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Here everyone who’s think of buying a new mac tower should READ
THIS DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME, THIS IS A EMAIL SENT TO A COWORKERS FRIEND WHO EDIT FOR THE STATE.
SHE IS HANDLING IT MUCH BETTER THAN I WOULD HAVE. MAYBE SOMEONE CAN HELP HER.
Mac Pro/Lion/FCP2/Etc Experience
Hopefully this email will help those of you who are considering upgrading or replacing your edit systems.
For many years I was happily using my old 2004 G5 (non Intel processor) on Tiger OS with Final Cut Studio 2 , Red Giant software (aka Magic Bullet), Adobe Photoshop CS & CS4, & After Effects 7 Professional. I did have Avid Xpress DV which I upgraded to Media Composer 4.5 which I only could use for a hot minute before something in the specs threw it off.
Then last Feb. the power supply died in the computer, so I decided to upgrade to a newer Mac Pro with Intel processors, much like the ones we use in at the Channel. I waited too long.
Mac Pros are now beginning to ship with Lion OS pre-installed. There was a slight chance I could get Snow Leopard, but it indeed came with Lion. Final Cut Studio 2 will not install on this machine. Nor will After Effects 7. Photoshop CS4 did, as did Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. I haven’t even attempted to try Media Composer yet (I now have version 5, but have not updated my dongle…and Avid is on version 5.5 now.)
Ian and I did get a copy of Final Cut Studio 3 right after Apple released Final Cut X. This seems to have installed fine and I was able to open up an FCP6 project. However, the Red Giant software-or at least Magic Bullet Looks and Colorista-does not work with Lion. Red Giant has tried to fix it, but the bug is with Lion and so Red Giant users with the Lion config will just have to wait until Apple fixes the bug.
Though I could continue on the Lion/FCP7/No Red Giant/upgrade After Effects 7 path, I would have to spend a lot more money on getting new software and not have the ability to take projects back and forth between the office and home. I decided to get a copy the Snow Leopard OS and do a clean install. Though Apple has discontinued Snow Leopard, the Mac Store on 45th anticipated this and got a ton of the software. It’s $29.99.
BUT.
The techs at the Mac Store and I discussed my plan and he told me he has been unsuccessful in doing an install of Snow Leopard on a Mac that came pre-installed with Lion. My friend Matt looked into this and this is what he found:
“Every Mac has its model number encoded as data on the motherboard. The installer program has a list of models onto which it is allowed to install. No match, no go. That way you can install a “newer” OS on an older machine, but not the other way around.”
I have one more workaround attempt. I am going to try to set up another boot drive. My aunt has the install discs for her MacBook which shipped with Snow Leopard. I have bought an internal drive for $60 from Other World Computer. I am going to install that drive in the second HD bay on the new Mac Pro and try to install the Snow Leopard OS on that drive. If the Mac Pro won’t let me because of the model number, I am going to hook that hard drive up to my Mac Pro Laptop (that has Leopard on it) and then install on the new HD via my laptop. Then re-install the HD into the new Mac Pro workstation and see if it will boot.
So, the lesson is, if you want to keep working with FCP6 and compatible software and you need to get a new computer, get a used one. One with Leopard or Snow Leopard.
If anyone is interested in how this ends up, I am going to attempt to do the workaround this weekend. Tequila will be on standby.
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5 Replies
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This e-mail is nonsense. The current MacPro will run Snow Leopard, no problem.
The MacPro has not been updated in a very long time…since well before the release of Lion. -
A search of this forum would have helped. This is not a new issue and there have been numerous posts here about Lion & FCS2.
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Hardware and software are always moving forward – it’s just the way it is.
Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC -
This has, indeed, been discussed on this forum. In fact just two weeks ago I had a very helpful exchange on this topic. Going in prepared made for a relatively easy and straightforward transition that took, all told, about a day.
https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1142285#1142505
Currently running FCP 7 Studio on Lion with no problems aside from an annoying workaround on Magic Bullet Colorista and Looks (soon to be fixed, we hope).Neal Broffman
One Production Place, Atlanta, GA
http://www.oneproductionplace.com
Latest short: “Line of Sight”
https://deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/exhibitions/marco-breuer-line-sight
Produced for the deYoung Museum in San Francisco -
Ok boy and girls….no need to rub my nose in it. I was just looking for help for a friend. Because of your “help” maybe she can save herself some money before she purchase more Apple elitist (not looking out for the little guy) software (personal opinion).
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