Final Cut Studio 5.1 and You PPC Too

FCS 5.1 Universal is shipping. Alas it's not just for Intel Macs. There are bug fixes FCP for PPC. From what I understand there will be no bug fixes via software update. One must pay for the Universal discs to get the bug fixes for the PPC version.

Feel free to tell me I'm wrong. I'd love to be. $49 for bug fixes even if I won't be moving to Intel Macs for some time.

Sorry to grouse but I had to do it.
See fixes here
[manuals.info.apple.com]



Craig Seeman
[thirdplanetvideo.com]

No bug fixes via software update - that's criminal! Since when should us, the people who make FCP popular, it's users, have to pay for bug fixes!

I'm now officially annoyed.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

I hear ya and no one is happy about this, but in this particular case and listening to the explanation that Apple gave us here, it is understandable why we must pay $49.00 for bug fixes. Sometimes stuff happens and there is nothing you can do about it except either keep your work arounds or pay the price. And there are always work arounds.


[www.lafcpug.org]

Yes, basically what's happening is that instead of only those paying the $49 as they switch to Intell Macs, WE ALL HAVE TO PAY $49 for what amounts to a bug fix.

While I can understand the new build is just too big for software update and will require a complete install, paying $49 to mail in our discs to be mailed back a bug fix is not "right" in my book.

Seems Apple has decided the only way to make this "cost effective" for them is to charge ALL FCP users for this bug fix. This also means one will not be able to download future bug fixes via softwareupdate until one pays for this.

We don't even have the option to drop into an physical Apple Store and swap the discs.

You either pay and mail or you're not getting any bug fixes until you upgrade to the next version of Final Cut Studio.



Craig Seeman
[thirdplanetvideo.com]

Is there a reason they couldn't allow us to swap the discs at a local physical Apple store?



Craig Seeman
[thirdplanetvideo.com]

Well, considering I just bought Studio a month back, I think this sucks. Charging for bug fixes in amoral. I don't charge for bug fixes with my software, only new features, and I've not even had to charge for that yet.

Sounds like this "plan" backfired for Aperture though. That "upgrade" (big fixes) to 1.1 was to be charged for, then after bad press they relented and now it should be free.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

You all know where to write.

Michael Horton wrote:

> You all know where to write.
>

So Mike, what's your mailing address? <grin>

I have visions of you riding up to Cupertino (on a Pony?) with bags full of mail and banging on Steve J's door and hollering, "Steve, ya gotta stop this, I'm being buried!"



Craig Seeman
[thirdplanetvideo.com]

Since Graeme is a part of this thread and knows software development more than any of us, how hard would it be to release a bug fix download that works only on PPCs running FCP 5.0.4? My guess it's pretty hard considering this version is written to run natively on both PPCs and Intel. Or how hard would it be to have 2 bug fix downloads where one works on PPCs and one works on Intel? And at what point do you stop writing for both PPCs and Intel and write for one only?

I seem to recall these sorts of threads when Apple was transitioning to OSX from OS9.

What I'm asking is, rather than being annoyed and bitching and moaning about this, how would you solve it?

Is a simple exchange at an Apple store doable?

Is a bug fix download doable?

Just re-read my post and it sounds as though I maybe picking on you all, but I truly want to know how in this case, where the entire line of prop-apps were coded to run on both PPCs and Intel Macs how the engineers could make a downloadable version of JUST the bug fixes and make it work ONLY with 5.04.

At some point we are going to have to pay for an upgrade and in this case $49.00 does not seem unreasonable to future proof Final Cut Studio.

Again, I am a complete idiot when it comes to software development but I cant' picture Apple sitting in a room asking each other, "How and what can we do to irritate the hell out of our customers?"

I think the upgrades for customers who paid the full price for FCP Studio should be free, both as a very time intensive download or via DVD set in the mail. The customer should be given the option as to whether the enormous amount of time required to download this bug fix is worth it.

If we knew positively that a new version of FCP Studio was going to be released in 3 weeks time, then as most of us will be upgrading to the next version, we could easily live with the Apple's inconsiderate manner of treating their existing.

Obviously they learned nothing from all the the inept fashion in which they handled the upgrade from FCP 2 to FCP 3 and all the suffering that caused. It seems they just don't give a damn.

Dave

Hard to tell for certain. Obviously, the UB version will be totally different code to the old version.

The files for the apps are pretty big, bigger than we normally get in sw update, but we obviously don't need the media and movies and such-like, all we need is one DVD with the new apps on it, and $49 is a bit much for that, if you ask me, as is the onerous nature of sending back install disks and things like that.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

I respect Graeme's contributions to this list and to the FCP community in general... so I exlcude him from the following comment.

Everyone else: Get over it! It's $50 bucks! Do you know how much Avid charges on a yearly basis just for the right to get updates (bug fixes!)? It's in the thousands. Per year. Per license. $50 bucks is not much more than the cost of discs and postage.

