Apple acquiesces, resumes sales of $999 Final Cut Studio

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
After seeing a strong user backlash against Final Cut Pro X, Apple has caved to pressure from the video editing community and resumed sales of Final Cut Studio, though it is currently only available over the phone [updated with response from Apple].



Update: ?As we?ve done before with many end-of-life software products, we have a limited quantity of FInal Cut Studio still available through Apple telesales to customers who need them for ongoing projects,? an Apple spokesperson has told The Loop.



A person familiar with the matter told AppleInsider earlier this week that Apple had issued an internal note stating that Final Cut Studio, part number MB642Z/A, is again available for sale. "It is only available through the internal store via telesales," the tipster added.



However, calls placed to Apple by AppleInsider showed that not all sales staff have received the memo, as there appears to be some internal confusion over the status of the software. Multiple representatives for the company said on Thursday that Final Cut Studio is ineligible for purchase, while one member of the sales team did confirm that the legacy software is indeed available, but only over the phone, for $999.



That staff member also contradicted separate reports by saying there is no educational version available.



The Cupertino, Calif., company said in July that it was looking into the legal issues behind offering the previous version of Final Cut Pro for sale. At the time, the company had also said that Final Cut Studio was discontinued.



Apple released Final Cut Pro X exclusively on the Mac App Store in June, calling it a jaw-dropping and revolutionary update. But, many users, including a number of prominent industry professionals, quickly criticized the application for missing features and incompatibility with Final Cut Pro 7. Some have dubbed the release "iMovie Pro," complaining that it is unusable in many professional settings.



Several customers have reported receiving refunds after informing Apple that the software was unsuitable for their post-production needs.







AppleInsider exclusively reported last May that Apple was scaling the Final Cut product line to better target mainstream "prosumers," rather than high-end professionals. Apple quickly responded that the next version of Final Cut would be "awesome" and that "pro customers are going to love it."



The company even went so far as to invite a select group of professionals to preview Final Cut Pro X. However, some of those professionals have appeared to be vocal critics of the software upon its release.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    My editor will be pleased, and I am pleased I will not have to pirate a copy. I want to support Apple, though my editor does not want to "upgrade" to FCX.
  • Reply 2 of 51
    That's wonderful, Tim.



    Now, how about iMacs with antiglare screens, and wireless aluminum keyboards with numeric keypads?
  • Reply 3 of 51
    wijgwijg Posts: 99member
    The "only available by phone" thing reminds me somehow that Apple once made a Linux version of Final Cut. Anyone else remember that? I never used it but I thought it sounded cool.
  • Reply 4 of 51
    gustavgustav Posts: 827member
    Remember when iMovie 06 came out and everyone hated it? Then Apple made iMovie HD available for a short time. This is the same thing. Though I would expect this to be temporary. When FCP X comes out, I expect this offer to go away. of course, FCP X will likely have more of the pro features brought back in by then too.
  • Reply 5 of 51
    Wow. Imagine all the grief they would have saved if they would have just kept selling it!
  • Reply 6 of 51
    Apple screwed up by EOLing FCP 7, before FCP X was robust enough to replace most FCP 7 functions -- this gave the install base no place to go.



    This is a good first step to fixing that!



    Now, (this month would be good) Apple must begin adding missing features to FCP X.



    Ideally, Apple will provide (or allow 3rd-parties to provide) a best-effort migration tool to allow editors to move their old FCP 7 edits to FCP X, as needed.
  • Reply 7 of 51
    Good first move, Mr. Cook.
  • Reply 8 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gustav View Post


    Remember when iMovie 06 came out and everyone hated it? Then Apple made iMovie HD available for a short time. This is the same thing. Though I would expect this to be temporary. When FCP X comes out, I expect this offer to go away. of course, FCP X will likely have more of the pro features brought back in by then too.



    FCPX has been out. The uproar over incompatibility with it and FCP 7 is the reason they brought back FCP Studio.
  • Reply 9 of 51
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gustav View Post


    Remember when iMovie 06 came out and everyone hated it? Then Apple made iMovie HD available for a short time. This is the same thing. Though I would expect this to be temporary. When FCP X comes out, I expect this offer to go away. of course, FCP X will likely have more of the pro features brought back in by then too.



    Or when MS had to offer "downgrades" to previous versions of Mac Office because their new version sucked so much (I forget, was that Office 6 or 7 that was so bad). Or when MS kept trying to stop sales of XP but couldn't because their new OS wasn't up to the task.



