Tuesday, July 5, 2011

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (15 сообщений)

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  • Could Apple retake top spot among portable computer makers in 2012?

    It's a difficult question for some analysts to answer. Is the iPad a new class of device or is it a version of an ultra-portable notebook? How you group the iPad makes a huge difference to those professionals trying to assess the impact of the iPad on the notebook computer market.

    If you group the iPad into the computer category, Apple could bump HP out of the top spot and become the world's largest notebook vendor. Apple is projected to ship 40 million tablets and 15 million MacBook notebooks in 2011. Combined, these two products produce a total shipment volume of 75 million units. HP is expected to ship 50 million notebooks in 2011, a number that is far less than Apple. The volume of iPad shipments is predicted to skyrocket to 60 million in 2012 and could firmly entrench Apple as the #1 PC maker globally.

    [Via Electronista]

    Could Apple retake top spot among portable computer makers in 2012? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Candy Convertible for iPad 2 combines case and stand in faux-nubuck

    Hard Candy Candy Convertible

    Folio-style cases are pretty popular for the iPad 2. They come in all sorts of designs, materials and thicknesses. Today we're going to be looking at the Candy Convertible from Hard Candy Cases.

    The first thing that strikes you about the Candy Convertible after you've prised it out of the packaging is just how nice it feels. Made from faux-nubuck, it feels just like the real thing, both smooth and velvety soft to the touch. It's available in red and white with a black version on the way. I got my hands on the black version of the case, which suits the style and form of the iPad 2 very well indeed.

    Candy Convertible

    The iPad 2 slides into the case secured by a simple flap that tucks underneath the iPad 2 holding it in place very securely. The beauty of the nubuck-style material is that it's pretty grippy, meaning such a simple mechanism can secure the iPad 2 without weight, bulk or any possibility of scratching your pristine tablet.

    The case frames the screen on the iPad 2 well, but here is where we encounter the first problem with the case. While the front facing camera and the majority of the Home button are easily accessible, the case's frame covers the iPad 2's ambient light sensor. Now we all know the automatic screen brightness adjustment in iOS can be frustrating at times, but to not have the option to use it was a real downer. With the sensor covered the iPad 2 assumes it's in the dark all the time, permanently keeping the screen dim. The only option is to disable automatic brightness adjustment and manually manage your screen brightness. On the iPad 2 it's not that much of a chore, with the brightness slider accessible from the multitasking bar, but all it needed was a small cut out from the top of the Candy Convertible's frame to accommodate the light sensor. Perhaps it's something that can be corrected in future shipping cases, but when questioned about this Hard Candy failed to reply.

    Case covers light sensor

    The rest of the iPad 2 is freely accessible within the case. The buttons, ports, mic, camera and speaker all have suitably sized cutouts in the side and back of the case. This does, however, expose parts of the iPad 2 even when the case is closed, leaving things like the camera especially vulnerable to damage. The screen itself, perhaps the most important part of the iPad, is well protected though with a rigid flap that covers the the screen.

    Unfortunately there is no clasp or strap to keep the Convertible closed when your iPad is not in use. In practice this didn't cause much of a problem in day-to-day operations, but if you were to put you iPad in a large bag, there is the possibility of the flap to opening leaving your iPad's screen exposed. Hard Candy also didn't see fit to bestow the Candy Convertible with the magnets required to automatically turn off the iPad 2's screen when you close the cover, something that I forgot on many occasions having got used to the Smart Cover and many other cases that have that auto-sleep functionality built-in.

    The Candy Convertible is designed so the front flap also folds to support the iPad 2 in a landscape orientation, both stood up at 90 degrees or propped up at about a 40-degree angle for easier typing. The front cover folds round the back and fits in a small flap on the back, which holds the cover in place. Unfortunately the arrangement means that the case will not stand up in portrait, but the landscape stand makes for a decent video watching experience. The inside of the front flap also has a little credit-card sized pocket, handy if you need to carry business cards or a credit card. Just don't expect to get the card out of there in a hurry because the faux-nubuck grips the card pretty hard.

    Verdict

    The Candy Convertible is a decent all-rounder. It's well made and will last considerably longer than some of the cheaper no-name folio style cases out there. The case offers decent protection while being thin enough to not add much extra bulk to the svelte frame of the iPad 2, with the case plus iPad 2 reaching about 1.4 cm thick at it's bulkiest point (dimension in the case 19.7 cm x 25.4 cm x 1.4 cm). It stands up reasonably well using the front cover as a support in landscape. It's just a shame it won't stand up in a portrait orientation, and that Hard Candy failed to include magnets for auto-sleep and covered the ambient light sensor with the inside frame. But if you can get over those drawbacks, then the Candy Convertible looks good, feels nice and will protect your iPad 2 reasonably well.

    The Candy Convertible is available for $44.95 plus shipping in red, black and white.

    Continue reading Candy Convertible for iPad 2 combines case and stand in faux-nubuck

    Candy Convertible for iPad 2 combines case and stand in faux-nubuck originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • AT&T will offer standard insurance for iPhone owners as of July 17th

    According to MacRumors, iPhone owners may sign up for an Asurion Mobile Insurance plan for US$5 per month starting July 17th. The Insurance plan can be added to the handset within 30 days of purchase and may include a deductible.

    The documentation on AT&T's website has not been updated to include the iPhone but similar handsets have a $125 replacement charge. This is a welcome change in plans for new iPhone owners as the previous insurance offering cost $12 per month and had a hefty $199 deductible.

    [Via Engadget]

    AT&T will offer standard insurance for iPhone owners as of July 17th originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Ionocraft Racing

    Ionocraft Racing is a racing title for iOS unlike any other -- in both good and bad ways. The good side of it is that you're essentially building your own car in this one. The game's set in a steampunk universe, and the general gameplay loop has you building a car out of various parts (that affect steering, thrust, or the car's armor and mass), and then racing it around a track as fast as you can. Race faster, win medals, get more money ("Cogs" is what the currency is called), and then build a better car.

    That's fun, but the bad part is that you're really just racing against yourself -- there are no other cars on the track with you. You can still technically race -- the game is Game Center enabled, and there is a certain thrill in trying to grab the best lap on a certain track. But the game is all about how to get the most out of the car you've built, not racing alongside colorful steampunk enemies as you might expect.

    The game's fun, as long as you realize that it's all about the time trials, not a full racing experience like the vaunted Real Racing series. But the customization for your car is really impressive, and it's fun to see how a car changes after you've tweaked its parts or added new ones. Iconocraft Racing is now available on the App Store for iPhone for US $1.99, or on the iPad in HD for $4.99.

    TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Ionocraft Racing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Final day of July 4 app sales

    A lot of the App Store's biggest apps have been on sale this weekend, and a few holdouts dropped prices earlier today. If your head hasn't hit the pillow yet after your local fireworks extravaganza, make sure to grab some of these while the prices are low:

    • The Real Racing series is on sale, with the first title only 99 cents on the iPhone. All of the other iPhone and iPad titles are also at discounted prices.
    • Vito Technology (creators of the popular Star Walk, Solar Walk, and Geo Walk apps) has put a few of its apps on sale today only.
    • Konami has joined the party, dropping titles like Castlevania Puzzle, Metal Gear Solid Touch, and X-men to just 99 cents each.
    • Death Rally is on sale yet again, for just 99 cents. There's also a new update available for the app that adds a new car and a new gameplay type.
    • Finally, to celebrate the patriotic holiday and the new movie coming out, Marvel Comics has dropped the price on Captain America comics in its official app.

    Enjoy those apps, and we hope you had a safe and happy holiday!

    Final day of July 4 app sales originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • iPad grabs 1% of global browser share, 25% of US mobile browsing

    Not surprisingly, recent statistics from New Applications, a web analytics firm, show that many people are using their iPad to browse the web. The iPad now accounts for 1% of the global web browser market and 2% in the US. This number has steadily increased since the original iPad debuted in early 2010.

    In the US mobile browser market, the iPad grabs a respectable 25.5% which trails the iPhone (35.2%) and Android devices (31.6%). Together, the iPhone and iPad grab almost two-thirds of the US mobile browser market (60.7%). This figure is twice almost twice as much as Android's share and more that eight times greater than Blackberry's 6.9% share. Symbian, Windows Mobile and webOS account for less than 0.5% each, which is a mere speck on the radar.

    [Via The Register]

    iPad grabs 1% of global browser share, 25% of US mobile browsing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily Mac App: UnPlugged

    UnPlugged notification

    The Magsafe is a fantastic innovation, but it has made it slightly easier to disconnect your Mac from the AC outlet by accident without realising it. UnPlugged is a little free utility that notifies you via Growl when the power cord is disconnected.

    Now it's true that if you're running a portable Mac the screen is set to dim automatically on battery power by default, plus the power icon in the menu bar is set to change between a battery symbol to one with a AC plug. But if you happen to be running your Mac solely with an external display, it could be easy to miss the warning signs that you're now running on battery power.

    UnPlugged runs in the background keeping out of your way till its called upon. It'll also display updates on charge status, notifying you on changes in power percentage intervals, which you can set with a slider from 1% to 50%.

    Just like apps like DiskAlarm, UnPlugged doesn't do anything that Mac OS X doesn't do for you already, but it does make it more obvious and could be the alert you need to keep you from running out of juice when you thought you were plugged in.

    If you need a simple power notifier, give UnPlugged a whirl and download it for free from the Mac App Store.

    Continue reading TUAW's Daily Mac App: UnPlugged

    TUAW's Daily Mac App: UnPlugged originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me tune my Mac

    Dear Aunt TUAW,

    Think you should discuss how to speed up a mac that is bogging down with long beach ball spins, etc. I have been having this problem with a 3 year old iMac, and I know others are too....

    What can I do to get it back to the way it should run?

    Your loving nephew,

    Austin

    Dear Austin,

    Auntie's answer is...it depends. Your problems are most likely due to software issues, but they can be caused by hardware ones as well.

    The standard answers may include reinstalling the OS to remove some of the cruft, fixing permissions, remove fonts, etc. Google around for any number of lists on these.

    Another thing you might try is rebooting into safe mode, which performs some basic maintenance as a side effect. Just hold down shift after you hear the chime until the Apple logo appears. After entering safe mode, reboot and see if your computer begins acting better.

    Sometimes the issues aren't just software. Long beach ball spins and a slowed down system may be due to a failing hard drive. Many Apple systems ship with SMART drives, which can self-monitor and report reliability issues.

    Volitans Software makes a GUI utility that can analyze your disk and let you know if you're approaching disk failure; it has a short trial period before you buy. The same underlying software can be downloaded and compiled for the command line as well -- albeit without the friendly interface.

    When Auntie faced a recent system slow-down, it turned out that her 3 year old Mini was experiencing drive failure. Yikes. Fortunately, Josh Carr of the Denver-based MacWorks was able to update her mini with a brand new SSD.

    SSDs are a bit pricey, so if you go that route, be prepared to work out some strategies for moving data off your main drive onto secondary units. Auntie used application prefs to place her Safari download folder onto a USB data drive, along with her iTunes library, and all her e-mail. Auntie ensured that these items are still all backed up using Time Machine even though they don't live on the primary drive any more.

    MacPaw's Clean My Mac offers a tour-de-force of OS X tuning tools that allow you to streamline your system by removing extraneous cache files, logs, unused languages, and so forth. It can greatly decrease the space the OS occupies, so you can use more of that SSD for personal files and less, for example, for French, German, and Japanese translations. Clean My Mac also slims down universal binaries (which won't ever be needed on Lion, now that Auntie thinks of it), scrubs iPhoto's separate built-in trash folder, and more.

    On Josh's advice, Auntie enabled 10.6.8 TRIM support for her new SSD. TRIM allows SSD drives to proactively scrub deleted files to enhance performance over time.

    So how is Auntie's mini? It reboots like a dream, even though the somewhat limited drive size does make her a bit nervous.

    Even with a new drive and tuning tools to keep things running smoothly, Lion lurks on the horizon. Auntie is unsure how performance tuning will work under 10.6 although she suspects a lot of the approaches will remain the same: safe mode, cleaning up extraneous files, checking for hardware failures.

    Got any suggestions for how to keep your Mac running fast and smooth under Lion? Let Auntie know in the comments.

    Love,

    Auntie T.

    Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me tune my Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • SHAPE Services to release IM+ Video for Facebook video chat

    A report from TechCrunch claims SHAPE Services, the company that develops the IM+ messaging client, has bought CrispApp. CrispApp produces fone, an iOS application for chatting and making voice calls to your Facebook friends.

    SHAPE plans to take the technology behind the fone app and merge it with CrispApp's video technology to create IM+ Video. This new app will let users make voice and video calls to your Facebook friends. Calls will be free of charge and will let you make mobile to mobile and mobile to desktop calls. The Facebook video calling app could debut in the App Store within the next 10 days.

    SHAPE Services to release IM+ Video for Facebook video chat originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • New MacBook Airs may include high-speed 400MBps flash memory

    The next generation MacBook Air may get a flash memory boost according to a report from Macotakara. The new NAND flash memory could replace the Blade X-Gale SSDs in the current generation MacBook Air models. This Toggle DDR 2.0 technology boasts of 400 MBps transfer rates and a 19-nm process size. As a result, read times could reach 261 MBps and write times could be bumped up to 209 MBps. [Those performance numbers refer to the current generation of MBA solid state disks, not the rumored next generation. We apologize for the error. -Ed.] These small memory chips may be soldered on the MacBook Air's base circuitry.

    The new and improved MacBook Air models are expected to arrive soon after the debut of Mac OS X Lion. A Gold Master version of Lion was seeded to developers last week and should be publicly available in the upcoming weeks.

    [Via AppleInsider]

    New MacBook Airs may include high-speed 400MBps flash memory originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Hard Candy Street Skin for iPad 2 covers all corners

    Hard Candy cases, known for their sex-sells approach (just take a look at their site), has brought their Street Skin line to the iPad 2. Designed as thin yet rugged cases for Apple's iDevices, the Street Skin cases are made of TPU and feature a tire-like design with a raised grip pattern across the surface.

    The Street Skin for the iPad 2 is no exception, covering the iPad in a semi-flexible rubber that's about 3 mm thick. The case wraps tightly around the back and sides of the iPad with a lip covering the front edge of the screen making sure that all the corners and edges are covered nicely. There are good-sized cutouts for the buttons, mic, ports, speaker and camera meaning you're not losing any functionality with the case on.

    What makes the Street Skin standout is the hinged front cover design. The front flap fits into the front lip of the case on the screen, ensuring the entire glass front of the iPad 2 is covered save for two small holes where the front lip of the case is shaped to allow access to the Home buttons and the ambient light sensor.

    Street Skin for iPad latch


    When not in use the front flap is secured by two clasps at the top and bottom right corners of the cover. Once you need access to that gorgeous screen you unhook the clasps and fold the cover back around the rear of the iPad, moving the hinge all the way to the rear of the iPad and allowing the flap to be secured across the back using the same corner clasps. Once in place the flap is properly secured out the way, allowing you to get on with your business without having to worry about it.

    It's a simple yet very effective design. I have doubts as to how long the clasps will last as the corner straps on the front flap are pretty thin, but after a decent period of rigorous testing there doesn't seem to be any wear and tear to them.


    Verdict

    The Street Skin for the iPad 2 is a solid case offering. It covers the important parts, leaves access where needed and covers the screen well with it's front flap that gets out of your way when the iPad is in use. The tire-like styling may not be to everyone's taste however, and I doubt the case will do much if you dropped the iPad 2 from any great height save for preventing scratches. I've also noticed that the reverse of the front flap, the bit that touches your screen, is prone to picking up dirt, dust and fingerprints and helpfully transferring them to your screen when you close the case. If kept clean with a cloth, everything is well however.

    If you want fairly decent protection without adding too much bulk, then the Street Skin for iPad 2 delivers for around $39.95 plus shipping. It's available in black, white and pink, with the white one we had in for testing looking a lot like the classic Storm Trooper armor.

    Continue reading Hard Candy Street Skin for iPad 2 covers all corners

    Hard Candy Street Skin for iPad 2 covers all corners originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple servers hacked by Anonymous

    According to Anonymous' twitter account, the hacking group used a SQL injection exploit to pull down the usernames and passwords of several accounts from an Apple-run server (abs.apple.com). The passwords appear encrypted so there is little threat that others can abuse this account information. It's more a blow to the company's reputation. The hackers implied they could do more if they wanted, but told the company and the public not to worry as they "are busy elsewhere."

    Apple servers hacked by Anonymous originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Apple iPhone 4 prototype appears on eBay

    A rare iPhone 4 prototype has landed on eBay. The device is being offered by a mobile phone repair person who reportedly bought the phone from a customer. The phone does not work and was bought for parts only.

    The seller tried to activate the handset and was unable to do so through iTunes. It also would not work with a valid AT&T SIM card. A search of an IMEI database revels the iPhone is a testing model. It lacks the + and - on the volume buttons and has identification numbers etched into the front and back of the handset.

    Right now, the phone is selling for a little over $2000 on the morning of July 4th but the price is fluctuating. Bids on the phone skyrocketed over US$78,000 yesterday, but most of those bids were from suspect accounts and deleted by the seller. Right now, the handset is back up to $1 million with the highest bids from buyers with 0-3 feedback. This price may drop back down when the seller returns from the 4th of July festivities and does some house cleaning.

    [Via This Is My Next]

    Apple iPhone 4 prototype appears on eBay originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Gravity Guy

    Gravity Guy is a fun one. It doesn't really do anything we haven't seen before -- the basic idea is a running-style game where you simply tap the screen to switch gravity (very similar to the terrific indie game VVVVVV). You can play it right now online as a Flash game, and you only need to get into it for a second before you see the whole premise.

    But what's really sent this one to the top of the App Store charts is all the extras and bonus modes that come with it. Not only is there a full story mode to play through, there are also practice and endless modes to play, and even a local or online multiplayer mode. There are Game Center leaderboards and achievements, and both the graphics and music look and sound terrific.

    So yes, this is just a Flash game port (and a simple one at that), but it's a Flash game port done very right. Plus, as of this writing, Gravity Guy is on sale today for the low price of absolutely free. Grab it and check it out if it seems like your thing.

    TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Gravity Guy originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • First-Person Final Cut Pro X, Day Four: Gaining Perspective

    First-Person Final Cut Pro X is the unvarnished story of one pro editor's week-long introduction to the new Final Cut.

    I thought the next installment would be on trimming, but I wasn't able to write it, because FCP X failed to save all the work I did yesterday afternoon. You may have heard that there's no "Save" command in X. This is true. It just instantly saves everything you do, just like Google Docs (and just like most applications will do on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, in a few weeks).

    Unlike Google Docs, it seems that sometimes it completely fails to do this. Sigh. Apparently there have been other reports of FCP X failing to save, as well, so it's not just me.

    I'm actually less upset about this than you might think. I'm not thrilled about it, of course, but I've been down this road before, back in 1999, with a new product called Final Cut Pro that professionals did not want to use because it didn't have a lot of features that professionals needed. Like, for example, multicamera editing.

    From my perspective, FCP X is a totally new product that I'm testing out, and many of you have cheerfully watched me messing up as I did that; thank you for pointing out my mistakes. I don't expect X to instantly replace FCP 7. So if it doesn't have some features I regularly use, or it crashes or screws up on a project that wasn't that critical to begin with, that's not the end of the world. In fact, it's kind of expected. And having to redo the edits helps me master the program.

    Furthermore, we all need to realize that FCP 7 is at the end of its road. As Apple moves its hardware and OS forward, at some point in the not too distant future that hardware and OS will not support FCP 7 and its legacy code, and so anybody who sticks with it for too long will get hosed. I suppose there is a small chance that Apple will announce that they're abandoning FCP X and will go back and just port FCP 7 to Cocoa exactly as it was, but I'm not seeing it.

    [Keep in mind that there are plenty of shops still running legacy versions of Final Cut on Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.4. -Ed.]

    But there are some things about the way FCP X is structured that make it unusable for certain projects. For instance, as I've mentioned, the lack of defined tracks is a significant problem. On a long project, I will segregate certain types of audio on certain tracks -- for instance, all the sound effects might be on tracks A5 and A6. The reason for this is that if the producer listens to the mix and says, "all the sound effects are too loud," I can easily find them all and lower them by 2dB.

    On FCP X, I guess I would need to do this using the Timeline Index. I'd tag all SFX with the keyword "SFX," and then search for that in the Timeline Index and select all those clips and lower their audio.

    I would be very reluctant to undertake, say, a 90-minute documentary in FCP X unless I knew for sure how this was going to work. And so are all my colleagues. When I first posted my FCP X experiences, my editor friends ripped me apart for appearing to defend this program too much! And a program that sometimes silently fails to save your work could be more powerful than any edit system in the world -- I'm still not going to adopt it if I can't trust it.

    So I think we are all thinking about our options now. You can tell us that we're just too stuck in our ways to see the power of this awesome new program, but I've been doing this for decades now. In my career, I've already switched platforms three times: from linear editing to Avid and then to Final Cut Pro.

    This would not be my first paradigm-shift rodeo. But many editors are thinking that if they have to make a change, FCP X is not their only option. In fact, the alternatives are eagerly courting FCP editors with some pretty aggressive cross-grade pricing.

    Option one is to jump ship to Avid Media Composer. You could go to Media Composer today if you wanted; if not having to learn a new interface is a priority for you, its interface is pretty much frozen in carbonite, so if you used it in 1992 (I did!) you can use it today. It has all those features that FCP X doesn't. If you're a single-editor shop and you've got $2500 (or even $995) in your software budget --- just buy MC and be on your way. If you don't know how to use MC, now would be a good time to invest in learning it (there is a 30-day free trial of MC, which is not an option with FCP X). It's a great program.

    Option two is Adobe's Premiere. I'm of two minds about Premiere. Don't let me stop you from buying it (or trying it), but if you weren't using it yesterday, why was that? Did it suddenly get better than FCP 7 overnight? I think that Adobe is in kind of a bind with that program. For years the Premiere market mainstay has been hobbyists. As a result, even though I think Adobe really want to make it a professional product, there are places where they are afraid to change it because they think their installed base will rebel -- just like Apple's just did. So Premiere, for me at this point, is a prosumer program with some professional features tacked on, even though Adobe is making a full-court press to convince FCP users to give it a try.

    [Premiere does have native support for RED and many other formats that FCP X lacks, and if it's bought as part of the Production Premium bundle you get the advantage of dynamic linking with After Effects straight from the timeline. Premiere also will roundtrip import/export (or at least try to) your FCP 7 projects so you can choose the editor that works best for what you're doing; FCP X will not. -Ed.]

    It's worth mentioning again: both Avid MC and Adobe Premiere allow 30-day trials of the application, which is crucial for effective evaluation and figuring out if the app works the way you want to work, rather than you having to change gears to work the way it thinks you ought to. Final Cut Pro X's price point of $299 is a big improvement over the FCP 7 pricing, but it would be even better with a 30-day trial in the mix; better still if FCP 7 remained available through the transition period, instead of dropping off the price list like a hot potato.

    Other than standing pat for the next six months to see how FCP X evolves, the remaining option is to give FCP X a chance. Start learning it now, on the understanding that Apple will probably make big changes. Plus, even if you decide in a year that it's not the right solution for you, if you're truly a professional, it's likely that at some point somebody will ask you to use it or teach it or something, so you might as well start at least considering it now.

    Professional film & video editor Matthew Levie is based in San Francisco; he produced and edited the documentary Honest Man and writes Blog and Capture. First-Person Final Cut Pro X is the unvarnished story of his week-long introduction to the new Final Cut.

    Note that all opinions and assessments of FCP X expressed here are Matt's own, not TUAW's, and represent Matt's hands-on first reactions. -Ed.

    First-Person Final Cut Pro X, Day Four: Gaining Perspective originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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