julica

Q: Upgrade to Yosemite and keep iphoto?

I'm wondering if there's a way to upgrade to Yosemite (Or El Capitan) and keep my iphoto. I've seen photo and find it completely useless, badly structured and therefore have to keep iphoto since I don't want to step backwards. Any idea how to upgrade the system and keep iphoto?

thanks for any ideas Julica

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jul 28, 2016 3:54 PM

Close

Q: Upgrade to Yosemite and keep iphoto?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Jul 28, 2016 3:56 PM in response to julica
    Level 10 (311,916 points)
    Jul 28, 2016 3:56 PM in response to julica

    If you got it from or associated it with the Mac App Store, upgrade the OS, click here, and follow the instructions.

    If not, only if Apple says so.

     

    (143691)

  • by Terence Devlin,Helpful

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Jul 28, 2016 4:57 PM in response to julica
    Level 10 (139,475 points)
    iLife
    Jul 28, 2016 4:57 PM in response to julica

    As Niel says, yes you can under those conditions.

     

    That said, iPhoto is a dead end. Sooner or later it's not going to work on some version of the OS or on the next machine you buy, so you need to be making plans for replacing it. Photos.app is different, sure, but it's actually more powerful in many ways. If not that, then there are plenty of alternatives depending on your requirements and budget. But Photos is the only app that can seamlessly move your Library from iPhoto.

  • by julica,

    julica julica Jul 28, 2016 4:59 PM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 28, 2016 4:59 PM in response to Terence Devlin

    Thanks, Terence, so if I upgrade will my photos automatically move to photo? I'm actually horrified by the idea since I think photo is such an enormous step backwards and don't want my 8000 pics reorganised by photo in a way I don't consider useful. I'd just stick with my OS 10.9.5. I think. JJ

  • by Niel,Helpful

    Niel Niel Jul 28, 2016 6:40 PM in response to julica
    Level 10 (311,916 points)
    Jul 28, 2016 6:40 PM in response to julica

    Photos will import them when it’s first opened; if you’re able to get a compatible iPhoto version, you can continue to use your library in it afterwards.

     

    (143695)

  • by julica,

    julica julica Jul 28, 2016 6:44 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 28, 2016 6:44 PM in response to Niel

    thanks Niel, it might be powerful but I have been trying to work with it helping a friend organise her photos who just bought a mac with el capitan on it and find 'photo' extremely confusing, badly structured and not user-friendly at all. So I would like to keep iphoto which I find user-friendly and good. Why should I change to a bad app, if I have a good one? That's why I'm looking for ways to keep iphoto.... doesn't seem to be easy.

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Jul 28, 2016 11:59 PM in response to julica
    Level 10 (139,475 points)
    iLife
    Jul 28, 2016 11:59 PM in response to julica

    It's very easy to keep iPhoto. It doesn't go away when you update - nothing changes at all. But you will need an up-to-date version of it. Even launching Photos won't change iPhoto. Nothing you do with Photos affects iPhoto at all. It really could not be easier.

     

    Photos is different, it doesn't use Events. It's confusing if you expect it to work like iPhoto, not so much if you don't. Other than that the organising tools - Albums, Smart Albums, keywords and so on, are pretty much the same. I don't warm to it myself and so have moved to an alternative, but it's not a 'bad app' by any stretch of the imagination. But my point is, working to keep iPhoto is heading down a dead end. Sooner or later you will be changing from iPhoto because sooner or later iPhoto won't run on the OS. You need to plan for that.