Sam OliverFrench Apple website HardMac reported Monday that the entire Final Cut Studio, including Final Cut Pro, should receive an update in March or early April of 2011. It categorized the new software as a "substantial update when compared to the previous version," but cautioned that it may not bring new features expected by high-end "Pro" users.
"Two versions are already running at beta level, one for Snow Leopard, and one for Lion," the report said. "Some new features will only be available on Lion's version, due to the changes made on QuickTime layer."
The same site reported in September that the new version of Final Cut Studio has suffered setbacks in the development process. It was said that the scope of the project was reduced from its original, more ambitious plans.
The rumors have added support to an AppleInsider report from last May, which revealed that Apple was planning to scale final Cut Studio applications to fit the "prosumer" market. The significant software makeover was then expected to help the application suite better target the mainstream of Apple's customer base, rather than high-end professionals.
The report prompted Apple to quickly issue a statement in which it said the next version of Final Cut would be "awesome" and that pro customers would "love it."
In addition to Final Cut, HardMac also offered new rumors on the recently canceled Xserve hardware. Sources indicated to the site that among those unhappy about the change is Arthur D. Levinson, Genentech CEO and member of Apple's Board of Directors.
Apple announced in November that it would discontinue its rackmounted Xserve after Jan. 31, 2011. That change frustrated enterprise buyers, though many indicated they will stick with Apple hardware for their server needs.
Monday's report stated that "this storm is maybe not over" with regards to the Xserve controversy, but did not explicitly indicate any intention by Apple to change its mind.
Finally, the site also reported that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs remains unimpressed with the high-definition Blu-ray disc format. Jobs allegedly "feels ashamed" that Apple is a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, which he is rumored to believe looks "more like Mafia than anything else."
"He thinks that Blu-ray is the last physical media that will be used to distribute movies and videos," the report said. "The next generation will entirely be through direct download from online stores or platforms."
Jobs famously panned licensing issues associated with Blu-ray in a public statement made in 2008. The Apple CEO called the situation a "bag of hurt."
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54 Comments
About friggin' time!
/just bought the latest upgrade, maybe I should have done that sooner to get Apple to release a new version...
Final Cut Pro, should receive an update in March or early April of 2011.
it may not bring new features expected by high-end "Pro" users.
They are going to call it Final Cut Inc from now on.
"Some new features will only be available on Lion's version, due to the changes made on QuickTime layer."
That is interesting and worrying at the same time. Lion may bring the end of Quicktime Pro.
The same site reported in September that the new version of Final Cut Studio has suffered setbacks in the development process. It was said that the scope of the project was reduced from its original, more ambitious plans.
At least they have ambitious plans. That's good to hear. As long as one of those plans is not to balls up Quicktime Pro.
Finally, the site also reported that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs remains unimpressed with the high-definition Blu-ray disc format. Jobs allegedly "feels ashamed" that Apple is a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, which he is rumored to believe looks "more like Mafia than anything else."
The Apple CEO called the situation a "bag of hurt."
A bag of hurt is what you get if you piss off the family Steve. It's not worth waking up with the fishes. Nemo's not helping you out, he's nowhere to be found (again).
I think it's the right decision not to back Blu-Ray. Playing the long game is playing it safe and Blu-Ray is only going to be meaningful for the next couple of years. I tested out a 15GB game download from Steam on a 10Mbit connection and it took about 8 hours. That's still faster than by mail and a movie doesn't need to be encoded that large.
Convenience will win out over quality. The vast majority of entertainment is disposable and the highest quality is only really needed for your favourite content. For this you can easily buy an external drive.
The XServe is still listed for sale on the Apple Store. Together with the same banner about being discontinued Dec 31, 2010
I still think that decision was short sighted. True they might sell one XServe for every _______ thousand desktops. But .. isn't that the nature of a server? One server serving multiple desktops/laptops? When you kill that one sale of that one server in any institution using them, you are very potentially also killing off the the sale of how many desktop/laptops in the process?
Please please please make it 64-Bit Cocoa. I'm willing to upgrade to Lion JUST to get a Final Cut that isn't made in Carbon.
I wonder if Apple will keep Xsan around or if they are getting rid of it too. Apple had Xserve , Xserve RAID, and Xsan for the professional video editing needs. Apple got rid of the Xserve RAID, but Promise stepped up and provided a replacement solution which Apple is promoting on its web site. The headline for the RAID device is "Promise RAID and Xsan. Both built to build on.". While this sounds great, Apple discontinuing the Xserve puts the Xsan in a bad position since it needs Mac OS X to run. While Apple does offer a server version of the Mac Pro (and Mac mini) it is bulky compared to rack mounted servers which poses a logistics/space problem. If Apple were to license the OS to 3rd parties, if they used approved components, then the Xserve disappearing will not be a problem.