ISCREAM  Photo syncing with iPhone no longer works...  
(Version 8.1.1)

THEOPH  After updating to iPhoto 8.1, I can no longer sync my iPhone and Apple TV through iTunes. One must deselect Photo syncing in ITunes to resume the syncing function. Of course you don't sync your Photos anymore.   
(Version 8.1)

SAVO33BRAVO THE LIAR  AWESOME !!! LOVE IT !!! FANTASTIC ADDITION TO APERTURE .... ++++  
(Version 8.1)

STEVE R  I updated to the latest 8.0.3 today, midway through working on a slideshow project. Prior to updating I had successfully exported several versions of my project using the same non-DRM-protected mp3 file. After updating, my slideshow has no exported sound. None. I tried AAC, still no sound. Restarted the computer, no sound. Even tried the built in themes, no sound on the exported file. Deleted the ~.plist, restarted the computer, iPhoto opens like new (all libraries intact) but once again, no sound on the exported slideshow.

Frustrating. Tomorrow I pull out my disks and reinstall software, not letting iPhoto update to see if there is any joy in mudville.

iMac 24" 2.8GHz/4GB RAM

10.5.7  
(Version 8.0.3)

EGINZBURG  NO METRIC SIZES WHEN PRINTING PHOTOS! IPHOTO IS NOT COMPLIANT WITH EU MARKET AND NOT SUITABLE FOR EUROPEAN CUSTOMERS AT ALL!!!

I tried using custom sizes but there is a bug that causes improper orientation of photos.

I think EU should come up with regulation that all software is compatible with metric system before any product is allowed to the market.  
(Version 8.0.3)

ANDY HEWITT  As much as I've always liked iPhoto, and have used it for may generations now, the '09 version isn't working well for me.

For the cost of iLife, it's undoubtedly a very good value media manager, and is still far better than either Picasa or Expressions. It's also worth remembering that this is a 'consumer' level application, not a Pro app, so in the right context it is one of the best image managers there is. (I also think it's unfair to knock down iPhoto for poor Raw format support - this is part of the OS, and affects anything that uses Apple Raw support, including Aperture).

However, there are some niggles for me. My biggest is very poor editing performance with Raw images. I use Olympus E510 pics, at about 10MB each, and editing them in iPhoto is actually pretty painful. If I do some quick adjustments, and move to the next image, iPhoto will eventually pause, sometimes for as much as two minutes. I can alleviate this by watching my iStat menu for processor usage, and waiting until it drops before moving on - this still takes a good 20 seconds per image though.

Fortunately I'm not a Pro, so it isn't critical.

As others have mentioned, the 'Faces' feature isn't quite there yet, and it seems to work less well as more faces are added. I'd like a function to disable the features altogether.  
(Version 8.0.3)

ODYSSEUS  Beware of the update to iPhoto 8.0.3. After launch, it deleted all of my MobileMe photo galleries!  
(Version 8.0.3)

JBSSM  Although I cannot abide to praise the ease of use of iPhoto, the truth is that Apple doesn't seem to care for some clients at all.

This software is out for almost 6 months, and so is the Panasonic Lumix 3 camera which is a fairly popular camera, still, after all this time and after 2 updates, still no support for RAW mode in this camera.

I mean, is it that difficult to add a library to the program that is already made and that gives the desired functionality?

Adobe did it in a bit more than 1 month in their software ... Apple is making us wait for more than 6 months.

Also, as interesting and innovative as the face recognition may seem, the truth is that is practically always wrong. All the faces need manual checking and tagging.  
(Version 8.0.2)

IAMDORIAN  DANGER - WILL ROBINSON - DANGER!

The last (what is it?) 2 version of iPhoto, Running on a 2GHz (white) iMac, strip ALL INFORMATION above (early count) 154 characters from any information linked to your images. THIS IS SERIOUS. I log LOTS of data when I pull references from the Web, for example, for copyright reasons - links, notes, etc. I've lost ALL but the first 154 characters on ALL FILES (yes, I add a lot of data) and this means (usually) the LINK itself as I tend to put this last.

APPLE - WHAT GIVES??? If this has happened to any of you I HOPE you have a very recent full library data backup? Luckily mine is only maybe a week old, but for some people, I fear, this will be disastrous. The new version does NOT fix this problem, and still truncates. I hope Apple is NOT stripping our functionality in order to further sales of Aperture? That would me a MicroSoft tactic.

This latest faux pas is certainly inexcusable at any rate. This is NOT the Apple software we've come to know -AND TRUST!

So far this problem does not appear to have affected my iPhoto data on a new (last series) Mac Pro (Quad-Dual Core). Thank God!

#$()&)@~#$()_#%$U!_(#$@~_#  
(Version 7.1.2)

THEGOODGUY  ugh, this program is so bloated and slow and im on an iMac G5 running at 2 ghz! Honestly, i'd be happy with less stupid greeting card and .mac fixes that nobody uses and more stability/speed improvements because how it is right now is unacceptable for the money spent. also, albums/events are great.. but i like viewing all my pictures at once like it used to be.. anyone know how to do that? or did apple screw that up too?   
(Version 7.1)

LEOOFBORG  This iteration of iPhoto, while having a number of new 'gee whiz' features -- also suffers from the great 'dumbing down' that other users are complaining about with iMovie and iDVD.

