Avid joins Adobe in offering Apple's Final Cut Pro refugees a cut price suite

EDITING SOFTWARE VENDOR Avid has joined Adobe in offering disgruntled Final Cut Pro X users a cut price version of its Media Composer video editing suite.

Apple's recent release of Final Cut Pro X has whipped up a storm among video editing professionals who think that the software simply isn't up to the standards required for professional video editing. However it is the fact that Apple abandoned Final Cut Pro 7 files that has drawn almost universal anger.

Adobe perceived the anger among Apple's professional video community and was the first to offer a significant discount on its Premiere video editing suite, adding that it could read Final Cut Pro 7 projects. Now Avid, the firm that pretty much invented non-linear video editing, has offered Final Cut Pro X users the chance to buy its high-end Media Composer at a discount, along with free training.

Paul Foeckler, VP of creative professionals products and solutions at Avid said, "Users who may be facing uncertainty now also have access to a Mac OS native industry-leading editing solution from Avid - a company that is dedicated to listening to their needs through our commitment to openness, collaboration and innovation in professional editing workflows." The comment about listening to users' needs is a very thinly veiled attack at Apple's seemingly arrogant decision to leave Final Cut Pro 7 users high and dry.

Apple's Final Cut Pro has seen its market share grow rapidly over the past decade, with Apple picking up many high-end customers from firms such as Avid. However Apple's actions have given both Adobe and Avid an opportunity to gain back users and point out Apple's lack of professionalism.

It is unlikely that Apple's latest debacle will result in a sudden fall in market share for Final Cut Pro, but it will plant seeds of doubt in those companies that were considering moving from other video editing software to Apple. µ