SrPx

Notepad removes text formatting... that's it... What is not being able to translate, somehow... Have you tried copy-pasting first to Windows Wordpad ? That would loose some of the formatting, but keeping bold/italics, etc. I haven't checked, just an idea.
 
Hmmm.... or no... not that simple....
 
If is not all of the text, just some of the letters, then can be the original font from Libreoffice has more or different characters in its TTF  (or whatever the type of font.) than the one you are using at A. Photo. Some spaces... maybe is not translating well the kerning or something... That seems a cyrillic type of font, what is needed.  Probably the destination font , the font you are using has not full cyrillic support. Is the font the same ? if it is, might be some stuff related to cyrillic support in AP. 
 
But ie, fonts that support cyrillic language, maybe you can make tests with one of these (again, I dunno if that's the issue or sth internal of AP)
 
https://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/list/language/cyrillic
 
Edit: Nope, seems you are using Arial in both, checked the video. I guess is cyrillic support at some level/point.
Anyway, here, a list of supported characters supported of Unicode MS Arial font (maybe Windows's Arial differs from a special Arial version from Libreofice? Wouldn't be surprised... ).
 
http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/font/arial_unicode_ms/blockview.htm?block=cyrillic
 
Maybe check with a different font than Arial in both, a font about which you are certain it has full support of Russian characters, then try the operation having set the text in that font for both apps and documents. So to eliminate factors.  :)
More about Arial and Russian characters encoding (once again, not sure if is an AP issue, but this would be a great way to know, testing with a font -probably not Arial-  that completely supports  cyrillic alphabet  ((for  instance downloading one from FontSquirrel , above  ))
 
http://winrus.com/fonts_e.htm
 

Click here to download the latest beta
 
Status: Customer Beta
Purpose: New features
Requirements: A valid product key, issued when Windows Affinity Photo version 1.5 was purchased.

This is the fourth beta of a substantial change to our codebase and as much as we have tried to ensure the quality of the code, it is considered to be not suitable for production use. This means that you should not attempt to use it for commercial purposes or for any other activity that you may be adversely affected by the application failing. In addition it is definitely worth noting that files created in Affinity 1.6 may not open in 1.5 so always make a copy of your important documents before opening them in 1.6 to ensure you do not accidentally overwrite them and are unable to open them in your 1.5 version.

We hope you enjoy the latest build, and as always, if you've got any problems, please don't hesitate to post here and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks once again for your continued feedback.

If you have a general question about the software, please head over to the Questions Forum, or if you have any suggestions, please head over to the Feature Requests forum.

Fixes
Fixed document draw for display scales other than 100% and 200% Allow Colour Picker on ALT key in the Background Erase Brush Changed Colour Picker "Presets" to "Radius" text Fixed crash when attempting to open documents which we don’t understand Changed HDR merge to get linear data from RAW files so it doesn’t need to estimate the tone curve Fixed HDR merge of portrait RAW images Reduced memory usage during selection refinement Fixed clone / heal origin cursor issues Fixed crash when dragging text onto document during develop Fixed stabiliser context bar options not updating when switching modes (thanks Aammppaa) Fixed transforming objects leaving part of the original object position visible Fixed reading of non-fractional EXIF resolution property Fixed crash when attempting to re-open a document which had failed to autosave Added Russian translations Fixed bad selection refinement border Fixed failure to load EXIF information for file paths which contain non-ANSI characters Fixed failure to load multiple image files at the same time Fixed auto slices not moving when the parent objects move Added support for tablets being plugged/unplugged while the app is running Fixed Print dialog has truncated text and list control Fixed CMYK values being able to exceed 100% Fixed Character panel font type dropdown is not remembered when docked Fixed files saved with selections are not reflected correctly when reopened Improved line breaks for Chinese text Fixed memory leaks during Auto-Levels / Auto-White Balance Fixed crash in Panorama after using transform tool Fixed crash on some documents using UnsharpMask and smart selection Fixed PDF import of clipped groups containing a single line of text Fixed PDF import of vector clips Fixed preview brush nozzles not representing the current tablet rotation/tilt/angle

1.6.0.76 is now available.

