Ashampoo Snap 14 : A ‘limited-comparative review/test’

[jasonX]

FINAL WORD

Snap 14.0.2 is an improvement from Snap 12. That I can say! Video recording is superb and the encountered “garbled sound” in the recorded video end-result way back in Snap 12 is nowhere to be seen and experienced now. Great one devs! I salute you! The improved “color picker” is a nice touch too! BUT Snap 14.0.2 “STILL” needs work. 

Scrolling window capture is one glaring example here. You can see in the settings that Snap favors the 3 browsers, (1) Google Chrome, (2) Microsoft Edge, and (3) Mozilla Firefox. But why is the scrolling window capture for website not working on those 3 “favored” browsers? Has been like that since Snap 11 devs...

The brand new editor is "so so...." Arrowhead pegged at a default “normal-growing / modern” and no options to change the head style at all! Still no text-box background color options too! What were you thinking Mr. Dev?!

I don’t know who in the roster of Ashampoo devs "dialed-down" the arrowhead options. Imagine having those options way back Snap 11 and then quietly remove it in Snap 14.0.1! And then all of a sudden here comes Snap 14.0.2 giving “some” adjustments for the arrowhead size. Arrowhead size ONLY! Just that! Ashampoo calls it Snap 14 editor brand-new! I beg to disagree. “Dialed-down” is a more befitting description here (based on the sample annotation I made). The basic sample annotations shown are very “basic” and it is the same used for all the alternatives. 

Heck, I can’t even re-select the pixelated portion I made and had to use the “undo” feature and start again from scratch! 

Snap 11 editor had more options for the user than Snap 14.0.2.

Snap 14 is a step towards “improvement”. But I only see a couple of improvement -- one of which is the video recording option (again this is based on the test I did -- Simple Annotations, Scrolling Capture and Video Capture -- which is not a full test).


While all the alternatives used here have limitations of their own (like Snagit 2020’s line type for shapes, ShareX’s obfuscated erase, Screenpresso PRO’s beta scrolling capture, and FastStone Capture’s text/shape rotate issue) you’d still expect something “new” (and great) from a new version! New is “still new”. 

At the very least, an improved from issues encountered previously (-- well it’s me speaking here coming from reviewing Snap 12). Ashampoo is a big company that can make things happen so I really expected more. Sad to say my expectations fell short (again)..

Ashampoo "is" Ashampoo and unlike, say, ShareX which is open source or FastStone Capture where improvements come in trickles, Ashampoo has the developers, resources and support system that can make Ashampoo Snap a better or the best screen capture application out there. And now Snap 14 needs to be placed in "Allow Apps" in Avast and exclude it in Avast's Ransomware Shield..?

Last time I did not recommend Snap 12 because of the "slowness" and a "lot of issues" (including the video recording). Still won’t use it here and I even did not lift a finger to "versus" it with the alternatives and Snap 14 -- why? Because it will only make my work longer...making me wait for the program to respond and using 3rd-party image editors just to make a better annotated screenshot!

This time I say, I “can” and (vaguely) “inclined” to recommend Snap 14 (not 100% though -- as mentioned and proven -- still needs further work). Anyway, it depends on the user’s preference really. What features that he (the user) often/always uses. On me, I’ll let it hang around (or just stay with Snap 11...hmmmm.) but will not rely on it heavily (especially with the issues with scrolling capture and the arrowheads). 

All apps have their own limitations and that is the reason I have a couple of apps with me to tide me down. I think there is still no app that will rule it all in terms of screenshots. Well that’s just me speaking there based on my preference and usage. Others may rely on just Snagit or ShareX for their needs (why not it’s free plus it can give Ashampoo a run for their money if properly developed) but it is best to have a couple of applications with you to help overcome those "limitations" you may encounter as you go on with your work. 

I have sent word to Ashampoo support on some issues encountered here (during the thick of testing Snap 14) and this review (link) will be sent to them so this may help them out in the future. I hope when Snap 15 comes the scrolling window capture (scrolling window capture > website for starters) will NOT anymore be an issue and the editor will NOT be dialed down again (please). With that I take my leave as this was an exhausting one to make. 

Cheers guys!