would there be enough interested by FCP users to switch over? If there isn't then odds are it wouldn't be worth the $$ to re-make it for the mac. I'm not against the idea though. (linux would be better imho: NLE's are lacking on Linux).

But I've seen more & more non-pro's say they use vegas over the past year. Lots of people in the video-game communities use vegas. I'm betting it's mostly cracked copies, but, honestly, more users (legal or not) = better. They would be using cracked copies of Premiere, FCP or Avid if it wasn't vegas.

I am not suggesting that there aren't more and more people using Vegas. This suggestion was not intended to put Vegas on the defensive. I saw it as a positive suggestion.

My thoughs are for MAC owners that may be Pro Tools users (for example) that are beginning to get into video. Or those new cinematographers or new editors who see the MAC as a more reliable computer than a PC both of whom would normally gravitate to Final Cut or Premiere or Avid. All of them may see Vegas as a less expensive or more user friendly alternative to Final Cut or Premiere or Avid. Obviously Adobe and Avid saw MAC versions as a smart move. Why not Sony Software?

John

I founded and ran Ventura Software for five years in the 1980s. It was desktop publishing for the PC at a time when the only real reason to own a Mac was desktop publishing. I got asked every single day when we would do a Mac version. Even then, from a business standpoint it was a no-brainer: we could get 30% of the PC market (which we easily had -- sometimes a lot more) or we could get 10% of the Mac market. Even though DTP was a small percentage of the PC market, by the time you go through all the math, the numbers are MUCH larger on the PC side, even though the Mac gets more attention simply becuase that is the Mac's raison d'être. As a software developer, however, you make a LOT more money selling software for the PC.

I think Sony could be first to market with a solid version of Vegas for Linux. Trends show windows market share will continue to decrease over he next decade; and mac and Linux are both rising. First to market is a huge advantage.

Sean

Back when Vista was first released the development of a Mac version was on my mind also. It seemed like Microsoft had shot themselves in the foot. But now that the compatibility issues are starting to disappear with Vista I like it just as good if not better than XP. So a Mac version makes less sense to me now then it did with XP was standard.

I'm sure if they released a Mac version they would get a percentage of the Final Cut users starting to use Vegas Pro. However I wonder what percentage of the total Mac user base is a Final Cut user. Even if 30% of the Final Cut users switched to Vegas, how many would that be?

Meanwhile over in the Windows user base, you have 100+ million Windows users to pull from. More completion of course with Premiere and all the other $99 packages.

It would be interesting to see numbers.

Personally I find it much easier to explore and try new things in the Windows realm. It seems much more like the ground breaking technologies are developed for Windows first and then if successful, ported to Mac or Linux.

Hey John Meyer....... Ventura was the best desktop publishing software that was ever built.

I wish I was still using it. I have moved on to Microsoft Publisher which is a toy compared to Ventura. I wrote and published 4 software manuals for applications I had written. The finished results was a very professional looking manual.

Thank you for that wonderful application that fit my needs back in the late 80's, early 90's just perfectly. I was as in love with Ventura as I was on my first computer with Wordstar.

David S. Calef
EventVideoTeam.com

I've always thought that for Wider Adoption of Vegas, every employee of Sony Worldwide should be able to get a copy. Create a special serial number that would validate Sony employment. Have the parent company subsidize it.

They have a Japanese version of Vegas 8.

I bet a lot of Sony employees don't know about SCS. It may convince the laptop division, to preinstall Vegas.

Thanks David. That was a long, long time ago. Glad someone remembers.

Vegas use is up 50% in the last 12 months according to what we heard at the FullHD event at NAB.

That's so bogus it's laughable.

I have read lots of posts over the years regarding Vegas being adopted more and more and how much better it supposedly is than Premiere or Final Cut.

The key wording is 'over the years'. Vegas was always a step ahead of Premiere in the past, but I'd say they're essentially equal now. And third-party support is no comparison, favoring Premiere by a wide margin.

the end result being that the latest release gets maybe a little more of an increase in numbers of users and is still in competition with Premiere and Final Cut making maybe a slight dent.

I have no idea why people still care if Vegas makes a dent with sales/acceptance on par with Premiere or FCP. It simply isn't going to happen. If Sony doesn't care, then I surely don't. They didn't give birth to Vegas, it was just a very small investment on their part, and they're definitely not going to bother pouring more funds into marketing it.

"How about developing a MAC version?"

For the same reason that there isn't a Linux version. It would require a total rewrite to port Vegas to another O/S because Vegas is highly dependent on Windows system calls.

You would have to hire a new team of software engineers (or stop all development on the current projects), and the investment would be in the millions.

The ROI simply isn't there.

There are far, far more Vegas licenses out there than FCP.

There is no reason to develop a mac version. It would be a waste of resources for an insignificant market.

Besides it's mac users who should be converting to Vegas. If they can't see the advantages, let them be.

Last I heard there's over over million registered copies of FCP.

