Apple fans are increasingly hard-pressed to justify clinging to a product with an insignificant, dwindling market share. The conventional wisdom is that Apple computers have some relevance in the world of graphics and publishing, for various reasons depending on whatever argument suits the moment. At various times I’ve been told the graphics software is easier to use than comparable Windows software (or it’s more complex but also more powerful), or there’s a greater selection than what’s available for Windows (or there’s a smaller selection but it must be good because it’s more popular among professionals), or the like.
The reality is that the publishing world is dominated by Windows computers, just like the rest of the world. The surviving software manufacturers with roots in the Apple world have long since made their Windows programs identical to the Apple counterparts, and there’s a much richer selection of software in the Windows world. Only fanatics and zealots have trouble reading a 98% market share; surviving as a software designer does not permit the indulgence of fanaticism.
Apple has developed its own software for certain applications – lightweight photo manipulation and video editing for example – but the belief that graphics professionals prefer Macs has always rested on Adobe software. And Adobe is starting to bail out. Adobe has stopped developing Mac versions of its FrameMaker publishing software and Premiere video editing application. It has introduced several new programs in Windows-only versions – Atmosphere, a new 3D animation application; Photoshop Album; and Encore, a DVD-authoring package.
The relationship is pretty frosty, and the numbers don’t suggest Adobe will return to the Mac fold anytime soon. Here’s an article with more details about the erratic partnership.
