LaserSoft Imaging

Hello, all. Just registered here to try and get more info about the version six Lion crash. I, too, bought the LE software less than six months ago, and have two problems I hope Lasersoft can help solve.

First, Silverfast is the ONLY application I own that stopped functioning after I installed Lion. I thought developers had access to new operating systems (both Mac and Windows) prior to their release. Did Lasersoft not get this advance notice? That's the only explanation I can think of that would cause a legitimate company not to provide us customers continuity in the use of their product.

So that I can keep working, I installed a US$40 copy of v**s**n until Lasersoft is able to catch up to the rest of Mac software makers. I'll let the users of this forum know how that is working for me as a temporary solution.

Second, is it true that only buyers over the last three weeks (of the outdated 6.2 software) are going to receive the version 8 software when it is finally ready? It doesn't seem that anyone would buy a non-functioning app that does not work in Lion, just to wait until the properly functioning software is released. Maybe to help Lasersoft fund their developers to hurry the release to market?

That just doesn't seem like a professional way to do business for "SilverFast, the most popular scanner software in the world". I cannot imagine the product's popularity is going increase during this month-long work stoppage.

Second question is on behalf of all the buyers since the beginning of the year. Since Apple announced the new lion OS as early as October of last year, why do you think Lasersoft has kept selling us software knowing it would require another purchase a few months later?

Those are my two questions. MeanwhileI will report back in a day or two on how the competing product that does work is performing for me!

HI, Recently I changed my system from Pc to IMac I2,8 Ghz Intel Core i7 - 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Memory - Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (11A511).
So I thought (ill-conceived?) to upgrade from SilverFast Bundled SE Version 6.5+ (Epson Perfection V700 Photo / GT-X900) -> to SilverFast Ai Version 6.6 (Epson Perfection V700 Photo / GT-X900) for MAC.
With the new version I thought to be able to work right now ( meantime will arrive the release of the new SilverFast 8 ) because your ad send by e-mail, told:
"Users who want to work with SilverFast right now can take current version 6.6 without experiencing any disadvantages. Until the end of the 2011, LaserSoft Imaging will offer a free upgrade to SilverFast 8 to all customers who will purchase or have purchased a copy of SilverFast version 6.6 after June 1st. This offer is naturally also valid for SilverFast versions bundled with a scanner device or purchased from a dealer."
I've tried to install the upgrade on my new MAC OSX Lion system, but nothing works and the system crashes.
I've also Photoshop CS5 and the plugin doesn't work.
What can I do now?
Do I need to wait your free upgrade to version 8 (Am I eligible for?) at the end of the year??
Thanks.
Carlo

Dear Carlo

tlmclg wrote:Do I need to wait your free upgrade to version 8 (Am I eligible for?) at the end of the year??

Yes, you will have to wait to the free upgrade of version 8 which comes towards the end of August (if you bought SilverFast during the grace period, of course you are eligible)

Cheers

the.duch wrote:Going back shuold be the best option - oh and for the pros: to update a workstation a couple of day after a new Os release, what the hell you we're thinking???

Try not to assume so much, I have been in correspondence in regards to Lion long enough to have made that decision, but what I was TOLD has changed after the fact, NOT good. So lets keep the comments about pros to our selves, ok?

Leading up to release of Mac OS X 10.7, I checked LaserSoft's web site several times. I read reassuring status messages by this "reputable" company would stand behind their product and would resolve compatibility issues around launch time. Now that I've installed Lion, SilverFast is the ONLY software I have that fails to even launch and is entirely unusable. And now the "reputable" company clarifies their position that they will eventually have compatibility and will also require a hefty upgrade fee to resolve compatibility issues.

Yes, I can still use Adobe Photoshop CS3. Yes, even Microsoft Office 2008 works.

Back out of this operating system upgrade? No, I have better use of my time and there really is no need to. Viewscan is a much more likely solution than going backwards.

I am distressed to see that LaserSoft apparently feels they have no moral issues in how they portrayed their support of their community leading up to the OS release and how they subtly change their position. Talk about bait and switch. In going forward, it will be a much harder sell for LaserSoft to keep my customer loyalty. I'm not certain I trust their words, as they seem to like to blow sunshine our way. It seems I made a wasted investment in scanning software when I decided to go with LaserSoft.

As someone else already said, there is an alternative application which works flawless on Lion. I can't type the name here as LaserSoft is censoring it. Just Google Silverfast alternative and you will find it.

Not sure yet if it's a viable solution, testing out the trial copy I downloaded. Photos seem to have a bit more noise in them but on the plus side they have a lot more presets for different kind of slides. I like Silverfast but guessing that's because I have been using it for so many years.

Also money comes into play, they say you can upgrade for free. I bought my Plustek only a few months ago which means I don't qualify for the free upgrade and need to fork out 100 euro's while the competition only charges 28 euros for a normal version or 55 euro for one that gives me free upgrades for the rest of my life. Oh and last but not least, I can use the software with different scanners so when I buy a new scanner I don't have to buy again.

I would LOVE to hear from others regarding the alternative software, how does it stack up to SilverFast when it comes to quality of the scans?

Hi, I have been using Silverfast SE which was bundled with my Epson Perfection V700 Photo Scanner. I have just upgraded to Mac OS X LION and now the scanner or Silverfast refuse to work or be recognised, 'Power PC applications are no longer supported'. I have managed to download up to date drivers for the scanner which now sort of works, but with issues, but no luck with silverfast. Any help or suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks

Dear Mikejay,

SilverFast 6.6 does not work under Lion, we will release a new product generation which is compatible with Lion towards the end of the month of August.

