GraphicConverter is a multi-purpose graphics tool for converting, viewing, browsing, and editing hundreds of image types on the Macintosh platform.
The Good:
- Unregistered version can be used without time restrictions (only batch processing and startup time are restricted).
- Import 200 graphics formats and export 80 formats.
- Multilanguage support for 12 different languages.
- Support for Mac OS 8, 9 and X, including Intel Mac.
- Import from digital cameras, including camera RAW files.
- Does much more than graphic conversion, also offers selection and editing tools, image adjustments, slide shows, effect, and filters.
- Comes with a detailed, 400+ page manual.
The Bad:
- Photoshop-compatible plug-ins are not supported in the universal binary version.
- Some formats are not available in the universal binary version.
- The interface is confusing, and many editing functions are not intuitive.
- Performance is often slow.
- Shows ads for the company's other software.
- Crashed in my first session.
- Large download, most of which is due to documentation translations that most users don't need.
Guide Comments:
I've been hearing good things about GraphicConverter for years, and now that I have had a Macintosh for a year, I knew it was past time I tried it. I really wanted to like this software, but my initial reaction was that it was terribly unintuitive. Certainly, once I dug deeper and glanced through the user manual, I was impressed by the sheer number of capabilities, but this is initially overshadowed by the confusing options and convoluted, outdated user interface.
If there is a file format or image processing task that your existing software can't handle, chances are that GraphicConverter can do it if you're willing to tackle the learning curve. It's great that the unregistered version has no time limitation, because I can see it being useful for opening obscure graphics formats, or for some editing tasks that you don't need every day, but it its current state, I really can't see paying for GraphicConverter. It's a worthwhile tool to have on-hand, but needs some serious work in the usability department.
This review is based on the unregistered GraphicConverter X v6.0.3