My gripes are here:

http://expatleo.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/iphoto-7-drops-n-up-printing-as-a-feature-dumb/

I also list the workarounds to get around this so-called 'enhancement'.

C'mon Apple. Bring back N-Up and real contact sheets.

I would give iPhoto 6 4.5 stars, and at this point recommend it over iPhoto 7.0x for at least the next couple months.  
(Version 7.0.2)

MDAMLI  Sigh... Events still do not appear in Apple TV or Front Row. Have to make albums, which DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF EVENTS... >.  
(Version 7.0.2)

MACUPDATE ADMIN  From MacInTouch.com:

"The folks at Unsanity may finally have unravelled the mystery of randomly-disastrous Apple software updates:

Shock and Awe: How Installing Apple's Updates can Render Your Mac Unbootable and How You Can Prevent it

... When you see the "Optimizing System Performance" phase of a software update, Mac OS X is really updating prebinding. Updating prebinding has a very, very nasty bug in it (look at _dyld_update_prebinding). If multiple processes are updating prebinding at the same time, then it is possible for a system file to be completely zero'd out. Basically, all data in the file is deleted and it is replaced with nothing. This bug is usually triggered when updating Mac OS X and every update to Mac OS X has the potential to render your system unbootable depending on if the "right" file is deleted or not. It's triggered during the "Optimizing System Performance" phase of installing an update. This phase is actually just running update_prebinding. If you launch an application that links to libraries that are not yet prebound, there is a chance one of those files will be zero'd out as dyld automatically redoes the prebinding on that file.

I've been tracking this particular bug for about 18 months now. Most of the real "random" failures reported on various Mac OS X "troubleshooting" sites after a user has installed an Apple software update are actually manifestations of this bug. By real I mean not imagined problems or ones that have been there for a very long time but the user is just now noticing it and artificially connecting the cause to the recent update (it's called Pareidolia). Yes, this nasty prebinding bug has been reported to Apple and yes, it is 100% reproducible if you want to reproduce it.

Every single time you install an update to Mac OS X whether it be an iTunes update, a QuickTime update, an update for daylight saving time, a security update, an Airport update, or an actual Mac OS X update, you can be hit by this bug. In order to prevent yourself from being smacked in the face by this bug, follow this simple rule: When "Optimize System Performance" appears during the update process do not touch your computer and definitely do not launch any applications. Just back away from your computer box as if it were a swarm of bees. Yes, it does mean that if you install the Mac OS X 10.4.9 update, you may get hit by the bug."  
(Version 6.0.6)

153957PHOTOGRAPHY  Super update! (6.0.3)

keyword adding is now blazin' fast, as it should be.

no more coffee-break while iPhoto is adding a keyword to lots of photos at once...  
(Version 6.0.4)

NEXUS 11  I'm getting the same problem - damn thing won't update my existing app - which is there for all to see, except the updater it seems.  
(Version 6.0.3)

CONVERSESKANKER  I am having the same problem, its not allowing me to install it and saying that i dont have the proper iphoto in my applications folder, even though in my applications iphoto the last version before this update is on there...have a g4 powerbook  
(Version 6.0.1)

OCTAVIUS  Can anyone help please? I've tried to install both 5.0.4 and 6.0.1 and get the same problem: At 'Select a Destination' I get a big white exclamation mark in a red octagon saying 'You cannot install IPhoto Update 5.0.4/6.0.1 on this volume. An eligible IPhoto application was not found in the location /Applications/IPhoto.app.'  
(Version 6.0.1)

MISCHIVO  iPhoto 6 is lacking in some very essential elements. Instead of adding glits and glamour that does not seriously alter the application's usability (to the better!), the program needs some REAL features that will help users organize their photography. Let me suggest two, that I borrow from Aperture's feature set:

- non-destructive editing that DOES NOT create a wholly new image file containing the changes, but simply applies rules to the original file (saving disk space)

- better keyword tagging: faster input, and possibly more fields (at least Name, Location, and Event). A keyword, IMHO, is not adequate for all the names and locations and events I have, especially considering the current (inefficient) method of inputing them (checking boxes!).

So I beg Apple and its product developers, please allow for at least these two features. They would not steal much of the "pro" from Aperture, for it would still remain superior and feature-rich, but it would sure do a whole lot to add more usefulness to iPhoto--at least much more utility than calendars, photocasting, and all the other superficial elements you've added this time around (except fullscreen editing).

Thanks  
(Version 6.0)

KATHRIN WARD  I have a G4 Powerbook and recently updated IPhoto to the 5.0.4 version.

On prior IPhoto versions, I had no problems importing pics from my Sony Cybershot digital camera.

Now, IPhoto opens the import screen, knows how many pics there are to import (and I have deleted some to see if it is reading the camera true and it is) but after I click on "import", it gets stuck at that point, tells me it is "importing"...

When I ask it to stop importing, it gets stuck on "stopping".

I also can't eject the device - and have to unplug the USB - then I get the message telling me off for doing that.

Any tips? CHEERS - KW  
(Version 5.0.4)

JOSH  I don't have a digital camera, but I do have an iPod Nano, and all I want to do is upload photos from my computer to my Nano. I downloaded this updater so I could. But everytime I try to install it, I get this message:

iPhoto504 cannot be installed on this computer.

