64 bit apps,. when will it catch up?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Sort of a Rant,.
I've held off on upgrading Photoshop since version 8

The reason, we've had 64 bit hardware and then finally 64 bit mainstream OS for years now....
I would not upgrade my "killer App" until it could finally use the hardware and OS I purchased and set up 3 years ago!!!!

Well I finally went for PSCS4 and yes side by side the 64 bit version is running circles around the 32 bit install ..

BUT!

None of my vast array of plug ins work!

Most don;t have 64 bit versions yet, some want me to spend more for the newer 64 bit version.
Neat Image wants me to drop another $80.00 for the 6.1 64 bit version... :-(

Anyway, sort of a lame post, but I just continue to be surprised how slow the image editing software world has been to adopt what was looking on the horizon 6 years ago... and ran right past them 3 years ago.

I should have stuck with 3D!

[Moppie]

I know what you mean.

Files have increased in size at a pretty rapid rate, and will continue to go up as bit depths increase in RAW files.
Computers have advanced at a similar rate in terms of hardware.

Yet the software has not advanced at the same rate. 32bit is still mainstream and common, yet woefully inadequate.

There has been a huge reluctance to change.
Adobe has tried to change, albiet a bit late, with 64bit versions of PS and LR, but what about everything else?

[Faolan]

The main issue with 64Bit the hardware whilst was there didn't have a large enough market share. This has started to change in the last year and it's hoped that Win 7 will accelerate that adoption.

The problem with the transition to 64Bit software it's a new codebase especially when working at low-level it takes time to develop test and implement. 32Bit has now had over 14 years to get to the level of maturity it has today.

it's annoying yes, but in a year or so it should be a lot more amenable, or so I hope to a full transition to 64Bit. Luckily most of my workflow doesn't use plug-ins.

[RDKirk]

The Photoshop market has been ready for 64-bit for a couple of years now. There's not a real big excuse for anyone selling to that same market not to have developed 64-bit versions of their products.

[CyberDyneSystems]

The Photoshop market has been ready for 64-bit for a couple of years now. There's not a real big excuse for anyone selling to that same market not to have developed 64-bit versions of their products.

Hear hear!

[MaxxuM]

The Photoshop market has been ready for 64-bit for a couple of years now. There's not a real big excuse for anyone selling to that same market not to have developed 64-bit versions of their products.

You have to look at it from a programmer/business standpoint - then it will make perfect sense. Though I doubt it would engender any sympathy.

Reprogramming takes a lot of skill, money, time and often starting from scratch. All things the business community must moderate against profits. Even Adobe avoided retooling Photoshop to Apple's 64bit compliance coding despite knowing it would 'eventually' happen. Logistics wise, they may have to retrain their programming staff or hire more programmers to deal with the upgrade. Again, that means using resources they may not have. For all you know they may have completely abandoned their 32-bit projects and are now focusing on multithreaded 64-bit environments and only have a small team to do so - which may mean a couple of years of development if not more. Not to mention Windows and the UNIX/Linux world do things a little differently (VC++ vs C++) which adds to complexity of programming for different OSes.

What it comes down to is many of these software companies are not large corporations like Adobe and Microsoft and it takes much effort to do something even the mega corps hate to do - change quickly.

[René Damkot]

http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2008/12/64bit_plugins_n.html

[RDKirk]

You have to look at it from a programmer/business standpoint - then it will make perfect sense. Though I doubt it would engender any sympathy.

Actually, I am aware of it, having been in the testing business of in-house software development for a large corporation. Yes, I know it will have meant abandoning the 32-bit lines.

But most of them haven't continued development of their 32-bit lines anyway in these intervening years, and those that have continued development of their 32-bit lines have also developed 64-bit lines.

In other words, the progressive companies have been progressive all around and the non-progressive companies have simply been non-progressive.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Great link, one stop shopping for the 64 bit plug ins!

http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2008/12/64bit_plugins_n.html

[nicksan]

I recently started using Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit...only reason being I wanted to use 8GB or RAM. Otherwise, I probably would still be using XP Pro 32bit.

