As an Aperture user since 1.1, I am appreciating the speed increase. Just about every user interface elements are more usable with surprisingly minimal learning curve. Expanded EXIF meta data (e.g., lens type) and ability to export EXIF data are both well overdue and welcomed. I also appreciate new image adjustment tools (e.g., vignet), although it is still missing some that many others have (e.g., barrel distortion).
All in all, 2.0 answered 80% of my criticisms, although I wish it went that extra distance to satisfy the remaining 20%.
- While expanded meta data and search are nice to have, it still lacks meta image browser (which Lightroom and many other alternatives have).
- Noise reduction is still crummy, worse than even iPhoto '08. 2.0 adds plug-in API, so I am hoping for Noise Ninja plug-in.
- 2.0 RAW processor is only minimally improved over 1.1.
- Upgrading from 1.5.6 wasn't as seemless as I hoped. While it did upgrade my 1.5.6 library without any issue, some of my settings reverted to default (e.g., image preview size) and it didn't ask to upgrade RAW to 2.0 (manual process).
- My wife uses iPhoto '08. While Aperture 2.0 improves integration from iPhoto '08, it still lacks seemless export to iPhoto '08.
Overall, I am pretty satisified and my 3,000 RAWs and 25,000 JPEGs thank Apple for speed increase and UI refinements.