Adobe Attempts Lightroom and other Apps for the iPad Despite Concerns

A new effort has Adobe attempting to bring imaging software, such as Lightroom, to the iPad and other tablet computers despite the bad blood between them and Apple. The project team leader is worried about the control Apple keeps over its software. The existence of Lightroom on the iPad could convince many photographers to make an investment in the tablet PC due to its mobility, but will Apple let Lightroom for the iPad ship? Lately, Apple has voiced its beef against Adobe’s Flash but nothing has ever been explicitly said about the Lightroom software, despite it being competition for Apple’s Aperture. Both programs are for editing and cataloging photographs. Adobe execs are now worried that with Apple’s control over what is sold in Apple Stores it is almost impossible to know whether or not Apple will let Lightroom ship. Apple has a history of approving applications and then spontaneously removing them for duplicating features of similar software. John Nack of Adobe mentioned in a blog post on Tuesday that:

“”Apple refuses to carry Lightroom in Apple retail stores. That’s okay; Lightroom is doing just fine against Aperture, thank you. But what if the Apple store were the only store? How would Apple customers get the benefits of competition?”