Check here: http://www.silverfast.com/show/lion/en.html

Kind regards

I have been thinking of buying the latest 6.6 of Silverfast. After reading this thread, I am re-thinking whether I should fork out over $500 USD for software that may not work with my particular scanner, a Nikon LS 5000 ED. I know the announcement from LaserSoft said they will support all major scanners. I guess the thing that concerns me is the lack of information regarding which scanners are to be supported. Nikon is a major manufacturer but they discontinued manufacture and sale of their entire scanner line a few years ago. This should also concern those pros with the more expensive 9000 or 8000 scanners from Nikon. Probably the best way forward is for Lasersoft to start coming out and tell everyone what's coming. It's only 1 month before the end of August so what's the point in holding everything close to the chest. Tell us pricing, tell us what's supported, tell us the features, etc. Give us more information. Post the non-support for Lion on the front page of your web site. Maybe a better suggestion, albeit a little is hire a PR person.

Mel

Dear Mel,

meltonlow wrote:I know the announcement from LaserSoft said they will support all major scanners. I guess the thing that concerns me is the lack of information regarding which scanners are to be supported. Nikon is a major manufacturer but they discontinued manufacture and sale of their entire scanner line a few years ago.

It is correct!

We are currently working on the implementation of Nikon scanners for Mac, the 5000 will definitely be supported as well as the 4000 ED, 40 ED, 50 ED, 8000 ED, 9000 ED.

Cheers

Hi

In some of my last posts, I already asked you for a list of scanners supported by V8. Is there such a list?

e.g. supported scanners, scanners you are still investigating/working on, not supported scanners

andifor wrote:Hi

In some of my last posts, I already asked you for a list of scanners supported by V8. Is there such a list?

e.g. supported scanners, scanners you are still investigating/working on, not supported scanners

Hi andifor

Yours is a valid question, right now we are not authorized to officially publish that information.

Of course the we will start with the most popular scanners, some Epson scanners, Nikon, Canon, Plustek and more will follow.

We immensely appreciate your patience on this.

Kind regards

Hi Alejandro,

Thank you for your confirmation the Nikon LS 5000ED scanner will be supported along with the other Nikon scanners. That wasn't so hard was it? Since you already announced Silverfast 8, why is the company still so secretive?

I now have another decision to make. Do I buy the existing version 6.6 Silverfast Archive or wait for version 8? If I buy now, will I be paying significantly more or less than the new version 8? It's hard with a lack of information. Procrastination may be my best option.

A lot of the questions should have been answered by now. It would have been better to have made the same announcement right after the Mac OS X Lion announcement with a full followup with lots of details once Lion is shipping. It's not too late before you upset more people.

Mel

I think I at least owe Silverfast an apology, unless Silverfast 8 works with OS 10.6.8, I most likely won't be upgrading, here is the reason why:

After more hours than I care to count in trying to get back to a professional working machine, I am back to the most solid, up to date and yet able OS I have ever used, 10.6.8.

I have always early adopted out of curiosity and commitment to Apple's innovation and forward momentum, always had bugs that I covered my rear with multi-tiered and solid back up plans, sweated out third party apps in waiting for revisions, but trying out Lion has changed that for me forever. I will *NEVER* do any update until at least 3 revisions in, ever...

Like several who have reported the same issues, I had some pretty bad finder lockups that resulted in hard force quits, power button only restarts. One of my fastest drives, a WD Caviar Black 2TB contains the primary import folder for my professional photography needs, seeing thousands of images per job come in that need to be batch renamed and thumbnails rendered for catalogs. After importing 1,800 images and doing the usual work, the finder locked up on a delete of those files, they never made it to the trash, 20 minutes into the beach ball, I had to do yet another hard restart.

Mac OSX 10.7 Lion in it's chronic freeze and lock up issues fried the drive, I have a 3TB on order to replace it....

I know many have had good experiences on their machines and I am not surprised, it all depends on your hardware, software and usage. But many of us have found this to be the most bug ridden and workflow disruptive piece of software we have ever encountered and it is all our fault for upgrading too soon, you win, we lose...

Enjoy Lion if you can, I am sure it has some great features from a consumer standpoint, but given how much trouble many of us have had with it on launch, how utterly iOS-like and handicapped it is, well, I am pretty sure the next time I upgrade to a new OS will be when I get a new primary machine in 3-4 year's time and I doubt I will be running Lion on it...

I'm sure this bug ridden POS is why Lasersoft is having a hard time getting out a stable OS compatible scan software suite, in my 25 years in using Apple products, this is by far the worst thing they have ever come out with.

Hi Mel

meltonlow wrote:That wasn't so hard was it? Since you already announced Silverfast 8, why is the company still so secretive?

Well, I can not really tell, I just say what I know and what I am authorized to

meltonlow wrote:I now have another decision to make. Do I buy the existing version 6.6 Silverfast Archive or wait for version 8? If I buy now, will I be paying significantly more or less than the new version 8? It's hard with a lack of information. Procrastination may be my best option.

You are right, I would wait!

meltonlow wrote:A lot of the questions should have been answered by now. It would have been better to have made the same announcement right after the Mac OS X Lion announcement with a full followup with lots of details once Lion is shipping. It's not too late before you upset more people.

As I said, it is not within my grasp to take those decisions.

I have already forwarded all such sugestions

Cheers