Reports suggest that Apple may be acquiring Pixelmator, the company responsible for developing several popular photo-editing applications for Apple devices. While skepticism surrounds the agreement, I’m hopeful that it will address one of my most significant concerns regarding the iPad.
iPad software program shortcomings
I’ve spent considerable time trying to transform my iPad into a more credible laptop alternative. While the iPad’s hardware has consistently seen significant advancements, its software has traditionally lagged behind. For me, a long-standing issue has been the scarcity of reliable and accurate image editing tools.
Adobe has successfully brought Photoshop to the iPad, a truly remarkable achievement. Upon initial use of the free trial, I found it sufficient. Over time, it has progressively converged with the functionality of desktop Photoshop.
The main drawback is Adobe’s insistence on a recurring subscription model, which doesn’t sit well with me due to its ongoing expense. Especially with excellent applications like Pixelmator Professional readily available on my Mac, which I had already invested in and enjoyed the benefits of.
While there are many alternatives to Adobe Photoshop for editing photos on your computer or mobile device, one option that’s often overlooked is Affinity Photo, which has an iPad version as well as a desktop application. Unlike Pixelmator Professional, which is also a one-time purchase without a subscription requirement. Despite being impressed with its overall performance, I’ve never found Affinity Photo to be the most intuitive option, leading me to consistently default to Pixelmator Pro on my Mac for image editing tasks.
Apple may bring Pixelmator Professional to iPad.
Given the recent acquisition of Pixelmator by Apple, I truly hope to see a seamless integration of its professional features on the iPad platform? Finally, a picture manipulation tool on my iPad that’s easy to navigate and use.
Despite initial promises from Pixelmator Staff members being involved in developing Pixelmator Professional for iPad, nearly a decade has passed without any tangible progress. Here’s hoping that Apple follows through with it. It would be beneficial for Pixelmator Professional’s sleek, Apple-inspired design and extensive feature set to be easily available on the iPad. Wouldn’t it be great if they came up with some really innovative Apple Pencil features?
Here’s to hoping that Apple won’t pivot and convert Pixelmator Pro or any future app into a subscription-only model. Given the uncertainty of professional software availability on iPad, they may have done so for Closing Reduce Professional and Logic Professional, thus making it a strong possibility, albeit an unfortunate one.
