Rumor that Apple will sell Final Cut & Pro Apps

[Dan Carew]

Frank Capria writes in a post on the new ProVideo Coalition site (http://provideocoalition.com/index.p...vid_and_nab/):

Word on the street is that Apple has been shopping ProApps around since late last summer, and a deal was close last fall. Now such rumors have reached a fevered pitch, with ProApps apparently sold with all but the final announcement to be made. Potential buyers include Thompson, which has been on an acquisition spree of late, and would love to add an industrial strength NLE to its newsroom offerings. No one will speak on the record for attribution. Until then anything can happen, but sources say morale in the ProApps group is low. Key members of the team have been moved to consumer-focused products like iMovie. Others have begun preparing for life after Apple.

Has anyone else heard this? It'd explain why they're not at NAB. It's mind boggling to me. I wrote about it on my blog:

http://indie2zero.com/2008/02/09/fin...by-apple-whoa/

Punchline of which is:
I was about to switch my small post-production studio from Premiere/Cineform to Final Cut--with plans to spend US$30K on Apple hardware & software this year. If this rumor is true, there's a good chance I won't make these purchases--as key developers leaving and bad morale at FC, caused by a sale, will set Final Cut back years. I was (gladly) on a slippery slope of converting from PCs to Macs, but this would be a serious fly in the ointment, on the slope...

----------------------
Dan Carew
Hong Kong
dan.carew@kandariver.com
http://indie2zero.com
http://www.kandariver.com

[Matthew Rogers]

Apple would be a fool and I would be very mad if they did!

Matthew

[Joel Kaye]

Considering so many people predicted the demise of AVID when they decided to skip NAB this is pretty interesting. I've heard rumors that Pro Apps were on the chopping block but nothing that indicated they were close to a deal.

[Thom Steinhoff]

Ugh--say it ain't so. Maybe Jim should take over...

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I can't imagine that Apple would be shopping its pro apps. To me, it makes little sense. I don't see where Apple is going to abandon their own tools that are used to produce so much of their own iTunes content. ie: Compressor.

Or maybe I'm not looking at it the right way? Maybe they are looking for someone to pick up the pro apps division and run with it as a separate entity, yet it will still be marketed and sold under the Apple label? Could be an opportunity to expand and move the software to multiple platforms too. That could be a double-edged sword for them though...

[I Bloom]

I won't buy an IPhone if they sell Final Cut. Whose with me!!?!!!!

[Corrado Silveri]

me.

Can't imagine the scenario.
:detective2:

[Dan Carew]

I have a mashup dirge playing in my head: The theme song from The "It's a Final Cut World" video at NAB '07 X REM's "It's the End of The World As We Know It". Tentatively titled, naturally, "It's The End of The Final Cut World As We Know It".
Truly hope it remains a dirge without a funeral to sing it at...:rip_1:

[I Bloom]

me.

Can't imagine the scenario.
:detective2:

Actually truly scary. I agree. But you know what, Final Cut in someone elses hands might be more competitive. And Premiere might be the Final Cut Pro of the next decade. The only constant is change.

IBloom

[Dan Carew]

ibloom wrote

But you know what, Final Cut in someone elses hands might be more competitive. And Premiere might be the Final Cut Pro of the next decade. The only constant is change.

ibloom,
Taking a long-term view, I agree with you. However, in the short term, this could be a real pain in the *ss for those of us getting our new Reds and trying to set up stable workflows for processing and editing Red footage...