About Apple, yes, I really think that they have the power and the brains to change the orthodox game rule. It's the only company I can think of that seems capable to bring another craft way and simplify the post production stage, as they already did that many times in the past. I think that both James and Ben are right on the money on that.
Are they on their way to do it with FCPX ? It could indeed be the case, time will tell.
If Apple really managed to simplify the all story within reliability and "pro-compliant", and the competition is sleeping; they could indeed dominate completly the editing world and dictate their rules. I would personaly applaude if we can work faster, easier, without compromizing the reliability (including file management).
Don't get me wrong on Apple. They are great, inovative and their computers could stand as an art sculpture in a museum.
There are many things to love from this company, others, I really think they sometimes can be as bad as the oscur days of Microsoft's politics.
I see that specialy in motion and the things that really pisses me of are those:
- the QT wrapper is problematic.
- Prores, being a "standart" is not open to other systems and require you own a license to write.
- FCPX is not multiplatform but exclusive.
- FCP line despite the name is not a professional product, never has been and has many well known issues for the people who work with big volume, requiere speed and absolute reliability. It's been successfull only because of the arrogance of Avid, their insane prices and lack of intuitiveness. So for many people years ago FCP has been a better choice with the acceptance of compromises, specially when budget was limited.
Now there is all a generation trained in FCP, that could be operative faster and logically are used to this workflow and efficient with it.
The problem is perceptual, when you hear people saying: the "X" workflow is slow and complicated. I'd always think first, in what system are they editing?
It's almost impossible to critize because immediatly there is this cult thing (that we can also see in Red cameras owners-politics as James pointed, or any other brand with strong personality), so for many people, Apple would be unable to produce something bad, because generally they don't. They actually do from time to time.
But I must admit that it's quite amazing. PCs don't have this cult factor, so when something regular is released on PC, everybody says it's crap. But when something regular is released on Mac, most people say "they might know what they do", "they are visionary so they see something I don't"...each of their products could be regarded as a potential rule-breaker.
Amazing.
Now, are we in a normal world? of course not.
But if Apple brings on the pipeline a new generation editor we most want-need without major issues, tomorrow I'm back on the apple store for sure. They just opened a new one close to home.
Now, what I'd really like, is something that doesn't look like an editor. FCPX is still an editor in the traditional sense. More intuitive, maybe faster etc...but still is the same. RCX no. RCX looks like we're in C1. It lacks many things to be truly usable as an editor, but I don't see the path too complicated-long.
That design would be personaly for me the big revolution I'd like to see.