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.

Check out the daily list of our 9 Word mini-Reviews at NoodleMac, and Kate's daily in-depth Mac software reviews at PixoBebo.

Off Topic #23 & #18 - Want to speed up your Mac? Try Kate MacKenzie’s approach to the $7.99 speed increase. Do you have a back up system for your Mac? Kate’s PixoBebo shows you how to use Time Machine with SuperDuper! for the ultimate Mac back up. And she doesn’t even charge Mac360 readers to visit her site.

Off Topic #72 - Need to save a few dollars on Mac software? Click Here to save almost $10 on the new version of Photoshop Elements, and almost $20 on the new Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac from the Mac360 Store (it’s really Amazon). Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage and more-- barely $50 more than Apple’s iWork ‘08.

Click Here to view this article and reader commentary in the Mac360 Forums.

• Article by Kate MacKenzie • Published on Thursday, August 9, 2007
• Category: Daily Topics • 20 Reader comment(s) • Email This • Digg This • Shop Now

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« Previously A Critical Look At What You Can And Can't Do In iWeb.

Nextly » It's Time To Stop All The Noise About Macs And iLife '08.

Talk Back to Kate, Ron & the Mac360 staff
Mac360 readers talk back. View their comments below or post your own comment to this article. Comments are moderated by the Mac360 staff. Or, post comments in the Mac360 Forums. It's mostly anonymous, there's no obligation, and no cost, so join in-- it's free, fun, low in calories, low in carbs, non-fat, and mildly addictive-- like chocolate and blondes.

Readers Talk Back:

Shabbis says:

I actually look forward to an even more simplified iMove, similar to how iPhoto works, compared to, say, Photoshop. FCE and FC is for users who want more.

I find iPhoto perfect for someone like me or my wife, who take a lot of photos and only care about simple cropping, clean up and a good cataloger to manage 10K+ photos.

I’ve been playing around with iMovie since it first came out and just never really got into it. I also found it too time consuming for someone like me who just wants to dump a movie in, make some minor tweaks and burn to a DVD or throw it on the net via .mac.

— Posted on Thu Aug 09 at 2:39 pm by Shabbis

G4 User says:

I’ve been waiting all year to upgrade from iLife 05 to 08. What has really been dumbed down is that iMovie 08 cannot run on my 1.67 Ghz G4 PowerBook. However, from all the reports I’ve read, iMovie 06 is a better choice, or the other costly option: Final Cut Express, which is G4 compatible. Bummer. Esp. when the rest of iLife 08 works with a G4 - a very schizophrenic approach. I guess that’s why Apple is allowing iLife 08 buyers who use G4s to download iMovie 06 for free.

— Posted on Thu Aug 09 at 2:30 pm by G4 User

DanMan says:

It’s interesting to put this view forth after the comment at the recent even that they don’t limit the functionality of the iLife apps to not compete with the pro apps. I think that was said during the Q&A;. The debate about ease of use versus functionality and the inherent complexity therein will always occur. It makes sense that the iLife apps would tend toward the former.

Having said that, I haven’t tried iLife ‘08 yet.

— Posted on Thu Aug 09 at 2:29 pm by DanMan

John Koetsier says:

Interesting article.

However, the previous version of iMovie is now available for download at Apple’s site for purchasers of iLife ‘08.

Also, count me as a fairly technical user who had challenges working with iMovie.

I think the updates are excellent - aimed primarily at a non-technical user, designed for small projects, targeted at consumers. That’s what iLife is for: non-pros.

You want the pro features? Get the pro app.

— Posted on Thu Aug 09 at 2:29 pm by John Koetsier

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