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Apple Puts Legacy Final Cut Studio Back on Sale

Thursday September 1, 2011 4:41 pm PDT by Jordan Golson

Apple has put the previous version of its Final Cut Studio video editing suite back on sale after a mixed reception to the new and completely redesigned Final Cut X. We received word that Apple had issued a memo this afternoon announcing re-availability of the product.

We confirmed with an Apple telesales representative at 800-MY-APPLE that Final Cut Studio, part number MB642Z/A, is again available for $999 (and $899 for educational customers). The product is only available through the 800-number and is not available in Apple Retail Stores or on the Apple Online Store.

Final Cut Studio is a comprehensive video editing package that includes Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, DVD Studio Pro 4, Color 1.5 and Compressor 3.5. Apple had discontinued the product at the launch of Final Cut Pro X, their next generation video editing suite. Critics of the new product had complained that the abrupt discontinuation of the previous version of the software had made the transition more difficult. Apple had promised regular updates to Final Cut Pro X.
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Seo
94 months ago
I believe this is how it should've been at launch. Introduce FCP X as replacement for Express, and keep FCP7 until they introduce all the features industry professionals actually need in FCP X. Would've avoided a lot of complaining.
Rating: 45 Votes
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Mr-Stabby
94 months ago
They've promised 'regular' updates for Final Cut Pro X. 2 and a half months after release, and not a single update. Not really regular is it?
Rating: 21 Votes
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Piggie
94 months ago

Good. It's nice to see Apple caving... could this be Tim's first real decision? Good show.

Final Cut X-press is just like QuickTime X-press... all the features that actually make it good were left on the cutting room floor, pun intended.

Bryan


Indeed, perhaps this is the very 1st sign of a certain persons stubbornness being changed into a very refreshing new era of actually listening to customers as opposed to telling them what they should do.

Hope to see more like this. Good times ahead I hope :)
Rating: 16 Votes
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kas23
94 months ago

Maybe the professional production HOUSE should look seriously at how they edit?


Yeah, that's it. Professional film editors should be learning from Apple on how to do their job. :rolleyes:
Rating: 15 Votes
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Aiwaz418
94 months ago

Right, that was my point. Maybe they should re-examine the way they edit (ie, with others).

The world of professional film and television production simply does not work that way, will never work that way, and SHOULD never work that way - it's a collaborative effort.
Rating: 15 Votes
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goMac
94 months ago

Great, can I get Final Cut 8 now? With multicore support, searchable browser, and some of the few usable features of Final Cut "Pro" X?


No.

Final Cut Pro 7 is still stuck in the legacy APIs that can't do any of that. The only way out is a full re-write, which is what FCPX is.
Rating: 14 Votes
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commander.data
94 months ago
Now that Steve Jobs isn't CEO, every time Apple makes a decision that appears to change the previous course, you always wonder if it's something that's different than what Steve would have done.

In any case, it's good that Apple is responding to complaints by making Final Cut Studio available again. Now if only FCPX will quickly see those promised updates adding back some features.
Rating: 13 Votes
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dhrlove
94 months ago
FCPX not for professional TEAMS

The uselessness of FCPX had little to do with a tapeless workflow. It had more to do with it being designed for the one man show (a guy who shoots, edits, mixes audio, composits and does graphics all by himself). When you have teams of people working on projects, FCPX is useless. So you can be a ONE MAN SHOW professional but the typical Professional Production HOUSE can't use it. The flaw of FCPX has made the Professional Production HOUSE look seriously away from FCP regardless.
Rating: 12 Votes
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BrianMojo
94 months ago

Right, that was my point. Maybe they should re-examine the way they edit (ie, with others).


That's patently absurd. Are you trying to imply that collaboration is a bad thing and that we should accept an isolated editing environment because Apple 'said so?' The fact is that if you're in an edit house with other people (like where I'm typing this from), opening others' projects and sharing media is a fact of life. FCPX fails miserably at this, which is not to say that it's not a good piece of software, it's just incredibly ill-suited for a professional post house.

If you were trolling, well done, but man, what a ridiculous thing to say.
Rating: 11 Votes
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NY Guitarist
94 months ago

Maybe the professional production HOUSE should look seriously at how they edit?


Editing in not really the problem, it's that FCPX can't be used efficiently (if at all) in a collaborative editing environment. If you worked in one you might understand.

Or as the saying goes "IF you have to ask, you'll never know".
Rating: 10 Votes

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