I'm a movie composer and have this past 25 years embraced the incredible technology that Apple has developed as a mainstay of what's become our tools of the trade. I believe in return, along with many professional compatriots, I've helped Apple become the amazing success it is with both our input to its R & D and a "hip" association with the music and film business. It's been an incredibly exciting time.
I'm terribly sad to be losing the iDisk ...... simply as it's been a great way for my less technical clients to follow my work as it progresses on their projects. Via a link to a web browser they've accessed my Public folder (often on their PCs!) to pick up Quicktime Movies and music mixes from all over the world, at all stages of movie production. It's also a permanent access to my soundtrack albums and movie showreels for prospective clients.
Have I missed something or is there actually no replacement for this once iDisk has been dumped?
This move does seem to add to the general fear that's widespread amongst amongst colleagues, that as Apple's fortune has grown (partly on the back of the pro's cool chic) ...... the cult of the amateur seems to be fast replacing what we all saw as our special hallowed ground as the avant garde.
For example, successful movie editors, many of who were on the verge of taking up Final Cut Pro, (as was state of development around 2005/6) have gone back to AVID on a PC, simply because FCP never quite fulfilled it's potential. ie. the reliable work horse it almost became. In fact FCPX was a huge disappointment for most of the professional editors I know who talked about it being a "more amateur style app"
The Mac Pro, - back bone of the media professional's intensive processing arsenal seems to have been worryingly neglected in the race for Apple to dominate the fast growing iOS market. We're all understandably starting to feel insecure about the attention from Apple's R & D dept that we once had, fast evaporating.
Financially it makes absolute sense for Apple to move away from the production base of the once rich film and music industries, because indeed all the wealth is evaporating from anything creative that is digitally copyable!
It does make me feel rather sad that this could be the end of a balanced symbiosis between these entities. Apple makes vast fortunes through the music and movies it distributes via iTunes, but seems to be withdrawing its support from professional production technologies it once encouraged.
However there are still glimmers of hope. Movie composers like myself who spent £20,000 - 30,000 on Emagic Logic software with Digidesign Protools Hardware in the 90's, continue to use Logic which continues to be supported by Apple. It's one heck of a totally amazing piece of software design that's gone from strength to strength ....... long may this be the case!
I wonder if the loss of idisk is a nail in the professional Apple user's coffin or a wee change in our ongoing life cycle that will be seen to have some eventual occupational benefit?
Best
Dick