An eligible iPhoto application could not be found in /Applications.

What's going on?  
(Version 5.0.4)

ANONYMOUS  Having family all over the country I regularly keep the same few photos on my SD card whilst also taking new ones. Using iPhoto 4 I could import the photos from my SD card and it would politely ask me

"Do you want to import duplicates?"

and I would answer

"No thanks."

Since upgrading to iPhoto 5.0.4, I am no longer asked if I wish to import duplicate photos, iPhoto just goes ahead and does it! This means I am spending heaps of time removing duplicate photos from my photo library after each import. Aaaargh!

I haven't messed with any dates outside of iPhoto (don't know how). All I have done is upgrade to iPhoto 5. :-(

If anyone has any tips I'd be very grateful!

I don't have the colour problem that other people have, but my iPhoto now crashes on a regular basis. iPhoto 4 didn't...  
(Version 5.0.4)

ANONYMOUS  After a few hours of trying to view my RAW format photo's by Canon 350D (Rebel XT) in IPhoto, I was disappointed to learn that the format is not supported despite loud marketing claims to the contrary. Is it likely to be updated in the near future to support this particular camera?   
(Version 5.0.4)

STEVE  There are still issues with connectivity when uploading photos to a .Mac homepage and when ordering prints.  
(Version 5.0.4)

ANONYMOUS  good update  
(Version 5.0.4)

THEHEALER  MUTCH more speed on g4 450 1,2GB - just fine!  
(Version 5.0.4)

JONO  Still doesnt work with Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT/350D RAW support which is ridiculous considering the very minor differences in the CR2 format of the Rebel XT and the original Rebel.

At the moment Rebel XT users are left converting all their RAWs to Tiffs or other formats using the Canon software which just adds another (slow) stage to the whole process.

I have always been a fan of iPhoto and think it does a great job of managing my photos, though I would never do any real editing in the App itself.

To those experiencing slowdowns, Google "speeding up iPhoto" or something like that. I find that viewing by film rolls, changing the drop shadow option, and removing photo borders all help.

Still just waiting and hoping that Apple introduce the RAW support for the XT. Re. the upgrade itself, I cant see any real changes, seems like a predominately behind the scenes upgrade. At least theyre not charging for it!  
(Version 5.0.4)

SIG  So far the download location for 5.0.4 still downloads 5.0.3.   
(Version 5.0.4)

ANONYMOUS  excellent works like a charm  
(Version 5.0.3)

TOURNESOL  To those of you getting the spinning beachball. Try holding down cmd + alt when starting iPhoto and check all the available rebuild methods, and let iPhoto do the job. That left me with a much faster iPhoto without the spinning beachballs. You may want to backup your library before doing so.  
(Version 5.0.3)

ANONYMOUS  I have updated to 5.0.3 and after limited testing I still seem to be getting the spinning ball. ( I have tried all the well published 'fixes' and still am not satisfied that the pragam is working satisfactorily). I have now reluctantly but out of necessity decamped to Shoebox which imports all iphoto libraries and other photo files with keywords. It is a great management system and worth a try. It is similar to iview but less complicated and more userfiendly with aqua interface. I have 40,000 photos and it handles them like a dream with no speed restriction. It allows spotlight to find your photos which is very useful. Only snap is you have to use 3rd party app. for image editing - I use Photoshop Elements and find the two work very well together.  
(Version 5.0.3)

TOURNESOL  Startup time is MUCH faster and overall everything seems a bit snappier, but not much. How come it took Apple so lobg to come up with a Tiger update for iPhoto?  
(Version 5.0.3)

ANONYMOUS  No one says that the main iPhoto 5 issue - SPEEEEED - is fixed now.

I bought (!) iP5 - and downgraded to v.4 because it was slow as a slug: 1 min to start it up, 2 mins to shut it down, and the spinning ball after every pic change. (iBook G4/1.3 GHz/512.)

V.4 was the same - until the update came about a year ago.

How long will it take Apple to speed this one up???  
(Version 5.0.3)

DARREN  Now that I'm on the right application (left this comment in the OmniWeb dealy by accident. What happens when you step away from the computer and leave up the comment section), let me say - About TIME, Apple!!

It actually works. Thanks for the update, now I can use iPhoto by itself.

For the "complainers", and commenters to the "complainers", iPhoto is not necessarily the best app for photo management bar none.

Kodak is doing a decent job with keeping theirs up-to-date on OS X. On Windows, Picasa 2 is pretty darn slick. I wish Picasa were avail. on OS X, would spur more innovation in iPhoto and vice versa.  
(Version 5.0.3)

ANONYMOUS  iPhoto is so cool, and with the integration with the other iApps, makes this program priceless.