    I hope Apple doesn't keep following Microsoft's lead in this particular category!
  • Reply 10 of 51
    Wait... $999, am I reading this right?
  • Reply 11 of 51
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FitzGerald View Post


    Wait... $999, am I reading this right?



    Final Cut Studio is a whole suite of programs.



    For all of the so-called "pros" who were whining about FCPX, $999 isn't much at all. If somebody can't afford that, then they're not a pro and they should use iMovie.



    It's good that Apple realized that they made a mistake and offered the old version for sale again. I'm mostly concerned about Logic Pro and I hope that they don't radically change Logic when the new version comes out.
  • Reply 12 of 51
    z3r0z3r0 Posts: 238member
    Now can they please bring back Final Cut Server?
  • Reply 13 of 51
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Apple should have done this long ago. Better late then never.
  • Reply 14 of 51
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Honestly I think that is the biggest issue for pros with the new Final Cut. Pro's often recycle content.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    FCPX has been out. The uproar over incompatibility with it and FCP 7 is the reason they brought back FCP Studio.



  • Reply 15 of 51
    z3r0z3r0 Posts: 238member
    Now lets hope he releases phenomenon (stalled due to internal fighting) but it exists! Its Shake + Motion with glorious nodes!



    Resurrecting Final Cut Server would be a great move.



    Then after that fix FCPX and create Final Cut Server X (with a node based GUI for creating workflows).



    It might also be too much to ask for bringing back the Xserve but that would be great!



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Good first move, Mr. Cook.



  • Reply 16 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    Or when MS had to offer "downgrades" to previous versions of Mac Office because their new version sucked so much (I forget, was that Office 6 or 7 that was so bad). Or when MS kept trying to stop sales of XP but couldn't because their new OS wasn't up to the task.



    I hope Apple doesn't keep following Microsoft's lead in this particular category!



    Agreed. I have to say, this doesn't sound like a Jobsian decision.
  • Reply 17 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gustav View Post


    Remember when iMovie 06 came out and everyone hated it? Then Apple made iMovie HD available for a short time. This is the same thing. Though I would expect this to be temporary. When FCP X comes out, I expect this offer to go away. of course, FCP X will likely have more of the pro features brought back in by then too.



    FCP X is out. That's part of the issue.



    That said, telesales is hardly 'resuming sales' which implies that I can walk into any of my 4 local Apple stores tomorrow and grab a copy (not that I need it because my boss was smart enough to buy enough site licenses to cover the job we were bidding on in April just in case we actually got it when it came around this month)





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TBell View Post


    Apple should have done this long ago. Better late then never.





    According to my sources there were licensing issues. Basically the licenses that Apple had for several of the patented by someone else features were ending which is why FCPX was released when it was. These were features they either were not ever going to add or they would later when the license deal was set. They had to go back and talk to these companies about selling FCS3 again so they wouldn't get sued etc. Part of the deal could be that they can't press copies and put it 'back on the shelf' but sell only by specific request. And it is also possible that once said feature is released in FCPX, the deal for FCS3 is over. We shall see
  • Reply 18 of 51
    "Apple relents" would be a more mainstream title to this article, though I do appreciate the higher level of intellect "acquiesces" strives for.
  • Reply 19 of 51
    newbeenewbee Posts: 2,055member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


    According to my sources there were licensing issues. Basically the licenses that Apple had for several of the patented by someone else features were ending which is why FCPX was released when it was. These were features they either were not ever going to add or they would later when the license deal was set. They had to go back and talk to these companies about selling FCS3 again so they wouldn't get sued etc. Part of the deal could be that they can't press copies and put it 'back on the shelf' but sell only by specific request. And it is also possible that once said feature is released in FCPX, the deal for FCS3 is over. We shall see



    Thanks for that explanation .... which also explains Apple saying in July that it was "looking into the legal issues behind offering the previous version of Final Cut Pro for sale".
  • Reply 20 of 51
    Hold on, now!



    Larry Jordan a respected FCP expert, editor and trainer has posted the following update to his blog:



    FCP 7 Back On Sale! ? UPDATED



    Quote:

    UPDATE



    I spoke with an official Apple spokesperson, who told me that: ?As we?ve done before with many end-of-life software products, we have a limited quantity of Final Cut Studio still available through Apple telesales to customers who need them for ongoing projects.?



    I do believe that Parkinson's Law or the Peter Principal is involved here!



    I am 72 years young -- in those many years, I've played the "stupid card" enough times -- to recognize it when I see it!
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