Apple’s Annoucements

[Mark Dobson]

[Michael Phillips] “Buy the new MacPro and get FCPx for free. “

I’d like to see that turned round!

Apple want to get people hooked on their software, I’m hooked and an active member of AA (Apple Anonymous), it would just be too much hassle to switch to another platform now whether that’s my phone or my iMac or the new MacPro.

[Michael Phillips]

I think Apple wants to get people hooked on their platform(s) so they get 30% of everyone else’s software. And giving their software away for free which they did for their iOS apps has already been done. So if setting precedence, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same for MacPro.

Michael

[Bob Woodhead]

This was what we were saying when Legacy first got it’s legs…. “Apple’s got this fantastic, really cheap NLE, but you have to buy this big dongle to go with it” (aka, MacPro).

Deja vu’, all over again.

“Constituo, ergo sum”

Bob Woodhead / Atlanta
CMX-Quantel-Avid-FCP-Premiere-3D-AFX-Crayola
“What a long strange trip it’s been….”

[Marcus Moore]

While I think we will see something mirroring the iWork on iOS apps relating to the Mac, I don’t think that we’ll see Apple commoditize FCPX as well.

Right now the game is for different tech companies to commoditize the primary revenue drivers for their competition.

Microsoft’s licensing of Windows to OEMs forced them to fight eachother for marketshare, driving the price of hardware down.

Amazon sells Kindle hardware at break-even or even a slight loss to drive traffic to their store, where they make their money.

Google is prepared to pretty much give away both hardware AND software, because their real source of revenue is web-based ads and the user info they sell to companies.

Apple has traditionally commoditized software to sell hardware. The original FInal Cut was a MASSIVE price drop from the incumbent NLE options of the early ’00s. Apple bundled iLife software with Macs. The environment of the appStores has pushed software prices down. And FCPXs $299 price point once again redefined the price of editing software.

Since Microsoft has seen fit to hold back Microsoft Office on iOS devices, I think Apple sees an opportunity to basically make sure they never get a foothold by supplying these productivity apps for free. At WWDC, Apple announced a web-based iWork- so even if you’re a PC user at home, you can use iWork across your iOS and Windows PC for nothing- while Microsoft is now looking for an ongoing subscription price for Office365. This makes sense. I could also see Apple just completely doing away with an upgrade fee for OSX updates. The $19.99 is a drop in the bucket against their quarterly earning, and they may see more profit from giving away OSX in perpetuity in lieu of driving hardware sales AND having the largest possible percentage of Mac users be on the newest OS.

FCPX is specialized software- so I don’t see them giving it away. Wouldn’t LogicX also have to be free? It’s price is already low in comparison to the other offerings.

[Michael Phillips]

Your conclusion is similar to my thinking. If software is a drop in the bucket in relation hardware sales, then again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see FCPx free with the purchase of a new MacPro. Those without a new MacPro can still purchase at the $299 price. Even if it’s for a limited time offer. And why not Logic and other more Pro apps? It would justify whatever price they might apply – unknown how many versions there will be, but perhaps with the top model? And of course, it’s the perception of free… you’ll pay for it one way or another. 🙂

Apple does what Apple does – only taking precedence and applying it to yet to be released new hardware and seeing if it makes sense or not.

Just like I wouldn’t be surprised, (and glad that it hasn’t), that the only way to add plug-ins to FCPx would be through the App Store forcing developers to give up 30% of their revenue. Because “it is the refined and expected Apple experience…” But I’d have to think it’s been discussed.

Just thinking out loud…

Michael

[Oliver Peters]

I agree and wouldn’t be surprised either to see a tie-in, but…

The smart phone space has hit the wall, so it’s hard for Apple to come out with anything that will really blow anyone’s socks off. iWork is really competing against Google Docs rather than Office, so this is an attempt to counter things related to Android, not the desktop.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Bob Woodhead] “This was what we were saying when Legacy first got it’s legs…. “Apple’s got this fantastic, really cheap NLE, but you have to buy this big dongle to go with it” (aka, MacPro).”

Yeah, but last I checked, all other NLE’s require a computer, too.

And some of them required a small dongle, along with the big dongle.

It’s not really Deja Vu, it’s that Apple is doing what it has always been doing, instead of simply updating a proven form factor, they completely redesign it.

[Craig Seeman]

[Michael Phillips] ” I wouldn’t be surprised to see FCPx free with the purchase of a new MacPro. Those without a new MacPro can still purchase at the $299 price.”

I’ve thought this as well. There’s been some debate elsewhere on the interwebs on paid vs free update on the big one coming. One concern is that there are those who did purchase it, really made a valiant effort to use it and found it fell a little bit short on some features. I suspect there’d be a backlash from that subgroup who finally see what they want but have to purchase again. Just to be clear these are neither naysayers who wont purchase anyway or, current heavy users who’ve made back the cost (likely on the first job).. This group are those that are willing to like it and probably will with this update. I don’t think Apple can afford the backlash from this group.

Apple’s goal (IMHO) is hardware sales. Keeping in mind that iLife had always been free to new computer purchases but paid for buying new versions on older computers, iWorks has always been paid but is now free on iOS and free on iCloud, I think it’s at least a reasonable assumption that Apple might make FCPX free on the new MacPro. So those in the “almost” camp can get it free if the buy the new dongle err MacPro.

Obviously this is wildly speculative but just a possibility given where Apple seems to be moving with their utilities. Consider what some are guessing on the price (high) of the new MacPro, including FCPX would be a good incentive/give back from Apple. It seems like the right carrot to dangle.

[Chris Harlan]

[Oliver Peters] “this is an attempt to counter things related to Android, not the desktop.
“

I agree. iProducts are now their main course, and they are being threatened by some truly serious competition. They are giving away these overly-mature products that have little growth potential to combat share loss in the iWorld. I DO hope that X is something different to them.

And, the Mac Pro is definitely something different to them. My gut is they would be seriously contaminating both it and X by treating X as loss-leader at the Mac Pro’s release. First off, such a deal would have very little influence on any potential Mac Pro buyer I can imagine. Second, it would make X look cheap, not inexpensive, and maybe subliminally signal that X is pretty much done.

I can envision some sort of Pro Package, at a very modest discount, put together to celebrate the Mac Pro, but giving it away for free is, to my mind, saying its dead, or deadish.

[Andrew Kimery]

[Craig Seeman] “Apple’s goal (IMHO) is hardware sales. Keeping in mind that iLife had always been free to new computer purchases but paid for buying new versions on older computers, iWorks has always been paid but is now free on iOS and free on iCloud, I think it’s at least a reasonable assumption that Apple might make FCPX free on the new MacPro. So those in the “almost” camp can get it free if the buy the new dongle err MacPro.”

Going back a little bit further iMovie, iDVD and iPhoto all used to be free downloads. On the consumer side Apple does have a history of giving away software (and/or services) to make their hardware more appealing compared to the competition but I would be surprised if they followed similar suit w/their higher end/pro products.

There is a 30-day trial for those interested in kicking X’s tires and if you are someone that’s ready, willing and waiting to drop a few grand on a MacPro Tube I can’t see the $299 price point of X being the major sticking point. Of course I never would’ve guessed Blackmagic would be giving away versions of Resolve like party favors so WTF do I know?