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Update from the Box
Yesterday, while browsing in my local Apple store, I decided to purchase the updated version of Aperture, but instead of purchasing the registration key for the trail version of Aperture 2.0, downloaded from Apple, I decided to purchase the box version instead. Both versions are the same price, except for the additional shipping if needed.
Why the box version? Well, for the same price, you get a few little goodies that you don't get with the simple download version. First off, inside the box there's a nearly 4.5"x4.5", 138 page, booklet that contains a fairly good, illustrated introduction to nearly all of Aperture's old and new features. It might not be the only manual you will need to get the most out of Aperture 2.0, but it's a good start.
You also get a well designed, folded brochure (the same size as the manual) that list all of the keyboard shortcuts for Aperture 2.0. It's a great, quick reference tool to set along side your computer.
Also on the CD version are nearly 3 gigabytes of nature, travel, soccer, and wedding images that you can use with Aperture. All of them are set up as separate Aperture projects for easy importing. These images don't come with the downloaded version of the program. By the way, if you don't want to install these projects on your computer when you install the program, be sure to click the customize button at the bottom of the installation window and then deselect the button for installing the tutorial projects.
Finally, of course, you can download the 600+ pdf manual from the Apple website, but it also comes installed on the CD. However, I must say, I'd find books by authors on this blog site more accessible and useful than Apple's pdf manual.
What I have written may sound like a sales promotion, but there's no reason not get the most for your buck, as they say. Above all, the CD version means that you don't have to download version 2.0 from Apple if you ever have to re-install it.
Before I close out, a quick tip:
Apple did an excellent job of redesigning Aperture's interface so that users get more space for viewing and editing photos. On the left side of Aperture, you now have the all-in-one Inspector HUD for projects, metadata, and adjustments.
Well, I just discovered a quick way to close the HUD is to simply click on the Inspector button on the far right of the menu bar. I assumed when I first saw the blue "i" button that it would simply pull up a separate inspector window, but it was great to discover that when clicking that button (no matter which inspector pane you have open) you get a maximized view of your photos.
Comments (9)
I'm in Tibet and having a friend bring the boxed 2.0. I was hoping it would have the video tutorials like my 1.5 did. My connection is too slow to take advantage of the online videos.
Ken, I doubled check for the videos and they don't appear to be there. You just reminded me that they were indeed there in the first version.
I buy the upgrade box edition of Aperture 2.0 but no video is present I must download it from web, and watch on mac, in version 1.5 there was a DVD of video that you can play on home dvd player and watch on tv but in ver. 2.0 no.
I just got my box of Aperture 2.0 from carrier the day before too. Don't know why I found it's more smooth when browsing through my thousands of thumbnails when the trial version.
But anyway, it's really a wonder software! I think we are using it even more than any single lens we have. So it worths the money!!!
I bought the boxed upgrade. Found all of the same ephemera which you described, although the installer did not put the sample projects onto my drive. In fact, I'm not sure that they're on the disk.
Christopher, I think you can put the DVD back in your computer and just open up the projects from there. You probably don't want to have all 2gigs of projects on your computer any way. Just work with one or two at a time.
"... but it was great to discover that when clicking that button (no matter which inspector pane you have open) you get a maximized view of your photos."
Or just click "i" on your keyboard.
I have aperture 2 and want to move my existing aperture library to an external drive to free up space on my macbook pro laptop.
How can I do this and keep the ability to backup the vaults, and delete projects or whole library off my laptop?
How do I get to access just previews on my laptop not the master when I do this? Apparently according to the intro tutorial of aperture, you can do all adjustments and metadata additions with a preview.
AND then access all my photos from iphoto filed on an external hard drive too that I want to remake photo books and DVD's, through aperture?
I have about 16,000 photos in my aperture library and about 10,000 on iphoto libraries.
Hope you understand my queries.
Note that, no matter if you download it or buy the boxed copy, you should hit the Software Update service in OS X and get the new Aperture 2.0.1 update! Made my preview builds happen much quicker, and there are tons of other bug fixes.