This assumes that all the artists in each of these studios needs to use a graphics app like Photoshop or Affinity Photo in their work. I do not think that is a reasonable assumption.

krzykowal,
 
Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums
 
Sorry, I think that we just found out about this problem in emails sent out to trial users since last Thursday. We have seen it in US emails forwarded in the last hour to us. I'm sorry if that is what has happened to you. The tech support department have notified those who send emails that this is happening. Please can you confirm that this incorrect price was in a trial upgrade email sent after last Thursday when the reduction in price ended.
 
Thanks Patrick

The brush stroke is really terrible.
 
Although the stabilizer function was implemented in the beta version, it will not be a beautiful line unless you enter a high number.
Also, you can see that the stroke is distorted at the beginning and the end.
The stabilizer mode is the same as Lazy Nezumi Pro, but if you increase the value, it will be a beautiful stroke, but it will impair the drawing comfort.
 
The first image is an image with lines drawn by Affinity Photo. The stroke is really terrible.   The second piece is the line drawn in Photoshop. The strokes are very beautiful, but this does not use Lazy Nezumi Pro etc ..  
I'd like Affinity Photo to be able to draw beautiful lines in the same way without a stabilizer.
Affinity Photo is truly amazing except for strokes. Just because the stroke is so bad it's in a state I can not use very much.   Could you tell me if there is a way to solve this problem?     My PC environment is as follows. Windows version : 10.0  Build:15063  (x64) CPU : Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz Physical memory : 16351 MB Direct3D11 Driver: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Pentablet: intuous4 PTH-840

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

The card definitely has its impact.  But I have realized the way it is perceived depends on each individual, and also, in the planned usage for the tool.
Illustrator is really, really good. Expecting anything to beat Illustrator might be a stretch. If anything, I would say that Affinity Designer is quite more intuitive /easier to learn for new users (and quite a number of pros) than Illustrator, by far. And yeah, that can be indeed absolutely key. Affinity Designer is very good, and has an extremely good price/purchase option. (and even more considering the other options in the market...)

I would recommend installing a graphics card in your laptop, if that's possible. (one that is supported by it, of course). A powerful average but modern one would be desirable. I for one I can handle stuff with very low performance, as I kind of use many tricks. I have seen many artist colleagues doing this as well. But that path is not for everyone...

If you have a powerful PC or Mac with a normal graphic card in it, I'd recommend that for a better experience.

1.6 is going to be very good. I'd recommend to stay tuned, DEFINITELY. :) 

 

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

Hello
My name is Noe Gonzalez,and After hearing about AD on Instagram and how it was so much better then illustrator I jumped on board.I am a novice so i was used to Ai's shortcuts and tools.AD for me has been super difficult to adjust to,but at the same time super fun.i feel it's lacking a lot of tools atleast for me anyway,but I'm sticking to it and hope to be seeing and using all the new tools comming to this program

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

The card definitely has its impact.  But I have realized the way it is perceived depends on each individual, and also, in the planned usage for the tool.
Illustrator is really, really good. Expecting anything to beat Illustrator might be a stretch. If anything, I would say that Affinity Designer is quite more intuitive /easier to learn for new users (and quite a number of pros) than Illustrator, by far. And yeah, that can be indeed absolutely key. Affinity Designer is very good, and has an extremely good price/purchase option. (and even more considering the other options in the market...)

I would recommend installing a graphics card in your laptop, if that's possible. (one that is supported by it, of course). A powerful average but modern one would be desirable. I for one I can handle stuff with very low performance, as I kind of use many tricks. I have seen many artist colleagues doing this as well. But that path is not for everyone...

If you have a powerful PC or Mac with a normal graphic card in it, I'd recommend that for a better experience.

1.6 is going to be very good. I'd recommend to stay tuned, DEFINITELY. :) 

 

Indeed, that's a good idea. Windows upgrade is much cheaper than a full license, less than 50% if I remember well. I don't know how that is done,  I purchase machines that come with an OEM version of the OS, so I never did an upgrade. Probably they only ask you for your Windows (Vista or etc) license number, but I really don't know.  So, maybe around the cost of one Affinity app, and you'd have a shiny new OS as well.   :). In many ways, that could be better, as in my experience, if it was Vista, XP, or even Windows 7, Win 10  handles better the memory. Only to be sure to install at least 4gb of ram. With 2gb, Win8.x or 10 can handle ordinary tasks, but in Windows, for any graphic software, 2GB is too low. (I have 8, going or 16 minimum in the soon to come new machine, a Ryzen, surely )
 
If the cpu is 64 bits, you can install on it a 64 bit operative system, as Paul says. And has its advantages, as support for nearly everything hardware or software (drivers, the new computers(cpus/boards etc)) is going to be requiring Win 10, as already is happening.

