Looking for Statistic

[McPhoto]

I am a developer of a photo software for digital photographers and design agencies. In a stage of planning architecture for the next program version we'd stopped and think about the future of our product. What if our new program version will be for both platforms? Mac and Windows. Mac not so popular as PC, but many design agencies have Macs.

I am not from USA and not from UK. Here Mac is not so popular. So I will be very appreciate for the peoples who can help me to decide:

- How popular Mac platform in design agencies (USA, UK, Germany)?
- Any statistics are highly appreciated.

Sorry for mine English and
thanks in advance.

[leeturner]

I can't give you statistics but nearly every design, imaging and print shop I've been in (on three continents) has standardised on Mac. Mainly this is based on legacy as the first image manipulation programs were produced for the Mac OS. Most of the PC's in these environments are used in supplementary roles such as running RIP, file servers and comms.

[robc]

Since macs are now moving to intel processors that means that the highly optimised code for programs such as Photoshop should become far more easily portable between the mac intel operating systems and the windows intel operating system meaning much reduced development costs for producing two versions.

If you are designing for Mac Intel then the conversion to Windows Intel should be much easier than in the past unless you are also optimising for older mac architecture.

Also, many many digital photographers use PC's. You will have a much larger market if you make windows intel version available as well as a Mac version. Mac version will appeal to graphic designers and print houses etc. But remember, the new Mac Intel machines can also run windows operating system so one machine could run either a windows or mac version of the software. Question is do you really want to create two products when only one is needed. If you only want to produce one product then I would choose the windows intel version since it will run on both windows and the new macs which have windows installed.

Having said that, if your market is predominantly graphic designers and print houses then that might not be such a good idea. But if it is predominantly photographers then Windows intel would IMO be the better option because you then have a much bigger potential market of anyone with a digital camera and a windows PC.

[Steve Kefford]

Since macs are now moving to intel processors that means that the highly optimised code for programs such as Photoshop should become far more easily portable between the mac intel operating systems and the windows intel operating system meaning much reduced development costs for producing two versions......

Don't know where you get that one from. Even if a significant portion of the code was the same, then you have to throw in the extra complications of e.g. config management, design, testing, etc. which would be greater than any potential saving of having some common bits of code. Reminds me of the great myth about Java (not Javascript!!) programming, which resulted in the phrase "write once, test everywhere". The nirvana of cross platform compatibilty is still just as non-existant as it ever was.

However, we are a bit off topic, and in response to the original question, I don't think an LF forum is the best place to be asking these types of questions.

Steve

[robc]

Steve,

I'd never suggest that there was any such thing as truly portable code. I said it would be easier which it will be.

become far more easily portable

read the text.

[Steve Kefford]

....read the text.

I have already read it once, thanks, and my comments still stand.

Steve

[McPhoto]

Thanks to all for the questions. I am still think that most of the photo and design agencies uses Mac. But I'll to check this forum periodically to hear about new opinions.

[McPhoto]

Sorry, I meant "thank you for the answers"

[McPhoto]

Don't know where you get that one from. Even if a significant portion of the code was the same, then you have to throw in the extra complications of e.g. config management, design, testing, etc. which would be greater than any potential saving of having some common bits of code. Reminds me of the great myth about Java (not Javascript!!) programming, which resulted in the phrase "write once, test everywhere". The nirvana of cross platform compatibilty is still just as non-existant as it ever was.

However, we are a bit off topic, and in response to the original question, I don't think an LF forum is the best place to be asking these types of questions.

Steve

Thanks to all for the answers. I understand that writing software for both platforms requires more efforts than just writing code once for both platforms. Testing - one of a dozen. I am sorry if I choosen the wrong forum (please correct me) but I guess this forum guys have should have many design/photo agency employers.

Initally our software target audience was public. But after some times we discover that half of our customers are professional photographers. So we begun to add new features for our software such as DNG/XMP supports, etc...

[Walter Calahan]

Do you plan to sell to the general public, or to professionals?

Yes the general public is Windows based, but the majority of professional image makers I'd encountered are Macintosh users. There are plenty of pros who love the Windows environment, but most newspapers, magazines, graphic design studios and advertising agencies are Macintosh based.

Now can your software work with digitally scanned film images? We large format photographers are shooting film (some 6x9 and 4x5 digital), so those of us who scan our film for digital inkjet output need to know if your software will address our needs.