Actual mac Affinity Designer & Photo versions

[DesignT]

Hi,

I am bit confused about the actual Affinity Designer & Photo versions for MacOS users.

Apple Store Designer version is 1.6.1.

Wintel platform get different versions, what about the features, are also different?

Are windows versions more capable?

Please confirm if it is still impossible to buy MacOs versions directly from Sherif

Thanks

 

 

[Gabe]

Hi @designt,

There is no difference between Windows and Mac builds. Have a look here for a better explanation:

You can only get a MacOS licence from our store if you're a corporate user.  

 

Thanks,

Gabe. 

[R C-R]

54 minutes ago, GabrielM said:

There is no difference between Windows and Mac builds.

That is not quite true. There are a few differences, mostly due to differences in what each OS supports. For example, the Windows versions do not support (or need) the Separated Windows mode, & the Mac ones (obviously) do not support the touch features of Windows 10. The Mac versions have a "Media Browser," based on a Mac OS system-supplied feature that automatically adds a "Media"  section to the Sidebar of Open dialogs for any app that supports opening files from certain Mac apps like Apple Photos or Photo Booth.

[MEB]

R C-R,
Functionally, the apps are the same. There will always be some differences - most notably the shortcuts - inherent to the OS's where the apps run and a few basic features/provided by them but they are not significative to worth mention or to affect app functionality in global terms (otherwise cross platform editing would not be possible).

[Mithferion]

Also, on Windows you can put the panels in columns. And it's not a core feature but for some people on Mac, they'd like to be able to do this (just like the separated Mode on macOS, some Windows users would like that).

Best regards!

[R C-R]

10 minutes ago, MEB said:

There will always be some differences - most notably the shortcuts - inherent to the OS's where the apps run and a few basic features/provided by them ...

Which I believe my "mostly due to differences in what each OS supports" phrase made reasonably clear.

12 minutes ago, MEB said:

... but they are not significative to worth mention or to affect app functionality in global terms (otherwise cross platform editing would not be possible).

I am not so sure they are not worth mentioning or insignificant, particularly when someone asks which features might be different. As I am sure you know, there have been several posts from Windows users asking where the Media Browser is on their app, confusion about the separated Window mode or support for Studio panels in columns, & so on.

They may just be UI differences that do not affect cross platform file editing, but from a user perspective I feel they may still be significant & therefore worth mentioning ... & so I did. 

[toltec]

12 minutes ago, R C-R said:

 I feel they may still be significant & therefore worth mentioning ... & so I did. 

Funny enough, in a very recent thread a user wanted to "float" a window and didn't want to use "separated mode". 

One of the rare occasions when a Windows feature seems to be better than a Mac feature.

[MEB]

1 hour ago, R C-R said:

Which I believe my "mostly due to differences in what each OS supports" phrase made reasonably clear.

I am not so sure they are not worth mentioning or insignificant, particularly when someone asks which features might be different. As I am sure you know, there have been several posts from Windows users asking where the Media Browser is on their app, confusion about the separated Window mode or support for Studio panels in columns, & so on.

They may just be UI differences that do not affect cross platform file editing, but from a user perspective I feel they may still be significant & therefore worth mentioning ... & so I did. 

Users do ask about them because they found some references to them on videos, on some replies here or perform them in other apps. The overall application functionality/capability is the same which is the whole point the OP was concerned about. The differences in version numbers between platform's versions are not directly tied/related with differences in features/capabilities. You can develop/perform the same work/projects on whatever platform you want (Win or Mac). The Media Browser,  Separated Mode or a few current differences in workspace arrangement/UI/shortcuts are not significative enough (and even expected like in any other multi-platform software) to really make a difference on what the apps are able to do which is the overall point in question. All the rest is nickpicking and being pedantic.

[R C-R]

2 minutes ago, MEB said:

The Media Browser,  Separated Mode or a few current differences in workspace arrangement/UI/shortcuts are not significative enough (and even expected like in any other multi-platform software) to really make a difference on what the apps are able to do which is the overall point in question.

I think we will just have to agree to disagree about the significance of that to the various readers of this topic, or what @designt might have meant by "features." 

[Mithferion]

@MEB

I agree to a certain point. Let me explain myself: Even if you can perform the same project on any Platform between macOS and Windows, it'd be a welcome added extra for some users. I believe that's the only thing we want to say. I'm confident we are not being pedantic, just making clear some differences between platforms.

For example, the Separated Mode is something I don't miss, but I remember a user asking for that little thing. So, all the features are there, but differences in usability are still present (and correct me if I'm wrong, but the macOS RAW Engine is another difference between platforms that might be relevant).

Best regards!

[R C-R]

19 minutes ago, Mithferion said:

(and correct me if I'm wrong, but the macOS RAW Engine is another difference between platforms that might be relevant).

I for one don't think you are wrong about that. It is a functional difference that I know some users find quite significant.

[DesignT]

Hi,

I never expect this topic reactions, it seems there isn't any information about this differences.

Thanks, @GabrielM for clarifying about the platform differences.

I can see in Affinity releases topic this:

 Affinity Designer  | Mac OS         | Mac App Store   | 1.6.1     | 1.6.0       

 Affinity Designer  | Mac OS         | Affinity Store  | 1.6.3 PK  | n/a        

 Affinity Photo     | Mac OS         | Mac App Store   | 1.6.7     | 1.6.6      

 Affinity Photo     | Mac OS         | Affinity Store  | 1.6.9 PK  | n/a         

So my question now is between MacOS versions, are there any differences in Afinnity Designer 1.6.1 and 1.6.3 PK or  Affinity Photo 1.6.7 and 1.6.9 PK ?

Thanks for your clarifications.

[MEB]

Hi designt,
The PK versions are for corp/direct sales and redemption code customers. We don't sell the Mac version directly from the Affinity Store. Regarding differences between the two they are related to the limitations (sandboxing) imposed by the Mac App store distribution model. Functionally they are similar.