To those of you complaining, it sounds like you just suck at taking pictures. Get better at that, then try iPhoto, it makes it so much easier to organize your photos. But please refrain from reviewing how much your pictures suck, and instead review the software. Thanks.  
(Version 5.0.3)

ANONYMOUS  iPhoto looks cool and the integration with iApps is good. But it is not as easy to use as Graphic Converter. Graphic Converter is far better to sort, modify or display photos.  
(Version 5.0.2)

MIKAEL  iPhoto 5.0.2 is such a bad upgrade. You simply cannot adjust your photos, or crop them without having other settings automatically changed (brightness, sharpen, exposure, etc…). It just hapened after I installed Tiger and the 5.0.2 upgrade, and I don't know which one is responsible for this crap… I very much hope this is fixed in a 5.0.3 update that comes very soon, because for the moment, it's just impossible to use the program. Very very bad…  
(Version 5.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  iPhoto 5 thus far has been a real piece of crapware. Whenever I recrop a photo, adjust red eye, etc. iPhoto takes it upon itself to LIGHTEN the color of my photo. And THEN IT'S NOT ABLE TO GO BACK AND CHANGE IT.

What a piece of @#$#@% garbage. If you entrust your photos to it, you are taking your life in your own hands.

APPLE, FIX IPHOTO ASAP PLEASE!  
(Version 5.0.2)

JACKSON  Whenever I edit a photo in iPhtoo 5.0.2 it becomes RED when I press done. This is simply unacceptable. Please fix this bug apple!  
(Version 5.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  Upgraded to 5.0.2 without any problems. I love iPhoto, but it can be slow at times. Keep the updates coming Apple!  
(Version 5.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  D9, expectancy comes from the sales blurb my friend. Such as the RAW support, my camera certainly is not supported and I am not alone. Apple are aware of this why have that not improved RAW compatibility?

iPhoto 5 was not ready for release, it is buggy and slow, if you treat it real careful like, with nothing else running and a good wind behind you it will work. If you stress it, for instance trying to get it to import whilst and other programme is running then you are in a world of s**t.

Its great you are getting what you need from it. My needs are actually very very simple. I want to import files from my camera and I want to view them in iphoto quickly and easily. As it is I am scared to load it most times.  
(Version 5.0.2)

D9  I think there is a vast misrepresentation in these reviews on what iPhoto was designed to do. You've got to remember that iPhoto is a consumer-level solution, just like iMovie and iDVD. If you're a professional seeking to use professional-level software, don't expect iPhoto to fit that bill. Although Apple does not have a professional (or even prosumer) solution equivalent to it's movie (Final Cut) and authoring (DVD Studio) options, there are plenty of alternatives.

I also find it perplexing that people say that iPhoto has become slow, when in fact, each major upgrade has increased speed significantly (iPhoto 5 is vastly faster than iPhoto 2). It can definitely get better, but Apple has shown that with each upgrade. Overall, I like iPhoto 5 and its features. I just think people are expecting way too much out it.  
(Version 5.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  Wow its slightly faster then before bringing it up to the pace of an injured snail.

Well done Apple!  
(Version 5.0.2)

SPIRITMAN  I have 18,000 photos in iPhoto on a G5 iMac and find it to run quite fast and have many, many features that most don't know about.....I use it for RAW and yes I can export or manipulate the originals and if you use the 0,1, or 2 size or break down the larger library to years you can scroll swiftly......  
(Version 5.0.2)

@A  It was initially a good idea by Apple but iPhoto has now become a slow, unstable and somewhat obsolete piece of software. The most annoying thing is having to wait for iPhoto to update previous photo DVDs to view in iPhoto '05. I have a bunch of photo DVDs that I burned in version 4 but don't want in my iPhoto library. I have to wait nearly 5 minutes each time I insert a DVD for this craptacular update to occur. Apple should take a lesson from Google's mucho excellent photo program, Picassa. Unfortunately it's only available for Windows. If it wasn't, I'd drop iPhoto like a bag of tatertots.  
(Version 5.0.2)

ZEUSZEN  I love the idea of iPhoto, unfortunately, it has become progressively slower, buggier and, actually, dangerous to use with critical files.

I shoot RAW with embedded JPGs and cannot use as many as 100 files without, consistently, waiting, crashing or looking at my images dissolve to white blanks in front of my eyes.

Rebuilding the library does not make an iota of a difference, Apple's support pages appear to avoid to acknowledge these issues, although its own discussion boards reflect my observations.

iPhoto, to me, has become entirely unusable.

What good are wonderful features, if I can't even archive my photos without loosing them? Editing, well, how can you edit something which is not there?   
(Version 5.0.2)

CRAZY APE  I don't know why everyone is always having problems with the iLife Apps, and everyone is always complaining about how thay can't do this, it won't do that. I have been using iLife since 1.0 and I have never had any problems with it, it has worked flawlessly since day one. I have made 2 feature films with iLife and never had a single problem. I'm running a 800mhz iMac G4, and I couln't be happyer with iLife!  
(Version 5.0.2)

PGRIDER  Basically a worthless piece of junk!

I have installed iLife 05 three separate times, upgraded to iPhoto 5.0.1 and have NEVER been able to get the app to launch.

Did a complete reinstall of all system software after reformatting my drive and then reinstalled iLife with iPhoto 5.0.1, and, you're right, iPhoto will not launch. Quite a few folks on the Apple Support chat rooms have had the same problem. Some have been able to get the app to work, others, like me have had absolutely no luck.

iPhoto 4 was great–a five star....

iPhoto 5 bites big time. I've switched to iViewMediaPro, which is a bit pricey–at $199–but offers many more options and actually launches when you want it to!  
(Version 5.0.2)

TOURNESOL  Scrolling is still slow as hell - even on my 1.5 ghz Powerbook with 128 mb videoram. iVideo is superb at scrolling the thumbnails, iView Media Pro is superb at scrolling the thumbnails. Why isn't iPhoto???  
(Version 5.0.2)

SIMON T  I am glad I'm not the ONLY ONE who feels incredibly frustrated with this program. It is dull, tedious, and so unreliable.

