Aperture, iPhoto disappear from Mac App Store following Photos debut

Until today, Aperture and iPhoto were still available for download despite Apple's release of OS X 10.10.3 on Wednesday. That update included Photos, an app Apple designed to replace its two predecessors.

Unlike Apple's erstwhile image editing programs, the new software integrates more closely with the Photos app for iOS. Through iCloud Photo Library support, users can upload their personal collections and access them from any Mac or iOS device. Edits applied to images on one platform are immediately reflected everywhere else.

The app is not a complete replacement for Aperture, since that program offered a greater set of parameters and tools, including many designed for a professional photography workflow.

Apple previously stated that Aperture and iPhoto will remain functional if they were already installed. With their disappearance from the Mac App Store, however, users are unlikely to get future updates, and it may not be as easy to install either title on a new Mac.

iPhoto was first released in 2002 as a part of Apple's iLife suite, while Aperture dates back to 2005. Neither app has seen a major update since 2010, although patches were issued as recently as October.