I’ve had two days of iLife ‘08 and I’ve developed a few iOpinions, especially about iWeb, iPhoto, and very especially the new iMovie.

The most glaring issue is that Apple is purposely keeping the iLife applications dumbed down so they can upgrade users to the Pro apps.

So, you say, ”That’s a heady statement, Kate. What do you have to back it up?” Take iMovie ‘08. Please.

I’m one of those who liked using the old iMovie HD ‘06 version. iMovie is not Final Cut Express or Final Cut Pro, but it was a very decent video editor with plenty of capability built-in-- enough so that I didn’t bother to spend money on Apple’s pro video package.

iMove HD had all the basics. Video timeline. Audio timeline. Clip bin. Easy import. Easy export.

What iMove HD lacked was a way to manage video clips and projects, and an easy way to sort through clips for scenes. The new iMovie ‘08 takes care of that shortcoming with exactly what the old version lacked. Managing clips and movies and projects is easier in iMovie ‘08.

But that’s it for me. The problem is that the rest of iMovie ‘08 is aimed at video neophytes; those who wouldn’t know a video and audio timeline from the various and sundry versions of Windows Vista (you need a scorecard or program for that effort).

During the presentation of the new iLife, Steve Jobs mentioned that one of their software engineers couldn’t put together a video of a recent vacation, so he decided to create a new iMovie that would make video creation faster, easier, etc. Blah, blah, blah, and more PR speak.

How hard was it to put together a movie in the old iMovie? The guy must be living waaaaay too deep in ones and zeros if he couldn’t figure out iMovie HD ‘06 and create a movie in minutes.

Import video, select clips, drag clips to timeline, add transitions and text and effects to clips. Export. Damn. That was hard, huh? And it was done on an easy to figure out timeline metaphor.

The new iMovie ‘08 is missing that level of simplicity and replaced it with even more simplicity-- making the end result more difficult for former users of iMovie. I’m not sure that new users to iMovie will find the ‘08 version any easier.

Gone is the iMovie timeline. Gone is handy transport control access. New are all kinds of buttons that only newbies will love. Apple has dumbed down iMovie ‘08.

Why did Apple do this? It was not to create a video editing tool that could create a movie in minutes. iMovie HD could do that. Apple is focusing on the masses and that means keeping it simple. Dumbed down simple.

You see the same approach in iPhoto and iWeb, especially the latter, which, while looking great just try building a web site using it. You’ll love the look, then get tired of the limitations.

GarageBand is a bit different since audio quality will be the same whether using SoundTrack Pro, Logic, or GarageBand. Only the capabilities are dumbed down in GarageBand.

iMovie is the worst offender because the previous version was a joy to use. Apple blatantly segregates applications by Pro user vs. Average Joe (or, Jolene) user. For those of us who find the “free” applications somewhat limiting and perhaps a bit sophomoric, Apple has Pro apps waiting around-- for a price.

Don’t like the limitations in iPhoto? Go with Aperture for a mere $300. Don’t like the limitations in iMovie? Go with FinalCut Express HD for a mere $300.

See how that works? It’s almost as if Apple has become the techno gadget drug dealer with free samples of media coolness. Once you’re hooked, the price goes up.

I’m glad I’m not the only one to find that iMovie ‘08 isn’t much of an improvement for editing movies. It’s actually a retrograde. No wonder Apple released the old iMovie HD 6 for free.

Of course, it’s available for download ONLY for those who purchased iLife 8 and find that the new iMovie sucks.

I understand that products don’t improve without change, but change for the sake of change, and not improvement, isn’t the right way to do this.

I’m with Kate on this one. The new iMovie is more of a dumbed down video editor aimed at the masses who found the video timeline too hard. Frankly, I find that hard to believe, but…

I use FinalCut and have for about six years. It’s a marvelous work of engineering. However, I use iMovie to create quick and dirty videos for family, sometimes even clients, as it’s just too easy to do. Import, select scenes, add transitions or effects, drop in audio, export. The end result may not be as tight and sophisticated as FinalCut, but sure looked decent-- even better with a good camera.

This new iMovie flabbergasts me. No timeline? What are they thinking? After half a day of dinking around with iMovie 8, I cannot for the life of me figure out how it is easier to create a movie. What is easier is managing projects and video clips. That’s long over due, but the editing process is more stupid now than before.

