What is Digg?21 Comments
- BitterStoat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Expecting it to compete with Photoshop is silly for two reasons:
1. It's really not much like Photoshop at all, or even Illustrator, but more like Corel Painter.
2. Acrylic, formerly called Expression has been around for about ten years. Like Painter, which was a fellow Fractal Design product at the time of its initial release, Expression has remained on the sidelines, relatively obscure. If it couldn't make inroads before, I doubt M$ backing will change that. I even own a copy of E1 from `96 and I've rarely used it.
The idea is that vector strokes are drawn and have a natural media brush profile attached to them. Since this it all remains as vectors the brushstrokes can be changed at will at any time. Illustrator can sorta do something like this these days but not nearly as well, and Expression could do this long, long ago.
Bitmap manipulation had been limited mostly to converting strokes into bitmap layers, or filling vector regions with bitmaps, with a few basic manipulation tools. Acrylic seems to add a little more to this, but do not expect it to be like Photoshop.
It has a Painter-like interface which can drive the Adobe user nuts, but the hybrid vector-natural stroke workflow feels rather liberating once you get the hang of it. If this is a free or low cost package when it is fully rereleased, it may pick up something of a following that may help get Metro in the door. That's a longshot though - Adobe still holds all the cards. - tdkyo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't have SP2 and still works for me!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Great, that's all we need is another freeking piece of dumbed down software to make amateurs think that they're full fledged designers. The corporate heads are going to have fun "enhancing" their powerpoint presentations with a bunch of crappy vector junk.
- dandiemer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i for one am gonna give it a shot
- Ruckgesicht, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Microsoft is now being freaking stupid as they can be. With all their failing wars they're fighting, they now bring on a fight with Adobe? Good luck Microcrap.
- gronne, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Does anyone have a direct link?
- kwilliam71, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Personally I think it's off to a good start, though I'm afraid the average targeted user doesn't know what vector/raster is. This is going to confuse the hell out of them. Those that do know, would never give up their Illustrators, Photoshops and Fireworks apps. Sorry MS... keep trying.
- cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+01. Microsoft announces/releases/betas a new product to consolitdate/update existing product lines.
2. People bash it, trash it, say its not needed.
3. MS makes it work better/differently with the OS or Office suite than their other programs
partly by listening to feedback of people bashing it, trashing it, and saying its not needed
4. MS markets it with new Office suite/ OS / side market de jure.
5. MS sells enough copies to justify introducing the new product, or goes back to 1.
7. Profit. - mozTom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Microsoft Illustrator (tm)
- c367dotcom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Now i can look forward to receiving print ads from small businesses in Acrylic instead of Publisher. I'm so enthusiastic.
- tdkyo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0After a couple of strokes, I am making master vector art work pieces!!!!
- ttam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Ok, I tried out the beta, and keeping in mind that it's a beta I'm thinking "MS Publisher". However, MS Publisher actually had a place in the market. It offered layout features Word couldn't provide, and the only alternatives were $800. But honestly, anyone wants to do bitmap artwork can buy Photoshop Elements for a hundred bucks. I know it has vector features, but producing vector art takes some getting used to and I can't see joe home-user taking the time to learn and not wanting something with a solid reputation.
There's got to be a reason for making this program, but I can't for the life of me figure it out. Are they going to bundle it with FrontPage to compete with the Dreamweaver/Fireworks combo? If so, it better be pretty damn cheap, if not free. The only people I know who use FrontPage are those who are forced to use it by someone else. - pfdogs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0What's wrong with Paint? :)
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0what can microsoft do that you people wont be total ***** about?
- jayred, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I was going to give it a try and then I saw "Windows XP Service Pack 2 Required". Screw that. Don't have SP2 installed because it slowed down my computer before and I don't plan on installing it anytime soon.
- Dracos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Sigh.
After searching the forums, it apparently has no SVG support. I'll stick with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Inkscape. - BangoSkank, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Very Cool. I can see this being rolled into Office.
- KdoggMDF, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Nothing is wrong with paint... just look at this... :-)
http://www.deviantart.com/view/17908194/ - jefflundberg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Interesting... I posted this on digg after I saw it on Scoble's blog (before the c|net article). So.. first Scoble, then digg, then c|net, and finally it shows up on Slashdot.
- HellBoy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Nice free software to learn
Sign up for a free XBOX360
Kevin Rose has checked out this company you can download some Video from the Screen Saver that's now Attack of the Show
Click on NBC and TECHTV
If you want a free XBOX360 jump on this thing now.
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is