Timed experiment showing Affinity Photo takes 20 seconds to start.

[tariq]

Attached is video evidence showing Affinity Photo 2 taking about 20 seconds to start on an M1 Max with 24 gpu cores, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD and MacOS 13.0.1.

This issue applies to all the Affinity Apps, Designer and Publisher. 

This issue has been reported for over 2 years now with no resolution.

In contrast Photoshop trial takes less than 2 seconds.

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Ages ago Affinity admitted the issue was due to an embedded web engine in the apps which is used to support online user profiles. 

This is bad architecture. There is no need to bloat the apps with a "web engine". Users can go online to manage their profiles. 

 

 

[Patrick Connor]

We don't require video evidence. 

This is the application as it is. It's unfortunate that it is treated by the operating system as requiring of checking every time it runs after a cold start.

You seem very certain about the cause of the long startup . I think I said it may be caused by the web engine but it's a guess because of when it started, but we also started supporting M1 chips at the same time, so lots of changes were made. Serif don't know if the web library is the cause of Apple's operating system checking our application, and have asked them repeatedly for help removing this problem.

Our software requires all the libraries it does for the functionality that we want to provide.

If it is caused by that library (which isn't clear) it is needed for content download to be automatically installed for all Affinity apps from a single download. You are right we didn't have to have this functionality but we do and now we use it for the licensing, particularly the universal license.

Equally Apple didn't need to write their os so it doesn't trust our executable once it includes that library. 

We won't be removing the functionality any time soon, so we live in hope that Apple give us a fix.

[tariq]

1. your test team actually passed this as being of sufficient quality for release?

2. your own team told me that was the cause - on this forum I think, months ago.

3. your reply is not an excuse nor an explanation - how do so many other apps (including Photoshop which checks home for licensing) manage?

4. I suggest a less obstinate attitude, many of us supported Affinity and bought your apps, making it the commercial success it is today. Despite the flaws, we promote your products to our networks, professional and social.  We pay your wages.