Even though I installed directly from the instalation CDs that came with my new iBook, it will not run saying "iPhoto is missing system files and cannot open' !!!!

Even after re-installing this FOUR TIMES, I still keep getting that same messege. Do you think my local authorised Apple dealer can help? OF COURSE NOT !!!

A nice alternative is FotoMagico which is fast, reliable, and exports your photos into slideshow movies etc much more reliably and at a much much much higher quality. iView Media Pro is another, of course...

I agree with the reviewer who says it is buggy - indeed, it is!! Apple really need to sort this out quickly and provide those so-called 'missing system files' wherever they may be (?????) because I have no idea !!!!  
(Version 5.0.2)

ELECTRONICHOLAS.COM  This program really annoys me. I've never been so irritated by an apple program in my computing life. It has more features that iphoto 4, but is incredibly slow.

It takes 20 seconds to delete photos

It is generally unresponsive

Thumbnails take a long time to turn into full size images.

Please do SOMETHING to fix this ASAP Apple!!!  
(Version 5.0.1)

VELODEV  As soon as iPhoto is loaded, system resources hit all time highs... 100% CPU utilization and majority of RAM swap being used.

Double clicking on a photo takes a mere 10 seconds to even load up. This is on a 2Gb AlBook 1.25Ghz.

Completely unacceptable for Apple. Fix it ASAP as I am already looking for alternatives.  
(Version 5.0.1)

PGRIDER  Upgraded to iLife '05 last week. Now iPhoto (even with the 5.0.1 upgrade) will not launch. Nothing I have done works. There are quite a few folk in the same boat (see the Apple Discussion Boards) but Apple seems to not be doing anything to correct the situation.

iPhoto remains useless at this point and I cannot get back to iLife '04.

I now own iViewMediaPro and it totally rocks! I'll miss the ease of iPhoto and the ability to quickly post to my .Mac website, but iViewMediaPro offers much more flexibility and the ability to create web content.  
(Version 5.0.1)

LEO OF BORG  Bad mojo with HP Printer Drivers (HP drivers are buggy to start with, Printer Sharing does not work).

iPhoto 5.01 is a step in the right direction but it is also BUGGY. I had no problem importing from 4.03 to 5, but after my first import from my Digital Reb, I now cannot delete Pics. The sheet / dialog to 'Empty the Trash' just FREEZES iPhoto.

At this point, I'm glad I backed things up. Willl try to reinstall iPhoto 5 and then update to 5.01.. I'm hoping that works.

I gave iPhoto 4 4 stars.. and I'd give iPhoto 5 4 stars again for the new features... and ALMOST subtract 1 star for the bugginess.

C'mon iPhoto QAs! You REALLY need to squash the bugs for 5.02!!  
(Version 5.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  iPhoto 5 crashes at opening on powerbook G4, dual Ghz G5 etc... I wonder... I wanted to give a try to see if there were any "progress" since version 4 ... hum, you want the answer? I 'll stick to iView MediaPro !  
(Version 5.0.1)

DAVID  It's trying to import my entire library of pictures, unsuccessfully at that. I left it running to no avail. I've done the update and I'm thinking about moving my pics to another folder to avoid the problem. If that doesn't work, I'm going back to iphoto 4. This is troubling.

-----

ibook 900 mhz G3

640 MB RAM  
(Version 5.0.1)

PAUL  I'd like to say that iPhoto is wonderful software, and it's great and all, but it's not wonderful. It seems as if Apple deliberately created some complicated archiving system that makes it nearly impossible to export or fish out ALL your photos and ALL originals how you want them to be exported... this is especially difficult considering the fact that I can't rename the filenames from within iPhoto, only it's internally used "title" field. This creates a lot of headaches. Another quirk is that whenever I do export the iPhoto folder to say, iView Media, I end up with exported photos that I DON'T EVEN HAVE IN MY IPHOTO LIBRARY! What is the deal with that? iPhoto keeps copies of random images I've deleted over a year ago? They're not in the trash (that I've emptied hundreds of times), they're not in any album or the library... where are they stored? Beats me.

I say to Apple: for iPhoto 6, rethink the way in which you file away the files, and make an "export originals" feature... sure beats reverting the library to the originals and exporting th at... oy!

Also, for iPhoto 6, or maybe for a 5.x release, fix the Red-Eye feature, make it similary to iView Media's slider and selection tool--that gets virtually all red-eye I throw at it. iPhoto's only works on the EXTREME cases, not on the dim red eyes or the bright red eye in the distance...

Another problem I encounter is the laggy performance when I scroll across my photos--what's with that? It doesn't happen in Photoshop or in Preview, on the same computer and the same photos! There is no reason that it should be laggy.

