I ordered the Aperture 2 upgrade (will come in about 8 days), then downloaded the trial to get started. But it is a huge problem to get started, because there's no easy way to move the library over. Your suggestion will work, but you have to do the exporting before you install the trial. I found that, once the trial is installed, the Aperture 1.5.6 can't access its own library (I had put Aperture 1.5.6 on my desktop).

And the Help menu in the trial does not have access to the Manual.
This is a big drawback too.

Looks like the trial is of little value for current Aperture users. We'll just have to wait for our full copies.

You can run both the 1.5.6 version and v2 trial at the same time, but the old one has to have a different file name. I just renamed mine 1.5.6 and launched it, exported the projects and had no problems.

I can't do that with the trial version. Despite renaming the older version I repeatedly get an error message that says a user already has the app open. I can only open one at a time.

You can just open the package of your old Aperture Library (in Finder, go to wherever your Aperture Library file is stored, right-click on it, choose ‘Show Package Contents’). Inside the package you will find your folders containing the .approject files. These are your projects—you can just drag them from the Finder onto the Projects pane of the Inspector in Aperture 2, and it will import them. (You might even be able to drag whole folders over, but I haven’t tried this myself. I suspect it probably wouldn’t work, though.)

This way you don”t have to go to the boring extent of manually exporting the Projects from Aperture 1.5.6.

You can still run the old version of Aperture after trying out version 2. Drag your old Library file onto the icon of your old version of Aperture, and it should just open. That’s been working for me. You can’t have both versions open at the same time (they share Preference files, so it would probably produce somewhat unexpected results).

Thank you Richard! That works perfectly!

Thanx Richard and Ellen. I'm glad that Apple is protecting us, but it does make it a pain to test the trial.

I think it makes sense Apple doesn't want your old work to be corrupted or converted when you first try 2.0. I'd rather feel it's a great and safe design than a kind of protection.

I purchase an upgrade to 2.0 for my copy that was marked NFR after reading the upgrade terms which said any valid earlier version of Aperture could be upgraded for $99. As well Apple Product Development manager during an interview also stated that any earlier version could be upgraded for $99. only to find out that the serial number was rejected as not valid even though it was a registered serial number. Apple now claims on the phone that promo and educational copies will not be upgradable. You will not be told this on their web site when making a purchase. Apple has now refunded my money on the upgrade price. Now I will have to purchase the full version for $199. It seems ironic that with all the licensing terms and stipulations all over their web site Apple has failed to tell purchasers what the upgrade terms really are for Aperture.

Steve, that's an unfortunate miscommunication. But NFR copies and educational copies of Apple software are normally not eligible for paid upgrades. They do support the free dot releases to the best of my knowledge.

It would have been easy to have stated those terms in the upgrade requirements. I can't know about every company's terms. Some companies do honor upgrades for a fee for promo or educational copies and some do not. But to my experience they always state any restrictions for upgrades before taking your money. I am just surprised that Apple with all the many terms of sale listed everywhere they failed to give proper notice here.

I'm in the same situation as Steve. The familiar sensations of thwarted expectations and peaking frustration that I've experienced at every turn with the wait for RAW support and Aperture 2 have returned full force. It seems just short of outrageous that Apple doesn't mention this on the website. What are we? Psychics? It more than an "unfortunate miscommunication", Ellen. If they don't support free dot releases to the Educational community, well that's their prerogative. But not to mention it when we're parking another $100? Wow.

Jon-Marc they DO support the free dot-releases, they don't support the upgrades that you have to buy. But yes, they could label tha more prominently. On the other hand they DID decrease the price by another $100. It's a VERY reasonably priced piece of software.

Ellen - no disagreements on it being very reasonably priced, but that's not the issue. And it's not an issue of them labeling it "more prominently" - they didn't label it at all! I've gone back and checked, and absolutely nowhere does it mention this little fact - which for those of us affected by it isn't that little at all.