Larry's Thoughts: Apple and Professionals

Larry's Blog by Larry Jordan

This evening, I was speaking – remotely – with the Arizona Final Cut Pro Users Group. And I was asked, as happens often, “Does Apple still care about professionals?”

This is a hard question, because the answer is changing. But here’s what I told the user group, and I wanted to share it with you.

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Unlike any other company on the planet, Apple doesn’t share its future plans. Except in rare instances, as they did with the initial showings of FCP X, the on-the-record meetings with analysts at NAB this spring – an ON-THE-RECORD private meeting, which hasn’t happened in a long, LONG time – and recently with Tim Cook’s email on the status of the MacPro update next year.

All of these are very uncharacteristic of Apple. In fact, Tim Cook’s response was an answer to the clamor from a Facebook page!

What’s going on?

I think Apple got its head handed to them with the launch of FCP X in the professional market. They were expecting controversy, they didn’t expect a revolt. The market opportunities Apple provided its competition was totally unexpected. The industry confusion was extreme. And the uncertainty continues. Hollywood HATES change, but it hates insecurity far more. The financial turmoil and disruption was enormous. Even today, a year later, I’m getting constant requests from editors on what they should do to plan their career. read more...