Mixed Reactions to iMovie '08

August 10, 2007 – Earlier this week, Steve Jobs took to the stage at Apple’s campus in Cupertino for a slew of announcements, including the new iMovie ’08, a portion of the revamped iLife suite. In Apple tradition, all the new products and software were available for immediate purchase following the presentation. It took mere hours, then, for feedback to begin cycling through blogs and message boards. Reactions were less than jubilant.

 

The shift from iMovie ’06 to iMovie ’08 is more than a simple update. The software has been redesigned from the ground up, and now bears a striking resemblance to iPhoto. Storage, sorting, and classification of movie clips have become one of the preeminent tasks. The interface has been simplified, no doubt to hook the ever-growing number of amateur editors taking their first tentative steps.

The simplification is the problem. iMovie ’06 was extremely popular with zero-budget filmmakers because it managed to find the balance between ease of use, flexibility, and low-price. Many a student film was no doubt cut on iMovie if the Final Cut Pro lab was booked for the day.

 

iMovie ’08 has been skirted away from anything resembling a powerful editing program like Final Cut Pro. Gone is the familiar timeline view, replaced with a blocky clip track. There is a single color correction tool. Chapter markers have been jettisoned, as have several audio features. For instance, audio tracks stop playing when the accompanying video clip ends; they cannot be carried over to clips before or after. Also, iMovie ’08 cannot run on G4 PowerBooks.

Screen shots from iMovie '08

 

For those features lost, however, several have commented on what has been gained. iMovie ’08 is easier to use than ever. Many people have no interest in spending an entire day editing a family vacation video. The new version gets them much closer to the estimated “30 minutes” Jobs promised in his speech. Audio can be edited and imported from Garage Band '08, which comes included in the iLife bundle.

 

It appears, then, that the target audience has changed as much as the software itself. Those looking for the proverbial free ride that iMovie ’06 offered are politely being asked to cough up a few hundred dollars more for Final Cut. In their stead, Apple expects an influx of a whole new crowd, composed of newbies, amateurs, and those whose lives can’t be dedicated to the pursuit of perfect video.

 

Apple, either anticipating or reacting to public outcry, may have struck upon the perfect compromise to satisfy both audiences. Those who have purchased iLife ’08 are eligible to download iMovie HD 6.04 at no cost. The ’08 and the ’06 versions coexist freely and independently of one another on the hard drive.

 

iMovie ’08 supports most camcorder formats, including DV, HDV, AVCHD, MPEG2, and MPEG4. The iLife bundle is now on sale at the Apple Store for $79 ($99 for a Family Pack, which allows installation on up to five computers).