[Quad]

I have not purchased some plug-ins (Nik) because they are not 64 bit. I think it is irritating as well.

It is probably my imagination but I think Noise Ninja 64 is better than the 32 one (or I am better at using it now which is more likely) and they did not charge me for the upgrade (way to go!!!!).

[Scottes]

All the plugins I use are 64-bit.

Both of them. :-)

I have to say that I did have a mild heart attack when PhotoKit Sharpener wasn't 64-bit. And neither was Nik... Then I found a link to the PK 64-bit beta and I was happy again.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I have not purchased some plug-ins (Nik) because they are not 64 bit. I think it is irritating as well.

It is probably my imagination but I think Noise Ninja 64 is better than the 32 one (or I am better at using it now which is more likely) and they did not charge me for the upgrade (way to go!!!!).

Oh, I should check into the NN 64 bit ..
as I just don't want to pay for Neat Image again..

[philmar]

I am loving CS4 with the adjustment brushes. This is the reason I went to 64 bit Vista. I was about to buy various plugins but held off when I learned they didn't exist in 64 bit. Now I just sharpen and noise reduce using layer masks from http://www.thelightsright.com - it's more time consuming but then I like to be involved in the process... that's why I shoot RAW. if I didn't like the processs I'd be shooting jpg on a P & S.

[wyofizz]

Part of the reason for porting apps so slowly is probably the large organizations refusal too adopt Vista and staying with XP because t was reliable. Why the image editing industry has been so slow is beyond me, 64 bit
obviously improves performance. Low profit margins?

Dave

[Moppie]

Any thoughts on OS-X Snow Leopard going 64bit only in regards to this discussion?
I wonder if it will lead to an imcrease in 64bit apps etc?

[MaxxuM]

Any thoughts on OS-X Snow Leopard going 64bit only in regards to this discussion?
I wonder if it will lead to an imcrease in 64bit apps etc?

From what I remember, OS X used a different approach to 64 & 32 bit apps. Windows 64 bit platforms created a space within memory for 32 bit apps - a compatibility mode. OS X didn't do this. 32 bit apps ran normally side by side with 64 bit apps while the OS created memory spaces (upto TBs) which apps could address. Thus, 32 bit apps could address these spaces giving them the ability to go beyond 4GB. Snow Leopard will bridge the gulf yet still be able to run 32 bit apps. Apple's Universal Binary makes 32 bit a fundimental part of the OS while not holding 64 bit apps back like Microsoft's solution.

The down side of good programing is complexity for the programers. It's the law of programing/technology. The easyer computers are to use the more complex it usually is for those creating/programing these devices. Thus, Apple will now be asking developers to provide Universal Binaries for all their Kernel extentions.

Snow Leopard is leaner, averaging 15% more effective execution (according to white papers) and it should show improvment down the line of programs. When the new Photoshop comes out there wont be different versions. It will be a program that will be able to run both 32 and 64 bit plugins - that is IF Adobe complies with Apple's guidelines.

[tim]

Plugins are for people too lazy to do things the proper way ;)

[Scottes]

Plugins are for people too lazy to do things the proper way ;)
I want to see how you do noise reduction "the proper way." Zoomed in to 1600%, pixel by pixel...? :D

[Desertraptor]

Me, after working IT for ten years and watching MS support year after year of old technology in the end just peeved me off. That plus end users with no clue but thought they knew it all.
Anyway. The day MS and chip makes stop producing 32 bit stuff is when we wont see it anymore. Imagine how much faster Windoz would be if it wasn't built to support the previous 5 years worth of techology. Boggles my mind

I'm running 64bit Win 7 now and loving it. For an RC1 release it's damn good

[tim]

I want to see how you do noise reduction "the proper way." Zoomed in to 1600%, pixel by pixel...? :D

Too right! Actually I just don't use noise reduction often, once in the past year, I did it in NN standalone as I never bothered to try to get the plugin working in CS4.