More functionality than photoshop CS4 at a fraction of the price?

[ravells]

"Serif Photoplus X3 has more functionality than Photoshop CS4."

This was the boast made to me by the telephone sales rep at Serif (I use their vector software, Drawplus, and desktop publishing software, pageplus and video editing suite, videoplus) I have their existing raster editing software, photoplus X2, but it's simply doesn't have anywhere near as much functionality as photoshop CS2, which is what I use for raster editing.

After I had finished laughing (I really did laugh), the sales rep said this was a usual reaction from their customers but their boast was not an idle one. So I asked questions...lots of questions and erm..there may be something in this after all. 300 filters (and the ability to use any filter or combination as layer styles too). I was now getting seriously interested.

It does HDR (if you're a photographer), has fluid mask built into it (fluid mask is probably one of the best pieces of extraction software on the market and a world ahead of PS's native extract filter). The functionality list went on and on. Perspective correction...they say it even supports NEF format files for the Nikon D90 (the RAW format used by Nikon cameras) which CS2 does not. It's an utter pain as I have to convert all my Nikon RAW files into Photoshop DNG files before I can edit them in photoshop.

It's reasonably cheap at £75, and a helluva lot cheaper than CS4 which retails at £360. If the user interface is anything like Serif's other products, the learning curve will be a doddle.

I'm getting the software on a 2 month trial money back guarantee and will put it through its paces from a mapping perspective and report back. I think it's too much to hope that it's actually altogether better than CS4, but if it's comparable then that's a pretty good result for the price.

The one thing I'm not sure it has is the same brush support that PS has (forgot to ask that question). If not then it'll fail on mapping right off the blocks, but I might still keep it for photoediting.

I haven't found any online reviews which are not just rehashes of what looks like Serif's own press release.

Watch this space!

[torstan]

That's interesting. I'm learning CS4 and Illustrator right now and they're powerful but not intuitive (and I guess unlearning Gimp tricks doesn't help). If Photoplus is that good then I'd definitely be interested in taking a shot at it. I look forward to hearing the verdict.

[Vizier]

It can't beat Photoshop.

[ravells]

It can't beat Photoshop.

It does on a price to functionality ratio

But on that ratio, Gimp beats everything!

[Vizier]

It does on retail price to functionality ratio

Fixed.

If I were going to use an inferior program because of $$$ issues it would be GIMP since its completely free.

[dormouse]

It can't beat Photoshop.

Care to expand?

I have PS & PSE (etc etc), but have never tried X3. There are so many ways in which I can imagine another program might suiting me better than PS (not least Adobe's pricing & upgrade gouging, especially out of the US) that I'm always interested in alternatives.

[Vizier]

Care to expand?

I have PS & PSE (etc etc), but have never tried X3. There are so many ways in which I can imagine another program might suiting me better than PS (not least Adobe's pricing & upgrade gouging, especially out of the US) that I'm always interested in alternatives.

Pricing issues aside PS does everything and very very stable. I can remember using PS 3.1 on a MAC in high school. Theres been a lot of development since then. Why would I use a lesser program?

[dormouse]

It seems to me that the really big issue is the relationship between usability and features. Very easy to have lots of features and poor usability, very hard to have lots of features and good usability. PS has lots of features and so-so usability at best (for me, this is a personal thing to some extent - though most people who love PS and find working it easy have used it an awful lot for an awful long time). I'd happily sacrifice a number of features for better usability. In some ways I do now. I only use PS for those things where there's no good alternative.

[ravells]

I hate illustrator with a passion. Couldn't get on with it at all, which is why I use drawplus. It may not be able to do quite as much as illustrator can, but it's a heck of a lot easier to to use (for me).

[RobA]

Funny, looking at their site Photoplus seems focused on working with existing images, while Drawplus seems the tool for image/artwork creation... Too bad they aren't merged in one product.

-Rob A>