in the continuing series of things read on art of the guillotine..

[Chris Kenny]

[Aindreas Gallagher] “I don’t think that quite stands up – the iMac comparision – we know this is a complete rewrite, and they omitted any mention of a raft of key features in their.. tease. “

It is a complete rewrite, but it was presented to a bunch of professional video editors, in a venue intended for video pros, during a presentation that Apple opened by bragging about adoption by broadcast and post facilities.

The idea that Apple then went on to introduce a product lacking basic pro functionality is simply not reasonable, so I don’t see why Apple should bother itself with speculation along those lines.

[Aindreas Gallagher] “Apple’s approach to this, and the stone walling after the event is increasingly annoying, and altogether inappropriate for a professional customer base.”

Look, Apple showed off some new features. At some point in the next couple of months, there’s going to be a more comprehensive formal product announcement. “Stonewalling” makes it sound like there’s something unusual going on here and that Apple is trying to avoid difficult questions or something, but as far as I can see, they’re following standard practice with respect to releasing information about new products.

—
Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.

You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read What is FCP X’s relationship to iMovie? on our blog.

[Jerry Hofmann]

[walter biscardi] “It’s clear from the “sneak peek” that Apple is doing their own thing with very limited input from the outside world.”

What makes you come to that conclusion?

Jerry

Apple Certified Trainer, Producer, Writer, Director Editor, Gun for Hire and other things. I ski. My Blog: https://blogs.creativecow.net/Jerry-Hofmann

Current DVD:
https://store.creativecow.net/p/81/jerry_hofmanns_final_cut_system_setup

8-Core 3.0 Intel Mac Pro, Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D, AJA Io HD, 17″ MBP, Matrox MXO2 with MAX – Cinema Displays I have a 22″ that I paid 4k for still working. G4 with Kona SD card, and SCSI card.

[Aindreas Gallagher]

for my part I’m not satisfied with the way apple have gone about this, the highly selective release of information and the refusal to answer any questions at the event or after. I’m annoyed. Its a ridiculous way to carry on with a professional customer base.

http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics

[Craig Seeman]

Developers have good reasons not to discuss certain things before they’re ready regardless of your annoyance. It is NOT Inappropriate at all.

I’ve worked with developers and while there are internal timetables, there’s a whole host of reasons not to make them public. When you have a complex interlocking Rubik’s Cube of a program, you can run into unforeseen stumbling blocks. It may well have been why the were showing an earlier beta at the Supermeet rather than a current one . . . and that’s also not uncommon for presentation.

From a developers perspective, the one thing worse than customer uncertainty is promising a delivery date and discovering you’re going to be way off and having to make a “negative” announcement or, alternately, just quietly letting the date slip (and the customers will be quite noisy about that) or, worse yet, having to pull a feature entirely after announced because an issue gives it an uncertain future, sometimes so much so it’s either back to the drawing board for that feature or just dropping it.

[Craig Seeman]

[Aindreas Gallagher] “for my part I’m not satisfied with the way apple have gone about this, the highly selective release of information and the refusal to answer any questions at the event or after. I’m annoyed. Its a ridiculous way to carry on with a professional customer base.”

Actually it’s a sane business practice for most software developers.

I’ve worked with developers and while there are internal timetables, there’s a whole host of reasons not to make them public. When you have a complex interlocking Rubik’s Cube of a program, you can run into unforeseen stumbling blocks. It may well have been why the were showing an earlier beta at the Supermeet rather than a current one . . . and that’s also not uncommon for presentation.

From a developers perspective, the one thing worse than customer uncertainty is promising a delivery date and discovering you’re going to be way off and having to make a “negative” announcement or, alternately, just quietly letting the date slip (and the customers will be quite noisy about that) or, worse yet, having to pull a feature entirely after announced because an issue gives it an uncertain future, sometimes so much so it’s either back to the drawing board for that feature or just dropping it.

[Aindreas Gallagher]

I don’t get your point – i’m not talking about the development cycle, or the software internal release cycle – I’m talking about the amount and kind of information they’ve given out and the manner in which they chose to do it.

http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics

[Craig Seeman]

Chris, thanks for being sane. The level of insanity I’m seeing from names I’d think would know better is truly astounding.

Developers don’t talk about things for good professional business reasons. I’ve already posted that. The hysteria is running so deep that it seems people can’t even grasp it after I’ve posted it.

I’ve talked to enough programers (under NDA for that level of discussion) to know the reason why companies refrain from saying things has NOTHING to do with bad manors or thoughtless business or marketing practices.

They have good reasons to not talk about “standard” things and no amount of complaining will change that. The costs to their business under certain circumstances would be far greater than being silent would be. NDAs have a lot more reasons behind them then simply revealing “secrets” to the competition. There are changes to a development cycle that can happen right up to days before a product is released. One might have to be in Release Candidate Stage to talk and even then things can happen until “Gold Master”

[Aindreas Gallagher]

I’m not talking about the beta or slipping shipping dates: apple reps, in response to direct questions after the event, refused to confirm *anything at all*
the state of XML, the clip viewer, EDLs, OMF – that is what I find both ridiculous and annoying.
Its not a bloody iphone protoype, its the software we use to make a living.

http://www.ogallchoir.net
promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics

[Craig Seeman]

[Chris Kenny] “But he’s very annoyed at Apple, as far as I can tell, primarily because he’s talked himself into believing some fairly unreasonable things (e.g. it’s plausible that FCP X won’t be able to support video I/O cards) and considers it a failing on Apple’s part that they haven’t released specific information clarifying these points.”

Thanks for commenting on that Chris. As if Apple has a responsibility to take risks by breaking sound business practices for a developer in order to assuage irrational fears.

Apple chose not to show or discuss many things. There are many sound reasons to do that from a developers’ business perspective. While I can’t speak in Apple’s case I can say that I speak from first hand experience about this reasons, not speculation.

[Craig Seeman]

[Aindreas Gallagher] “I’m talking about the amount and kind of information they’ve given out and the manner in which they chose to do it.”

Because they can’t reveal information until they are certain about those features. If it’s not in Release Candidate form or even Gold Master then they rightfully may refrain from comment about certain features.

They disclosed what they felt was comfortable for them to disclose as developers. Probably knowing that the earlier beta they were showing and the later beta they did not show, had matched those features.