My free upgrade to CS3 came in a box with a full set of printed, bound, readable manuals. My paid for upgrade to V8 came in a brown paper envelope. CS3 works as advertised. V8 doesn't. Maybe you can judge a book by its cover. I think SCS have many issues to address before they even think about an OSX port.

Bob.

There are far, far more Vegas licenses out there than FCP.

Man, there's a lot of manure being spread around this thread.

I'll make this easy for you.

Name the film school or accredited college Film/TV programs that train students for Vegas?

Name the feature films edited on Vegas ([i]real</> films, not little indie projects).

If you've done the math correctly, you should end up with ZERO.

"Man, there's a lot of manure being spread around this thread. "

I would have to agree.
There is a shake up going on at Avid and some price drops as well. They're trying to put Avid Media Composer more on the map as direct competition against FCP (as mentioned by Avid). There was no mention of Vegas at all. FCP is the king right now.... and the one to beat.

Which part of: "There are more people out there using Vegas than FCP" do you guys have trouble understanding.

I didn't get into what major studio movies use Vegas or not. That's all Avid anyway. Any movies that claim to have used FCP were paid for by Apple to mention it or it was used for minor stuff. FCP in movies is just another product placement.

On the other hand if you are discussing small, independent movies, then I'm sure you'll find Vegas there too. I know of at least a few that were using Vegas 3,4,5 versions. I don't remember the names, but then again I only know one movie done on FCP, and I only know of it because my friend did it.

>>>Name the film school or accredited college Film/TV programs that train students for Vegas?<<<

No need to. People choosing FCP may just be stupid enough and unable to learn anything on their own, thus FCP training in schools.
It makes as much sense as baking cookies classes.

"Which part of: "There are more people out there using Vegas than FCP" do you guys have trouble understanding."

No trouble understanding it except it's utter rubbish.
Let me see, our national broadcaster, around100 FCP suites. Lots of Avid, nill Vegas.
People who I ask everyday from all sectors of this industry including the pimply faced kids: Lately some have heard of Vegas, a few using it. But there's more using old, old media composers that don't even support firewire than using Vegas! And yes I'm talking about working people earning an income from what they do as well as people just toying around.

You want to talk about movies?

No lets not, many recent posts by one movie maker should be enough to reveal the stupidity of your comments.

FCP and movies, major releases. Ppro, first cinema release movie done entirely on a desktop edit suite. Vegas, crash and burn. Heck it can't even cope with the audio systems you need for a movie.

Bob.

FCP and movies, major releases. Ppro, first cinema release movie done entirely on a desktop edit suite. Vegas, crash and burn. Heck it can't even cope with the audio systems you need for a movie.

Bob.
============
Since so many people swear by the dependability of a MAC, maybe Vegas would work better on that platorm Bob. Most of the music business seems to have always used MACs, but Pro Tools is available for PC now as well.

The only point made so far that I am concerned about is the one about it costing the software developers a fortune to make a MAC version.

How did a company in trouble like Avid afford to do it?

As I stated already, the argument I am making is not a negative one against Vegas. It is a question of why not a MAC version to help with wider adoption? Surely, a company would always want that - no?

John

Douglas,

If you are reading this, what are your thoughts on this idea? As an editor, producer, and accomplished musician and composer you must come in conrtact with lots of MAC loyalists. What do you think?

John

>>>No trouble understanding it except it's utter rubbish.<<<

Apple claimed 800 000 fcp sold, just a few months ago.

Vegas probably passed that number in 2005.

So, me saying that over a million is a larger number than 800 000 is rubbish? And you know when Apple says 800 000, they've probably counted upgrades into that as well.

More people are using Vegas than FCP. Fact, and end of story.

Director talking about FCP = paid to talk about it.

AVID is still the only game in major studios, the only reason AVID needs to compete with FCP is small time market. Big studios already have all the AVIDS they need, and they won't be buying more every month.

This is the same game played out in 3D software arena. People pay to have it mentioned, but at the end of the day it's some proprietary software that did most of the work, and in movie editing it's still AVID.

Buy a guitar player magazine and you'll see a whole bunch of guitar players talking about and praising guitars you'll never hear on their records. Same exact thing here. Money talks, AVID does the editing.

One example of this bullshit would be claims that FCP was used to edit Letters from IwoJima. Bullshit. They supposedly used it to capture some HDV footage, nothing else, no editing whatsoever. And this is true for every major movie. NOTHING is edited on fcp. Some assistant to the assistant of the editor's ass wiper may use it for a quick on the field capture of footage, and Apple will claim the movie was edited with FCP.

You're like that one remaining person in the Flat Earth Society that just doesn't buy the 'hype' that the world is round.

I'm not the one saying that over a million is less than under a million, or nonsense like Letters from IwoJIma, 300, etc were edited on FCP. It's absurd.

You guys just switch over to the mac then and give it a rest.
Your logic is already Appleized, just buy the damn thing and edit away. It's tiring reading posts about nonexistant Vegas problems from closet Mac users ( notorious for not having a clue about Hardware/software compatibilities ).