I just wanted to say that after a bit of a rough start with crashes upon startup, I'm pretty pleased..overall.
The support culture is responsive, but not quite what other companies do. I have actual reason to believe it will improve, but the obvious focus of this company is on their PhaseOne brand. MUCH better than M$, but the program is still buggy.
The improvements aren't huge, but neither is the price on the upgrade. The ROI is a no-brainer here. Biggest improvement is on speed. The interface is more 2011, but I haven't explored or needed whatever else.
It's worth a shot, there's still no other cataloging software like it, AFAIC.

Thanks Jimhere for the link to the Phase One user forums. Kind of cumbersome to get registered, but after viewing the forums, it seems the company is very resomnsive & interested in the needs of the professional photographer.

Made my day, too. Finally some good news.

I think we ALL want to know. This entire DAM system was built around this software. Now it's just a matter of time until it stops functioning & will become incompatible with the evolution of the rest of the technology we use. VERY disappointing & totally irresponsible on the part of micro$oft to abandon this software for whatever reason.

And here's her last reply. MAYBE there's hope of some sor..don't know what, though.

"Hi Don,
 
Yes, I know. I’m a photographer myself, and I’m feeling the pinch, too. In addition to my own use, I feel a real responsibility to the photographic community around this product.
 
The RichMedia group is the one that provides http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto, and the tools that you can download from it, like the SyncToy, Autocollage (along with MSResearch), and Pro Photo Tools. I’ve looked all over their website, and can’t find a “Contact Us” link. Let me send your information to the contacts that I have within that team and ask them to contact you.
 
Thanks,
Anita Oakley
469-775-6635 (x56635)"


PS-
Her e-mail address is
anitao at microsoft dot com

Here's a reply I just received from Anita Oakley-

To: Anita Oakley
From: Don Shreve
Subject: (Messages from your Expression Media Support Team) : Expression Media
Importance: High

Why has this product no longer offered or supported?
Will there EVER be an updated version?

Reply--
"Hello Don,

It is supported through Microsoft Enterprise Support, and it's available through Amazon as well as other sources. The future of the product is currently under discussion, and I'm afraid I don't have any information about that at the current time.

It was removed from the Expression Suite because the target audience is different than all of the other products in that suite, and the Rich Media team owns it now.

Thanks,
Anita Oakley
469-775-6635 (x56635"

SO...at least there's still a human at MS who acknowledges that the product has existed.
I replied requesting information about the "Rich Media Team" & how to contact them to relay concerns & disappointment about removal of the product.
I'll post anything further I hear.

Don Shreve
http://www.shreveimaging.com

Here's another outrage perpetrated by our government; a secret until it was exposed by the last vestiges of a "free press".

Travelers' Laptops May Be Detained At Border (washingtonpost.com)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/content/article/2008/08/01/laptops.html

I just wrote to both my senators, my US rep, the TSA & Customs, as if it will make any difference.

Don Shreve
http://www.shreveimaging.com
Fayetteville, AR

I'm debating purchasing Aperture for tethered shooing into a new MacBook Pro. I can't find anything anywhere that tells me if the star ratings from Aperture will transfer to iVew/Expression Media.
In other words, if a client sees images coming up as I shoot & gives them ratings, will those star ratings transfer to EM & Bridge?

Don Shreve
http://www.shreveimaging.com

I've used the Maxtor one touch III running Retrospect on Mac OSX.
To summarize..it sucks. It does give a report showing the mulit-page listing of execution errors, and the one-touch funcion NEVER worked.
I'm in the process of buying Acronis for my new PC workstation, am hoping it woks as is claimed.
Is it too much to ask for software to do that?

Dana-
Will True Image not boot from a CD or USB drive in the event of a system failure?
Their user guide says it will.
Is there any reason to not trust Acronis to do everything?

I was testing it tonight, am going to an industrial shoot in the morning, trying to get a handle on it so I don't look like a total idiotic  little kid with toys he's still learning to play with. New Dell, New CS3, New Bridge. New Ingester & total new worklfow.
I hear if you keep yourself challenged, you're less likely to get alltimers. I'm moving away from Mac, bought a Dell server, Dell Laptop, & a hot red glowing thingy Dell tells me is their newest fancy-dancy water-cooled image workstation that will also function as a photo assistant.
Anyway, I should have some sort of a connection from the factory in SW Missouri, & can send you the error reports.
Thanks, Marc,
Don

Marc-
Just bought the program, set my preferences, etc. SDet to open Bridge as the viewer. Bridge crashes on every attempt. I can set viewe to none & open bridge afterwards.
Windows XP SP2, CS3 Extended.
Thanks

Great, Thanks, Marc.
I'll buy it tomorrow>

Great! Thanks Peter, I should have thought of that. I do pay attention to the size (amount) of the media in the catalog, didn't realize it would calculate sizes from the files selected.
Thanks again for such a great resource.

Can I use IIP to "finish" the ingestion, migration, backup, copying (whatever) from my laptop to my office workstation?
I downloaded the user manual & didn't see it mentioned, am looking to customize my workflow using IIP.
Thanks!