Public beta set for DxO's raw converter for Mac
A Mac OS X version of DxO Optics Pro 5 is scheduled for public beta release in February and final form a few weeks after.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
LAS VEGAS--In a departure from how it handled its Windows release, DxO Labs plans to begin a public beta testing for the Mac OS X version of its DxO Optics Pro software used to convert raw files from higher-end cameras.
DxO Labs released DxO Optics Pro version 5 for Windows last year, saying it hoped to release the Mac OS X version in November. However, the Mac version of the software now is scheduled for release on Feb. 22, said Luc Marin, DxO's director of marketing for photography, at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here.
The company hopes to complete the final version in early spring, but issuing a public beta means the company will get feedback that makes a final release date uncertain, though, he said.
DxO was skeptical about public beta software, but the public "seems to be eating them up forever," Marin said. "In hindsight, we probably would have been better off doing it on day one (with the Windows version), so we're switching gears."
In addition, Marin said, DxO is planning an update next week that will support Canon's 1Ds Mark III and Nikon's D3, two new top-end SLR cameras. Later will come support for Canon's Rebel XSi, Nikon's D60, and Sony's Alpha A700, he added.