I wrote this letter to a friend who also edits video (as I have, since 1972) and it’s regarding the fact that some professional editors have become irrational when discussing Apple’s new Final Cut Pro X (“ten” not “ex”) editing software. FCPX is a version 1 release, and is missing several features pros need, and is a bit “too user friendly” to use in an industrial environment, unlike the previous version, FCP7.

Some of these folks have gone ballistic, claiming that they are going to throw out their entire Apple hardware and software setup, and switch to Avid.

Not all responses have been quite so over the top, and some have been quite reasoned. Here’s my take, and I think it fits in the latter category…

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Regarding FCPX: your choice  (and every one else’s) is just to hold your horses. Wait.  Keep using the software you have. It isn’t suddenly inoperable. There’s nothing -forcing_ you to convert NOW. Pretend you never heard of FCPX and edit away!  True, there won’t be any -updates- to FCP7, but by the time you’re dying for an update, Apple will likely have resolved the version 1.0 issues.

I have my 44 minute Bullock video here. I loaded it back into FCP7 today, and it works just fine. It didn’t suddenly become inoperable because I purchased FCP X.

And while they are no longer selling FCP7, where did you read the statement from Apple that they will no longer support it? [I doubt that’s the case.]

I really don’t understand the hysterics. Not you, of course… yours is merely disappointment…but that is exactly my point – it’s that people are disappointed, not that FCPX magically destroys your copy of FCP7.

[You asked if ] I blame them for switching horses? Yes, frankly, I do. Making decisions about the next NN-years of their life and costing in the 5,6 or 7 figure range .. > 2 DAYS< after a version 1.0 release? They are not being mature enough to say “OK – not ready for prime time yet… Bummer. I guess I’ll just keep going as is, and take a look at it later when it’s more fully featured.”

Why is everyone assuming that version 1.0 is the way it’s going to be _forever_? Has Apple EVER not updated it’s products? Why assume that’s the case now? If you were a cutter for my studio and announced that you were going to gut the hardware and software of the entire editing department because you didn’t like version one of the new editing software, I’d fire you for being a fool… right after asking “Who said you HAD to use it?”

Yes: the release is not what we all hoped it would be. But it will be. FCP version 1 from 10 years ago wasn’t suitable for pros either… and it took at least 8 years to get to where it is today…So we’re comparing a version One release with a version Seven release… and rationally expecting parity?

Apple never billed it as the next update. They billed it as the _NEW_ FCP.

My friend, I’m not one of those blind “Apple People” but neither am I irrational, and a lot of the reaction I’ve seen so far is exactly that: irrational.

All the things you’ve pointed out in your reply are legitimate gripes about the version 1 release… but NONE of them are not solved by just staying with FCP7 a while longer. It still works just fine.

Meanwhile, Apple is breaking some eggs for the sake of making a better omelet a ways down the road. If technology didn’t move forward, we’d all still be using the horse and buggy.

I just can’t get around feeling like most of these people just discovered there’s no Santa Claus.

So, yes: jumping ship right now (2 working days after the release) is simply immature and short-sighted. This is a transition period from an old way to a new way. Transitions don’t happen overnight.

To all those who jump ship and switch to Avid or Premiere, I say “Good luck to you.” In less than a year, I’ll be using a more-capable (than Avid), faster(than Avid), better(than Avid), more stable (than Avid) FCP X version 1.5 which will do all the things that version 1.0 is missing… and likely more.

Meanwhile, I’ll take the time to learn the new paradigm, and come up to speed.

I expect you’ll hear something from Apple during this coming week.

And that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!  🙂

Tracy

“The way that can be named is not The Nameless Way.”