First, apologies for not showing UI screens in English, but I believe all items are in the same place, so is easy to deduce which options are which.
 
Also for this being way too obvious for the majority. But from what I have read in some posts, some people might not know they can do this: Almost totally disabling the visual style that aero brings, but keeping what the application needs. I've experimented no performance loss, indeed this loss could happen in XP and Vista times, but seems not anymore (I put my machine to its limits of performance every day, and is a first generation i7 with only 8gb, arcane card)
 
The first thing would obviously be to select an aero theme (right click on desktop, customize). I would advice choosing "Windows 7" standard, and probably remove that way too intense blue desktop background by hitting "desktop background" at the bottom of the themes window, and then selecting "solid color" , and choosing a custom color, I pick my very specific neutral grey.
 
You would go then to to Control Panel, then System (or if have your desktop so, right click on the machine icon, "properties"), then hit Advanced Configuration, then hit Advanced Options, and in that window, in the "Performance" area, hit the "Configuration" button (it says there you can change visual effects).  You would click the "Customize" radio button instead of the default. And you only need 4 options, actually you could leave only two (I believe first and last of my below list), but I'd recommend setting the following 4, however they might be worded in English Windows 7 version :
 

 
-Desktop Window Manager Composition
-Show thumbnails instead of icons
-Fonts smoothing
-Use visual styles in Windows and buttons.
 
If you disable font smoothing you will see bad fonts aliasing. If disable thumbnails, obviously wont see those raw files previews, not even having installed the raw cameras codec pack from MS (neither JPGs or other images thumbnails) in "open" dialog in AP (or in the whole OS).
 
Then, just right click in the desktop (or go to control panel) and hit customize, 
 

 
Then, click on "Window color"
 

 
Then select what you prefer (grey-ish is fine for me). I just hate blue color in any interface element. I prefer not to deal more with it, is quite pleasant for me as is at that point. Also, because I like simple workflows: Easy to remember, and fast to replicate, which is good if you change things more than once.
 

 
EDIT: Important...Doing so, it triggers back ON the not so cool settigns of visual glass and Windows drop shadow (well, I deeply dislike those, and don't need the extra load, and my point here is to get back some of the more sober look, less overloaded which several of us prefer) , just get back to performance settings as explained and un check those 2 :
 
(again, excuse the Spanish language, am sure you will know which are the options for visual glass and windows' drop shadows )
 

 

 
Hope it serves at least for 2% of the group of unhappy non aero win7 users
 
Edit  (15/01/2017) : Just some silly extra detail, not sure if I mentioned: if you save your themes, both your classic one, and your Aero one, is easy to switch just clicking on each theme icon. Of course, life couldn't be so simple, we are in Windows, the middle step in OSes in what is of ease of use and problem free usage without freedom in fine tuning, vs flexibility and stuff to deal with :  When clicking on the Aero one, there's 2 or 3 defaults Windows "thinks" you deeply desire to have, no mater what you  (you gotta love that in Windows, how it "knows" what you prefer... //Sarcasm)  selected, they are triggered back on (hello stupid glass, back here again!). Just deselect those as I explained above. But the colors, and etc, are kept.
Edit (13/11/2019 ) : As we approach to Windows 7 total end of support, and mostly because I like to keep information well interconnected (tends to be helpful) a more recent tutorial explaining this is in the following post .   It is explained maybe in a more succinct style (maybe as I myself have become a more brief and to the point poster, lol. Or...nah, I didn't  ) . Also, with the UI items and menus in English, but no screenshots. For some will be easier to follow, others might prefer this one (this old one here provides the extra tip for how to change the look of this minimal "aero" config, so, there's that). In case you are not following this well, feel free to visit the more recent tutorial.  Affinity is really worth it putting up with some changes in the OS, or even using a totally new Windows 10. Huge tip here: Install it CLEAN, even after a disk format, not over the Windows 7 you have. There are known issues if not, and not only with the lovely Affinity apps: I have helped solving several of those issues/cases here (initially attributed to Affinity when it was NOT the case) but also in other forums apps from other brands, not Serif. So, clean install, highly recommended. Oh, and Windows 10 has come a long way since its bad start. A lot has improved through the patches and updates, more flexibility on install, less imposed stuff. A good re-config after setup following some of the more RECENT tutorials in configuration (you end up not needing those once you get familiar with it all) do go a long way. Just be sure to check the date of the tutorial/article!. Don't use even 3 month old tutorials (neither old negative opinions/articles about Windows 10  ...) for this, much of that has been fixed. These tutorials help to remove not so great defaults about privacy and UI configuration, making of Win 10 a really pleasant ride. It is a fact. About privacy, with the right config, it kindda bothers me WAY less than using Google, google services, several government administration tasks or my phone. And I can't work without making use of those, so, anyway.... For any platform, one needs to be slightly nerdy to get the OS well configured and to one's liking (said this by a Linux passionate user), but it pays greatly in the long run , trust me on this one!. So... yeah, if you are reading between the lines.... my advice is, tho having remade my years-old tutorial (there are more instances of this which I created) my major advice (not as a guru or authority, as am none of that, but as a professional user who happily used the three platforms (Mac, Win, Linux) with no limitation or issue -I found always happy workarounds) here is to... evolve and adapt, and use Windows 10, it ain't that terrible. At ALL.  And enjoy your "Affiniting", it's a lot of fun and a professionally viable suite !     
 

