One in every of my favourite Mac apps is Pixelmator Professional, a picture modifying software I exploit every day. On Friday, the corporate behind the app introduced that Apple is buying it. Whereas that feels like nice information for the Pixelmator workforce and Apple customers, my first response was a way of dread that an app I continuously use shall be drastically completely different sooner or later or could not exist in its present type.
I began utilizing Pixelmator primarily to flee Adobe’s subscription-only mannequin for Photoshop. Pixelmator is offered for a one-time buy of $50, which is way friendlier to my pockets than Photoshop’s $20 monthly or Photoshop Components’ $100 for a “3-year time period license,” no matter meaning.
I additionally needed to assist the Pixelmator workforce in making Mac-only apps. Whereas builders could make a dwelling as a Mac-only developer, the market isn’t as massive as Home windows, and even iOS. The Pixelmator workforce makes top-notch software program they usually deserve as a lot assist as they’ll get.
Once I first began utilizing Pixelmator Professional as a substitute of Photoshop, I had loads to study in regards to the app’s consumer interface. After utilizing Photoshop for years, undoing all that muscle reminiscence took time. Nevertheless it helped that Pixelmator Professional has an awesome UI that is sensible, and it didn’t take lengthy to get comfy. However now, with the acquisition information, I’m afraid that’s all going to be thrown out the window. Pixelmator Professional isn’t going to alter “right now,” says the Pixelmator Crew. That’s not very reassuring.
My main concern is that the one-time buy plan goes to vanish. Apple’s Remaining Lower Professional and Logic Professional are one-time buy Mac apps, so there’s hope that this would be the case with Apple Pixelmator Professional. However the iPad variations of Apple’s Professional apps are subscription purchases, so there’s a latest precedent of Apple implementing such buy plans. Apple’s Providers income is worthwhile to its backside line and making its Mac apps subscription-based is one thing the corporate may do to assist Providers income develop.
Remaining Lower Professional and Logic Professional had been Apple acquisitions, however Apple didn’t have a presence in these software program classes within the first place. They do with Pixelmator and Photographs, so my different concern is unfounded and far-fetched, however what if Apple decides to finish Pixelmator as a stand-alone app and incorporate it into the Photographs app, presumably as a paid Photographs+ possibility? That’s not preferrred—Photographs is an app for sustaining your picture library, and it’s not preferrred for my work. What makes extra sense is that if Apple included the Photomator app into Photographs and left Pixelmator as its personal app.
Total, this looks like excellent news for the Pixelmator Crew–Apple made an awesome acquisition and I’m comfortable to see them succeed. However let this be my plea to Apple to maintain Pixelmator Professional as an inexpensive, stand-alone app that I can depend on for years and years.