By Graham K. Rogers

As usual I checked Software Update this morning and thought I was experiencing a memory loss when I saw an update to Aperture available. Hadn't I just done this last week?

Indeed I had but that was to bring Aperture up to version 3.4.2 and this is 3.4.3 a minor update that "Addresses an issue that could cause a licensed copy of Aperture to prompt for a serial number with each launch." I can see how that could be annoying.

What is also annoying is that this is not a modular update (as might be the case with OS X) but requires the complete download: another 578 MB on my computer. What has not been addressed is the slow as molasses experience that Aperture has now become -- sure the RAW files are larger and I am struggling on a mere 4 GB of RAM -- but this application used to sing in its earlier versions. It is small wonder that many users prefer Adobe Lightroom.

I am unlikely to switch as I have too much invested in Aperture, including some of the plug-ins that are available; and I like the way it integrates with other parts of OS X and the iOS devices I have.

Will we ever have a (faster) version 4.0?

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs.