Could you elaborate a bit on this? Exactly what are we unwashed masses missing out on that we might have in a couple of years?
I was a PC guy for a really long time, way back to the DOS days. I remember when Windows 3.14 was the hot new thing, but times have changed and I'll never go back to a PC by choice. The apple mindset goes hand and had with FCP. The concept of forward thinking.
FCP is really at the forefront of Desktop editing. They consistently release updates for cameras and formats before any other editing platforms. It's almost always done before those cameras and players physically hit the market too. I remember we had P2 and XDCAM compatibility 6 months before the cameras were even available. The best part is everything works and it works extremely well. Just the speed of the program alone is worth it, plus the GUI(graphical user interface) is very easy to use and navigate around. I picked it up with no editing experience at all and this was about 8 years ago. The tools work well and the hot keys make sense. There is usually multiple ways to accomplish the same task which means that you can customize your habits. For instance if you like to drag and drop you clips to insert the in the timeline you can, if you like to use a hot key you can, if you like to mar ins and out and trim them you can, etc. etc. It's just a very logical and flexibe program. Anyone can pick it up very fast, so to be redundant it has a very shallow learning curve but the program has much depth to it.
I've been a Final Cut Pro user since version 2 and it's come a long way. You used to have to buy all of the programs separately but they come bundled which is great.
Compressor is probably the best exporting program out these with tons and tons of options for different outputs and is very easy to use.
DVD Studio Pro is an amazing DVD authoring program that can be setup for someone who has no idea what they're doing or a seasoned veteran with complex menus.
Motion is not something I use because I'd rather work with Shake or After Affects for compositing. From what I understad you can work in 3D with it now and a lot of people swear by it. I've also heard that some post production facilities are starting to use it.
LiveType is a really great cookie cutter titleing program.
Soundtrack Pro is light years ahead of anything else at the same pricepoint for scoring a film and it comes with loads of media.
Cinema Tools is also another great tool if you going from real 35mm film and offline editing and maybe back to a film out which none of us are for u/w. But it can also be used when needing do some 24p pulldown reverse telecine tricks.
Most of these programs come with tons of templates and media. You really have to get down and dirty to really understand why Final Cut Studio users swear by these programs, it's not just me. There is no way you'll be able to find everything that Final Cut Studio does for PC, it's just not available unless you invest into a full blown $200K Avid Symphony Nitrous setup, and I'd still rather use FCP.
Billy