I just imported a 40 minute video of a recent Maui vacation into the new version of iMovie. I love the project management and the clip management.

But that’s it.

The editing is actually a pain. Some of my old iMovie plugins don’t work. I like the “skimming” feature in iPhoto Events, but it gets in the way in iMovie-- move the mouse anywhere across the video clips and they start playing in scrub mode. That’s very annoying.

I can’t find a way to just drag a clip to the Project area. It looks like you’re forced to use those dumb rubber band clips to select and then drag. That’s more steps and more effort, not less.

Bah.

Not to be contrarian...but it seems that the reasons you all dislike the new iMovie is that you are used to the old version.  This happens with many new versions of a program, hell I said this when OSX came out “the apple menu doesn’t work like it used to” yes I have fruit menu to make it work like it used to but I think I shouldn’t have to buy something to get functionality back.  That being said I am not going to say that os9 is better than osx, its different and took some getting used to.  Such is the way with imovie and such.  Yes Apple is targeting the masses, as they always have.  It seems that you are complaining because its not what you are used to, but the people who haven’t used imovie in the past will probably love the new version.  I don’t think apple is trying to get people to buy the pro apps by changing the consumer apps, they are jsut trying to make the consumer apps more useable to the neophyte, of which you and I are not.  I have not used the new iLife yet, and may have the same complaints as you guys, but I am not going to say that apple is trying to get me to buy FCP.  I won’t buy FCP because it is way more tool than I need.  I will just have to adapt to the new imovie.  If you don’t want to than don’t use it, your choice.  I would say a lot of people don’t care about the timeline, they are going to love the idea of just being able to skim the clip, select what they want visually and put it in.  I used the timeline because it was the way to figure out what part of the clip I wanted to edit, I would have preferred to do this visually actually.  This is of course IMHO.

it isnt the 1st time SJ has adopted the “force you to cough up more dollars” strategy.  nor will it be the last.  the desktop scene is a perfect example of pushing buyers to shell out 2.5k (mac pro) for the ability to upgrade certain components when it could have done so for 1k.  desktop PC’s can even do that for less than $400.  of course releasing that $800-$1000 upgradeable/expandable mac will certainly cannibalize mac pro sales and even that of the imac and the $799 mac mini.

Just as a further FYI if you buy iLife08 and don’t like the new iMovie you can download iMovie 06 DH for free.  My guess is this is more because the new one needs a G5 or intel chip, but it nice of them to give it away.

I haven’t used any of the new iLife programs yet, but I agree with the basic premise.  Apple created iLife to better allow consumers the ability to create somewhat simple movies, web pages, and and manage their digital photos easier and faster with little or no technical skills.

If you’re a prosumer level photographer, videographer, musician then the express versions of the pro software are for you. 

If you’re a professional, then the pro versions exist for you.

Adding advanced features into the basic versions (iLife) of video, image, and web site programs makes the programs more complicated to use and more expensive to develop and update. 

The challenge is that the number of prosumers out there are growing and the outlets for displaying their work are growing as well (Flickr, you tube, etc) so that the work produced by the entry level apps now looks very dated compared to the prosumer output using more advanced tools.  The answer is for you to step up and move to the prosumer tools, not whine and wait for the beginner tools to grow with you

I think what Apple has done with the iLife programs is right on target - Helping those techno-challanged people produce passable digital content.  Anything that can help people I know turn two hours of mind-numbing vacation video into 10 minutes of mind-numbing vacation video is doing more good to human kind than words can express.  The fact that you have out-grown the beginner apps and are ready to move to more advanced applications is a sign that you are growing as an artist…

Dah-veed - 13 August 2007 02:28 PM

I haven’t used any of the new iLife programs yet, but I agree with the basic premise.  Apple created iLife to better allow consumers the ability to create somewhat simple movies, web pages, and and manage their digital photos easier and faster with little or no technical skills.

If you’re a prosumer level photographer, videographer, musician then the express versions of the pro software are for you. 

If you’re a professional, then the pro versions exist for you.

And there’s no issue from me regarding that. You nailed it. Except…

iMovie ‘06 was a nice ‘inbetween’ video editor; smarter than iMovie ‘08, dumber than FinalCut Express, but very capable. Apple made iMovie ‘08 very capable for people who know nothing about video editing, but want to create videos quickly, thereby forcing those of us who loved iMovie ‘06 because it was sooooo capable, to move upwards when we don’t want the complexity and expense of FinalCut.