Basically, I feel that some features are deliberately revved down or missing so that they could add them to the next version--and I'm talking about basic stuff here.   
(Version 5.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  How can I go from 4 to 5.0.1 directly and avoid the 5.0 problems updating my 15,000 photos?

thanks  
(Version 5.0.1)

EXCELLENT  Spot on and getting better! I like iPhoto a great deal. I have been on a kick to simplify my life and have gone back to the Apple basics, iPhoto being one of them along with Mail and Address Book. It is just sooooo much easier.  
(Version 5.0.1)

TIMPLASTER  The product is tested on a few hundred computers, then release to a world of hundreds of thousands of computers. ALL different. Different speed, different OS, different user prefs. I'm impressed that Apple gets so much of it right the first time. Only small updates are released. Not one each week. A few problems needed to be taken care of, it's only 2 MB, get over it people. This is the best freakin software out there! Hands down!

Keep it up Apple.  
(Version 5.0.1)

MATTHIASST  If it doesn't show up in SU: Trash "iPhotoUpdate403.pkg" in /Library/Receipts  
(Version 5.0.1)

FRANZ  to Apple...

you guys need test alot a product and later put in our hands.... don't be like Microsoft!

Im proud of my Mac (and before, too) but, this kind of "updates" with a recently product makes me think about it...  
(Version 5.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  It's better, but crashes each and every time I try to print to my HP Photosmart printer.  
(Version 5.0)

ANONYMOUS  I love iPhoto 5 compared to iPhoto 4, but it has some glitches in it. When I opened the photo into the edit pane, it will get strangely placed. All of the glitches are recoverable and do not crash the app. The speed is certainly increased from iPhoto 4. The integration of movies is a great feature, but unfortunately, I can't find a way to play them in iPhoto. Clicking them open makes them open in QuickTime Player - there is no preference to change this behavior. I like being able to stash all of my stuff in one place (used to have to use iView MediaPro to get my movies). Overall, a great improvement!  
(Version 5.0)

ANONYMOUS  I have many problems with iphoto4 (desktop) vs iphoto2 (on my laptop). Problems include iphoto will not open certain JPEG's, contrast/brightness adjustments take forever on 1mb images, etc.. Also many other strange quirks and still I am not happy with the archiving system etc..

Please fix these things apple.

Thanks in advance,

Disgruntled user.  
(Version 4.0.3)

JOSHUA COVENTRY  I'd like a feature to be able to flag certain photos, like flagging emails in Mail.  
(Version 4.0.3)

CODE NAME JON  I currently have 29544 pics in my library and it works really quickly and fault free. thanks apple  
(Version 4.0.3)

JKISH2  I've noticed that my Photo Library loads alot faster upon launching iPhoto than it did before. Almost instantaneous compared to 4.0.2.  
(Version 4.0.3)

I'D WAIT IF I WERE YOU  Major issues with this latest update of 4.0.3. If I DUPLICATE a photo it appears blank when trying to EDIT. Also, slideshow does not work. Never had any of these issues before.  
(Version 4.0.3)

GARBAGE  Works as advertised on my G5.

How 'bout fixing your machines faults instead of panning this software?

Gee ther's a thought!  
(Version 4.0.3)

KLAUS  Excellent update. iPhoto 4.0.3 works like a charm and is a bit faster.  
(Version 4.0.3)

WIZEMANONCESAID  After reading all the negative reviews, I will not be downloading this product.   
(Version 4.0.3)

YOGI  On my iMac G3 400 MHZ the new vrsion 4.0.3 won't launch again, the only version which works is the original version 4.0  
(Version 4.0.3)

WILLIAM MACDONALD  This is much better than 4.0.2.

A simple way to speed up iPhoto is to do a Get Info, and then delete all the unused languages. Disabling a language may help, however I removed them to save space too.

I also disabled all the plugins I don't use. eg I don't have a printer, so disabled all print related plugins. I have over 1700 photos running on an iBook G4 and startup/shutdown is < 1 second. App size is now 18MB.  
(Version 4.0.3)

ANONYMOUS  Transition options are no longer available  
(Version 4.0.3)

ECONOMAN  iPhoto 4.0.2 had problems quitting (took forever). 4.0.3 quits instantly. 4.0.2 also appeared to take longer to start up. 4.0.3 requires a brief rebuild of the photo database. No problems now.  
(Version 4.0.3)

ECONOMAN  iPhoto 4.0.2 had problems quitting (took forever). 4.0.3 quits instantly. 4.0.2 also appeared to take longer to start up. 4.0.3 requires a brief rebuild of the photo database. No problems now.  
(Version 4.0.3)

SOVVERSIVO  worked fine, as 4.02...  
(Version 4.0.3)

ANONYMOUS  Do not download at this time. Update pulled from Apple website.  
(Version 4.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  I installed this update with no problems. I did notice that there are permission problems with the installation though. You should repair permissions after installing this product. Backing up your photo library is not a bad idea as well (bettre safe than sorry).  
(Version 4.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  not much new.

yea dont fix if aint broken  
(Version 4.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  If it works-- DONT FIX IT !!  
(Version 4.0.2)

TIMPLASTER  Upgrading from 4.0.1 via software update, restarted computer, and iPhoto icon is missing and won't launch. Bounces twice and then graciously quits. No error message. HELP!!!  
(Version 4.0.2)

LITTLE MEG  DON'T FORGET:

Apple sez "It is recommended that you make a backup copy of your iPhoto library folder, which is located in your Pictures folder."

