UGN shareware UGN shareware
OS X native, fast and easy to use image viewer that supports most popular image formats
It's a pleasure to review certain company's wares because they always create quality stuff that they keep striving to improve upon. And there's always some well thought out feature that you discover that makes you feel like your ten years old on Christmas morning. Bozena Losvik's Hexcat (remember that name!) is one of those few companies. Today we take a look at ViewIt.
ViewIt is an OS X native, fast and easy to use image viewer that supports most popular image formats: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD and more.
Important ViewIt features include: unique, intuitive interface, full screen mode, quick image sorting, printing, digital cameras and EXIF tags.
Currently includes plugins: convert file format, create web pages, Finder previews, lose less JPEG transformations, shell scripts support, rename sequentially, create contact sheets." And away we go!
Drag this file into your Applications folder. The GUI is Apple's Aqua look and a variation on Netscape's Modern theme smashed together. And, for whatever reason, it works. It's navigation is laid out very logically. And it also has bits of animation that sort of asks, "Well - are you gonna do something or what?"
Prompts abound and every button that you'll use frequently is right on the pane. You can adjust sizes, layout your pictures in a contact sheet, create photo albums and everything else you would want to do with your shots. You can have execute file type conversion to .jpeg, .png and .tiff.
And, of course, you can import your pictures either directly from your camera or any other media that you may have them on.
The help documentation is every bit as thorough as the rest of this app. It reminded me of a 'QuickStart Guide' in that it's straight to the point, thereby enabling you to get right to work. It's always a big plus when the Help File doesn't frighten you from using the software in question.
No downside, no dislikes. This app just drips 'quality.' There isn't anything that I can find here that wasn't thoroughly thought out. This is a standard that all apps should meet. ViewIt is a perfect step up from iPhoto if you're going to up your photo work a notch or two. Think of iPhoto as ViewIt 'Lite' and you have a good idea of what we have here.
If you're really serious about your photographic endeavors, definitely give this app the once over. Twice.
Frank Petrie
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