Apple is rolling out the first pre-release seed of OS X 10.10.3 to testers and developers today including the all-new Photos app with support for iCloud Photo Library beta. Previously, iCloud Photo Library was only available for desktop users through iCloud.com using a web app. The new Photos app replaces iPhoto while Aperture is also no longer being developed. Apple first announced the new Photos app at WWDC 2014 and later added that development would no longer continue on either iPhoto or Aperture. Adobe released a tool last fall to help Aperture users migrate photos to their pro app Lightroom.
– OS X Yosemite users with access to pre-release seeds can find the update through the Mac App Store.
– The pre-release seed is also available through the Mac Dev Center for developers.
– Build 14D72i for first pre-release seed up from OS X 10.10.2 build 14C109.
– New Photos app description:
All new for OS X, Photos automatically organizes your photo library and helps you perfect your photos with comprehensive editing tools. You can also store your photos and videos in the cloud using iCloud Photo Library, and access them on all your devices.
Photos lets you:
– Browse your photos by time and location in Moments, Collections, and Years views.
– Navigate your library using convenient Photos, Shared, Albums, and Projects tabs.
– Store all of your photos and videos in iCloud Photo Library in their original format and in full resolution.
– Access your photos and videos stored in iCloud Photo Library from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iCloud.com with any web browser.
– Perfect your photos with powerful and easy-to-use editing tools that optimize with a single click or slider, or allow precise adjustments with detailed controls.
– Create professional-quality photo books with simplified bookmaking tools, new Apple-designed themes, and new square book formats.
– Purchase prints in new square and panoramic sizes.
– Apple says the new Photos app will be released publicly this spring, OS X 10.10.3 will be a free update to Yosemite users
iCloud Photo Library offers users the ability to keep a single photo collection in sync across iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, and Macs. Edits to photos including crops and filter additions are even synced across devices unlike the alternative My Photo Stream feature. Albums you create and photos you delete are also synced across devices.
Also unlike My Photo Stream, iCloud Photo Library does count against your iCloud storage space. Apple gives each account 5GB for free, but if you have any real amount of photos in your library, you’ll likely want to upgrade to a larger storage plan. iCloud storage plans range from 20GB to 1TB starting at 99¢ per month up to $20 per month.
