, not the little thumbnail that PTGui makes or the useless background in RealViz Stitcher Unlimited

It sets the Initial View in 2 clicks.

It inserts tripod caps in 3 clicks. PTGui still can't insert a tripod cap and Realviz only does it in their DS version and then only when stitching 2 fisheyes.

They have easy inclusion of copyright info right into the .ipx file.

And iPIX has had direct output to QuickTime VR for almost 10 years. Lets see, PTGui is just getting around to that THIS YEAR.

Plus 7 more file/format outputs including Thumbnails!

Why would I want to use some other inferior stitching sofware?

Its the same reason I use a PC; more creative possibilities ;)

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

OK I admit......I have no problem with PC'S I acutually own a few : )

It is the Garbage OS that microsoft keeps shoving out there. IE: VISTA which is a buggy resource gobbler that trys unsucessfully to rip off features that the MAC OS 10.1 had 6 or 7 years ago.

PCS Rock as long as u run Linux : )....OK I AM DONE WITH MY RANT....Sry to go off topic....u know how fanatical us MAC users are

Cheers all !

Dennis M. Carbo

Wish I'd never mentioned it now ...

Hey Guys
I downloaded the Panoweaver 5 Demo.

I'll let you Mac guys know how it works when I get a chance to try it out ;)

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

Ya know you Mac guys could be a little more respectful when you suggest to Jenny and Easypano that there may be a market for for a Mac version, after all Easypano is one of IVRPA's Partner Sponsors and I think they were one of the Sponsors for the Berkeley Conference too.

Jenny, thanks for letting us know about the new version of Panoweaver. I've downloaded the demo and will take a look at it

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

Doug, if I didn't know better I'd think you just enjoy making incendiary blanket statements simply to create lively argument... :)

I can think of several Mac-only apps for which there is or was no Windows counterpart, and for which many people who develop for both operating systems wish there was a Windows counterpart. (or Linux. or...).

EasyPano made the announcement, which is great, but they should be glad for the feedback regarding Mac users. With the Intel chip it could be a growing segment (or segment grower) of their user base. I hope EasyPano might use this forum and the IVRPA constituency as an intelligent testbed for their software offerings.

Cheers,

Patrick Cheatham
--
CheathamLane | spinControl:VR
Berkeley, California
VR Photography
Web, Flash & QuickTime Development

Patrick
I was dead serious.

Everybody reading this thread knows none of you Mac users had any genuine interest in a Mac version of Tourweaver.

The bunch of you were just taking a cheap poke at a company that introduced a product update that didn't hapen to include a Mac version.

Then 2 of you made that even more apparent by admitting that one of you had an Intel Mac with Windows and the other has a couple of PCs, not actually needing a Mac version, just taking a cheap shot.

Jenny, I just reserved the domain name VirtualPhotographyTools.com where I'll be offering a booklet "Introduction to Virtual Photography" (Panoweaver is already mentioned) I've been working on, along with a Virtual Photography Camera/Lens Library where photographers can download the source photos from various camera & lens combos to test stitch on different stitching programs. There will also be a Glossary of Virtual Photography terms to help the newbies get a grasp on virtual photography.

If Easypano would like to spend some of their Website Sponsor budget some where they will get a lot more respect, e-mail me at djaurand@aol.com. I'd be happy to e-mail a draft copy of Introduction to Virtual Photography to see if you'd be interested

Have a nice day guys

Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM

Hi Doug:

Well, this is in a similar vein/tone as your other recent postings. I'm sorry to see your attitude proliferate across threads, and your general distrust of others' motives to become so apparent.

I, personally, was taking no cheap shots at anyone. You're right, I could easily purchase a Windows version of any application and install it and run it using Parallels on my Intel Mac; I would much rather, though, use a Mac native application.

Best of luck with your Web site & booklet -- I'm sorry to see your interest in helping accomplish things at the IVRPA site wane so quickly.

Cheers,

Patrick Cheatham
--
CheathamLane | spinControl:VR
Berkeley, California
VR Photography
Web, Flash & QuickTime Development

AMEN

Dennis M. Carbo

Well software developers should if they want to sell.

In the VR community my estimation is that 60-70% of the professionals are on Mac.

If you check the stats which have been made at WWP on the technics used you will find that we have about 30% on Mac 30% on Win and the rest give no information.
And you should remember that WWP is not just a pro gallery. I guess half of the contributors are not working professionally.

Hans