Review: MediaDex
- Article 47 of 89
- MacFormat, June 2007
Makes finding your files about as easy as it always was
Struggling to find pictures is something we’ve all done at some point. MediaDex attempts to make this problem go away. Principally aimed at photo management, but also able to handle other file types including movies, it comes in two varieties: Standard and Professional. The main difference between the two is that the Professional edition can handle PDFs and Microsoft Office files as well as RAW images.
Superficially, MediaDex is similar to iPhoto, although not as pretty. It allows you to import batches of files into catalogues, storing thumbnails of each file when it can. As well as thumbnails, it also includes metadata – information about the files, such as dimensions, creation and modification dates and so on. As well as these usual fields, it also can handle EXIF and other metadata standards such as IPTC, which can include data about the digital camera used to take the picture, captions, headlines, and so on. You can then search through the catalogue using a simple search interface (or a more complicated SQL-like process) that allows you to string these metadata fields together using pull-down ANDs and ORs.
That still wouldn’t be enough to make finding image files any easier. But MediaDex also allows you to categorise the photos and add keywords to them. If the photos already contain keyword metadata, MediaDex will import them and tag them appropriately. Just to round off the feature-set and make it look even more attractive to someone looking for an iPhoto alternative, there are a variety of export options, including slideshows and web albums, as well as batch processing features for renaming, converting and editing files, and ratings functions.
All the same, despite the power of MediaDex’s functions and the sheer speed with which you’re able to search through catalogues, it’s hard to recommend. Unless you’re prepared to add keywords and categories to every photo you own or you’re lucky enough to have photos already meticulously tagged by someone, you’re going to be in no better a position after investing in MediaDex than you were before. If, by some miracle, you don’t already have iPhoto then MediaDex is a solid alternative. Otherwise, stick with what you’ve got.