Iv'e been using VMS since version 8 (now on 11) but recently I got a Macbook Air with iMovie 11 on and have tried a couple of small projects on it. I have to say I'm impressed with the ability to build simple videos quickly and with the minimum of fuss and they looked good as well. I constructed a short video in about half the time it would have taken me in VMS even though I was totally unfamiliar with it (and with less agravation as well!!). Organisation of projects is excellent as well.
However the thing that really stood out for me was the overall responsiveness of the program. You can scrub the cursor over any part of the video and instantly see the result with no lag whatsoever. In particular transitions are smooth and glitch-free and can be previewed live. Even a simple crossfade in VMS can be a bit jerky at time (and yes, I've done all the tips and tricks!). Considering that my VMS computer is a quad core, 3.4GHz i7 with 8Gb ram compared to the Macbook's dual core 1.8GHz i7 with 4Gb ram I find this quite remarkable! I know there are lots of things that VMS can do that are unachievable in iMovie and you have more creative freedom but all the same I'm impressed! And I could always upgrade to Final Cut Pro X for half the price of the full Vegas package (although I am aware of the complaints FCPX has been receiving).
All in all, in the short time I've had iMovie, I find it a much more pleasurable experience to build a project, even with the little screen. With VMS it always seems much more of a struggle although the results can be more pleasing. I think Sony Creative could do worse than have a look at their products and maybe a rethink on their prices?
However the thing that really stood out for me was the overall responsiveness of the program. You can scrub the cursor over any part of the video and instantly see the result with no lag whatsoever. In particular transitions are smooth and glitch-free and can be previewed live. Even a simple crossfade in VMS can be a bit jerky at time (and yes, I've done all the tips and tricks!). Considering that my VMS computer is a quad core, 3.4GHz i7 with 8Gb ram compared to the Macbook's dual core 1.8GHz i7 with 4Gb ram I find this quite remarkable! I know there are lots of things that VMS can do that are unachievable in iMovie and you have more creative freedom but all the same I'm impressed! And I could always upgrade to Final Cut Pro X for half the price of the full Vegas package (although I am aware of the complaints FCPX has been receiving).
All in all, in the short time I've had iMovie, I find it a much more pleasurable experience to build a project, even with the little screen. With VMS it always seems much more of a struggle although the results can be more pleasing. I think Sony Creative could do worse than have a look at their products and maybe a rethink on their prices?