If your library gets hosed, it's your fault for not backing up first. K?  
(Version 4.0.2)

ANONYMOUS  Yea! Fixed the problem I had with "Smart" albums.

It takes a while now to quit. I wonder why? Lots of disk activity, even though all I did was check to see if the "Smart" album bug I'd encountered was fixed.

Oh well, I still love it!

iMac DVSE 400MHz G3

786 MB RAM  
(Version 4.0.2)

PHOTEK  thanks apple, faultless as always!  
(Version 4.0.2)

MICHAEL  I have iphoto 4.0 in the applications fldr. on my HD the updater says can't find version 4.0 or 4.1 in applications fldr. and Close is the only option? What's Up With That?  
(Version 4.0.2)

STL2  i also experienced major problems with the 4.01 update. has rendered my 13 iphoto libraries worthless. i also returned to 4.0  
(Version 4.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  So disappointed that 4.0.1 still dosnt support/download the raw format from the Canon EOS range - WHEN APPLE WHEN?? other wise an excellent if not the best organiser for your photo's  
(Version 4.0.1)

BART BISTERVELS  thumbnails are not sharp anymore since I upgraded to 4.0.1

Didn´t find iPhoto to become faster.

Went back to 4.0  
(Version 4.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  4.0.1 doesn´t work. iPhoto won´t start up.  
(Version 4.0.1)

INEX  iPhoto is great! but since i've updated, the iPhoto Icon is gone (has standard Application Icon now) and it doesn't start up anymore!  
(Version 4.0.1)

WHIT LOGAN  I'm running 10.3.3 and the updater rendered iPhoto useless. It turned out to be a disaster.  
(Version 4.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  That's one of the main things I hate about OSX! The installers are STUPID. They can't find the program to update unless it's in the folder that it thinks it's "supposed" to be in. I'm not a programer, but how hard would it be to make the installer search for the program, find it, and update it no matter where it is. OS9 could always do it!  
(Version 4.0.1)

JONATHAN DALE  The iPhoto updater must have the iPhoto application in the root of the Applications folder or it will not find it and update it. Pretty stupid, really.  
(Version 4.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  Works fine. I am using 10.3.2.  
(Version 4.0.1)

TIMPLASTER  Same here, iPhoto 4.0.1 doesn't launch. I'm bummed! I was so looking forward to this one!  
(Version 4.0.1)

ANONYMOUS  4.01 installs, starts, quits. Went back to 4.0  
(Version 4.0.1)

HANGON  really really FAST!!!!!!!!

it looks like to be coded in assembler rather than in cocoa :)  
(Version 4.0.1)

SP  The latest update of Apple's iPhoto 4.0 is faster than previous versions and now supports a tremendous number of elements (up to 25,000 photos). It is also has Keynote-like transisitons and is better at processing your photo arrangements with real-time rotation and star reviews during slide shows. Many features also can be toggled on and off. iPhoto 4.0 provides a pleasant look and feel that enables and encourages you to import more pictures, share them and feel more confident about their presentation and storage.

On the downside, making a book is somewhat slow and cumbersome, with few customizable features, such as mutiple lines of text or font selections. These negative points, however, are not reasons enough to discourage creative and thoughtful photo composites.

In their aggregate, the number of new features in iPhoto 4 clearly combine to deliver a photo processing and categorizing program with style and functionality not found in any computing platform.  
(Version 4.0)

JOEL NELSON  Much better than iPhoto 2... I finally do not have to wait for the pinwheel cursor to go away when browsing my library of over 1,250 photos. I still wish I could put a shared photo library in the OS X Shared folder all users could have access to the photos (saves disk space since right now each user has 1,250 photos in their library, taking up over 1 GB more space than necessary). Despite that one thing I still rate it 5 stars since it seems to have everything else.  
(Version 4.0)

TREVOR HALDENBY  In its third incarnation (the 4.0 moniker aside), Apple finally seems to have hit on the iPhoto we users have been wanting since two years ago this month.

With improvements and new features in terms of the availability of printed rolls and personally constructed photobooks, web publishing templates and options, photo sharing over a home or office network, and (most notably) performance, Apple has fine-tuned the application by such leaps and bounds since even version 2.0 that it's hard to believe we didn't just make the jump from 1.0 to 4 in a single leap.

When running iPhoto, which is available only in the iLife '04 package for $49.00 (a real bargain when considering the also-substantial updates to iMovie and iDVD, as well as the stunning new GarageBand), through the paces even with only 2,000 photos in one's library, a tremendous leap in performance is noticeable. On a 1 GHz eMac (admittedly, with maxed-out RAM) the app launches in less than a single bounce under OS X 10.3, with the photo library in thumbnails popping into view less than a few seconds later. Certainly a far cry from the OTHER beachball you'd get under iPhoto 2 when waiting for your summer vacation photos to load. Scrolling through the thumbnails at any size on the slider bar, with or without the snazzy drop shadows (that had to be disabled under 2.0 in order to get good performance) is also as fluid as Aqua ought to have been from day one, you finally really can watch your last few years flash before your eyes in just a few seconds of smooth scrolling.