hi, just bought affinity photo and design and i am new to affinity. used ps for last 1 year and can not afford for another year.

(Deep Gangster voice) Welcome to the affordable righteousness, dude.

[A comment from one of the developers]
 
Quoted in this thread is that AP is 90% there.  Applying standard development "science" - the last 10% takes 90% of the time.  Refinement is the hardest part to achieve, and balancing all the tools against the requirements of the majority of users and use cases.  What also might be a refinement to one user, might be a backward step for another.  So, that almost equates (in crude terms) to refining one feature or adding nine new ones - though the way we are developing Affinity can't really be viewed like that.
 
As far as ongoing development - we (developers) are a limited resource, so we have to make a call between refining existing tools and writing tools/features that are missing.  It's a tricky decision.  It's not entirely about marketing, but fulfilling the promise we made to users to reach a target set of features.  Our road map is based on our strategy mixed with filtered requests from users.
 
It is also influenced by other factors (the release of the iPad Pro being one example, or the current trend away from desktop units).  There are both short term and long term strategies under consideration.  We want to make a product that will last, and that requires an income stream.  So, we need to keep pushing forwards at the same time as refining.  Sometimes our strategy is pulled by external influences - we then have a choice to react, or miss the boat - and we don't want someone taking our place as that could affect our long term plans.
 
As far as responding to every thread - that also takes time.  Time away from developing.  In the past two years the volume of posts has increased massively.  At the start we responded to nearly every thread.  That is now becoming too time consuming.  So, as a developer I now mainly respond to threads where my input/advice is really needed, or when handling bugs where I need to take charge.  We of course have other staff on the forum, who contribute and give answers, but depending on the subject sometimes a developer needs to answer - it is those threads where we now dedicate most of our time.
It also doesn't help when threads start running away (like this one) - as it then becomes harder to keep on top of them.

ENORMOUS KUDOS (yes, I'm shouting, the occasion needs it ! )   to Affinitytutorials and Affinity Jack.
 
That all is way beyond amazing. This is how you help an extremely good and smart suite of applications in growing and spreading.
 
That story reminds me a real lot -even a bit painfully-   to certain LOVABLE meetings with a bunch of illustrators which I deeply -very much-  respected, loved and for whom had (have) great admiration (they admired me too, huh... :D), in my country. It was not as organized and well driven as yours, but was really good, too. We also met in an online community and from there went to also expand it offline. At some point the community broke, mainly as the site, which was the central nerve of communication kind of got broken. I had to cease all activities too, due to life duties. But I am aware several of the most solid friendships from there yet stand today, very current. So, I guess, a pair of applications or as was our case, the joy that certain activity (illustration, photography, design, etd) gives you (or simply the joint for sharing same freelance profession) can go a long way, even if just started on inet (I always value higher direct RL relations, but it's became clear to me that internet "can" be a good way to start really good stuff. Hey, not all has to be bad or crappy on the internet....)
 
Great kudos, I had no idea this all existed...  And long life to it !

