[Dan Frakes]

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Dan, Apple may be absolutely justified in coming up with a new, easier to use video editing application but abandoning iMovie 06 without providing an upgrade path has resulted in serious resentment which may play out in the "market."

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No argument from me there; I agree.

[Schneb]

Jason, this was a good reply. The code in iMovie 6 might indeed have been a mess. However, the logic of the interface was flawless for the intermediate user. For those who were amateur, there was the clip editing tab. If this was even too difficult to figure out, then this is where the event-styled editing should have gone. A complete rewrite to the underpinnings? Yes, go for it. Even at the expense of losing third party plug-ins? That is a reality we would have to deal with like we did going to Universal Binary. But man, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with the original interface design and workflow.

[Dan Frakes]

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For those people and you are calling them the (smaller) group, that actually used iMovie over the years, we know a little more about iMovie than you Frank, who is the casual video guy

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Perhaps that's true; maybe you do "know more about iMovie." But that doesn't invalidate my point, which was that there are many people out there who want to edit their movies but don't because they want something faster and easier to use than iMovie HD. For these people -- all the people who don't know iMovie HD as well as you -- iMovie '08 is a better app.
Notice that I didn't say iMovie HD was a bad app. In fact, I said that there's a definite market for iMovie HD -- or something with similar or more functionality -- and that I hope Apple maintains a product in that market.

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Yea you have DV tapes laying around, guess what, the new iMovie 08 will not solve the problem that you (larger) group has, and that is, you just don't have the interest or motivation to make videos.

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I disagree. I have the interest and motivation. It's just that -- like everyone else -- I have limited hours in the day and demands on that time, and apparently making movies out of my DV tapes is lower on my priority list than it is on yours. To you, that apparently means I have no right to an opinion on iMovie. But the fact remains that if the process of making movies from my DV tapes was faster and easier, I'd be able to squeeze it in more often. So, as much as you may hate that a "casual video guy" like me is going to be making more movies now, I kind of like it.

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Guess what Frank, those people including you, will not find the time or motivation to actually spend the time to make movies.

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You know me so well. By the way, who's "Frank"?

[aafuss]

iMovie is now a lot like Premiere Elements (which I use on the PC).
Another feature is a iPhoto style dashboard for color control, with a FCP like color wheel.

[dwielt]

The earlier versions of iMovie was the only iLife application that I needed to refer to some computer book for additional assistance to figure out how to use it (and I'm much smarter than my grandma). Posting quick videos is all the rage these days on social networking sites. All Macs come with iSight cameras (except the Mac Mini), so why not make an application that allows quick video creation for online distribution? I have been using iVeSeen with an old firewire iSight, and I'm aware that Quicktime Pro and the old iMovie could work with iSight. Has anyone used this iMovie 08 with built-in iSight camera?
I do feel for those of you who are big iMovie HD users. Hopefully, Apple will update Final Cut Express and position it with an inexpensive upgrade price for iMovie HD owners.

[aafuss]

iMovie's share menu now has the option to export Final Cut Pro XML files.

[tbsteph]

If the new iMovie was designed for those uncomfortable with processing video, why was a direct link to iDVD removed? What was simple in the 2006 version is now a convoluted mess for the average user - and yes, I suspect many such users still want to burn their projects to a DVD.

[Bob_Hancock]

OK, I'm going to unload a big gripe that I haven't seen anyone else address yet:
/forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif Apple Intermediate Codec /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
<rant>
There are not enough expletives in the English language to describe how ticked off I am that in the new iMovie (new vs. old approach aside), Apple will still not allow HDV import in native MPEG-2 codec!
The current crop of HDV camcorders that record to miniDV tapes store the data in the MPEG-2 codec. The data output via FireWire is also in MPEG-2. For some reason, Apple (in its infinite wisdom) has decided NOT to allow importing the data in its native format over FireWire. Instead they transcode it "live" into the Apple Intermediate Codec which consumes more than 4x the bandwidth/space. HDV uses the MPEG-2 codec at a maximum bandwidth of 25 megabits/sec. But the Apple Intermediate codec consumes at least 100 megabits/sec and sometimes as much as 120 megabits/sec. This means files 4x the size, slower import speeds and corresponding loss of quality from unnecessary data transcoding. iMovie starts out importing HD in real time but even on my Core2 Duo ends up dropping to 1/4 speed by the end of 50 minutes of HDV video import.
I understand the current version of Final Cut Pro allows native MPEG-2 import and editing. I can't verify that since I don't own or use it. If Apple can allow native MPEG-2 editing in FCP, why cripple iMovie from doing the same? Doing so (especially in an app as limited as iMovie '08) is not going to canabalize FCP.
When I read initial reports that iMovie '08 supported MPEG-2 import, I rejoiced. Then I bought it, found out it still is transcoding my HDV imports and, based on this article, that the MPEG-2 imports are limited to standard defintion video. Why? /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I'll also add my rant to previous ones regarding iMovie '08 downgrading the resolution of all the internal processing from HD's max. Apple ought to be leading the way giving consumer level products the ability to express their full artistic potential in their original resolution and quality!
</rant>

[Cormac]

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But I hope they don't take their frustration out on iMovie '08, which is really a smart piece of software.

