Test CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011 beta, get final code for free
There are few news stories I get to write that are more appropriate for Betanews readers than this one. Today CyberLink released PhotoDirector 2011 beta with a simple promise: Any tester offering "valid feedback" before June 20 will receive the software for free. Doh. Why aren't more software developers making such offers?
It's a no-brainer for you geeks and digital media enthusiasts living on the bleeding edge -- download the software, test it and offer CyberLink feedback. It's also no-brainer that more developers should look to so enticingly engage the beta software/service elite. As I've expressed for years, enthusiasts are any company's best marketers. But in the 2000s, unlike the 1990s, they haven't received much reward for their loyalty.
"We greatly value our customers' feedback and input and through the PhotoDirector 2011 beta program we have an excellent opportunity to work closely with the end user and introduce them to new photo editing software that will transform their photography," Alice Chang, CyberLink CEO, says in a statement issued today. CyberLink unveiled the software and beta tester offer today at Computex.
The free-for-feedback offer also is good way to encourage people to try out PhotoDirector 2011. It's a crowded category, and this is a new product for CyberLink, which is positioning PhotoDirector 2011 more for advanced amateurs or professionals -- closer to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.4 than to Photoshop Elements 9. Like Lightroom or Apple's Aperture, PhotoDirector 2011 provides tools as much for managing photo workflow as editing images. RAW support looks to be quite broad, and the overall toolset is appealing. However, having not yet tested the software, I can't attest to how it compares with other photo workflow products.
I'd love to get your feedback about Photo Director 2011 or any other beta software/service. You can do so in comments, or better, by contacting me directly -- joe at betanews dot com. Your review could be posted here, with name, photo and bio. CyberLink has its way of rewarding customers, we have ours for loyal readers.