With all due respect for everyone who has posted to this topic, this issue has much less to do with Affinity's developers & staff listening to user needs, professional or not, than with what is practical for them to implement in any particular time frame. Please consider the following:
 
They have mentioned many times that what seems a simple feature to users may be very difficult & time consuming to implement, particularly given the constraints imposed by the 'universal' native Affinity file format, the need to preserve as much as possible cross-platform feature parity, the relatively modest system requirements, & so on.
 
Different "professional users" need different toolsets & adopt different workflows so please, can we dispense with the fiction that anybody can speak for the needs of all or even most of them, regardless of their credentials, how long they have been in the business, or who they know? It isn't realistic, & I find it hard to believe that anybody -- most particularly professional users -- do not already know that.
 
It follows from that that it is just as unrealistic to assume most Affinity users are equally interested in the same things, be it stability improvements, feature improvements or additions, the development of other Affinity apps, or the expansion to the iOS (or possibly other) platforms.
 
Likewise, different users have different reasons for buying & using or wanting to buy & use the Affinity apps. It is pretty obvious a major one is dislike for Adobe's subscription model & the relatively low prices of the Affinity apps. Some users also want to support Affinity because they believe completion is good for all users, even those who won't buy the Affinity products for one reason or another, or because they believe buying the apps now will pay off in the future when their payments help finance further or more rapid development.
 
So I have to ask, what is it that you hope posting to this topic will accomplish?

The card definitely has its impact.  But I have realized the way it is perceived depends on each individual, and also, in the planned usage for the tool.
Illustrator is really, really good. Expecting anything to beat Illustrator might be a stretch. If anything, I would say that Affinity Designer is quite more intuitive /easier to learn for new users (and quite a number of pros) than Illustrator, by far. And yeah, that can be indeed absolutely key. Affinity Designer is very good, and has an extremely good price/purchase option. (and even more considering the other options in the market...)

I would recommend installing a graphics card in your laptop, if that's possible. (one that is supported by it, of course). A powerful average but modern one would be desirable. I for one I can handle stuff with very low performance, as I kind of use many tricks. I have seen many artist colleagues doing this as well. But that path is not for everyone...

If you have a powerful PC or Mac with a normal graphic card in it, I'd recommend that for a better experience.

1.6 is going to be very good. I'd recommend to stay tuned, DEFINITELY. :) 

 

ENORMOUS KUDOS (yes, I'm shouting, the occasion needs it ! )   to Affinitytutorials and Affinity Jack.
 
That all is way beyond amazing. This is how you help an extremely good and smart suite of applications in growing and spreading.
 
That story reminds me a real lot -even a bit painfully-   to certain LOVABLE meetings with a bunch of illustrators which I deeply -very much-  respected, loved and for whom had (have) great admiration (they admired me too, huh... :D), in my country. It was not as organized and well driven as yours, but was really good, too. We also met in an online community and from there went to also expand it offline. At some point the community broke, mainly as the site, which was the central nerve of communication kind of got broken. I had to cease all activities too, due to life duties. But I am aware several of the most solid friendships from there yet stand today, very current. So, I guess, a pair of applications or as was our case, the joy that certain activity (illustration, photography, design, etd) gives you (or simply the joint for sharing same freelance profession) can go a long way, even if just started on inet (I always value higher direct RL relations, but it's became clear to me that internet "can" be a good way to start really good stuff. Hey, not all has to be bad or crappy on the internet....)
 
Great kudos, I had no idea this all existed...  And long life to it !

@InfoCentral
 
There is much more to the Mac OS than a special kernel & "a GUI pasted on top of UNIX." It was based on the XNU (which stands for "X is Not Unix") hybrid kernel, which combines modified features of preexisting BSD & FreeBSD microkernel & monolithic kernel architectures & a unique driver model called I/O Kit. Apple has in recent years abstracted the OS further into various "Core" services & added hierarchical permission structures in which not even root has direct access to everything once the full OS is running.
 
Recent Mac OS versions are Single UNIX Specification (SUS) UNIX 03 certified when running on Intel-based Mac computers, but that just means they include a subset of interfaces, commands, utilities, & services that comply with the SUS UNIX 03 standard. Darwin is the open source subset of the OS, & may or may not meet that standard depending on how it is set up. Darwin by itself can not run Mac OS apps because it lacks most of the high level API's & GUI characteristic of the full OS.
 
To that extent the Mac OS is "UNIX-like" but it is probably more accurate to think of it as a superset of UNIX that includes a boatload of proprietary closed source features.