The difference between you and me is that you've read this or that, whereas I've actually done the work to test it all rather extensively. I think I have a clear, practical fix on its strengths and limitations.
That was an unnecessarily aggressive tone of response Mark, and uncalled for.
You assume that I have not made my own tests. You assume incorrectly. I have at least four IT8 targets and an HCT. I make no claims of expertise, nor that my results trump yours or anyone else's, they were designed to satisfy me alone, but I refute that I haven't "actually done the work", cmon now, that is an unfair assumption...
You also misread my post. The only thing I claimed to have read was that IT8 targets were not originally designed for digital calibration/profiling but visual comparison, this information came from expert sources such as Bruce Fraser's Color Management book, or Andrew Rodney's book, or Don Hutcheson's website, I forget which one, does it matter? The expertise of all these people I hold in high regard. Neither did I state that IT8 targets were completely unusable for such purposes, I offered a polite opinion that
I believe an HCT is better, as evidenced by "IMHO", which for those not familiar with the term means "In My
Humble Opinion". I thought I was pretty clear about presenting an opinion and not a fact.
As for the updating of their software, you say "They said the same thing.........". I'm not basing what I said on what they said - I'm basing it on what has actually happened - and what happened is that the usability of their application is fully supported on the most recent Mac operating systems. I use them routinely. Whether it depends on Rosetta or anything else is irrelevant - for now - the point is that it works properly on the now current Mac and Windows operating systems 32-bit and 64-bit.
I know Silverfast still runs, I use it too. My
opinion is that it's more a case of OS-X still supporting old Silverfast than Silverfast supporting new OS-X, based upon the fact (yes, fact) that they are still today producing PowerPC only binaries, not Intel binaries, nor even Universal ones, for core modules. Will they produce a fully Lion compatible Intel binary? Of course they will. In time. But recent communication with Lasersoft over the last couple of days suggest to me (more speculation!) that they are rather hoping that Rosetta will still be included in Lion (their speculation!). Personally I hope they're right and it is, it will solve a lot of potential upgrade hurdles with older software like ProfileMaker.
Needless to say, unless you sit in their marketing department you don't have a clue what tranche of software drives their business, and you can of course engage in idle speculation about how long it will be from the time Lion is launched until compatible updates for high-end scanners become available, but in truth and in fact, you have no idea about that either, nor should anyone expect you to. Just bear in mind that they've been in this business since the 1980s and they can read tea-leaves just as well as you think you can.
Sorry, but this is just point scoring pedantry. Of course I'm speculating! Any suggestion of what
might happen in the future is speculation. I don't need you to tell me that. Should I go through your posts and highlight where you've done the same? Let's not eh?
Based up on my own experience with Lasersoft, and the open dialog I've had with them over the last 5 years on the particular subject of Universal Binaries, my expectation (speculation again!) that I will have a Universal or Intel binary available to me for my Howtek anywhere near the release of Lion is very low. That is all I have stated.
Anyhow yes, a bit off-topic, but this is just a suggestion to be factual.
Then please accept my humble suggestion to not take everything posted on a internet forum as being purported to be factual, and that you need to denounce it.
I only recommended looking at this approach as an alternative to a missing function in X-Rite's new offering that works, because I know it's a credible option. So I'll just leave it at that.
For use with an IT8 it's a very definite option, let us hope it doesn't turn out to be the only one if X-Rite don't rethink their policy on scanner profiling. For thus of us who prefer an HCT and wish to continue so, it seems that is not a workable option for use with that target, at least for the moment. Perhaps an opportunity for Lasersoft?