It seems though you are trying to make the argument that iMovie 08 is less capable than 06.  I would like to know why you think this.  Yes the timeline is gone, but can you not still edit clips into a movie, add effects and transitions and such?  I don’t think iMovie 08 is any less capable, in fact given the changes in storage capability I would argue its more capable.  Again having to adapt to a new paradigm is different from the program being less capable.  Poor choice of words IMHO.  Yes they have further simplified how to do things, but you can still do said things.  I would be interested in what capabilities were lost in the new imovie.

BunsenHoneydew - 13 August 2007 08:15 PM

It seems though you are trying to make the argument that iMovie 08 is less capable than 06.  I would like to know why you think this.  Yes the timeline is gone, but can you not still edit clips into a movie, add effects and transitions and such?

I’m with Kate on this one. The timeline is gone and that means the multiple audio tracks are gone. Using iMovie 8, try to add background music as an additional track to the movie. You could do it in iMovie 6.

One other thing-- iMovie 8 breaks a bunch of the iMovie plugins for text, effects, and transitions. So, if you had such in older movies, and go to edit them in iMovie 8, they’re broken. That’s not nice.

Kate MacKenzie - 13 August 2007 04:42 PM

Dah-veed - 13 August 2007 02:28 PM

I haven’t used any of the new iLife programs yet, but I agree with the basic premise.  Apple created iLife to better allow consumers the ability to create somewhat simple movies, web pages, and and manage their digital photos easier and faster with little or no technical skills.

If you’re a prosumer level photographer, videographer, musician then the express versions of the pro software are for you. 

If you’re a professional, then the pro versions exist for you.

And there’s no issue from me regarding that. You nailed it. Except…

iMovie ‘06 was a nice ‘inbetween’ video editor; smarter than iMovie ‘08, dumber than FinalCut Express, but very capable. Apple made iMovie ‘08 very capable for people who know nothing about video editing, but want to create videos quickly, thereby forcing those of us who loved iMovie ‘06 because it was sooooo capable, to move upwards when we don’t want the complexity and expense of FinalCut.

That’s likely why they released iMovie 06 again as a free download.  They realized the ‘08 version lost some important functionality for some and offered people the chance to go back for free.  At least they offered that option for the “tweens”. 

Only allowing one audio track would be a big mistake for editing.  Often the sound is quite lacking in movies shot on a small camera and I used the extra tracks for music and VO and generally did not use the on-tape audio.  I did this on iMovie 4.0 and thought the program worked well - very intuitive to me.  I’ve played with FCE at the Apple store and didn’t find it to be as intuitive.  Same with iPhoto and Aperture.  Iphoto seems very intuitive to me while Aperture seems decidedly less intuitive.  The last thing I need now is expensive and hard to learn software.  Photo Shop is already kicking my ass and I don’t need to pony up more cash for software to make me feel even dumber…

Dah-veed - 13 August 2007 11:50 PM

Only allowing one audio track would be a big mistake for editing.  Often the sound is quite lacking in movies shot on a small camera and I used the extra tracks for music and VO and generally did not use the on-tape audio.  I did this on iMovie 4.0 and thought the program worked well - very intuitive to me.  I’ve played with FCE at the Apple store and didn’t find it to be as intuitive.  Same with iPhoto and Aperture.  Iphoto seems very intuitive to me while Aperture seems decidedly less intuitive.  The last thing I need now is expensive and hard to learn software.  Photo Shop is already kicking my ass and I don’t need to pony up more cash for software to make me feel even dumber…

I don’t have quite the issue as Kate regarding iMovie 8, but I found it took some getting used to, as the changes were wholesale. That said, FinalCut Studio is a whale of suite of very professional applications, and very complex. Seriously. It’s loaded. Even with FinalCut Express, there’s a huge gap between iMovie whatever.x and the pro apps.

You’ve really identified the apps that cause the most grief. I can’t use iPhoto to manage photographs for me, but it works fine for the family photos we take. Aperture rules, though I’m fond of Adobe’s Lightroom; just can’t figure out why to have both. None of those professional apps is as intuitive as iLife apps, and I’ve had good success with Adobe’s Elements instead of the full version of Photoshop.