New to iPhoto's methods of organization are many features familiar to power-sorting users of iTunes (available for free download, as well as in the iLife retail package); the most useful of which being smart playlists, which organize your photos for you by criteria such as date, your rating, or given title -perfect for preparing in seconds that slideshow of grandma's birthday you said you'd been putting together for weeks.

Editing of individual photos within playlists is also significantly improved in iPhoto 4, but still a tad pokey in terms of performance on even new "slow" machines. The use of effects such as Sepia and Black-and-White provides a great mood for the photos, but takes a bit longer than I would have liked, a problem that only increases in frequency and intensity with the megapixel rating of your camera. Apple's "Enhance" and "Retouch" filters are also great at what they do, but won't work instantly unless you've got a pretty zippy machine. And just in case you're paranoid that applying all these filters to your hard-shot photos will ruin them forever if they don't turn out how you'd like, worry not. Each time a filter, rotation, or touch-up is applied, iPhoto saves an original copy of the photo and then carries out your manipulations on a copy it creates, always leaving open the option of safely retracing your steps.

So once you've gone through the piles of cards of photos you've shot, organized those you want into albums, and tweaked them so that they'll look just right, it's probably time to distribute them. Whether you want to email them, toss them onto your desktop background, burn a CD or DVD slideshow or archive, or make up a webpage for all to see, iPhoto has the bases covered. A series of easy-to-find (for those novices that the application is REALLY designed for) buttons line the bottom portion of iPhoto's window, making it easy to do with one click what might in other programs (or operating systems, but I'm not here to point fingers or name names) take and endless series of windows and toggles to accomplish. It's very easy in iPhoto to go from waking your Mac from sleep to having a published (and very pleasant looking) webpage of your photos in less than 10 minutes.

With iPhoto 4, Apple has done what many users have been asking for since the 1.0 release two years ago. Performance has been increased drastically, the number of photos you can throw at the application before it seizes up has increased seemingly limitlessly, organizational capabilities have evolved marvelously, and the sharing of your creations and memories has become easier than anyone two years ago probably would have thought it would ever be. Unfortunately, after upgrading to 4, you can never go back to using version 1 or 2 with your Photo Library, as this new version makes changes in organization that the previous editions won't know how to read. Given the numerous benefits of iPhoto 4, however, it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to backtrack.

Just about the only thing that's changed for the negative is the presence of a pricetag. While not everyone expected iPhoto to be a free ride forever, it still comes as a shock to see that the only way of getting what many consider to be a primary reason for getting a Mac is to shell out the bucks. Fortunately for those buying new, iLife and all that it entails is included free of charge. And for those upgrading from an older version? The new and improved features of iPhoto 4 (along with the unprecedented bargain that is the remainder of the 2004 iLife suite) makes the $49 price more than worth the while.  
(Version 4.0)

JOSHUA COVENTRY  iPhoto 2 is great, Since I have been using it I have been able to modify and export images easily without having to use Photoshop.

Of course it is simple and easy to use although it is quite slow at opening on my iMac.

Many people think that iPhoto 2is just a photo album app but it now has image modification tools enabling you to easily modify images.

I cant wait to see what Apple do next with iPhoto.  
(Version 2.0)

ANONYMOUS  Easy as you would expect it from Apple. Very well integrated with the other iLife applications. A bit slow on a G3 and not the first choice for image manipulation (but then, drag them there, it's very easy).  
(Version 2.0)

DAMAMA@MAC.COM   Th enhance feature is great and it's easier to delete images from the library  
(Version 2.0)

CLIFFOFTHEDESERT  If I were Apple and saw these reviews, I'd think twice about this software. I'm tied to it because of the number of photos I have in it, yet having it hang everytime I try to delete a photo is horrific.  
(Version 2.0)

ANONYMOUS  I can no longer import pictures from my Canon S45.  
(Version 2.0)

FRANCO  Simple and intuitive. Great for getting the pictures off your digital camera and seeing them all in a slide show - all within minutes.  
(Version 2.0)

ANONYMOUS  I don't know what's the prob, but ever since I went over a few thousand pics iPhoto has become almost unuseable. I have a little over 13,000 photos, and every click I make in iPhoto hangs it for up to 5 minutes! Every click. The photos are on an ex fw drive, but iPhoto does something on my main drive with every click. iPhoto 2 does not fix the problem.  
(Version 2.0)

GEORGE DICK  Perfect! Does exactly what I wanted.  
(Version 1.1.1)

LESDOIT  Iphoto 1.1.1 downgraded my iphoto picture quality of my original photos. I will scramble to go back to 1.0 if I can.  
(Version 1.1.1)

NIK HEGER  i find iPhoto pretty useless - maybe because i have 2G worth of photos that i wanted to process.

it didn't work for me at all.

first off, importing took forever, like more than 30 minutes.

second, iPhoto created a huge database on my system, wasting almost 1G of space. for nothing.

third, after i had meticulously arranged my 2G of photos in 20 albums, iPhoto "lost" the database. all 20 albums gone. thanks!

the only thing that really was good about iPhoto is that it created beautiful web sites out of my photos (prior to losing the database...)

i find the whole interface pretty counter-intuitive as well.   
(Version 1.0)

ANONYMOUS  Very well-done. Simple, effective, powerful.  
(Version 1.0)