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[/indent]
You got to be kidding, right? If and when I buy iLife '08, iMovie '08 gets trashed if installed or doesn't get installed at all.

[Cormac]

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iMovie 08 is - homevideo 1.0 for dummies.
No, iMovie '08 is - homevideo 1.0 for the YouTube yahoos. But I do agree with the rest of your post and the spirit of your first sentence.

[soulrat7]

Uh....planet earth to Macworld Spin Doctor....just read the customer reviews on the Apple website and you can easily see it is NOT a hit.
I will not be purchasing this update. The great thing about iMovie '06 was it's versatility. It approached the precision of FCXpress while retaining the simplicity of a consumer program.
This new version of iMovie reminds me Microsoft MovieWorks. I tried it at the Apple store and most any creative potential has been white washed with it's cookie cutter experience. And most reviews I have read agree.
Stop pretending its a hit. Yours is the only review to make such claims that I have come across so far. Yes, it's been simplified and the only people giving it a rave are those who claim they plug their camera in and poof they've created a movie in 5 minutes.
I found the learning curve of FCXpress a bit steeper than I had hoped. So I happily stuck with iMovie. Now I have no choice but to learn.
Just everyone wait. All us Pro-iMovie users will switch to FCXpress, and Apple with then cut that from their line up. This is Apple getting to big for it's britches.

[Jason Snell]

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You got to be kidding, right? If and when I buy iLife '08, iMovie '08 gets trashed if installed or doesn't get installed at all.

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[/indent]
Let me guess -- iMovie HD fan? Big surprise.
I've edited three projects in iMovie 08 in the last week and you know what? It's a GREAT fast-cutting station. I almost never used the timeline view in iMovie HD either.
Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it lacks redeeming qualities. Apple thinks there are more iMovie users like me than there are like you. We'll see.

[taugust04]

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I suspect it's because the code base of the old iMovie was a mess. Or am I the only one who was plagued by crashes, faulty audio on transitions, and the like? The old iMovie was a Cocoa rush-job because someone at Apple (foolishly decided to shoot iMovie 2 in the head because it was written in Carbon. I don't think the product ever recovered, and it seemed to get worse as it went along, if my frustration level is any indication.

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[/indent]
Right on Jason. A lot of people forget that iMovie was originally released for OS 9. I'm sure there's a ton of legacy code in there that causes issues. I'm also betting some code was "band-aid-ed" when iMovie HD was made Universal a few versions back.
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It does make you wonder if perhaps their "big picture" goal with the new iMovie is to build it up to the old feature set over time, so that eventually you'll have more of the old features available in Advanced Mode. It's possible. It's also possible that they're just going to point people to Final Cut Express. It's a shame, because I do believe there's a need for a tool that's more advanced than iMovie '08 and less complex than Final Cut Express. The question is, does Apple think there's enough of a need for them to make a product to serve that audience?

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[/indent]
I'm betting the next update to Final Cut Express will be a major overhaul, and integrate the best of both iMovie '08, iMovie HD, and the current Final Cut Pro. If anything, the massive amounts of negative feedback from current iMovie HD users will force this change. I'm sure they'll re-add some features into iMovie '08, along with the creation of a plug-in API (there's no reason for them not to). Time ran out on the iMovie '08 developers, and it caused it be released with limited functionality.
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Apple thinks that there are lots of people who don't use iMovie right now because it's just not easy enough to use, and I think they're right about that. I think iMovie '08 is brilliant in its ease of use. BUT... it doesn't address the other point, which is, what about the non-video pros who used iMovie to make near-professional-quality videos? I don't know the answer to that one. I'd like Apple to address it, somehow, somewhere.

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[/indent]
Even though I've been a Mac user since 1993, I never took the time to fully play around with iMovie. One of the most difficult aspects was getting video imported into the program. I know this might sound odd, but not everyone has a DV camcorder, myself included. Lately I've been taking video with my Kodak digital camera, and my cell phone. Sure, it's not HD quality, but it's not bad, and for what I use it for, it works just fine. Editing this in iMovie '08 was a pretty easy process compared to the previous version. That's the current trend in video... short, dirty, barely edited movies where content is more important than quality. I think a lot of current iMovie users don't realize it. Why else would YouTube is currently so popular? That's the market Apple is aiming it's products towards. If Apple has to lose a few customers in order to gain several magnitude more because they have to re-target some of their products (like iMovie) you bet they won't hesitate to do it.

[Jason Snell]

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Uh....planet earth to Macworld Spin Doctor....just read the customer reviews on the Apple website and you can easily see it is NOT a hit.

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[/indent]
I know that when I buy a product, use it, and like it, the first thing I do is go to the Apple support forums and complain about it....
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Just everyone wait. All us Pro-iMovie users...

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[/indent]
Did you even read the review? He's pretty clear about how this product is NOT for "Pro-iMovie users."
There are TWO issues here.
One is, is iMovie 08 a good product for people who want a very simple video editor?
The other is, is Apple leaving more advance video users high and dry by removing iMovie HD and replacing it with a much more simple video editor?
I realize this is a nuanced issue and the Internet is the death of nuance. Let out your anger at Apple, go ahead. But the quality of iMovie '08 as a basic movie editor IS NOT THE SAME ISSUE AS THE DISPOSITION OF iMOVIE HD '06.