Mark

im not sending back MY disks until they have proven that the intel version is working reliably on intel boxes - last thing we need is some bloated-ass dual version

i don't understand why we can't swap or at least 'hand in' the discs at a local store as an option. mailing in the discs spooks me. things DO get lost every now and then and we would have no recourse to prove we sent it, and it was lost. it would then be between you and you're carrier. great.

i just wish i could at least drop it off at an apple store, have them scan in the barcode and THEN mail me the discs from the apple mothership.

fp

My god that is totally unacceptable - how can it be too big to update?

I have downloaded GBs and GBs of updates from Apple et al over the last couple of years and would even happily run the suite overnight to download a free version especially as I bought the full version of Studio...

FCP 5.0.4 application is about 362MB and on a 1Mbps connection that would take about an hour.

I don't know how big the Universal installer/update would be but I think its a damn cheeky to charge for bug fixes that should have never been there in the first place...

If you can't download then they need to charge for CD or DVD but $49 seems a bit steep. Maybe $29 would cover manufacturing packaging and postage and be a little more acceptable.

However they definately should offer a free or (at the very least) a massively reduced cost download.


Does anyone think a Microsoft advisor has been assigned to Apple's update policy controllers???


Ben

PS did I say bloody cheek? Oh yes I did - bloody MS cheek!





For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

is there a list of what "bug fixes" we get to PPC FCP if we pony up the $49???

For a very smart company, they have great difficulty in having respect for their existing user base. We don't mind paying hundreds of dollars for each of the upgrades. We expect the bug fixes on the current version to be free. The fact that a competitor behaves poorly doesn't let Apple of the hook to behave in a callous fashion.

It's really the inept manner in which Apple handles these bug fixes between OS changes & processor changes that annoys people. It's not really the $50, this is really just rubbing salt in the wound.

Dave

<<FCP 5.0.4 application is about 362MB and on a 1Mbps connection that would take about an hour.

I don't know how big the Universal installer/update would be but I think its a damn cheeky to charge for bug fixes that should have never been there in the first place...>>

Well, for better or worse (in most ways better,) they've decided not to do dual versions of FCS, as the OS team has done. So the UB FCP app might now be like 700MB. And then there's the other applications.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit perturbed too, but at least we won't have to deal with concurrent versions of FCP, and all the headaches that could cause.



- Justin Barham -

<<is there a list of what "bug fixes" we get to PPC FCP if we pony up the $49???>>

[manuals.info.apple.com]



- Justin Barham -

ahhhh - nothing in there that i need. thanks JB!

ok, im out

<<So the UB FCP app might now be like 700MB. And then there's the other applications.>>

ok so 2 hours on a 1Mbps connection - I have 4Mbps connection and don't want to hear excuses from companies like Apple why I should pay up to have my software work correctly...

Like I said before I'd happily leave it on overnight for GBs of download if necessary but that's not the issue...

The issue is they are not offering it as a bug fix only as a crossgrade. Despite the clear problems and bugs with the app(s).

PLUS I have tried to get the crossgrade but the order form they require you have to post to them taking up my time, my printer ink (more expensive than champagne), paper & envelope (I am against deforestation) and postage (albeit a few pence) plus include proof of purchase (more paper) then order online - wait until they validate the bloody thing (instead of just checking my registration details online) and send me the upgrade/crossgrade.

FFS its just bloody pissing me off now - Apple need to pull their fingers out of their lugholes...

Not happy...





For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Personally I can sit tight till after NAB. In the meantime I expect that the FCP team will realize that they handled this situation rather poorly. I fully expect that they will do the right thing & post the regular updates to the various programs in the Studio package for PPC download only in the next few days.

Dave

the worst thing and how ironic is this

I have to send the form et al to:

Apple Fulfilment!!!!


Hardly - I am about as fulfilled as a man trying to move the moon by blowing it...





For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

No worries Wayne. One thing to consider though, further updates will require 5.1.



- Justin Barham -

I can understand that a software download may be out of the question. That's not the beef or tofu.

It's a $49 charge which for the vast majority of us is simply a bug fix. It could be just be the cost of shipping.

It's sending in your master discs. There could be the option of swapping discs at a physical Apple store. This would alleviate the whole mail and wait and hope.

It's one thing to offer those who need to buy into Intel Macs now the $49 privilege of getting to edit now rather than wait for version 5.5 or 6. I feel like I'm being penalized $49 PLUS the expense of Shipping, PLUS the risk of being without the master discs for some period. I don't call that meeting half way or compromise. It's a major penalty for a PPC bug fix.



Craig Seeman
[thirdplanetvideo.com]

Let's keep emotions out of this discussion folks. Doesn't solve anything. Just invites more ranting.

by the time they introduce features that i personally NEED, they will probably have the full migration to intel worked out and there will likely be a $199 significant upgrade...

I'm inclined to believe that 5.1 is the end of the line for FCP5. Further upgrades would be from FCP 6 which would be universal binaries in any case.

Dave

Sorry do they suggest for stateside FCP users you send in your master discs?

That is even more crazy than the UK Apple Store!





For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]