yorowe

42 At this point I'm thrilled, but I understand the desire for one app and support the idea as a long term goal. I would see it much like Maya where modelling, lighting and animating are independent UI's with their own sets of tools and pallets.  At this point I'm more than satisfied with two apps that recognize one another and support cross-app updates in real time. I assume a smart object created in Designer can be edited by launching the app from Photo. Not sure because I don't own both.
 
Which brings me to my second point. I'm with Blackest on the loyalty thing. I told my son about Affinity last year so he bought me Photo as a gift. But it was Designer that I wanted. Rather than tell him he bought the wrong app I thought I would wait for a loyalty offer to purchase it and complete the set. I understand the Apple Store problem. The answer is a simple mail-in rebate.
 
FWIW - I was a multi-app Adobe user since PS 1.0, I have upgraded Creative Suite several times over the years. Adobe's lack of loyalty has more to do with me switching than their painfully slow upgrade history and sluggish legacy code. Asking me to pay the same monthly subscription as a new comer for the Cloud is disgusting after 25 years of loyalty. It will never happen.

42 At this point I'm thrilled, but I understand the desire for one app and support the idea as a long term goal. I would see it much like Maya where modelling, lighting and animating are independent UI's with their own sets of tools and pallets.  At this point I'm more than satisfied with two apps that recognize one another and support cross-app updates in real time. I assume a smart object created in Designer can be edited by launching the app from Photo. Not sure because I don't own both.
 
Which brings me to my second point. I'm with Blackest on the loyalty thing. I told my son about Affinity last year so he bought me Photo as a gift. But it was Designer that I wanted. Rather than tell him he bought the wrong app I thought I would wait for a loyalty offer to purchase it and complete the set. I understand the Apple Store problem. The answer is a simple mail-in rebate.
 
FWIW - I was a multi-app Adobe user since PS 1.0, I have upgraded Creative Suite several times over the years. Adobe's lack of loyalty has more to do with me switching than their painfully slow upgrade history and sluggish legacy code. Asking me to pay the same monthly subscription as a new comer for the Cloud is disgusting after 25 years of loyalty. It will never happen.

A dreamer has to dream though, and I don't see that talking hurts anyone here.
 
I don't think it has to be an all or nothing, a black and white, this or that situation.
 
If you ask Adobe why file formats can not be more tightly integrated between Illustrator and Photoshop they will give you a million reasons why it will never happen, and why it is better for the designer. I personally never felt it has given me any advantage to my workflow.
 
Lets put it this way;
 
Designer and Photo are separate apps. 
 
1. You are using Designer and need to quickly touch up a raster image in designer, clicking a persona or some UI trick quickly opens the Layer/Image in Photo for retouch/effects/stuff, clicking persona/UI trick sends it back to Designer, for layout.
 
2. You are using Photo, and need some vector work done, you click a persona/UI Trick and start working on your Vector Designs, finish and Persona/UI trick back to Photo with your new vectors.
 
 
It would mean not having to duplicate tools in Photo, or duplicating tools in Designer, using the best tool for the situation while feeling like you are working in one "Workshop" not running between Workshops.
 
Having File Formats integrated really opens this possibility up.
 
 
I don't see this as a black and white situation, A user would still be able to Purchase one or the other, or both.  The difference is that when purchasing both, Designer and Photo are tightly integrated into one Workshop instead of separate Workshops... The use of same file format makes this very possible, and does not mean that when working with Vector you see all the Photo tools or vice versa, in fact it would reduce the need for replication of tools in either program.
 
Serif has already created a brilliant "persona" interface which illiminates clutter smartly. 
 
I am not saying Serif needs to only make one application fits all, only that when purchasing another Serif application that the integration is so tight the designer feels like he is still working in the same "Workshop".
 
I don't care if there is one Icon or 5 icons in the dock, I just love the idea that Serif is building here a tightly integrated system of design tools.
 
Don't fuss over what can not be done, fuss over what can! 
 
Love what Serif is building, just hope they stay on this present track, or even more convergent track and not a divergent one.

104 Please disregard my previous expired Photo beta message.
 
For anyone else in the same boat, I found the link in the Designer forum.